My Love of...Walrus and Carpenter

I've had a love affair with Walrus and Carpenter and still do.  It's by far my favorite restaurant to date and it's the way I LOVE to eat.  I'm surprised I've not wrote about it yet.  Well, I guess I've not been at a place mentally to write about all my loves last year.  

It started with a happy hour in the winter of 2010, then I started going there at least once a month, taking new and old friends.  Any excuse to go, I was there. They are located in my neighborhood of Ballard, so it really was the place I've revisited the most in 2011.

It's an oyster bar but I've never eaten oysters.  It's all about small plates of food and amazing drinks. It's about sharing with your diners.  What I love about this place is that they really pay attention to the details.  The small details that make the dish.  Food is always consistent, high quality, and delicious!  It's whimsical and has personality.  The wait staff is so nice and attentive, and you can tell they love working there.  

Well, since I've been going there from the beginning, it's been tough to get a table.  You either get there right when they open or put your name in and get a drink at the bike shop.   Then, Frank Bruni of NY Times had to write up this raves about the place. Then, they are named best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetite magazine.  There have been other raves and I wish people would stop.  :)  I want my neighborhood spot back that I can get a table reasonably...

Here are some of the amazing dishes...

Cheese with Pickled Prunes

Cheese & Curried Apricot

Ramps with Fried Egg

Fried Oysters

Smoked Trout
Another favorite that I get every time.  You have to eat it with  all 3 parts, the fish, the pickled onion, the lentil and walnut salad.  It just balances itself.  Yum!

Steak Tartare

Grilled Asparagus

Clam Tartare

Oh my god...and their desserts...amazing!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

The best I've had by far.  I even had this dish in London and W&C version is to dream about!

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries

The one pic that I don't have and wish I had is the Fried Brussels Sprouts.  It's another favorite but they only have it seasonally. It's like eating French Fries.  It's sooo good.  They have it now...go there my friends!

http://thewalrusbar.com/ 

Anya's Old New Year Party

Hello everyone!  Hope you all had a nice month of January and good start to 2011.  I've been just super busy with my day job and can't say too much fun. I've not even been up to the mountains for snow boarding and it's already Feb. 


Russians have a tradition and celebrate what's called Old New Year on January 14th.  My Russian friend Anya had a party at her house for this occassion.  She cooked up storm and made these amazing dishes.

Beef Roulade

Chicken Roulade

Potatoe Gratin

Orzo Pesto Salad

Tomatoes with Mushroom Risotto

Carrot Salad

Roasted Red Pepper

Parsley Drizzle Sauce

Marinated Olives

White Bean SpreadHomemade Crackers

Fresh Cut Fruit

Coconut Macaroons

She even made these cute little table signs to tell what the dishes were. Seriously, how cute is that.  It was a fun night of friends and great food!

New Year's Day - John Howie's Steak

New year's day was spent at a wedding and John Howie Steak.

http://www.johnhowiesteak.com/ 

Our good friends got married in a private room at John Howie's and then we celebrated with dinner.  They are getting married out of the country this summer so they wanted to have something in Seattle for their close friends.  I love this idea and if I ever marry, this is the low key but good food kind of wedding I would do.  I would prob have it at a bakery with brunch.  :)


Sometimes I do wish I could eat meat to try the best of the best.  My meat eating brother and friends say this is the best place for steak.  I ate salmon and Soung at the veggie napolean.


Caesar Salad

Seafood Chowder

Ribeye Steak

Fillet Mignon

Salmon

Veggie Napoleon

Mac & Cheese
They ordered a side of this at every table. Wow...one of the best one ever!

Deep Fried Poundcake with Dipping Sauce

Cheesecake

I had both desserts and they were amazing!


They also have 3 layers of salt at each table.  What a nice touch!

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner is a tradition at my parents.  Like Thanksgiving, my mom usually makes the main protein, along with some Korean dishes, and my siblings and I make the other items.

This year we had alot of food because we had 3 families joining us.  


Mom made so many dishes...she is such an amazing cook!  She has never used a recipe in her life.  She tells of adjustments she made in her cooking from watching cooking show but she does it all by taste.
Roasted Turkey

Rice Stuffing

Tempura

Japchae, a Korean Noodle Salad

Mashed Potato

Turkey Gravy

Gobi, this is so good and unique.  It's a root that is sliced super thin and tossed with soy sauce, sugar, sesame, and other ingredients.  It's great to eat with rice.

I don't even know what this is and forgot to ask.  :)

2 kinds of Kimchee - cabbage and turnip

Steamed Spinach

Corn

Dong made...
Prime Rib

Oreo Truffles.  I forgot to get a pic of these. They were well done and tasty.  Who has a brother that makes truffles.  :)  We are such food family.


Soung made...
Her signature salad that has sauteed Kale, Quinoa, among other things.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mushroom Truffle Risotto.
Jello Salad


I made most of the appeitzers and desserts, as well as roasted potato.
Bacon Wrapped Dates

Brie, Date, Pecan Bite

Spinach Dip


Christmas Lemon Cranberry Cake

Rochers

Garlic Herb Roasted Potato

We are definitely a family that loves too cook and feed people!