Previously on Adam Riff™:
October 2015
eden hill / crumble and flake / li'l woody's / kraken congee / mammoth / hot cakes / pie bar / joule / nue / slab sandwiches and pie / salumi / pizzeria gabbiano
—What is a hydro-ceramic technician?
[googles "hydro-ceramic technician"]
—Oh. He's a dishwasher.
Lick the Bowl (Eden Hill)
foie gras cake batter, strawberry chips, vanilla, salted pound cake
Baby Beets (Eden Hill)
balsamic honey emulsion, sharp cheddar dust, farro, pumpkin yogurt, harissa
Pig Belly Confit Salad (Eden Hill)
pickled grape, horseradish, celeriac, honey cayenne cashew
Sugar Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi (Eden Hill)
crispy kale sprouts, sage creme fraiche, manchego, pepita
Ricotta Donut (Eden Hill)
buttered popcorn, salted goat milk caramel, marcona almond, orange peel
LOOK AT THESE FUCKING INGREDIENTS.
Crispy Pig Head Candybar (Eden Hill)
merlot cabbage, serrano, pear and champagne soup
It's a croquette.
Walnut Prawns
miso cured broccoli, fir tip syrup, candied walnut sponge cake
Fancy Chinese food.
Peach and Goat Cheese Danish (Crumble and Flake)
I will eat anything that contains goat cheese.
Crack Fries (Li'l Woody's)
hand cut fries with a bit of milkshake to dip in
I learned after the fact that dipping fries in a milkshake is something people do at Wendy's?
I assumed that the crack fries would be a tried-and-true pairing, but was asked to select a milkshake flavour.
—Mint chip?!
I selected Sub Pop (coffee, chocolate espresso beans, caramel).
Bang Bang Shrimp Pinch Buns (Kraken Congee)
cucumber, peppers, chives
Never mind the congee*, it's all about these buns filled with trash Chinese food.
Jon: What does your housemade five-spice soda taste like?
Server: It's like five-spice broth, but carbonated.
Jon: [winces]
* as seen on CNBC's Restaurant Startup
Hash (Joule)
potato hash, chili remoulade, smoked mackerel salad
Joule's brunch is interesting. Your order an entrée and supplement it at a modest buffet that rotates themes monthly. At my brunch, the buffet was a Persian buffet.
Nue: Food of the world.
Balut – Vietnamese Hot Vit Lon (Nue)
developed duck egg, assorted herbs, salt, pepper, lime juice
My first balut. I braced for the worst, but was served was a much less developed duck embryo than ones I've seen on Survivor. It was also overcooked, so it was like eating a liver-y hard-boiled egg with unusual textures.
Korean Bibam Naengmyeon (Nue)
spicy, chilled buckwheat and sweet potato noodles; lotus root, shiitake mushroom, daikon, carrot, cucumber, egg, toasted sesame, scallion, fried shallot, pineapple gochujang sauce
The best thing I ate in Seattle this trip.
Maracas Shark and Bake (Nue)
pacific cod, green seasoning, fry bread, cabbage slaw, tamarind and habanero chili sauces, coconut corn cobette
A fish sandwich with stunning bread.
Grilled Barbados Pig Tails (Nue)
jerk glaze, cilantro
Stick to your teeth.
Mexican Street Corn-Flavoured Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream (Nue)
Carried by its crunchy corn topping.
Pineapple Cornbread (Nue)
pineapple, coconut, butter
Tony: These chips I bought are really spicy. You want to try one?
Jon: Sure. [grabs chip from bowl]
Tony: Erm, not that one. I took a bite of it and couldn't… It was really spicy.
[…]
Jon: Oh. Yeah, this is really spicy.
In my search for pie, I stumbled upon Slab, whose dessert pies are sandwiches. And, like ice cream cookie sandwiches, they are difficult to eat without squeezing filling out.
Seasonal Fruit Slab Pie with Turbinado Sugar (Slab Sandwiches and Pie)
peaches, blueberries, vanilla, golden corn crusts
Smore Slab (Slab Sandwiches and Pie)
smoked marshmallow, chocolate ganache
PB Chicha (Slab Sandwiches and Pie)
peanut butter cookies, peanut butter mousse, chicharrones
Peanut butter and pig skin sandwich cookies.
MISSED CONNECTIONS
Geoduck Crudo (Eden Hill)
sorbet of cucumber, celery, and gin; evergreen huckleberry and umeboshi relish, red shiso, radish, chive
Ebbets Field Burger (Li'l Woody's)
honey mustard, cracker jacks, swiss, bacon, ⅓ lb. patty, pretzel bun
Beer and Peanuts Milkshake (Li'l Woody's)