| Tom’s Newsletter: Upcoming Events, Serious Pie Celebrates 10 Years and More... View in Browser |
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I don’t think there is a more delicious and thoughtful gift than a homegrown tomato. We all know just how hard it can be to grow them on this side of the mountains. As a matter of fact, my three tomatoes from the three plants on the patio with direct western sun exposure are still not ripe, while my wife’s 3500 plants at our farm in Prosser are busy delivering 80 pounds of red, green, yellow and purple beauties…per plant! And organic! So…when my friends showed up for dinner the other night with some of their own Seattle tomatoes to share, I knew what a special treat that was.
We made a quick “charred” tomato sauce simply by cutting them in half, brushing them with a touch of olive oil and putting them directly over a smoking hot charcoal fire. It’s really hard not to mess with them but for the best results just leave them searing for three to five minutes. In a pan on your stove, add a glug more olive oil…sauté a couple of thinly sliced cloves of garlic ‘til translucent, remove from heat and pour into a bowl large enough to hold pasta for four. Add coarse-chopped flat leaf parsley, a good amount of fresh basil, a nice pinch of dried red chili flakes, an ounce of grappa and some sea salt. Your tomatoes should have some fire roasted edges but still be “half” cooked. Remove from the grill, trying to retain as much of their burnt edges as possible. Course chop the tomatoes and add to the pasta bowl. Now, just add your cooked pasta noodles and toss.
This is the perfect way to enjoy the fresh taste of the garden without cooking a sauce down for hours--use canned tomatoes if you want that kind of sauce. We topped off our pasta with fennel pork sausages and a healthy dose of grated Reggiano Parmesan. |
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Tasty, tasty, tasty!
We have a fun night coming up at Cuoco Trattoria on September 22nd, where you can try this dish and several others paired with G D Vajra wines from Piedmonte Italy. This is a fun “happy hour” format rather than a sit down dinner (but don’t worry, there will still be substantially-filling tastes). We will stroll about on the patio and in the pasta kitchen while Francesca Vajra leads us through a sampling of her latest vintages along with our pal Mike Teer from Pike and Western Wine Shop.
Feeling more of a PNW pinot noir vibe? The Carlile Room, not to be outdone, will also be hosting a terrific winery Domaine Roy & Fils from the Willamette Valley for dinner on the same evening. These wines have a lineage dating back to the beginning of the Oregon wine industry and I can’t wait to taste the pairings chef Dezi is going to come up with. I have been “laying down” more and more Oregon Pinots right next to my favorite Burgundies…this is certainly a winery and region worth learning more about—and we hope to see you at either of these events!
Cheers,
Tom |
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G. D. Vajra Wine Tasting Party
| Date |
Thursday, September 22, 2016 |
| Time |
5:30pm - 7pm |
| Location |
Cuoco
310 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA |
| Cost |
$50 (includes wine, tastes, tax, and gratuity) |
G.D. Vajra remains one of our favorite wine producers at Cuoco. The winery has a clear dedication to sustainable methods, attention to detail in the vineyards and precision in the cellar. The wines of G.D. Vajra beautifully represent northern Italy.
Francesca Vajra, daughter of founder Aldo Vajra, will be showcasing their wine portfolio. Cuoco's chef, Ron Anderson, has created fun and playful tastes that he will be serving that night. After tasting the wines at the restaurant, he simply said that these wines are amazing. |
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Maison Roy Wine Dinner
| Date |
Thursday, September 22, 2016 |
| Time |
6:30pm |
| Location |
The Carlile Room
820 Pine St, Seattle, WA |
| Cost |
$75.00 |
The sons of hallowed Willamette Valley’s Beaux Freres winery continue in their father’s footsteps with the delicious Domaine Roy & Fils. Impeccably crafted, these pinot noirs tell the story of preternatural winemaking meets some of the greatest vineyard sites the world over. Much like us at the Carlile Room, Domaine Roy is keeping it fresh while kicking it old school. Paired with the bounty of mid-summer’s harvest by Chef Dezi Bonow, come experience the new old guard! |
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Serious Pie Celebrates 10 Years
It's been great fun remembering back ten years ago to the formation of Serious Pie. We had no idea then what an amazing success it would become, and just how fun it would be to "work that peel.” There is something magical when it's just you, the fire and the pie...twirling, rotating, dressing, and finally whacking it with the semi-luna knife into eight delicious pieces…then onto our specially-designed service board routed down the middle with steam "escape hatches" to keep our crust crisp and toothy.
Every detail of that pie was thought through by our team of talented bakers, cooks and service staff, and quite remarkably, almost nothing about the pie or the process has changed since opening a decade ago.
I would love for you all to come help us celebrate our first ten years, and enjoy what has been call a favorite pizza in America by many. We will be celebrating with door prizes, for one week beginning September 21st – come join us for a Pie and take home a gift from us! We are so grateful for all of your support over the years.
Cheers,
Tom Douglas |
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Hey Beer Club!
How’s it going? As many of you know, we are in the midst of one of my favorite times of year for beer: Fresh Hop/Oktoberfest/Pumpkin beer time!
We are already starting to see the first of the fresh hop beers rolling in- Two Beers, Lagunitas Born Yesterday, Fremont Farm to Ferment (Centennial). We are keeping our fingers crossed for plenty more awesomeness in the fresh department as our favorite breweries get hops in the door. We will be listing our fresh hop taps and a quick list of what’s coming next on our menu, because let’s be real, it’s not fair that I am the only one that knows about the treasures that live in our walk-in!
I’m also a giant fan of the Marzen style. Once upon a time I ordered a beer in a train station in Germany, and with the language barrier, I gestured the biggest size they had- when I received my first Marzen, it was in a mug substantially larger than my head - I’ve been in love ever since! Just like last year, we're rolling out one rotating American & one rotating German for our Oktoberfest line-up.
Last but not least, I’ve started buying up some pumpkin beer. First up will be Belching Beaver’s Pumpkin Milk Stout. From what I have gathered it’s the goldilocks of pumpkin beer: not too sweet, not overly pumpkin-spice-y, but just right.
Come by and use your $2 pint to try some of these seasonal treats. We'll be posting our newest stuff on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!
-Brian "that-guy-that-like-beer-a-lot" Dalbey |
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Check Out Our New Photos
We’ve just put up amazing pictures of our Prosser Farm at Dahlia Lounge!
Photographs by Sarah Flotard |
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