The Northwest Cider Association’s executive director, Emily Ritchie, is in town from Portland, fresh on the heels of the 2025 Cider Cup Awards! We sat down with her to learn about why Washington leads the nation in both apple and cider production, then dig into the juicy details on what makes a cider competitor-level. Plus Meg’s dreaming of a Jurassic Park for apples, Mark's shipping off to Big Apple country, and we get apple-cheeked on this year's Cider Cup winners—one of which is a perry! 🍎🍐

Check out the Northwest Cider Association

Follow Northwest Cider Association on Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:

Empyrical Cider

Press Then Press Cider Shop

Schilling Cider

Kingston

Greenwood Cider

Bauman’s Cider Company

Little Beast

Radiator Whiskey

Schooner Street

Gol Mok

Cockrell Cider Farm

Community Grocery

Field Bar

Mezzanotte

Musang

South Lake Union Market

Nata Seattle

The Masonry

00:00 Intro

03:29 NW Cider Award Winners

08:26 PNW is a Cider Mecca

23:10 This Week’s Restaurant News

32:43 Trends in Cider

36:45 Emily’s Cider Origin Story

40:35 Thanks, I Ate It

Fermentation gurus Michelle Pogostkin and Jaimon Westing join us to talk vinegars, misos, garums, and more. We learn about Michelle’s anthropology background, her fermentation lab internship at the legendary Copenhagen restaurant Noma, and how those experiences inspired her to start Symbiotic Cultures—their retail line of bottled/jarred koji-based ferments.

We also talk about how the lessons Jaimon learned as a young, fast-rising chef inform his approach today with Amino—the monthly (-ish) dinner pop-up that balances ancient fermentation techniques with modernist cooking—and how Jaimon and Michelle met and began their partnership. (Not, it turns out, as passing ships in the night at Noma, where they both worked within months of one another!)

Plus Mark and Meg lay off the workahol just long enough to get to a few great restaurants and tell you all about them.

Check out Symbiotic Cultures

Follow Symbiotic Cultures on Instagram

Follow Amino on Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:

Nell’s

Marvel Food & Deli 

Oyster Cellar

Human People Beer Café 


La Maria

Taurus Ox

Single Shot

Cornelly

Saars

The Penalty Box

Portland Syrups

Cheeky & Dry

Blue Beard

Glo’s

Ba Sa

Fainting Goat

El Maestro del Taco

Layers

00:00 Intro

6:00 What is Amino?

16:08 Noma

24:05 Meg’s Treat

30:15 This Week’s Restaurant News

37:23 Pop-up Vs. Permanent Location

50:43 Symbiotic Cultures Products Tasting

1:06:27 Amino Dinners

1:10:18 Thanks, I Ate It

1:28:31 Coming Up Next

Competitive barista Gray Kauffman joins us in the O.C. this week to drop some serious coffee science on our asses. Alongside being the new Coffee Education and Innovation Lead at Hitchcock Restaurant Group, Gray recently competed at the U.S. Coffee Championships, and they talk about how they did in the Olympics of Coffee, their background in food science, their previous gig in product development at Caffe Vita, and what it was like to travel to a coffee farm in the mountains of Colombia—the origin of the beans they used in the competition.

Plus Meg and Mark are always working for the weekend, but they’re not too weakened to tell you about what they ate on their lunch breaks! Dig in!

Mentioned in this episode:

Canlis

De La Soil

Lenox

Ananas Pizza

George’s Polish Deli

Rain Shadow Meats

Sankaku

Cafe Suliman

Narrative

Espresso Vivace

Slow Day

Cardoon

Chelsea Farms

Ginger & Scallion

Surreal

Devium Wine

Jude’s Old Town

The Shambles

Lenox

Taco Time

Ramie

Spice SPC Indian Grocery

DeLuxe Bar & Grill

Meyer Bar

00:00 Intro

4:26 How Gray Got Started

13:14 What’s the Barista Competition Like?

18:50 Milk Innovation and Coffee Mixology

22:51 Choosing Music and Beans for Competition

31:37 Meg’s Indian Bodega Treat

37:39 This Week’s Restaurant News

51:07 Evolution of Seattle Coffee Culture

59:52 Re-thinking Freshness

1:08:28 What’s Next for Seattle Coffee?

1:11:12 Mystery LaCroix Tasting

1:14:18 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:29:28 Coming Up Next

We’re having another amaro party, this time with Gillian and Joey Diedrick, the husband-and-wife team behind local amaro producer SennzaFinne. The lovebirds tell us about their creative approach in crafting SennzaFinne’s four season-themed amari, and how their fifth amaro—Always—fits into the mix. We also talk about how far the boundaries of an amaro can be pushed while still being recognizable as an amaro, and why the Seattle area is such a hotbed for the bittersweet botanical liqueur.

Plus Meg is in her auntie gardener era, Mark is in his raw scallops era, and we’re all in on bringing you the local restaurant news—and our favorite bites—of the week.

Mentioned in this episode:

Voysey

Bad Chancla

Folio

Homer

Richard’s Too Good BBQ

PopPop Pizza

Top Dead Center Cafe

Dordlofva

Outsider

Hamdi

Greenwood American Bistro

Fair Isle Brewing

Master Bing

La Marea

L'Oursin

DeLaurenti

Giddy Sloth

Pizza Paesano

Schilling Cider

Greenwood Cider Co

Stoneburner

Moxie Mule

0:00 Intro

06:42 What is SennzaFinne?

13:56 The History of SennzaFinne

24:33 Meg’s H Mart Snack

33:37 This Week’s Restaurant News

46:17 The Boundaries of Amaro

55:14 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:13:15 Coming Up Next Week

Yalla’s chef/co-owner Taylor Cheney joins us fresh off a trip to Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Italy with her life and business partner, Matt Mitchell. We talk about how serving dishes from another culture requires you to understand much more than just recipes, and the importance of engaging with people and places. She also gives us some international travel tips and tells us what new things are simmering  at Yalla.

Plus Meg reps the Tacoma Night Market, Mark and Taylor rep the 1991 Bill Murray comedy What About Bob?, and we all rep the local restaurant news—and our favorite bites—of the week.

Mentioned in this episode:

Nils Frahm

Tacoma Night Market

Grit City Magazine

Koshary

Aura Bora

LaCroix

Polar

Waterloo

Cantina del Sol

Temple Pastries

Mixed Pantry 

Rumba

Tacos Chukis

Sugar Hill

Maneki

Itsumono

TN Trang

The Attic

The Red Onion Tavern

The George Coffee and Pastries

Hellenika

Bang Bang Cafe

Tamari Bar

High Life

Baiten

Makoto

Corbeau

Woven

0:00 Intro

8:43 Catching Up with Yalla

17:35 Yalla Window’s Storied History

25:28 Meg’s Shell Station Mystery Treat

31:59 This Week’s Restaurant News 

40:27 Why Travel is Important

48:08 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:07:11 Coming Up Next

We’re talking tasting menus, Washington wines, and restaurant biz literacy with Aaron Tekulve, chef/owner of Surrell! Aaron tells us how he took Surrell from a pop-up to one of Seattle’s most thoughtful and intentional dining experiences, and how he paces a tasting menu so diners don’t feel like test subjects. He also shares some wisdom about how to open a restaurant—including using key resources offered by the Small Business Administration and the Washington Hospitality Association. 

Plus Meg concludes her cider sojourns (for now!), Mark celebrates another sojourn around the sun, and we all sojourn around the city for the current restaurant news—and best bites—of the week!

Follow Surrell on Instagram

Check out SCORE business mentoring

Small Business Administration Seattle branch

Washington Hospitality Association

WHA Education Foundation

Mentioned in this episode:

Cottontail

Screwdriver

WigOut

Single Thread

Lauren Thompson

South Seattle College

Small Business Administration’s SCORE program

Washington Hospitality Association 

Darby Winery

Cook Weaver

Latta Wines

Reynvaan Family Vineyards  

Gasworks Brewing 

Jak’s Grill

Lady Jaye 

Zeigteist

Ben Paris

Finn River

Bushel & Barrel

Shadowland

Bruciato

Lucy’s Bottle Shop

Siembra

Aash Farms

Luka’s 

Tacos Extranjeros

Maripili  

Mioposto

0:00 Intro

4:05 Surrell   

8:58 Michelin Stars & WA Wines

18:05 Surrell’s Origin

27:12 Meg’s Mini Mart Dubai Chocolate 

33:51 Aaron’s Wine Tasting

38:50 This Week’s Restaurant News

49:31 In Defense of Tweezers!  

53:22 This Week’s Restaurant News, Pt 2

57:30 Business Education & Financial Literacy

1:08:12 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:17:16 Coming Up Next Week

Spice Waala’s “chief feeding officer,” and all-around mathmagician, Uttam Mukherjee joins us for a fascinating cha(a)t! Uttam explains how he crunches the numbers on kathi rolls, the availability of legit Indian food in the U.S. and Seattle, and how to try out new menu concepts at your restaurant (and when to take the L). We also learn about the ways in which he and his wife/Spice Waala co-owner, Dr. Aakanksha Sinha, support their community through cheap and free meals. 

Plus Meg’s got treats from working the orchard beat, Mark's still chasing that sweet ocean beat, and we all three beat feet on the street to bring you the freshest local restaurant news—and our most elite eats of the week. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Pidgin Cooperative

Royal Room

Rockridge Country Market 

Hitchcock Bakeshop

The Wayland Mill

Thai Siam

Resonate Brewery

Cloudburst Brewing

Bellevue Brewing Company

Kathakali

Indian-Nepali Kitchen

Cafe Suliman

Ken’s Market

Grann

Cafe Allegro

Monorail Espresso

Bar Miriam

Greenwood Cider Company

The Masonry

Pop Pop

Bob’s Java Jive

Señor Carbon

George Coffee and Pastries

Laurel

0:00 Intro

07:47 Spice Waala and Fried Chicken

15:35 Bhojan: Spice Waala’s Free Meal Program

17:33 Expanding Locations and Tracking Metrics

23:58 Google Review Ghosts

28:33 Meg’s Rockridge Country Market Treat

39:33 This Week’s Restaurant News

45:58 Misunderstandings of Indian Cuisine

57:50 How Can the City of Seattle Help Small Businesses?

1:04:38 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:20:51 Coming Up Next Week

Chef/owner Trinh Nguyen (Ramie, Sucres, Ba Sa, Pho T&N) joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on Vietnamese cuisine. Learn how she went from putting her college dreams on hold, in order to run her parents’ pho shop at age 19, to finally fulfilling her passion—serving cutting-edge Viet dishes—at Ramie. Are Seattle diners ready to explore the evolution of Vietnamese food the same way they’ve embraced the evolution of Italian, Japanese, Filipino, and other international cuisines? What barriers are still in place that need to be overcome?

We also talk about local seafood, as Trinh wonders why the PNW doesn’t cultivate a wider variety of native fish and shellfish.

Plus Meg’s reppin’ cozy cideries, Mark’s reppin’ live music, and we all rep the local restaurant scene with the latest news—and our favorite bites—of the week.

Places mentioned in this episode:

Little Jaye

Ba + Me

Woodshop BBQ

Temple Pastries

Menya Musashi

Mee Sum Pastry

Karoo Cafe

Copa Cafe

Hellinka

Cockrell Cider

Mezzanotte

Letterpress Distilling

Pidgin Cooperative

Taz

00:00 Intro

07:08 How Trinh Started

15:19 Ba Sa and Expanding Pho T&N

23:21 Ramie

33:20 Meg’s La Huerta Numero Dos Mystery Snack

39:49 This Week’s Restaurant News

53:19 Why Isn’t More Native Seafood Cultivated Here?

59:34 Ramie and Evolving Vietnamese Cuisine

1:11:39 Sucres

1:16:42 Thanks, I Ate It!

1:30:46 Coming Up Next Week

The Seattle Times food writer (and friend of the pod) Jackie Varriano swings by to talk neighborhood restaurants, the difference between a food writer and a food critic, and the perils involved when writers are responsible for their own food photography. She also tells us our new favorite Mitch Hedberg joke!

Plus Meg critiques the American theater, Mark loves documentaries, we list our favorite bites of the week, and we’ve got all the restaurant news that’s fit to podcast about.

Check out Jackie's writing at The Seattle Times

Restaurants mentioned in this episode:

Tamra

Moto

Taste of Yemen

Foundry Vineyards

Take 5 Urban Market

Blazing Grill

Stumbletown Sandwiches

Shark Bite Ceviche

Lupo

Kilig

Vindicktive Wings

Triangle Spirits

Giddy Sloth

Murphy’s Pub

Robin’s Restaurant and Market

Union Saloon

Events mentioned in this episode:

Souk

Seattle Jazz Fellowship

Ahame Oluo

Food and Country

00:00 Intro

07:59 Jackie’s Role at The Seattle Times

19:45 Meg’s H Mart Mystery Snack

24:56 This Week’s Restaurant News

33:45 What Food Writers Do and Don’t Do

46:42 Thanks, I Ate It!

01:08:23 Coming Up Next Week

We’re talking Italian American comfort food with Darkalino’s owner/entrepreneur Marcus Lalario and Chef Sean Russo! Marcus and Sean tell us about how their nostalgia for the classic “red sauce joint” inspired a menu update that reclaims corporation-brutalized dishes like chicken parm and sausage and peppers. Could Darkalino’s be Seattle’s entry in the West Coast trend of new restaurants treating old-school Italian American mainstays with a sense of both craft and approachable fun?

We also share our big love for Pioneer Square and discuss where it is in post-lockdown recovery. And Marcus gives us the details on the upcoming concert and event series he’s organized for Occidental Square, which he’s also restyled (unofficially!) as Brick Park.

Plus we chat about Meg’s must-read story in The Stranger about the Virginia Inn lease dispute, and—of course—this week’s restaurant news and our best bites of the week. 

Follow Darkalino's on Instagram

Learn more about Brick Park events

00:00 Intro

02:48 Darkalino’s Tangletown vs. Pioneer Square

16:06 The Story Behind the Name “Darkalino’s”

20:04 Meg’s Grocery Outlet Mystery Snack

25:20 This Week’s Restaurant News

36:28 Pioneer Square

49:17 Thanks, I Ate It!

01:03:39 Coming Up Next Week