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Nordstrom
Category:
Retail Shopping
500 Pine Street
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 628-2111
Just before the holidays I asked if anyone knew of a great personal shopper for a man. Well, I found one. Brett Blake at Nordstrom's Flagship Seattle store was great with my husband. Here is the...
Just before the holidays I asked if anyone knew of a great personal shopper for a man. Well, I found one. Brett Blake at Nordstrom's Flagship Seattle store was great with my husband. Here is the back story.
I hatched a plan to get my husband a new wardrobe, or at least a start on one, as a Christmas gift this year. He has just had a career change and the 501s and hombre plaid that worked for him as a wine merchant is just not cutting it for a MLIS library analyst. He has great taste (in women's clothes too which used to sort of concern me...not really), but the whole thing can get overwhelming. This was not meant to be a complete and disorienting overhaul, just an update.
Through a friend of a wife of a chef I found Brett Blake. Without an appointment (we called to offer, but were told to just "come on in") Brett met us for the first time and instantly connected with us (I was sworn to "listening"). He asked a lot of good questions and steered us to several basic, building-block pieces that literally doubled my husbands wardrobe through their versatility. Additionally, and this is where the value is for me, we got some general guidelines for future wardrobe purchases.
Going forward, we will absolutely work with Brett again.
Note: I wish I had known about Darcey Howard (http://members.judysbook.com/posts/revieweditems/service.aspx?ri=67497) while this scheming was going on...next time for sure!
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First, if you can get over the NYT's pay-wall read food writer Ed Levine's round-up from April 2004. He sampled 30 New York cheesecakes and picked his favorites. That has to be some good...
First, if you can get over the NYT's pay-wall read food writer Ed Levine's round-up from April 2004. He sampled 30 New York cheesecakes and picked his favorites. That has to be some good information
OK...here are my thoughts.
I am not a huge dessert eater, but I never pass up the opportunity to experience the best of class, of any class. So when my foodie friends in New York say, "You've got to try this WHATEVER," I do. Such was the case during a spin through the Fairway Market when my girlfriend spied Mitchel London Cheesecakes.
Mitchel London was Ed Koch's personal chef who left the reservation to go solo. He has two retail stores, one near Port Authority Bus Terminal and one in the east 60s (see above). But enough about him, what about the cheesecake?
It is a graham cracker crusted affair with a cooling sour cream topping. And you can taste the cheese! While some may go in for the "too-big-to-get-your-fork-in-your-mouth" version, I prefer this classy confection.
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I used to pass the Indoor Sun Shoppe when it was on 45th and just giggle (I think they moved to Fremont...perfect). Memories of my friends, who shall remain nameless, trying (and failing) to grow...
I used to pass the Indoor Sun Shoppe when it was on 45th and just giggle (I think they moved to Fremont...perfect). Memories of my friends, who shall remain nameless, trying (and failing) to grow California dirt weed in their parents basements would fill my head like so much smoke. If this post had a soundtrack, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" would be playing.
Then one year SAD (seasonal affective disorder) hit me and I went in. Indoor lighting, and light therapy, is serious business, particularly in this neighborhood. Being an early riser I was instantly drawn to the dawn simulators (here is a http://store.yahoo.com/indoorsun/dawnsimulators.html). Many people switch out all the lighting in their home for full spectrum lights (another http://store.yahoo.com/indoorsun/fuspcofl.html). If it is really getting you down, and it is opressive, you might go in there and ask some questions. But leave the rolling papers at home...and be assured the people who run the Indoor Sun Shoppe have heard all the jokes.
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Over the holidays I had occasion to take my mom to the University Village. We walked through the bookstore and had brunch and had just started a leisurely stroll when she saw Fireworks. Now I have...
Over the holidays I had occasion to take my mom to the University Village. We walked through the bookstore and had brunch and had just started a leisurely stroll when she saw Fireworks. Now I have lived in Seattle for over 12 years and can still remember the first time I stumbled into Fireworks. It blew me away. There was so much to see and explore. My mom had the same kid-in-a-candy-store reaction. Which got me wondering: Is Fireworks Gallery all flash?
With a collection of jewelry, furniture, home decor items, personal accessories and books created by known artists and craftspeople, Fireworks Gallery is committed to bringing art into people's lives and they keep that promise.
I think there is a lot of flash, certainly, but there is substance if you look beyond the riotous merchandising. Over the years I have purchased gifts for friends and family from Fireworks that literally brought tears of appreciation to people's eyes. That is a real testimony to the folks who buy for Fireworks Gallery. You can find the right gift for the right occasion at Fireworks.
And, there is not a Feng Shui problem out there that cannot be fixed with something from Fireworks.
My mom bought a handbag that day, for me, for my birthday (to go with my Dangle: http://members.judysbook.com/posts/revieweditems/product.aspx?ri=26669181). That was the first Fireworks gift I ever received and it was perfect!
Here is a http://www.fireworksgallery.net/ to their site.
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Zum
Category:
Fitness
2235 5th Ave
Seattle, Washington 98121
(206) 443-3933
I took a tour of Club Zum (pronounced Zoom, hence the reference to the PBS children's programming above) a couple of days ago and wow, was I impressed.
First of all, I was introduced to just...
I took a tour of Club Zum (pronounced Zoom, hence the reference to the PBS children's programming above) a couple of days ago and wow, was I impressed.
First of all, I was introduced to just about everyone who works there. Right away, I felt right at home. Second, the place has a cool vibe. There is none of that airplane bathroom lighting or whistle blowing that seem to be the calling card of most gyms. This place has skylights and trainers that speak softly and look you in the eye. And none of the members were prancing around, making small-talk...they were working it, joyfully.
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Nordstrom
Category:
Retail Shopping
500 Pine Street
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206) 628-2111
I used the personal shopping service at Nordstrom (Downtown) with great success. Now that the specific shopper I worked with left Nordstrom, I tend to work with an elegant and knowledgeable woman...
I used the personal shopping service at Nordstrom (Downtown) with great success. Now that the specific shopper I worked with left Nordstrom, I tend to work with an elegant and knowledgeable woman named Vicki. You can find her in or around the Individualist department.
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While it might be more than an hour out of Seattle, Kalaloch Lodge is worth the drive. One of the few properties in Washington that is actually ocean-that would be the Pacific-front, Kalaloch Lodge...
While it might be more than an hour out of Seattle, Kalaloch Lodge is worth the drive. One of the few properties in Washington that is actually ocean-that would be the Pacific-front, Kalaloch Lodge is a wonderful place to stay...if you don't mind candlelight. I love this. From their Web site:
If you’re staying with us during winter months we suggest you bring a lantern or flashlight from home; as storms pass through we occasionally lose power. We do provide small oil lamps on these occasions.
Kalaloch was ranked one of the “10 Best Places to Storm Watch” by Seattle Magazine.
Dogs allowed in cabins only.
Follow this http://www.visitkalaloch.com/lodging_history.shtml to additional information about rooms &rates, tour & activities, dining, camping and crafts!
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Every season brings something remarkable to my table. Spring brings tender asparagus. Summer offers a bounty of heirloom tomatoes. And as summer falls into fall, so does an array of apples and...
Every season brings something remarkable to my table. Spring brings tender asparagus. Summer offers a bounty of heirloom tomatoes. And as summer falls into fall, so does an array of apples and pears. But it is winter that returns each year with oysters. It is about this time each year that I dare the briny, salty liquor of raw oysters (drunk in with a chilled glass of lemony Muscadet) to cut through the richness of braised meats and mashed potatoes.
And it was in this spirit, in celebration of months that have the letter R in them, that I drove my mom north. Not to the Tulalip Outlet Mall, but to Chuckanut Drive where the Taylor Shellfish Farm and the Oyster Creek Inn have enchanted bi-valve lovers for years.
First, we picked up a dozen Virginica oysters from Taylor (for home) and then headed up the steep hill for an assorted dozen on the half-shell (Source:Taylor Shellfish). We happily slurped four each of the following with a glass of Facelli Fume Blanc,
The small deep-cupped, nicely fluted KUMAMOTO was brought to the US in the late 1940's as an experiment to replace the troubled native Olympia. The Kumo is definitely a giant among oysters, but not because it is large. It is, in fact, quite small, only slightly larger than the tiny Olympia oyster. With its deep cupping and highly sculptured, fluted shell, this smooth, fruity morsel makes it a favorite of half-shell connoisseurs.
Our "Totten Inlet VIRGINICA", grown in
Totten Inlet, is the first Eastern oyster
grown commercially in Washington since the early 1900s when a large quantity were grown in Willapa Bay (formerly known as Shoalwater Bay) for the oyster-hungry San Francisco market. Totten Inlet Virginicas take three to five years to mature to a minimum market size of 3 1/4 inches, a size that assures a sweetness and complexity of flavor not present in smaller oysters. The Totten Inlet Virginica combines a clean, briny, smooth sweetness with a pronounced mineral finish much favored by its fans.
Also, small cupped, the KUSHI oyster from Fanny Bay, BC is sprightly and headed to the top of my list.
In spite of expected offerings like hamburgers and clam chowder, the menu looked ambitious. After the delightful half-shells, mom got a bright and earthy Caesar Salad and I got the oyster stew. Now I am not a cooked-oyster-person, but i do love cream...so four oysters marroned in a cream and Pernod broth, aromatized with thinly shaved shallot and fresh tarragon sprigs sounded great. And it was, but very rich...not a surpirse.
The dining room at Oyster Creek Inn is small and very country--petite floral arrangements, warm wood tables, balloon valances on the windows. I woudl have not at all be thrown by crochetted doilies inthe ladies lav. But while homey deocr is part of the charm, this place is about shellfish with a view. Window tables offer views of a magical, emerald-green fern forest and cascading brook below and at 2:00pm on a Saturday afternoon (in December), requesting a window table was no problem. With one lead-slash-owner-slash-server and two young waiters running the busy floor, the service was friendly and casual.
The white wine list is thorough and heavy with Washington wines. Most of them are ideal for shellfish. I would have liked to see imports by the glass, but the half-bottle list is worth a look with two French-one Loire Valley and one Pouilly Fuissé-among the local offerings.
A dozen oysters is never enough for me. I was glad I had a bag on ice in the car. If you bring oysters home, here are some oyster wines to bring along:
Domaine de l’Ecu Muscadet
Chateau Bonnet Entre-deux-Mers (FR)
Roland Laventureux (FR)
Burgans Albariño (SP)
Terruzzi and Puthod Vernaccia de San Grimigano(IT)
Arco Nova Vinho Verde (IT)
Seresin Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
Caterina Sauvignon Blanc (WA)
Vashon Semillon (WA)
Dr. Loosen Bernkastler Lay Riesling Kabinett (GER)
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So, you want to give your barista, kid's teachers and postal carrier an assortment homemade cookies, neatly nestled in a cardboard pastry box and tied with French bistro twine to let them know how...
So, you want to give your barista, kid's teachers and postal carrier an assortment homemade cookies, neatly nestled in a cardboard pastry box and tied with French bistro twine to let them know how much you appreciate what they do throughout the year. A thoughtful and time-honored gesture to be sure. The only problems: you don't bake and you have no idea what French bistro twine is.
No problem; Leslie Mackie, the owner of Macrina Bakery does. She and her crew of artisan bakers are at the ready with an assortment of traditional holiday confections such as Angel Thumbprints, Swedish Overnights, Mexican Wedding Cakes and Lemon-Pistachio Crescents. Other holiday treats that you can call your own include decorated gingerbread men cookies, spiced nuts, panettone and cranberry chutney. They even sell brandied fruitcake.
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Hosts who have planned parties of significant size have had to come to terms with their need for caterers, rental companies, florists, valet service and even, on occasion, event coordinators. For...
Hosts who have planned parties of significant size have had to come to terms with their need for caterers, rental companies, florists, valet service and even, on occasion, event coordinators. For some reason though the idea of hiring a professional bartender to pour wine, mix drinks, welcome guests as they arrive and keep on eye on rambunctious revelers all the while dispensing valuable relationship advice (as all good bartenders do), falls into the camp of extravagance with gilded lilies and weekends in Paris.
Ask professional party planners about what can really sink an otherwise flawless party, though, and a chorus of voices will come back with the same answer, the absence of capable and professional bartender. Ask around Seattle for a recommendation and one comes up over and over again at Martini's Bartending Services. Martini¹s Bartending Services will provide you with professional bartenders, the bar themselves, glassware, stemware, wine and spirits (if your caterer is not handling this Martini's will even do the shopping), as well as that relationship advice. Costs vary, but a bartender serving a full bar for a four-hour party with 50 guests (glassware included) is about $15-$20 a person (not including tips).
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