November's DAS e-flyer. Provided by Dine Around Seattle and used with permission.

That’s right – for it’s Dine Around Seattle (DAS) time again. Just when the October Seattle Restaurant Week was behind us, Dine Around lasts for the whole month of November, running the 1st until the 30th. A total of some 40-50 restaurants all around the Greater Seattle area – including Bellevue, Bothell, Kirkland, Northgate, Snoqualmie, and Woodinville – will offer up their three dinner courses for $30 – and/or three lunch courses for $15 – Sundays through Thursdays (excluding Thanksgiving on November 24th) all month long.

Participating restaurants include 35th Street Bistro, Bin On The Lake, Fresh Bistro, the Hunt Club, Palisade, Palomino Seattle, Tango Restaurant, The Dining Room at Salish Lodge, and Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge.

Happy Hallowe’en, dear hedonists.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable overage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Chel Dalis Chea flips tonight's roast pig-in-a-box. Mmmmm ... BBQ....

Spanish rice, beans, tortillas 'n' all the fixin's for the whole-roasted pig.

Tonight is a Mexican pig roast, with all the fixin’s  – ancho-rubbed pig and sides of salsas, refried beans, Spanish rice, tortillas and sopes – all for just $12 per person!!!

Also, this just in – Fresh Bistro is teaming up with TASTE Restaurant for a winemaker’s dinner:

The Summer Splash! Winemaker Dinner | June 19th and 20th, 2010

Sometimes too many chefs in the kitchen is a really good, most excellent thing….

Sharing a mutual love for local, sustainable ingredients (all the rage these days), TASTE Restaurant’s Executive Chef, Craig Hetherington, has teamed up with Chef Dalis Chea, of Fresh Bistro, for the summer Splash! Winemaker Dinner in support of  McCrea Cellars. Dine Saturday, June 19, 2010 at TASTE Restaurant at 6:00 p.m. and/or Sunday, June 20, 2010 at Fresh Bistro at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy a singular menu created by the executive chefs, pastry chefs, and sous chefs of both TASTE and Fresh Bistro. Chefs Hetherington and Shea as well as Bob and Susan Neel from McCrea will share their inspirations for this collaboration.

This is the 5-course prix-fixe dinner, complete with pairings from McCrea Cellars:

MENU

roasted beets & figs   |  crème fraiche, pork belly-watercress salad

McCrea Grenache 2008   |   81% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 5% Counoise 5%, Cinsault, 2% Mourvedre , Yakima Valley

grilled jumbo shrimp   |   king oyster mushroom, caramelized onion puree, goat’s milk pudding, pistachio powder & peas

McCrea Marsanne 2008   |   100% Marsanne, Dick Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley

seared st jude albacore   |   melted leeks, house-made mascarpone, basil oil & arbequina olive salad

McCrea Grenache Blanc 2008   |   100% Grenache Blanc, Dick Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley

duck 3 ways   |   crispy duck breast, honey-mustard duck tongues, fennel & duck confit salad, foie gras duck demi, fennel puree

McCrea Syrah 2005   |   100% Syrah, Boushey Grande Cote Vineyard, Yakima Valley

dueling pastry chefs – dessert duo

lucy’s honey-ricotta cream pie   |   wood sorrel, honey-bacon gastrique, beet jelly

Maya’s lemon-semolina cake   |   goat cheese lemon cream, blueberry sauce, lemon curd

McCrea Roussanne 2007   |   85% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

The cost is $89 per person plus tax and gratuity. Contact TASTE and Fresh Bistro for reservations. (P.S. – SAM members receive a 10% discount!)

Go and enjoy the fresh bistro taste of good food and wine this summer (just couldn’t resist)….

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does  receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

Seafood boil, complete with dirty rice and butters.

If it happens to be a Wednesday night, and you happen to be craving seafood, and – most importantly – you have no food-sharing qualms whatsoever (and most hedonists don’t), then you’d better think about hauling your hedonistic hineys over to Fresh Bistro in West Seattle. For, ever since March 10th, Wednesday nights are now Seafood Boil Wednesday Nights. (Your Hedonista was invited to a media dinner to try this oceanic offering.)

This family-style menu comes with cornbread and greens as well.

What exactly are Seafood Boil Wednesday Nights, you ask? Think a sauna/spa for your fav seafood … and your tummy. For a mere $25 per person, you and one (or more) of your fav fellow seafood chow-downers enjoy one HUGE pot – and by “HUGE” I mean over 1 POUND of seafood per person – of seafood that includes lobster, scallops, clams, prawns, mussels, Dungeness crab, and spice-a-licious Uli’s Cajun Andouille sausage, potatoes, fennel, celery, mushroom, onions, peppers, pears, chayote squash, ramps, and tomatoes – all in a spicy  San Francisco-style cioppino-like broth. The broth is mucho tasty as well, so if you’re a soup/brother lover, I recommend you request a bowl, ladle, and spoon.

And for dessert: the rhubarb marzipan galette (a.k.a. the almond rhubarb tart).

Now, this stew pot of ocean goodness is reason enough to try this menu. However, it’s served along with the following:  their Fresh Bistro signature salad, made with mesclun greens, market fruit (e.g., rhubarb), pickled red onions, feta, bacon, and chili roasted pepitas and topped with their “red wine vinny” (lovely); truffled honey butter herbed cornbread (very moist); dirty rice made of tomato, celery, onions, spicy merguez sausage (admittedly not my fav, as the complexity of the stew is perfectly fine on its own; the addition of the flavored rice with its own separate, even dueling complexities is a bit overwhelming and thus a plain rice would be better-suited); and a rhubarb marzipan galette (rhubarb almond tart) with vanilla bean ice cream (de-lish).

But what makes this menu so unique much more than the food itself – it is the family-style enjoyment of it all. Gloves off and fingers licked, if you will.

Tempted to give this a try? if so, seating IS limited, so telephone reservations are strongly recommended (206-935-3733).

Happy fishing!

(P.S. If you’re more of the “turf” than the “surf” variety, try their Monday Steak Night instead.)

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

But this place is more than just savory sustenance and creative cocktails. It’s definitely one of the places to consider the next time you get a sugar craving. For the constantly changing items on their dessert menu are both outside of the (bento) box and unique in their flavor and texture combinations. Pastry Chef Maya Barber-Kurose is both innovative and balanced in her approach to the sacchariferous side of cuisine.

Fresh Bistro's olive oil cake: where savory and sweet coexist with both adventure and simplicity. It works.

The last time I stopped in for a bite, (on a media invite) they had an interesting dessert offering: an Olive Oil Cake (aside from the cheese plate, the closest thing to savory on their dessert menu). Intrigued, I tried it. Indeed, the savory olive oil in the moist, light-to-medium-density white cake, topped with an herbed cream was by itself lovely. But when served with the oh-sooo-sweet pears and full-bodied braised figs – and finished with a balsamic drizzle – the dish made me feel like I was enjoying an amuse bouche or appetizer at the start, rather than end, of my meal. Satisfying, yet light.

Although the olive oil cake is a seasonal item on their dessert menu, their Smores are a regular item. Until I had this smores-themed dessert, I had yet to try a good one; for the ones I’d tried to-date were heavy on both the quantity and marshmallows. Waaaay to sugary (for sugar, like salt, should be used in moderation to bring out the “real food” it accentuates rather than smother it).

Fresh Bistro's Smores. Never thought I'd order another smores dessert ever ... really glad I did. In fact, would go back for this one.

But not Fresh Bistro’s Smores. With a very manageable portion of a single toasted marshmallow – complete with a hand-made “flame” graham cookie – along with an incredible scoop (and when I say incredible, dear hedonists, I mean “WOW!”) of toasted marshmallow ice cream perched atop a very cream-meets-chocolate-balanced ganache brownie. All this with a trail of graham cracker crumbs to lead you to pure bliss … with a touch of outdoor camping/backyard firepit thrown in.

Congrats to Chef Maya – keep up the good work!

So go satisfy your sweet tooth … I guarantee you’ll want s’more!

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.

They call it “Our Herban Bento” and it includes every single item on their Happy Hour menu – all seven of them, normally $5 an item – for a mere $25 (you do the math).  Their Happy Hour runs from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

The big ol' bento box bonanza....

Your Hedonista was invited for a media tasting. Personal favorites include the Shiso Crusted Honey Pecan Prawns (at first glance, the sriracha foam seems a bit odd and out-of-place, but it actually works and the the green mango slaw is a nice complement); Braised Baby Octopus (fabulously smoky with a nice, not-chewy consistency); Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi Sliders (spicy with a light greens mouth feel); and the Sweet Potato and Dungeness Crab Cakes (really liked the chipotle remoulade and smoked paprika & chive oils).

The Kalbhi Marinated Grilled Kobe Style Flank Steak was deliciously marinated, but a couple of the cuts were a bit too high in fat content for my taste (LOVE the cucumber pickle side, however). And the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup – with its apple cider gastrique and crispy brussel sprout greens – was quite tasty with great texture from the greens, but the gastrique gave it a sweet taste that didn’t really go with the rest of the bento bonanza. (Would really like to see a miso, phở, sweet ‘n’ sour, or wonton soup here.) The Fresh Bistro Salad was your basic salad – feel free to request your poached egg on the side, if you don’t care for it placed directly on your greens.

Fresh Bistro's bartender Joe Harrison - a.k.a. "Fred Fernisky" and/or "Captain Superstar" - will apparently answer to any of these names when you request a drink.

Their drinks are also pretty special; their Mural – a drink dedicated to the name of the building in which Fresh Bistro is housed – is like the Best Coast’s version of the Cosmopolitan – and very light and refreshing. Fresh Bistro was happy to generously share their recipe:

The Mural Cocktail – by Fresh Bistro:

1 Tbsp cilantro leaves (muddle in a cocktail shaker, with ice).

Fresh Bistro's Mural - think Cosmo meets Pacific Rim.

Next, add the following:

1 & 3/4 oz. of good vodka

1/3 -1/2 oz. Midori

1/4 oz. yuzu

A splash of lemon juice

A splash of cranberry juice

Give a quick shake, then serve in a tall, chimney glass with a lime wedge. Enjoy!

Also during Happy Hour: they’ve very recently made all wines by the glass $4, all well drinks $1 off, and all specialty cocktails half off. (Yipee!)

All in all, a fun culinary Asian adventure à la Côte Ouest that’s worth taking – but be sure to bring a friend. Or two. Believe me, you’ll need ‘em.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.