Sarah, our local pick-up manager, has an impressive palate, a penchant for blogging and is also studying for her Master of Wine certificate.

Where in the world of food and wine will Sarah go to next? Join her as she chronicles her adventures in Seattle and beyond.

  • Beecher's.

  • March 5th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO BEECHER'S.

    Like Little Miss Muffet you can sit at Beecher's and eat your curds or perhaps you would prefer the 'World's Best' Mac n Cheese....

  • Fremont Avenue Cellars.

  • March 3rd, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO FREMONT AVENUE CELLARS.

    As the crow flies Wine World and Fremont Ave Cellars are within a mile of each other.  One, a goliath of a store offering the whos who of...

  • Bourbon Steak.

  • February 28th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO BOURBON STEAK.

    On a Saturday night this restaurant rocks like a club.  The hip beltway elite gather to eat, drink, and be merry.  Lunch on a Monday...

  • Uneeda Burger.

  • February 20th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO UNEEDA BURGER.

    For the longest time the building was a mechanic's shop.  Then, a garden store gave it a shot.  Now, just up the hill from the...

  • a tasting.

  • February 17th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO A TASTING.

    Late Friday afternoon we got set up to do a little tasting.  Vinegar, olive oils, and wines were opened, ideas and opinions exchanged.  A...

  • dinner.

  • February 15th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO DINNER.

    Some interesting wines with dinner the past few nights, one each from Napa, Alsace, and Piedmont. 2001 Malvira Mombeltambo: leather, cherry pits...

  • Matt's at the Market.

  • February 13th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO MATT'S AT THE MARKET.

    I make it a rule not to go out on Valentine's.  Yes, I am one of those.  Instead, I met my Valentine for lunch the day before. ...

  • Serious Biscuit.

  • February 12th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO SERIOUS BISCUIT.

    The biscuits are seriously good. No pun intended. Part of the Tom Douglas empire Serious Biscuit shares its lofted space with Soul Wine and Serious...

  • a bare knuckle brawl.

  • February 10th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO A BARE KNUCKLE BRAWL.

    These wines are more bare knuckle brawlers to last weeks ballerinas.  This week we left terrior behind to focus on crowd pleasing fruity...

  • Il Corvo

  • February 6th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO IL CORVO

    The best pasta in Seattle is being made at a gelato shop. No joke.  Il Corvo is a three person show open for lunch Mondays-Fridays and if you...

  • the Loire Valley, again.

  • February 3rd, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO THE LOIRE VALLEY, AGAIN.

    What is terrior? That elusive element that cannot be defined but gives so many wines their character. If it does not exist as a concrete component...

  • The Crumpet Shop.

  • January 30th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO THE CRUMPET SHOP.

    Poor planning resulted in my chosen lunch spot being closed today.  Already at the market with parking paid for the next two hours I began to...

  • Bitterroot.

  • January 23rd, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO BITTERROOT.

    There are new restaurants opening up and down Ballard Ave.  The sweet, spicy aroma of smoking meats beckons you down Ballard Ave to Bitterroot...

  • Dots.

  • January 17th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO DOTS.

    The weather forecast is calling for snow early in the week.  This is a call to action or non action rather in the kitchen. When it is freezing...

  • Foraged and Found.

  • January 15th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO FORAGED AND FOUND.

    I have a jar of the teeny tiniest artichokes and a truffle from Foraged and Found.  It is a blessing to live in a city where good, quality...

  • the shelves for more culinary inspiration.

  • January 9th, 2012

    SARAH GOES TO THE SHELVES FOR MORE CULINARY INSPIRATION.

    It's nice to have little things like this stashed in your pantry or fridge.  They make meal time mountains surmountable.  I like to...

  • RN 74

  • November 11th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO RN 74

    Looking for a lesson in Burgundy? RN74 is a good place to start. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in their many amalgamations dominate the list, of course...

  • a moveable feast.

  • November 1st, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO A MOVEABLE FEAST.

    Efforts are being made to revitalize the Seattle Center. The park will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. Perhaps other denizens...

  • Honore.

  • September 7th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO HONORE.

    A late summer morning with hazy sunlight that gives the early part of the day a lazy feel.  To keep that feeling going I head to Honore to...

  • Eltana.

  • August 31st, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO ELTANA.

    Capitol Hill is a different beast on Saturday mornings. There is an unnatural stillness in and around the 12th and Pike area; as if all the energy...

  • The Swinery.

  • August 29th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE SWINERY.

    Garagiste fired up the old grill again last week. We soaked in a little sun on a gorgeous Friday afternoon and enjoyed some burgers from Seattle...

  • I Love NY Deli.

  • August 25th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO I LOVE NY DELI.

    The sandwiches were only ok.  After hearing much about them I think the dreaded 'fine' could adequately used as a descriptor.  ...

  • the shelves for culinary inspiration.

  • August 19th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE SHELVES FOR CULINARY INSPIRATION.

    Sur Les Quais' orange chutney is an exotic blend of sour orange, coriander, and chili that evokes images of foreign, sunbaked places.  Not...

  • a popular tasting of Loire whites.

  • August 16th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO A POPULAR TASTING OF LOIRE WHITES.

    In a land of majestic natural and architectural beauty lies a region whose whites are rich in flavor, style, and flair. NV Gratien & Meyer...

  • the sunny lands of Chardonnay.

  • August 4th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE SUNNY LANDS OF CHARDONNAY.

    Everyone and their auntie love Chardonnay. Whether or not they openly admit it is another matter entirely. We tried wines that showed their regions...

  • the Melrose Market.

  • August 2nd, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE MELROSE MARKET.

    The sun shone brightly as we headed out from downtown to the Melrose Market for lunch. After working up an appetite chugging up the hill lunch...

  • Portland's Pine State Biscuits.

  • July 18th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO PORTLAND'S PINE STATE BISCUITS.

    Yeah, there's a wait at the door. That's a good sign, no?  Standing in line you can watch the biscuits being made. It might be more...

  • work for a pizza party.

  • July 15th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO WORK FOR A PIZZA PARTY.

    A pizza party calls for pizza wine. Not surprisingly we opened a line-up of Italian bottles, four wines from three regions of Italy. 2009 Giacosa...

  • work and tries a line up of Syrah.

  • July 11th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO WORK AND TRIES A LINE UP OF SYRAH.

    Three wines, three regions, one grape. The SuGaSy showed big fruit up front making it an early crowd favorite. A wine like this could overwhelm you...

  • the Empress for Afternoon Tea.

  • July 6th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE EMPRESS FOR AFTERNOON TEA.

    Victoria, BC is a strange mix of genial retirees and bohemian artists with a decidedly British slant. It is a city that lends itself to easy...

  • work and brings home a sack of salt.

  • June 30th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO WORK AND BRINGS HOME A SACK OF SALT.

    Gourmet salts are a dime a dozen these days. That doesn’t mean you can’t get excited about a new one: enter Solnce salts. Summer is a...

  • Nook.

  • June 13th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO NOOK.

    Already heralded as a biscuit mecca, we planned to arrive soon after opening because they have warnings posted online that they regularly run out...

  • Flour + Water.

  • June 10th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO FLOUR + WATER.

    Personally, I am not bothered by dining alone and this night I was especially glad to. I walked in the door at 6:10 and the place was already...

  • the Ballard market.

  • May 25th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO THE BALLARD MARKET.

    Rain or shine the Ballard Market is open every Sunday from 10-3. The vendors take over Ballard Ave more or less between Bastille Cafe and Miro Tea...

  • Portage Bay Cafe.

  • May 24th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO PORTAGE BAY CAFE.

    After a failed attempt to visit Nook to try their biscuits early on Saturday morning (unbeknownst to us they were opening later than usual last...

  • Din Tai Fung.

  • May 17th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO DIN TAI FUNG.

    Before visiting I had heard more about the wait for a table than the actual dumplings themselves.  Armed with that information we headed to...

  • Bouchon Bakery (Yountville, CA).

  • April 21st, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO BOUCHON BAKERY (YOUNTVILLE, CA).

    Bouchon Bakery is what Willy Wonka would have branched out to if he wanted to expand his candy empire. On Sunday morning the display was packed...

  • Revel in Fremont.

  • April 14th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO REVEL IN FREMONT.

    Revel, the edgier younger sister of Wallingford’s Joule, sits poised to become a hot spot on the Fremont scene. There is no point in...

  • Full Tilt.

  • April 4th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO FULL TILT.

    Take your kids or at least the kid in you to Full Tilt Ice Cream in Columbia City. Go for the ice cream. Stay for the arcade games. Pac Man beckons...

  • CA and tries two Australian gems from Leeuwin Estate and Yeringberg.

  • March 22nd, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO CA AND TRIES TWO AUSTRALIAN GEMS FROM LEEUWIN ESTATE AND YERINGBERG.

    It was a real treat to try both these wines.  Wish every day could end with a quick tasting of wines of this quality.  Both wineries,...

  • Spring Hill.

  • March 18th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO SPRING HILL.

    Fried chicken fever spread across the country late last summer with magazines and newspapers touting the best and crunchiest. At Spring Hill, in...

  • to work and tries the Akemenine.

  • March 10th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO TO WORK AND TRIES THE AKEMENINE.

    2008 Sebastien Riffault Akemenine Sancerre 100% Sauvignon Blanc There is nothing typical about this wine.  It is an extreme expression of...

  • Madrid.

  • March 1st, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO MADRID.

    Two places to visit in the Plaza Mayor: Chocolateria San Gines and the Mercado San Miguel. You will inevitably head to the Plaza Mayor, one of the...

  • Gabinoteca.

  • February 18th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO GABINOTECA.

    Anointed by Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations as a place worthy of your time when visiting Madrid, we went for an early dinner on our first night...

  • lunch in Sonoma.

  • January 19th, 2011

    SARAH GOES TO LUNCH IN SONOMA.

    Two lunch ideas, both in Glen Ellen, for those cruising Hwy 12 enjoying Sonoma’s many delights. Pop into the Glen Ellen Village Market (off...

  • Remedy Tea.

  • December 30th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO REMEDY TEA.

    With relatives in town for the holiday weekend we headed out of the house and up to Capitol Hill to try something new. Our destination? Remedy Tea...

  • the Olympics.

  • December 21st, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE OLYMPICS.

    The warehouse Olympics that is.  Held in late December since 2007 (except last year), the Garagiste Games test the participant's skills...

  • Rasika (Washington, D.C.).

  • December 10th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO RASIKA (WASHINGTON, D.C.).

    You would think eating out the night after Thanksgiving would slow people down, but when the intoxicating smells of toasted spices and grilled...

  • Vino Volo.

  • December 8th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO VINO VOLO.

    The dreaded delayed sign flashed ominously next to my flight number last Friday evening. Rather than sit at the gate and watch the minutes slowly...

  • Lummi Island.

  • December 3rd, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO LUMMI ISLAND.

    Earlier this year a restaurant in Copenhagen was named best restaurant in the world and heads turned. Denmark, while seriously proud of its...

  • the Loire Valley via a line up of wines from Thierry Puzelat.

  • November 18th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE LOIRE VALLEY VIA A LINE UP OF WINES FROM THIERRY PUZELAT.

    The wines of Thierry Puzelat are an experience much like bungee jumping. Some people will visit Queenstown, NZ try it once and leave it at that....

  • Ken Forrester (Stellenbosch, SA).

  • November 15th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO KEN FORRESTER (STELLENBOSCH, SA).

    One last mention of South African wine for a while, once again the whites at this estate were the show stoppers. 2009 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc...

  • work with something sweet to sample.

  • October 27th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO WORK WITH SOMETHING SWEET TO SAMPLE.

    Amarena cherries, from the town of La Morra in Piedmont, pack a tart punch.  The jam from this fruit is quite a versatile product that would...

  • Thelema Mountain Vineyards (Stellenbosh, SA).

  • October 25th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS (STELLENBOSH, SA).

    Just outside Stellenbosch on the road back to Franschhoek, the Thelema Mountain Vineyards sits tucked into the base of the Simonsberg Range....

  • Kanonkop (Stellenbosch, SA).

  • October 18th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO KANONKOP (STELLENBOSCH, SA).

    Likened by some to Chateau Montelena, Kanonkop produces top tier wines that demonstrate the elegance and complexity wines in South Africa can...

  • DeTrafford Winery (Stellenbosch, South Africa).

  • October 5th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO DETRAFFORD WINERY (STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA).

    De Trafford Estate is a small family winery that takes a hands-off approach to making wine. They do not inoculate, nor do they filter. Their...

  • ....nowhere, this time the wines came to me.

  • October 4th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO ....NOWHERE, THIS TIME THE WINES CAME TO ME.

    Claire du Lune, a PR/Networking group based in Lyon, France, has sponsored a blind tasting competition for wine bloggers, www.secret-wine.com....

  • a Muscadet tasting.

  • September 22nd, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO A MUSCADET TASTING.

    Seattle has not quite settled back to its grey drizzly self. However, there is a nip in the air. It would hardly seem the time to pick up some...

  • work with a Chickpea Salad

  • September 5th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO WORK WITH A CHICKPEA SALAD

    Three ingredients from Ritrovo Selections landed on my desk on a quiet Wednesday afternoon with a kind request to make something for lunch on...

  • Surdyk's.

  • July 27th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO SURDYK'S.

    At the Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport weary air travelers faced the usual stale dining choices until Saturday July 25. Surdyk's, located in...

  • a pizza fest.

  • July 23rd, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO A PIZZA FEST.

    Friday lunches are back. We were slow to fire up the grill this year. After much debate the crew decided to give pizza a go. The idea had come up...

  • Restaurant Christophe (Stellenbosch, SA).

  • July 13th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO RESTAURANT CHRISTOPHE (STELLENBOSCH, SA).

    Finding unique and excellent places to eat while traveling is a challenge. After inquiring at all our stops Restaurant Christophe came up more than...

  • Spinasse.

  • June 29th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO SPINASSE.

    Dinner with Cinzia Merli of Le Macchiole was a convivial affair. The Garagiste party took over half the restaurant. This is not a difficult...

  • the Cape of Good Hope.

  • June 18th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

    The Cape Loop is a panoramic drive that takes you from Cape Town down the coast to the Cape of Good Hope and back along False Bay (or vice versa)....

  • Poppy (Capitol Hill).

  • May 28th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO POPPY (CAPITOL HILL).

    Last Thursday we enjoyed dinner at Poppy with a bottle of 1976 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux. Corkage is $20, which seems to be the norm these days....

  • The E.N.D (Elemental Next Door).

  • May 21st, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE E.N.D (ELEMENTAL NEXT DOOR).

    Finding The E.N.D. is akin to finding the Garagiste warehouse for the first time; chances are you will pass this one a few times before successfully...

  • Eva, a neighborhood restaurant in Greenlake's Tangletown district.

  • May 6th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO EVA, A NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT IN GREENLAKE'S TANGLETOWN DISTRICT.

    Last Thursday a friend and I took advantage of the final night of Seattle Restaurant Week to try Eva. The menu was three courses with three choices...

  • the First Annual Croissant Championship.

  • May 5th, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE FIRST ANNUAL CROISSANT CHAMPIONSHIP.

    At the warehouse today’s First Annual Croissant Championship did not have quite the same level of excitementthat was anticipated after last...

  • The Local Vine

  • April 23rd, 2010

    SARAH GOES TO THE LOCAL VINE

    At The Local Vine last Thursday (4/16/2010) Wine Australia hosted a tasting event showcasing Pinot Noir producers from Victoria. There were...

  • IPNC

  • August 14th, 2009

    SARAH GOES TO IPNC

    Sarah goes to the IPNC Passport to Pinot and tries a great many stupendous wines, eats a lot, plays keep away with the sun, and learns a little bit al