crosscut.com : Food

A city of scolds

Crosscut — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:01 PDT

Seattle City Hall has cracked down on drinking and clubs, it's on the verge of banning fast food and taxing plastic grocery bags, and now even plastic-bottled water is a civic sin. Switch to tap water! says the mayor. Mossback thinks enough is enough.

Greg Nickels' rebel yell

Crosscut — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:00:01 PDT

Seattle's mayor waves the flag of secession. In so doing, he may have waved goodbye to a future in state politics.

Northwest travel: A quick escape to Whidbey Island

Crosscut — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:01 PDT

A mere 24-hour trip from Seattle can seem like a journey far away. For starters, all those lovely views ...

Seattle is not 'all about beer'

Crosscut — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:22:01 PDT

According to the writers at All About Beer magazine, when it comes to the top 125 places to have a beer before you die, Seattle doesn't much come to mind. London? Most certainly. Munich? Of course. Here's the big surprise: Denver, Colorado trumped European watering holes, coming in first place in this list of favorites, which the writers admit is "more art than science." Seattle, however, appears only once, and at a lowly No. 124 on the list, with Stumbling Monk, which also appeared on a reader blog list at the P-I.

Which presidential candidate has a recipe for disaster?

Crosscut — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:00:01 PDT

When the election starts to resemble a bake sale, it's time to look at the recipes.

This little start-up went to Market

Crosscut — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Crosscut turned one year old this month, and to celebrate, we hosted a party in our offices. As with most start-up companies these days, we wanted to host something festive, but not break the bank. So, we opted to host the event in our downtown Seattle headquarters, and to organize the food ourselves.

Some good Googie news

Crosscut — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:22:01 PDT

In the world of news related to Northwest Googie architecture and historic preservation, there are some new and interesting developments. They range from negotiations over a controversial Ballard diner, an upcoming lecture on Googie architecture by the expert on the topic, possible landmark status for popular a burger stand in Tacoma, and the announcement of the state's 2008 awards for historic preservation. Here's a quick rundown.

Did I assassinate Garfield?

Crosscut — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:01 PDT

When it comes to pissing off rural America, I think I'm one up on Barack Obama.

The Seattle swarm

Crosscut — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:15:01 PDT

No, it’s not the name of the new major league soccer team. It’s a phenomenon. It’s what happens when a restaurant, bar or other public establishment is deemed hip by Seattleites due to a series of write-ups in local publications, and hordes flock to it despite obvious deterrences such as long waits, harried service, deafening social noise, tight spaces, and strangers stepping on your toes and sucking up your air.

The real first Starbucks

Crosscut — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The modern chain is "going back to its roots" and launching a house coffee called Pike Place Blend. Our author well remembers the first Starbucks store and the first day of business, since he happens to have been the first customer.

At the Eagles club, the smoking ban only ruffled a few feathers

Crosscut — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The Vashon Eagles were fuming when Washington passed its smoking ban. Two years later, the smoke has cleared and, really, it's not a big deal.

It's stormy, and the Pacific coast beckons

Crosscut — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:00:01 PDT

While it's customary for Northwesterners to flock to the beach in summer, an off-season visit stays with you longer.

The causality of diet and humorlessness in 21st century American culture

Crosscut — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:00:01 PST

Flip Side: Barack Obama's "Coalition of the Hip" is in ascendancy, but persistent bad eating habits ensure that Hillary Clinton's "Coalition of the Humorless" will thrive for years to come.

I can has hamburger, please, or at least of photo of one

Crosscut — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:50:01 PST

A reminder that Crosscut will soon launch a photo gallery, and we're soliciting your pictures at the Crosscut Flickr group. We've already had some swell submissions, including this photo of a juicy Daly's hamburger, taken by Peter Howard, who reminds us that the legendary Eastlake fast-food joint will be closing soon.

'Googie versus Goliath'

Crosscut — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:00:01 PST

The campaign over a 1960s Ballard neighborhood diner heats up, with community meetings, media spin jobs, and telephone polling. One key part of the debate: the building's overall condition. Is it sound enough to save, or is it a graffiti-covered tear-down?

The Northwest whiskey rebellion

Crosscut — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:01 PST

Entrepreneurs are lifting spirits with a rash of new distilleries in the region, putting a little more zip in the agri-tourism boom.

Speaking of big feet ...

Crosscut — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:01 PST

File this under interesting sights: A guy walks into a bar and sits down next to a....Chinese giant. No joke. Yesterday was chilly and I was headed to the downtown Seattle Koolhaus to do some library work. I dropped in at Shucker's restaurant in the Fairmont Olympic hotel because I remembered they have a really good chowder (I remembered right). I sat at the bar and next to me was Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets' basketball player who is 7-foot 6-inches tall. He's tall enough to be slender at a listed 310 pounds. (Now I know how tall I need to be to be HWP!)

The last train to Hooterville

Crosscut — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:00:01 PST

If you're trying to get from the Cheesecake Factory to South Lake Union, this SLUT's for you.

A Googie meet-up in Ballard

Crosscut — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:34:01 PST

The landmark designation meeting for the controversial Ballard diner that was once a Manning's cafeteria and mostly recently a Denny's has been postponed from Feb. 6 to Feb. 20, at the request of the owner, Benaroya Properties, which is fine tuning its case against saving the building. In the meantime, pro-diner folks are hosting a community meeting in Ballard on Jan. 23.

Can Schultz pull off a Starbucks makeover?

Crosscut — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:57:01 PST

The handwriting was on the wall for Starbucks last Valentine's Day, when Howard Schultz sent out his famous memo, lamenting changes at the company he presumably chaired. It was clear someone was going to take the fall, and yesterday that turned out to be CEO Jim Donald. What surprised observers is that Schultz himself is back in charge, saying he was going to slow down growth in U.S. stores, pare bureaucracy, and reestablish the customers' emotional bond with the brand.