All I want for Christmas is a salted caramel hot chocolate

I am a Seattle anomaly. I do not drink coffee.

Even weirder was that I was once a barista.

I drink the occasional cup of coffee every now and again, but when I want a comforting hot drink, I go for a nice, velvety cup of hot chocolate.

Last winter I discovered a delightful variation on the theme. As part of its holiday beverages line, Starbucks offered a salted caramel hot chocolate (hereafter referred to as SCHC). It was particularly frigid winter, and the SCHC soothed my soul. I think I had at least this drink at least twice a week while it was available. I don’t eat or drink any one thing with any kind of regularity so this was a big deal.

I started seeing red Starbucks cups all around Seattle last week, which means the holiday beverages were back. On a cold and soppy night, I ducked into a Starbucks ready to warm up with a SCHC. I saw the eggnog latte, gingerbread latte, peppermint mocha on the menu, but where was my beloved SCHC?

I started to ask the barista, “Do you guys have…” And then she broke the bad news. “We’re not doing the salted caramel hot chocolate anymore.” Bless her for getting to it quickly, but damn–it still stung. First Ciclon and now the SCHC is discontinued.

The kindly barista suggested I go to the Starbucks Web site and post a request to bring back the SCHC. I went to mystarbucksidea.com and found that I’m not the only person missing this drink. There were 27 “ideas” related to bringing back the SCHC. Starbucks apparently reviewed the idea and published this response.

“Hello and thank you for your interest in the Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate beverage. This beverage was quite popular last year and we understand that some of our valued customers are sad to see that it is not returning this year. If you fall into this group and are looking for a similar, yummy beverage, we’ve heard from our Baristas that adding Toffee Nut Syrup and caramel drizzle to the Signature Hot Chocolate is very close to the Salted Caramel beverage you’ve come to love. Please continue to share your feedback and passion for our many delicious beverages. Thank you!”

If the SCHC was so popular, why was it discontinued? And why did Starbucks give such a lame answer to customers’ demand for SCHC? Was it too messy to make? Took too much time? Did the company lose money on it? I don’t understand why Starbucks won’t share the real reason for not serving the SCHC anymore.

And why suggest what seems like a weak substitute for the SCHC? The majority of comments I read said that adding toffee nut syrup and caramel drizzle was NOT the same as a SCHC. I may try it since I really do miss the SCHC. Or I might try and make one myself using this recipe.

At mystarbucksidea.com, I asked Starbucks to fully explain the SCHC situation. If you love the SCHC, please vote for my submission.

I need closure.

Random food photos

I take a lot of food photos with my phone, but I never realized how many until tonight. I needed to clear space on my memory card and discovered I had 5 months of food photos stored. So I’m finally putting them on the blog where they belong.

The top photo was taken at Uwajimaya, my favorite supermarket in Seattle. I couldn’t believe the name of this beverage. Who wants to drink sweat? What’s odder is that I showed photo to my friend Sarah, and she was like, “Oh yeah, Pocari Sweat. That stuff is good.”

Another pic taken at Uwajimaya. Even Japanese oven mitts and dish towels are cute!

What, pray tell, is a “microroast?” Coffee fetishism in Seattle knows no bounds.

Part of me thinks it’s really cool that Costco sells Dick’s milkshake mix. The other part of me wonders why someone would personally ever need to make that many milkshakes.

Ezell’s fried chicken is a special treat that I allow myself to eat about once every three years. It’s always good.

I would like to go on a tour of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream. Until then, I’ll just have to catch shots like this.

This spinach pizza was a late night desperation dinner. We didn’t have any food in the house except for a Boboli pizza crust, some spinach that was two seconds away from going bad and mozzarella cheese of questionable age. It turned out to be a pretty tasty pizza! Carmelized onion can right many wrongs.

Every grill romaine lettuce for a salad? I tried it for the first time this summer, and it brought a completely different flavor to the romaine. To let that shine through, I kept the salad pretty simple. I just added some artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, some parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon.

I think the recipes for all of these dishes came from Real Simple magazine. Pesto, chickpeas and radishes was something I would have never thought to put together myself. And tossing couscous in brown butter was a revelation!

If I had to eat the beet salad at Fonte Coffee & Wine Bar every day for the rest of my life, I think I might be okay with that.

Does Whole Foods really have the best bacon in Seattle?

Geraldine’s Counter has pretty food. But on this visit, everything was woefully underseasoned. It’s amazing what salt–or lack of it–can do to a dish.

Every time I see this pinball game at Full Tilt Ice Cream in White Center, I think of Lindsay Lohan.

Get your pumpkin on at Remlinger Farms

If you live in the Seattle area, and you’re still wondering what to do for Halloween with your family, I highly recommend a visit to Remlinger Farms in Carnation. My husband, 2-year-old son, my son’s godmother and I made the trip last week, and all of us had a blast. There’s a ton of stuff to see and do.

Remlinger Farms includes a pumpkin patch, corn maze, country market, restaurant and Family Fun Park. At $15 a person, admission to the Family Fun Park is a little pricey, but you get unlimited access to all of the attractions and rides. It was nice not to have to worry about tickets especially since my son had never been to any kind of amusement park before and wanted to do everything.

The Family Fun Park is designed for kids 12 and under and includes a steam train, a mini roller coaster and other rides, a moonwalk, pony rides, a petting zoo, a “Farm Theatre” with live performances, and my favorite–the hay jump.

Kids (and adults) can jump into mounds of hay that are piled on top of some kind of bouncy surface (we were thinking a trampoline). You can jump around, throw hay at each other, make hay angels, etc. The hay cushions any falls. There’s also a mini hay maze for kids.

Remlinger Farms is designed for kids, but there’s plenty of fun to be had by adults too. I enjoyed browsing in the country market and checking out the baked goods in the restaurant.

Look at the size of these muffins!

These mini pumpkins pies looked delicious, and I’m sure they were good because when we came back to sample some, they were sold out!

We had the strawberry rhubarb pie instead, which was tasty.

You can even do wine tasting at Remlinger Farms. I tried a mead honey wine for the first time, and I liked it.

We explored the corn maze and combed the pumpkin patch for the perfect orange orb. We ended the day with a tractor-pulled hay ride.

P.S. The pumpkin patch and corn maze are very muddy so make sure you wear rain boots or some other appropriate footwear.

When Ellen is away, penne is in play

I will eat just about anything and have few food hang-ups. So I find people’s food dislikes and “food rules” fascinating. For example, my friend Ellen, the fabulous host of the Thursday “Girl’s Night” dinners, doesn’t like any kind of short pasta. To Ellen, pasta means noodles, and noodles only. To each her own, but what this means is that Ellen, who loves comfort food, doesn’t partake in the ultimate comfort food–macaroni and cheese. This is totally baffling to me!

Ellen was out of town this past Thursday, but all of us still gathered for Thursday night dinner. Since Ellen wasn’t going to be there, Michelle decided to make penne with cheese and ham for our entree. It was delicious and the perfect thing to tuck into on a cold autumn night.

Tara made two great side dishes: stuffed mushrooms and a cold carrot salad.

I had the pleasure of preparing dessert this week, and I chose to make a pear and ginger crisp. The recipe called for chopped up crystallized ginger in the topping, which added a nice spiciness and aroma to the dish.

Stop what you’re doing and make this chocolate cake RIGHT NOW (it’s that good)

Photo by Patricia Heal

A few weeks ago, my friend Lynn made chocolate stout layer cake for dessert for Thursday night dinner at Ellen’s. I must admit that I was skeptical. Sure, I know that certain stout beers have a dark chocolate flavor, so a pairing of beer and chocolate isn’t that out there. But still, I was afraid that the malt flavor would overwhelm the chocolate in a cake.

Boy, was I wrong.

The cake Lynn made was easily one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had. (And I have eaten a lot of cake.) It was rich but not too dense and the beer perfectly accentuated the chocolate. Too often frosting is an afterthought, but this time it was an essential element of the cake.

Also, this cake was incredibly moist. So moist that I saved a piece from Thursday night dinner, and when I ate it on Sunday (yes, three days later), it was still as moist as when it was first made!

If you’re looking to be the star of the next potluck you attend or to curry favor with your favorite chocolate lover, look no further than this cake. Click here now to get the amazing recipe.

Want to find a cheap way to get drunk? There’s an app for that.

I decided to take a deeper dive into the whole social media thing and just started the Master of Communication in Digital Media program at the University of Washington. Last night my class heard from Jeff Khadavi, the founder of GoTime.com.

This past spring GoTime released a sweet Happy Hours iPhone app for Seattle that locates you using GPS and then gives you a list of the nearest bars currently hosting happy hour. Or use the shake function and the app will choose a bar for you. And best of all, it’s free to download!

The Stranger (needlessly?) created a similar app called Cocktail Compass. I heard that it’s a good app, but signs point to GoTime having the edge on better info–more happy hours listed and constant updates for accuracy.

GoTime recently produced a Happy Hours app for Portland, and now they’re getting ready to go national, providing happy hour information for 30 cities across the country.

As Khadavi gave his presentation to my class, I realized that my hard drinking days are far behind me, but I still do enjoy the food deals that happy hour offers. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite places to get some great budget bites.

1. Contour is right by my office so I have spent a lot of time here with my co-workers. It claims to have one of Seattle’s best happy hours, and I would have to agree. You get good food for a super low price. I especially enjoy the tomato honey basil soup ($1.95) and the provolone cheese burger ($2.95).

2. Oliver’s Twist offers $2 off its artful cocktails during its 5:00pm-7:00pm happy hour. I like the classic Presbyterian (bourbon, ginger ale, soda water) and the Miss Nancy (gin, rhubarb-tarragon syrup, lemon, blood orange bitters and bubbly). The roasted fingerling potatoes in duck fat make me swoon.

3. Matador in West Seattle restaurant is roomier than its Ballard sibling, which means you’re more likely to score a table and the great deals on Matador’s upscale Mexican food. With the exception of the Tex-Mex spring rolls (get rid of these already!), everything on the happy hour menu is delicious.

4. Stanford’s in Tukwila has a long and varied happy hour menu, and it offers discounted food and drink twice–from 3:00pm-6pm and 9:00pm-close. It serves chili cheese fries and other fattening favorites, but it’s also possible to put together a healthier meal. Try the Southwest chopped salad.

5. Umi Sake House offers many different sushi rolls and sashimi sets to choose from, but I also like the garlic short ribs. The 4:00pm-6:00pm happy hour stretches to 8:00pm in the front porch and bar. In addition, Umi has a late night happy hour from 11:00pm-1:00am Sunday-Thursday.

6. Ivar’s Acres of Clams on the Seattle waterfront has happy hour from 3:00pm to close! That alone makes it awesome. Additionally, as The Seattle Times reported back in February, Ivar’s extends happy hour beyond the bar and there’s an area where families can enjoy the discounts. So now I have a place where I can hang out with my single friends and my husband and son can come too.

Now that makes me happy.

The lowdown on Mobile Chowdown

Have you ever hosted a party and realized halfway through it that you were going to run out of food and/or booze and had no way to get any more? It’s not a good feeling.

I can only imagine how the various street food vendors reacted to the mob scene that was Saturday’s Mobile Chowdown.

My husband and I arrived at the Chowdown around 1:30 p.m. I knew it was going to be crowded, but I wasn’t prepared for the sea of people that greeted us when we pulled up.

Lines for Skillet, Maximus Minimus, El Camion and Marination Mobile were easily 50-100 people deep. By the time we got there, Gert’s BBQ had already run out of food and was done for the day.

I saw that the line for Dante’s Inferno Dogs was less than 10 people so I quickly claimed a spot. I was intrigued by the jalapeno cheddar sausage, and I thought it was pretty tasty although the casing was a bit thick. It had a good snap, but I couldn’t bite through it cleanly, making it difficult to eat.

Jalapeno cheddar sausage from Dante's Inferno Dogs

After I finished my sausage, I surveyed the scene again, and to my dismay, it looked like it had gotten even more crowded. I despaired at ever getting through any of massive lines, but I thought that the Parfait Ice Cream line wouldn’t be impossible. And luckily I was right. I didn’t have to wait long, and I decided to try the Meyer lemon ice cream. I got a scoop of butter toffee for my friend Bev who was patiently waiting in Marination’s line and a scoop of caramel for my friend Kumi who was holding one of the few tables with chairs for our group.

Both Bev and I thought our ice cream could have been creamier. The texture was a little more like ice milk than ice cream. Bev did appreciate the generous chunks of butter toffee, and Kumi was entirely satisfied with her serving of caramel. I thought the lemon was bitter like the pith of the fruit.

Meyer lemon ice cream from Parfait

While I was in line for ice cream, my husband decided to try his luck with El Camion. I did not think that was a good choice. Of all the lines, it looked like that was moving the slowest. I jumped into the Maximus Minimus line hoping to score him a pulled pork sandwich. Bev joined me after the Marination Mobile folks announced they were almost out of everything. They were very nice and gave everyone who had been in line vouchers. Soon we heard that Skillet was done as well.

Skillet 86'ed

Bev and I waited about 30 minutes in the Maximus line, and we were just five people from the front, when we were told Maximus was no more. That was two strikes out for poor Bev!

My husband had managed to put in an order at El Camion, and by this point, he was extremely hungry and grouchy. I asked him what he ordered, and he said two tacos(!) He had waited in line for an hour. If I made it to the front of any of the lines, I would have ordered everything on the menu.

The Marination Mobile team had managed to regroup and had enough supplies to take a few more orders. Bev ran over hoping she would be lucky enough to finally get some food. And she did! It was a positive end to a frustrating event.

Mobile Chowdown October 10

This Saturday brings another take on “meals on wheels.” Seattle street-food vendors, Skillet, Parfait Ice Cream, Marination Mobile, Maximus Minimus, Gert’s BBQ, El Camion and Dante’s Inferno Dogs are converging in a parking lot October 10 for the Mobile Chowdown.

The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in a vacant parking lot in Interbay at 1616 W. Bertona. Follow @mobilechowdown on Twitter for more info and for a chance to win some great prizes.

On Seattle Metblogs, I saw that the Seattle Zombie Walk is also taking place this Saturday. I’m thinking it would be all kinds of awesome if this event could somehow converge with the Mobile Chowdown.

I HEART Bakeman’s

If you work in downtown Seattle, chances are you’ve eaten in the subterranean cafeteria known as Bakeman’s. It’s known for its turkey sandwiches, fast service, low prices, total lack of ambiance and the cranky proprietor, Jason Wang, aka “The Sandwich Nazi.”

If you come into Bakeman’s, you better know what you want to order, and you better order it quickly. Otherwise Jason will call you out. Many people don’t like Jason’s gruff demeanor and says that he yells at people too much. One review I read claimed that Jason verbally abuses people. Puh-lease. Jason just says what everybody in line is thinking. “Hey, hurry up. Don’t you know what you want yet? People are waiting. I’ve only got 30 minutes for lunch!”

I recently went to Bakeman’s during lunch rush, got my food and when I made it to the cash register, I discovered that I didn’t have enough cash to pay. (Bakeman’s only takes cash or checks.) I fully expected Jason to upbraid me. Instead, he just said, “Pay me next time” and shooed me away. I came back later that day to give him money, and he seemed amazed–and true to form, a little annoyed–that I had returned.

The turkey sandwiches at Bakeman’s are delicious. I liked mine mixed, on wheat, just cranberry. (White and dark meat on wheat with cranberry sauce for those who don’t know the lingo.) But I enjoy the daily specials even more. They are often a real surprise and range from classics like meatloaf and mashed potatoes to more exotic fare like kalua pork and cabbage. And at $6.75, they are a great value.

I recently enjoyed roasted chicken breast with Israeli couscous at Bakeman’s. The chicken was moist and flavorful and the couscous was well seasoned. I would have never expected to see an upscale ingredient like Israeli couscous at a chipped-Formica-counter kind of place like Bakeman’s, but that’s why I love the place!

Chicken breast with Israeli couscous

I am breaking up with Grand Central Bakery

I once dated this guy who loved art and literature, had a wicked sense of humor and was passionate about social justice issues. These are all great qualities. Too bad he was a total dick to me. It took me awhile, but I finally learned that someone who is interesting, smart and funny isn’t necessarily good boyfriend material.

This lesson applies to restaurants as well. Restaurants that have good food aren’t necessarily good restaurants. And it’s not good for you to keep going back to them. Case in point: Grand Central Bakery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

I work by Pioneer Square and often visit Grand Central for lunch. It has great baked goods and yummy soups, salads and sandwiches. You can sit inside in a charming historic building that was once a train station or outside in Occidental Park. It can be a lovely place to go for lunch.

I say it “can be” because nine times out of 10, something goes wrong with my order. Food will be missing, the wrong salad will show up, I order with a group and everyone gets their food but me, and when it does come, it’s 30 minutes later and everyone else is already done eating. The Grand Central staff are always very apologetic and eventually fix it, but why can’t they just get it right?

I went to Grand Central yesterday, and I ordered a whole Italian grinder, a mixed greens side salad and a chocolate chip cookie. I specifically ordered the grinder because I was in a hurry and that sandwich is pre-made. The cashier took my order, I paid and then I waited to pick up my food. The sandwich and salad came up right away, but I noticed that the sandwich was a half and not a whole. I politely informed the counter person that I had ordered a whole sandwich and not a half. She insisted that the order was for someone else and that mine would be coming up shortly. That sounded plausible so I hung around for another 10 minutes. But after countless calls of “Italian grinder and side salad?” to the crowd, soon it became aparent that it was indeed my order, and that they had gotten it wrong. Again.

It was not a huge deal, but I can’t overlook the frequency of botched orders anymore. There are many other restaurants where I can spend my time and money and not leave frustrated.

So goodbye, Grand Central Bakery. It was nice while it lasted.

UPDATE: Gillian Allen-White, general manager and co-owner of Grand Central Bakery, read my blog the day after I posted and sent me a very sincere apology. (Read it in the comments section.) I asked my Facebook community if I should take Grand Central back. Several people–including myself–were impressed at the prompt response to my post. Way to get your Google alerts and actually take action on them. Some thought I had already given Grand Central too many chances.

My decision is stick to my guns and not return to Grand Central, BUT I will not badmouth the cafe. Our breakup can be a healthy one with no bad feelings on either side.