STOP! It’s oyster time.

French, Latin and Greek etymologies all attest to the origin of the word “oyster.” This being the common name of a group of bivalve calcified mollusks that anchor and harbor their livelihood in a marine habitat, such as the Pacific Northwest.

You might be familiar with them.

Some locals might say crustaceans, bivalves and salmon flourish in the Pacific Northwest during the months that end with “r,” leaving many with no choice but to have some colossal merrymaking to celebrate such harvest and seafood prosperity.

Cue Elliott’s Oyster House. A Seattle favorite for more than 35 years, residing on Pier 56 that sits on the very water the majority of their shellfish spawn in. That very water, the Pacific Northwest, spawns nearly 80 million pounds of oysters and is one of the largest oyster growing regions in the world.

Nick Jones, owner of Sweetwater Shellfish Farms, compared the Northwest oyster harvest to the dependability of our beloved Washington grape harvest. “Like wine does in this grape growing region, there are storms, maybe a red tide, but this is shellfish grounds,” Jones said. “It has been for 10,000 years and that won’t change.”

To celebrate the awesome and constant supply of mollusks, and in its 18^th year of doing so, throughout the month of October, Elliott’s focuses on the pairing of local seafood, wine and beer and ending with a bang for their “Oyster New Year” on November 6^th.

If You Can’t Finish The Bottle, You Can Still Use The Wine

“What do you do with leftover wine?”
“What’s leftover wine?”
-The Washington Post

We’ve all been there at one point or another: It’s usually that fourth bottle we shouldn’t have opened the night before, and now it sits there, taunting us, that last few ounces on the counter that we can’t bear to throw away, but also can’t bear to think of drinking. Not with this headache, this cotton-mouth. So what to do with it?

Well, as you know, we here at WINO provide all kinds of wine-related services, and our service doesn’t stop once you crack that bottle of wine. We’ve shown you how to choose wine, drink wine, dance with wine, read with wine, and now, we help you avoid wasting wine.

As I’ve previously stated, the best wine is one shared with friends. The use of leftover wine is no exception. So call up some friends and set aside five nights for epicurean indulgence, because it’s time for the virtual “First Annual Progressive Wine Dinner Party,” also known as “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Leftover Wine.”

Night 1

Let’s start simple, shall we? But we can still impress, and build the anticipation for future nights. The first night is, of course, the most challenging, because, while you want to use wine, you haven’t really planned on having so much left over. So in the following recipe, the wine you use won’t matter! I use Port, but any wine will do. Understand, of course, that the flavor will be affected. It just depends on what you’re in the mood for. Put another way, buy some Port, cheapskate!

Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce

1. Butterfly 1 (4 lb) beef tenderloin by cutting lengthwise about 2/3 through. Open onto a flat surface, and use a meat mallet to pound to 3/4 inch thick. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Place 1 (10 oz) package of thawed frozen spinach into a colander, and squeeze to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Combine in a bowl with 8 oz Goat Cheese, 1 Tbsp. each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. Set aside.
3. Top beef with 1 (12 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around the edges. Top with 1 bunch whole basil leaves.
4. Spoon the cheese mixture on one end of the peppers and basil. This will be the very center of your roll. Begin rolling the beef tightly, like a jelly roll, and secure using butcher string or bamboo skewers. Refrigerate for at least an hour to set.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add tenderloin, and brown on all sides. Move beef to a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 30-40 minutes.
6. In the same pan used to brown the beef, cook 2 minced shallots until just softened. Add 1/4 cup port wine and reduce by half. Add 1 cup beef broth and bring to a boil. Dissolve 1 Tbsp. corn starch in 1/4 cup beef broth; add to pan and stir until thickened. Add 1/3 cup tomato paste and 1 tsp. fresh rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Remove tenderloin from oven. Take the rack out of the pan, and allow the beef to rest for at least ten minutes.
8. Set the roasting pan over medium high heat. Deglaze with 1/4 cup beef stock, stirring to loosen browned bits. Add port wine sauce, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat, and swirl in 2 Tbsp. butter.
9. Cut the tenderloin into 1-inch slices. Pour sauce onto each plate, and top with the beef. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with fresh green beans, or other seasonal green vegetable.

Crack open the Cabernet, baby! It’s time to get the food, companionship, and wine off to a good start! It’s time to bask in the compliments and genius of your culinary skills. But don’t tell the secret, as you surreptitiously slide that partial bottle of wine into a safe spot. You’re going to need it for the next round!

Wine Find: Angelo’s Ristorante

At Angelo’s, you’re more than a customer–you’re a friend

By Chris Nishiwaki

Angelo’s Ristorante

601 SW 153rd ST
Burien,WA 98166
(206) 244-3555
www.angelosofburien.com

Angelo’s Ristorante in Burien is the sort of Italian joint where the lady answering the phone relays a call to owner and wine director Frank Ricci with a hearty, “Hey Frankie! It’s for you,” for the entire dining room to hear.

It’s a family-owned, family joint. And Ricci treats his regulars, whom he refers to as friends, like family.

“They are good customers,” Ricci said. “I don’t know what else to call them.”

Ordering from the wine list is for the uninitiated at Angelo’s. Frank’s “friends” can pick the wines straight from the stable-temperature wine storage. The wine cellar features finds such as a verticals of Guado al Tasso (97 to 01), Ornellaia (97, 98, 00), 97 Sassicaia and 2000 Solaia. For the Washington wine drinker there are verticals of Leonetti Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon going back to 2000, verticals of Quilceda Creek (99 to 05), the entire portfolio from Long Shadows and boutique producer Soos Creek.

Corkage is $10 but waived if guests order a bottle from the list.

WINO Match-Maker: Branzino and Vino

Chester Gerl and Chris Lara Bring You the Perfect Pair

By Julien Perry

“What wine goes with this dish?” It’s a question WINO wants to help you answer by tapping into the wine libraries of those who know best. In this issue, chef Chester Gerl of Matt’s in the Market teams up with his wine director, Chris Lara, to bring you a knock-out dish with wines to match. From the bargain wine to the splurge, we’ve got you covered.

Roasted Branzino with Manila Clams, Spanish Chorizo, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes and Purple Tomatoes

This recipe has all the bright colors of spring, but is perfect for fall. Chef Chester Gerl took inspiration from Pike Place Market to create this dish, which he recently presented at the James Beard House in NYC. Almost everything in this recipe was purchased from the Market—from the signature spice blend courtesy of Market Spice, to the branzino and clams. The tomatillos, however, are from Chester’s personal garden. The apple-sweet fruit will be gone by the first frost, but can be found in most supermarkets year-round.

Tavern Law

The folks behind Spur Gastropub bring you a new craft cocktail experience

By Rocky Yeh

Tavern Law

1406 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122-3906
(206) 322-9734
www.tavernlaw.com

Tucked away in a condo building on Capitol Hill, Tavern Law is Seattle’s newest addition to the craft cocktail scene. Brought to you by the team behind Spur Gastropub, chefs/owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough, along with bar manager David Nelson, further extend their vision of good food paired with exceptional drink.

Walking in the front door, you are immediately struck by the comfortable woods and long curving bar inviting you to relax and absorb the speakeasy vibe. The tall shelves of legal tomes set the scene to reinforce the name and image while wrapping you in its masculine embrace. An extensive menu heavy on concoctions from the golden age of cocktails makes for great reading as you settle in to decide on your libation of choice. Syrups and tinctures are made in-house, and juice is fresh squeezed for each drink.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Beveridge Place Pub

A West Seattle watering hole makes you feel right at home

By Julien Perry

Beveridge Place Pub

6413 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98136
(206) 932-9906
www.beveridgeplacepub.com

What else are you going to name a pub located on the corner of California Avenue and Beveridge Place? The West Seattle hangout has been a popular watering hole for locals since October 2003. I know this, because not only do I live in the neighborhood, but the number of dogs in the joint nearly outnumbers the people. If that’s not a sure sign of a home-away-from-home, I don’t know what is.

It’s not unusual to walk in and see a couple of friends sitting on the couch playing checkers, or members of a book club hanging out in the back room discussing their current read while playing a game of foosball or darts. And then there’s the bar: a 1907 cherry-stained tiger maple centerpiece that was rescued from auction at the Buzz Inn in Kent.

Beveridge Place’s philosophy is to offer an ever-changing variety of craft-brewed draft ales and lagers on tap, focusing on those made in Washington. But there’s wine, too—about a half-dozen reds and whites, nothing more than $8 a glass. I had a very comforting moment with a glass of Townshend Cellars white table wine after I wrecked my car last summer. That was the same night I discovered Beveridge Place Pub didn’t serve food; if you’re hungry you’ll be given a collection of local restaurants’ take-out menus. You’re even welcome to bring food from home.

I bet you can even get one of the pub dogs to fetch you your slippers afterwards.

Editor’s Pick: Cascina Spinasse

Chef Jason Stratton has given the Seattle restaurant an overhaul

By Julien Perry

Cascina Spinasse

Cascina Spinasse

1531 14th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-4023
(206) 251-7673
www.spinasse.com

My inaugural visit to Cascina Spinasse can be summed up in one word: “meh.” But that was more than a year ago, when there was a different chef, a confusing set-course menu and an unexpectedly icy vibe. Fast-forward to August 2009. A new chef is announced who brings to the table a new menu, a new attitude and a staff who seems as if they are truly happy to be standing on their feet all night.

Chef Jason Stratton recently took over for Justin Niedermeyer, whom he helped launch Spinasse a year ago. The two also worked together during Jason’s five-year stint at Café Juanita. But all you really need to know is that pasta is still the focus at this neighborhood trattoria.

Embeding recipes with Kitchen Monki

As an online publisher, one of my favorite features of KitchenMonki.com is the ability to embed recipes into almost any publishing platform. With just a single line of cut-and-paste code, a formatted recipe, which includes ingredients, tags, and all the fixin’s, is rendered automatically to the page. Internet voodoo, to be sure.

Below is my own take on a Mediterranean sandwich, brought to you by the Monki.

Dulces Latin Bistro

Redefining Authenticity

By Erin Thomas

Dulces Latin Bistro
1430 34th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122-3334
(206) 322-5453
www.dulceslatinbistro.com

Finding authentic Latin fare is a daunting task in Seattle. So much so that the choices are to chance the taco truck on the Shoreline border or squeeze into the 500-square-foot restaurant that is La Carta de Oaxaca
with the rest of the Ballard hipsters.

According to the most recent American Community Survey, gathering census from 2005-2007, the city’s population is only 6.2 percent Hispanic or Latino, of any race. That being said, Seattle is not the most “authentically” Latin city north of the border.

But darn that statement if it will keep a few good souls from offering the real McCoy of legitimate Latin flavor in the Seattle food scene.

Bastille Café & Bar

New Ballard restaurant is off to a good start

By Julien Perry

Bastille Café & Bar
5307 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206.453.5014
www.bastilleseattle.com

I thought for sure I would hate Bastille. The months of buzz preceding its June 29th opening had hit fever pitch and I was convinced my expectations would be dashed. I even made my first trip to the Ballard café on Bastille Day to ensure I would be thoroughly disappointed. But, a funny thing happened—I had an enjoyable time.

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