The Book Bender

Review: Wallingford’s Tilth is divinely fresh

I found my new favorite restaurant, which is financially and calorically dangerous.

Tilth, in Wallingford, was one of more than 150 restaurants offering three-course meals for $28 during Seattle Restaurant Week, which ended last week. Sound like an amazing deal? $28 per person before tax and tip, not to mention wine, wine stains, laundromat bills and general blowsiness, do add up quickly. But you don’t have to do your taxes for another full year, so who’s counting?

For our first course, Ben ordered a divine garlic flan that has diminished my appreciation for sweet flans; savory flan for the win! My apple soup, which surrounded a little island of gruyere, crouton and caramelized onions, was drained to the last slurp.

The albacore was oh-so-light, with a pillow of herbed creme fraiche and a bed of white beans. I ordered a pork shoulder that was fork tender after being slowly cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag in water (a cooking method called sous vide) and then smoked to give the pork its summery barbecue flavor.

Come here with a date, so you can try his or her dishes as well. That’s pretty much the best perk of dating — having a spare person to avoid the social discomfort of ordering two people’s worth of food for one. I’m kidding. (I’m not.)

The waitstaff were kind enough to split our one shared wine pairing into two glasses — and then to give us half-glasses of the wines that matched our dishes so we could each enjoy the pairing.

They even sold Ben on raisins, which has been his go-to hated food. Mine might be rhubarb, which is endlessly depressing since it’s so prevalent right now. But I can’t complain when rhubarb comes as a topping to decadent chocolate pudding.

This is definitely the restaurant I am taking my next out-of-town guests. Tilth’s attentive waitstaff, its local-food-inspired menu and its adorable craftsman-house-esque space make this a spot you shouldn’t miss.

Pray for my wallet (and my waistband).

New Orleans travel: Cafe Du Monde, crawfish bisque, music

I’ve long left New Orleans, but feel the need to pen some highlights before they escape me entirely. I’m already wistful.

I was told by everyone that I had to order beignets and café au laits at Cafe Du Monde. Yes, it’s touristy, they all warned. But the beignets, which are deep-fried doughnuts dusted heavily with powdered sugar, are really that good.

We were able to sidestep much of the tourist craze by going early, just past 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday. The cafe is open 24/7, and only closes on Christmas Day and when the occasional hurricane passes too close.

$5 for three beignets and coffee: so worth it.

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Seattle Times wins Pulitzer for investigative journalism

Remember way back when I mentioned The Seattle Times had published a series on methadone, a dangerous painkiller commonly prescribed for patients with state-subsidized health care? Well, that series by Ken Armstrong and Mike Berens won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting yesterday. How’s that for an exciting way to mark my one-year anniversary at the paper? I have the most gifted colleagues I could hope for.

This year, the Pulitzer board selected two winners for the investigative-reporting category, also awarding the Associated Press for their story about the New York Police Department’s widespread spying on Muslims.

It was a good day for Seattle and Pulitzers. Eli Sanders, associate editor of The Stranger, won the Pulitzer for feature writing for his story about Jennifer Hopper, who survived a brutal rape that took the life of her partner.

If you didn’t get a chance to read any of these, now is a great time to catch up on some exceptional journalism. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by such talent.

New Orleans travel: praline bacon, St. Charles Streetcar, haunted house, gumbo

My four-day trip in New Orleans with my dear friend Hong-Nhi is inevitably becoming a food tour, with a side of architecture. I know virtually nothing about Southern food, much less Creole food, so I’m educating myself as quickly as I can.

Breakfast started off with praline bacon ($6) and Boudin balls ($6), which turned out to be deep-fried sausage balls in a mustard sauce, at Elizabeth’s in Bywater. Go here. It’s a bit off the beaten track, heading away from the French Quarter’s bustle. (Tip: I was advised that Elizabeth’s weekend brunch menu is far superior than its weekday menu.)

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Gardening in the PNW: Tomatillo starters in egg cartons

Growing plants that love full sun and hot weather is always risky in Seattle. When we have a good summer, it’s all clear skies, blue water, a breeze here and there, sailboats, barbecues and fresh produce. But, all too often, warm temperatures don’t arrive until June, sometimes early July. Tomatoes and tomatillos from Eastern Washington still satiate farmer’s market shoppers, but homegrown Seattle tomatoes won’t have much fruiting life before the weather turns cold.

I’ve never grown tomatillos, which look like green tomatoes enclosed in a papery husk. Although they’re often called tomate verde (green tomato) in Spanish, tomatillos are only distantly related to their namesake. They’re a staple in Mexican and Southwest cuisine. I’m already dreaming of raw tomatillo salsa, mole negro and salsa verde … and getting far ahead of myself since the seeds are only a day in the soil. Continue reading →