Seattle Eats

Summer fruit season is in full swing, but many Washington farmers are preparing fruit for weeks or months down the line. Farms in Lynden, Washington, produce 90% of the country’s frozen raspberries. The berries make their way into baked goods, jams and freezer aisles all over the country. And while frozen food gets a bad rap, farmers in Lynden say these finicky berries are just as good frozen as they are fresh.  

Seattle Times journalist Jackie Varriano visited a farm in Lynden to see the process first-hand. She tells Tan all about it and taste tests some dishes made with frozen Washington raspberries. 

Read about Washington’s frozen raspberry industry and see photos of the harvesting process in The Seattle Times: 90% of frozen raspberries grown in the U.S. come from this WA town | The Seattle Times

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

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To many people, instant ramen is a simple (and cheap) snack. But to chef Josh Ratza, it’s an opportunity for delight. Josh is the owner and chef at Setsunai Noodle Bar on Lopez Island and the self-published author of Elevated Instant Ramen. The book is a guide to leveling-up any instant ramen, without breaking the bank. 

In this episode, Tan and Josh shop for ramen at Uwajimaya in Seattle’s Chinatown International District. Josh points out his favorites and shows Tan how to ‘hack’ a ramen packet with simple ingredients. 

Read Tan’s profile of Josh: This creative Lopez Island chef is a wizard with instant ramen | The Seattle Times

Information on Josh’s book: Elevated Instant Ramen

Chef Josh Ratza’s instant ramen hacks:

• Pick your ramen style: Brick ramen works best for adding ingredients, but one in a Styrofoam cup or bowl will work in a pinch. 
• Try whatever ramen flavors and brands catch your eye.
• Keep ingredients on hand to boost flavor (chili crisp, hot sauce, furikake).
• Add fat and protein for more nutrients (an egg, sliced avocado, tinned fish or meat).
• Use up whatever you have in your fridge!
• Paint outside the lines. Experiment with new ingredients and flavor combos.

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Seattle food lovers flock to Richmond, BC, Bellevue is steadily becoming home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and authentic Chinese food. The dishes you’ll find there tell the story of a community cooking for itself, not just the tourists. From braised goose to smoked tea duck, Tan highlights the regional specialties worth crossing the 520 bridge for.

Read more of Tan’s reporting on the Bellevue food scene here: How Bellevue became an international hub for Chinese food | The Seattle Times 

And here: Bellevue’s best Chinese restaurants: 10 picks from our food team | The Seattle Times 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Mr. Huang Claypot Braised Chicken
• Master Bing
• Nuodle
• Shaoshan Impression 
• Little Garden Restaurant 
• Dan Gui Sichuan Cuisine
• Looking for Chai

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Seattle spent a whopping $800 million dollars on the new waterfront to create a vibrant public space. But is it just a tourist trap with expensive food? Seattle Times writers chat about the history of the waterfront and the food spots worth braving the crowds to check out on Seattle's new "front porch."

Read more of Tan's reporting on the Waterfront food scene here.

Check out David’s essay on the Seattle’s “front porch” here.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Mee Sum Pastry
• Lowell’s
• Jack’s Fish Spot 
• Mr. Fish Chips and Chowder
• Post Alley Pizza
• 84 Yesler

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s restaurant season in Seattle! Dozens of new spots are opening in hopes of riding a summer wave of tourists and sunshine. In this episode, Tan highlights three restaurants the industry is watching and reviews the menus at each. 

Read more of Tan’s reporting on new restaurants in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• The Wayland Mill, Wallingford 
• Mr. Fish, Downtown 
• La Loba, South Lake Union 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle Times food critics Tan Vinh and Jackie Varriano eat hundreds of meals each month: At new restaurants, old-school dive bars, tiny pop-ups and national chains. In this episode, Tan and Jackie highlight five of the best dishes they’ve tasted recently, from high-concept Vietnamese fusion to an Italian cookie pop-up. 

Read more about Tan and Jackie’s picks in The Seattle Times, linked below.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Ramie, Capitol Hill – Hột Vịt Lộn (duck) custard
• Nue, Capitol Hill – Balut (steamed duck embryo)
• The Lonely Siren, Downtown – Batatas (potato) Bravas
• Pizzas Locas, Des Moines – Mexican corn pizza
• Good Lazy, Issaquah – Cereal Milk Donut
• Tremonte’s Italian American – pop-up and online

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who makes the best slice of pizza in Seattle? Last summer, the Seattle Times food team went in search of an answer to that question. They polled Seattle diners and narrowed 32 pizzerias down to 4 finalists and 1 winner. Today, we’re re-sharing our episode breaking down the results, so you can enjoy a pristine slice this holiday weekend. 

Read more about the results of The Seattle Times Pizza Smackdown. 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Bar del Corso, Beacon Hill
• Delancey, Ballard
• The Independent Pizzeria, Madison Park
• My Friend Derek’s, Fremont
• Post Alley Pizza, Downtown
• Stevie’s Famous, Burien / Beacon Hill

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June brought a slate of closed restaurants in Seattle, from a half-century-old dive bar to some of the city’s most high-end dining. But it was also a good month for new spots, with two popular rooftop bars debuting in Central Seattle just as the weather heats up.

Tan breaks down all the trends in openings and closings this month with Seattle Eats producer Clare McGrane. 

Read more about The College Inn Pub’s closure, Sea Creatures Restaurants’ pivot and this summer’s new openings in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Firn, Pioneer Square
• Cantina Del Sol, Capitol Hill

Closed restaurants:

• Bateu and Boat Bar, Capitol Hill (temporary)
• General Porpoise donuts, Laurelhurst and Capitol Hill
• The College Inn Pub, University District

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, 25 restaurants and chefs were crowned with James Beard Awards – the Oscars of the food world. And for the fifth year in a row, Washington state came away with zero wins. 

Tan breaks down the three Seattle-area finalists with Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano, and asks: What are we doing wrong?

Read more about this year’s local James Beard Award finalists, including seven-time finalist Jay Blackington, in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Atoma, Wallingford – Best New Restaurant finalist
• Archipelago, Hillman City – Outstanding Hospitality finalist
• Houlme, Orcas Island – chef Jay Blackington, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific finalist

 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dinner parties are a staple in many cultures, but in Georgia – in the Caucus mountains of Eastern Europe — dinner parties are another deal all together. Almost any occasion in Georgia calls for a Supra, a feasting tradition that goes far beyond the food on the table and the wine in the glasses. It’s about connecting with the other people around the table, sometimes getting extremely vulnerable. 

The Supra Dinner Society wants to make this Georgian tradition a feature in Seattle. In this episode, Tan attends a Supra and explains how the tradition works. 

Read more about the Supra Dinner Society in The Seattle Times. 

The group hosts weekly public Supras in Seattle. Find more details on its website. 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.