Images: A Mental Photo Album

I've been fascinated with images lately - little snippets of a moment that just resonate with me somehow. Part of it is going through the book Style Statement, written by my new faves Carrie and Danielle (who I adore - a group of us are working with them on a Seattle event and they are deliciously inspirational). The book helps you "know yourself" and what makes you tick - things we don't often spend time doing. The goal of it is to simplify your life by coming up with a two-word statement that defines your style, essence, preferences - and not just for fashion, but applied to relationships, career, outlook, etc. In doing so, you define your "brand" and often can make better decisions. I'm stuck on mine right now towards the end (too many words to choose from!) but it's a wonderful process. "Hello, self, nice to meet you! What are your likes and dislikes? What is your favorite flower? What moves you?" It's like a really nice first date with your soul.

Anyway, I spent the weekend in NY at a wedding of a dear childhood friend and also got to catch up with one of my best friends and her 17-month old. It was lovely to talk and laugh and be myself with those who know me best. I carried the following images and snippets home with me from this trip:

• Slowly strolling through an Upper West Side street fair with my gal pal, with baby in tow, and talking about life as NY bustles around us.
• Relaxing on a brown fluffy cushion in a wine bar at 4 in the afternoon
• A simply beautiful new church built in the classic style, surrounded by lawns of bright green with a lighly clouded sky framing the steeple.
• Casually sipping a latte in a rustically tan and brown cafe, complete with exposed brick walls and French country bric-a-brac (I love that word)
• A gorgeous bride silhouetted by the sun through the doorway as she makes her walk down the aisle

Take some time this week and capture these "mental photos" in your own life. Simplify and pare it down so you can carry it with you. You'll be amazed at how it helps you not only enjoy the moment, but enables you to keep a piece of that joy with you after you leave.

Rant Rattle and Roll: Global (not) Warming

Seattle apparently is experiencing its worst "coming out of winter" weather in years. So I'm told. It's been raining, it's been cold, and this past weekend, we actually had hail. HAIL.

This, after the tease of 70 degree weather the Saturday before. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may or they might freeze on the bush tomorrow.

Before I lived here, I visited here. Many times. And it can be utterly gorgeous in this city when the sun deems us worthy to shine upon. But no, our first winter/spring living here and it blows.

Well, Mother Nature is kicking my ass and I'm not gonna take it anymore. Last week, I got a pedicure, closed toe shoes be damned. And this weekend I wore a tank top. That's right, I said it. It's hailing outside and I wore a tank top (well, and a coat of course, but that's beside the point). The point is, I have rows of open-toed strappy sandals and sassy platforms dying of neglect. Bitter and confused, they stare at me from the dark depths of my closet like ex-lovers wantonly discarded for something better. "But didn't we have such a great time at that new restaurant in the Mission? Didn't you feel proud when someone complimented you because of us camel-colored 60's hoochie mama sandals at the cast party last fall? What have we done to deserve this? We give and give....." And little do they know I am so over wearing boots.

Spring will be here soon - the sun is out today and most likely, it will be a gorgeous weekend since we'll be elsewhere. But soon, soon, the clouds will part and the sunny Seattle I know exists will shine down on us once again. So just hang in there, lovely stilletos. Mama's coming......

Italy in Fremont - and Wine in Woodinville

I found it.

Long in search of a neighborhood Italian joint where I could savor my garlic-laden, carb-chocked, straight-talkin' favorites from the Mother Land, I stumbled on Pontevecchio. And I did not want to get up and leave.

With a decor leaving something to be desired but reminding me of some of the best random European cafes, this place dishes out hard-core Italian specialties, friendly service, and ample wine pours. I devoured a garlic spinach ravioli special (homemade, duh) filled with ricotta and topped with a Pinot Grigio, olive oil, butter and garlic heart-attack-in a gravy boat sauce. Freshly grated cheese blanketed the puffy pillows in motherly goodness. Hubbie ordered a Penne Alla'Amatriciana that was a wonderful kaleidoscope of green and red fantasy. Piping hot, full of herbs and flavor, and a lingering smell of garlic that I think is still with us 2 days later. But I don't give a crap. This place absolutely rocked and I am going back again and again and again.

The colorful spot right past the Fremont Bridge borders in cheesy kitsch (there's even Italian soccer posters from what looks like the 80's in the window) but chalk it up to authenticity and treat yourself to some of the best Italian food I've had in the US. Period. It's dubbed the "Place for Lovers" and I understand they even have opera nights each month.

This place is living proof that swanky Pottery Barn votives, fussy waiters and small portions do not a great dining experience make. I felt like I was in someone's house and we enjoyed the glimpse of Summer that God gave us on Saturday as we ate and sipped in the window of this joyful little find.

Sunday brought us to the Woodinville Wine Passport 2008, a festival of open winery's and lots of smiles in nearby Woodinville Wine Country. Skipping the typical pretty winery tasting rooms, we headed straight to the office parks that house many of the region's budding wineries. Tents were set up in parking lots, and office suites flung open their doors, revealing modest but lovely tasting room set-ups and barrels of wine being stored it what would pass for temp agency offices or something. Given the close proximity of most of the place in the office parks, you could gleefully hop from one to another in minutes. This was how we managed to hit about 12 wineries in 2 hours.

Top picks: Des Voigne's lovely Untitled (a happy accident) and Solea Cab; Covington Cellars Sangiovese and Viognier; and Arlington Road Cellars' Monolith. More to come on the wines and how to handle a tasting festival in my www.intowine.com monthly column.

We stopped in at some traditional wineries with full property and tasting rooms before we left Columbia nd Januik. Januik, while voted Winemaker of the Year or something from Seattle Magazine, was the worst, most commercial, "cattle-driving" wine tasting I've ever been to and not the greatest wine I've ever had - will not be back. Gray concrete, steel everywhere, and pourers who just poured and didn't share any knowledge or passion about the wine. Horrible.

I will take the passionate, friendly, talkative folks at the office parks any day. This was the true spirit of winemaking and wine culture full of passion, warmth and accessibility for anyone. Loved it.

Serious Pie and Quirky Qube

Last weekend was about celebrating a big account I just landed - and diving back into our culinary exploration of Seattle. Much like getting back on the horse with a lapsed exercise routine: you tend to go big your first time back and spend the next day or so nursing sore muscles, or in this case, eating light because you're still so damn full.

Friday night brought us to Qube, a Asian-French fusion of savory bites and hip decor. Running in to escape the drizzle and cold, we were greeted with an industrial space of soft lighting, quirky fixtures and accents of orange, steel gray and lime green. The adjacent bar with its wide couches and votives was nicely offset from the eating area. And in the center of the place lived a long, high communal dining table a la Asia de Cuba.

For the adventurous diner who wants to try a bit of everything, Qube offers 3-course "Qube sets" - each course consists of 3 sample dishes and each course stars a main ingredient. A vegetarian set, surf set and turf set is yours for the asking. Or you can mix and match among them to form your own masterpiece, which was our cup of tea. For me: the cauliflower, Pacific halibut and chocolate trios. Hubbie had artisan duck, organic squash and banana for his selections.

Artfully displayed, the dishes boasted ample-sized portions that left me sated and happy. My starter cauliflower trio featured creamy soup served over chanterelle and carmelized floret and truffle oil (like silk, only more fattening); fennel and nicoise salad; and Madras curry vinaigrette gratin with yucca root, fontina and toasted almonds. I would have eaten cauliflower every day of the week if I knew it could be this delicious. The gratin in particular was like a healthier play on mac and cheese.

Aside from a glitch where they got my husband's first course trio wrong and had to quickly whip up another one (which, due the dish complexities was not so quick) I was already a fan.

The halibut trio I ordered for my main surprised me with how generous the portions were. One came dressed in whit soy consomme, edamame and trumpet mushroom for a real Asian flair. Another was crusted in hazelnut and served over a roasted fennel puree and mission fig butter delight. And the third was paoched with citrusy goodness of tangelo and a dash of tarragon.

Saving a little room for my decadent dessert, I dived gleefully into my last trio: the dark chocolate. I salivate as I type what was included: a Qube 'Peanut Butter Cup', Gianduja Cake, with star anise caramel, toasted hazelnuts, and a unique Hot Chocolate "dipper" for a Lychee & cinnamon marshmallow (not your childhood s'mores, my friends).

My husband's dishes were equally delicious, although he found the ample portion of foie gras almost too much for one person. I have a girlfriend who would say there can never be too much foie gras, but there might be congressmen in Illinois who disagree.

Overall, I really enjoyed the taste, texture and smell of the whoe experience - simple unique ingredients in varying combinations without overdoing each individual dish with ego. Gordon Ramsay would be proud.


Our second treat last weekend was getting a taste of Tom Douglas' classic, Serious Pie. No, it's not dessert pie, it's pizza pie and it's fabulous. Wood-fired with the perfect melted blend of cheese, fresh mozzarelly and seasoned just right with basil and herbs. Mmmmmm.....the charming, casual wood tables and wine racks felt like a little European wine cellar was was perfect for an easy lunch. There are many varieties of pie and they cook them with perfect crunchy thin bliss of a crust. And the tomato sauce - the most difficult element for any pizza place to get right for this ex-New Yorker who knows from good pizza-- was delightfully sweet and thick with the right touch of spices. I'm sold.

Less exciting was our foray with friends on Sunday night to Ten Mercer. Great space and would love to go back for drinks or apps to this upscale eatery - the layout was similar to Jardiniere in SF if you've ever been. The food was good, but not great. I had a very heavy lobster risotto that was just too many flavors vying for attention. That seemed the theme - each dish was trying to hard and it just created an overcomplicated mess with all those fresh wonderful ingredients. Gordon Ramsay would NOT be proud of this one. If they pared down some of the dishes to let them shine naturally, they'd be much better off. But the company was great and the wine was yummy.

The weekend is almost upon us once again and we are significantly downshifting from last week's fall off the budget wagon. But another lunch trip to Serious Pie just might be in order. So sue me.