11/8/09 Agate Pass Cafe

huh? what's it called? where is it? who's the chef????

i know, i know, i hadn't heard of the place either. friends of ours who live out in kitsap found it and invited us out to brunch yesterday. so after a night of pork at the herbfarm we're on the 9.30 AM ferry to bainbridge.

just before we left port matt noticed this CG gun boat off our bow. i went over to the port side and yup, we were being escorted. the tape they play about emergencies even mentioned that we had the escort but it was 'standard practice'. yeah right, since when? last time we took the bainbridge ferry - which actually was almost a year ago, there was no CG escort. and we weren't even 1/2 way across the channel when they slowed up and returned to seattle's dock! so much for an escort! lol

it's a cozy little place with about a dozen tables and 4 barstools on the waterfront over near kitsap.

i've never heard of the owner, marty braken - who was there hanging out, read a paper, did a little running back and forth, the ringleader - who by the picture on the website was our server, and the sous chef - where i was surprised to find absolutely no experience listed on the website. i can only guess that while the site states "My culinary skills are the result of this influence and of on-the-job experience working with other great chefs and cooks". there is no credit of any form for an executive chef, and i don't want to assume that marty fills this role.


the dinner menu looked tasty. it can be found online along with the brunch menu.




the service was great - very friendly, and she did keep the coffee coming. my only complaint, and i hadn't realized it until we were getting up to leave, is she didn't come around to refill water, which i would've taken had it been offered, and we did have to request water at the start, too.

catherine and ron both had the Beet and Bleu Salad:
roast beets, arugula,  point reyes bleu cheese, candied walnuts, orange vinagrette

matt had the Smoked Salmon Scramble:
lummi island smoked salmon, scallions, eggs, fromage-fraiche, capers, salad greens, grilled bread

and i was the cannibal. i had a dutch baby:
buttery oven-baked pancake, lemon, strawberry preserves, lemon,  orange and apple slices










after brunch we went up to C&R's place to meet their 3 alpacas. they were so cute! they told us that when they were delivered the previous owner had piled them into the back of a suburban and drove them out to their place! haha what a visual image! 

Snowball

brownie

alpha-male stewie

brownie and snowball

11/7/2009 the Herbfarm

we almost didn't go to this theme. we basically decided at the last minute. luckily we were able to get a table. it was quite the pork!

we went down to the wine cellar and spoke with ron for a few after grabbing a cup of hot cider spiced with jasmine, huckleberry and and couple other items. carrie gave the garden tour in front of the fireplace. when we made the reservations we knew we might be seated at the communal table, but requested a private table if it were possible. as it turns out we were seated at the european table - the one we really like that seats 4.

in case you hadn't figured it out by now, Makin' Bacon is the name of the theme.

wine bottle decor

our table name card

















Oinks & Squeals
(paired with) Pigtail Cocktail: Capitell Oregon Brut with choice of :
Bourbon Bacon - Black Forest Ham Scnapps - Run and Maple Pork Belly

Mangalitsa Pork Cracklings in Chawan Mushi with Arctic Char Roe and Crispy Pig Skin

Pork Consumme jelly with Wasaby Custard and Smoked Salmon Roe

Little Quail Egg Pork Croque Madame













Breads

Pig Tail Challa
Seeded Grain Loaf
Hand-Churned Butter with Chives and Nasturtium









Ham Bone Soup
(paired with) 2007 Pacific Rim Riesling, Wallua Vineyard, Columbia Valley WA

Prosciutto Bone and Swiss Chard Soup with Fresh Shelling Beans
Crostini with Whipped Mangalitsa Pig Lardo, Parsley, Currants and Coarse Sea Salt









Tete de Cochon
(paired with) 2008 Barnard-Griffin Rose of Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, WA

Berkshire Pork Head-and-Leek Terrine
Preserved Kohlrabi, Horseradish Mustard Veloute and Pickled Wild Mushroom Salad

the capers in this dish were actually nasturtium seed pods

matt found this on his plate after a trip to the men's room. (i had a photo of lisa, tysan, and jake on mine, picture to be seen later)










Caramelized Pork Belly
(paired with) 2006 Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir, Stewart, Willamette Valley, Or

Wood-Oven Caramelized Hampshire Pork Belly
with Clams, Mussels, Sauce from Olympic Peninsula Saffron, and Apple-Mustard Glace
Brussel Sprout Leaves and Arugula

the pork was braised before the wood-oven, total cooking time 18 hrs.






Mangalitsa Pig Loin
(paired with) 2007 Grammercy Cellars Tempranillo, Walla Walla WA

Juniper-Roasted Wooly Pig Loin with Chestnut Spaetzle
Prune-Glazed Roasted Vegetables and a Red Cabbage Sauce with Oregon Black Truffles

the loin was brined before being roasted, and they inserted cubes of lard into the meat to help tenderize

earlier in the night angela said we had to have our picture taken because we were both looking good in black... so here's what she took

when matt left before the next course david came over to put a new napkin on his plate and mentioned that angela was hoping we'd both get up from the table at the same time. i said i could go sit by the fireplace for a couple minutes if that'd help, and when we got back to the table we found snout!

'give us a kiss'












Ham and Cheese Pillow
we brought the Tokaij, and Michael poured us a glass of Vin de Constance to contrast with the cheese course

with Beets and Lentils and i Chicory Salad

i think this was pork tail, and i forget the cheese used

our cork

2000 Klein Constantia Cuvee De Constance, South Africa

"in the 1700 and 1800s the sweet, luscious and excellent wine of Constantia" was recognized as one of the great wines of the world. From the Cape of Good Hope, it was the only southern hemisphere wine to achieve international acclaim. Napoleon loved it. Jane Austen recommended it for a broken heart. Made today in very tiny quantities."

The hot towel. it really is hot.












Barbeque Intermezzo

Creme Fraiche and Coriander Sorbet with Smoked Tomato Chutney, Smoked Bourbon-Caramel Pig Tails

bacon ice cream. it's just wrong. but it's oh so good.

the goodies which accumulated on our plates when we left for the mens' or ladies' room.











Porked Out

Wild Chanterelle-Tapioca Pudding
Prosciutto-Sage-Candied Black Walnuts

Quince Tarte Tatin
Bacon-Oatmeal Ice Cream

Housemade Quince Paste with Zucchini Bread and Rosemary Crispies

what the menu doesn't mention is the layer of whipped lardo between the zucchini bread and quince paste!

the dessert plating












Coffees, Teas and Native Beverages

Matt had the Sumatra
I had the Waterfall















A Selection of Small Pigs
(paired with) 2008 RoxyAnn Winery "Night Harvest" Viognier, Rogue Valley, OR

(from near to far)
Dark Chocolate Bacon Cherry Cordial
White Chocolate Smoked Pumpkin Seed and Bacon Toffee
Pear Pate a Fruit Pig's Nose
Sow's Ear Cookie
Shiso Truffles

the dessert menu

treat upon leaving

bacon scone

10/17/09 How To Cook A Wolf

i think HTCAW is our new pre-opera fav for dining. we know if we're there at 5 we can be served and make it to the opera house in time for the curtain. the fact that it's durn good food is a bonus! :-)

beef carpaccio
white anchovy, capers, aioli

nope, this i didn't eat :-)

bruschetta
chicken liver mousse, pickled onion

OMG this was some of the best chicken liver bruschetta i've had, and man we had a squatload of it in italy!








panini
beef tongue, taleggio

ok, not my favorite. i've never been fond of roast beef sandwhiches, and the texture of this was not the same. i can't even describe it.

shrimp brodo
bread prosciutto fritter, porcini oil

i tried this. it was ok, but i didn't care too much for it. for me it was a little too 'fishy'

potato salad
coppa, aioli, fried egg

there was so much food i really didn't have any of this one!

melon salad
cucumber, salame

oh wow, i never expected this to really work, which is why i ordered it, but man, salame cucumber and green melon really work!

seared hanger steak
delicata squash, brussel sprouts, sultana

seared halibut
radish, cucumber, taggiasca olive

the halibut was fantastic.

semolina gnocchi

chef ethan makes some great gnocchi!

rigatoni
lamb ragu, marjoram

potato gnocchi
mussel, saffron, leek

this was very similar to a dish chef ethan made for us at one of the dinner parties we won. (he put up for grabs on a charity auction a dinner party at the winner's house - 5 courses for 6-8 people. we have won it the past 2 years)

walnut gelato
coffee