Pickle Juice, Pizza and 52 Ounces of Chowder

A few concluding notes from my lovely family vacation in Seattle:

Chowder Is So Very Good

In the span of 48 hours, I consumed 52 ounces of chowder—equivalent, unfortunately, to 1.73 big gulps. Was it great for my digestive system? No, it really wasn’t. Did I love every second of it? Yes, yes I did.

Of the 12 types of chowder I sampled, my favorite chowder was the seafood chowder at Pike Place Chowder—the rare tourist destination that delivers on the hype.

The chowder was perfectly seasoned and the acidity of the tomatoes amplified the cream and butter like a Fender amplified Kurt Cobain.

Best of all, they fully hollowed out the bread bowl! The many establishments that barely hollow out their bread bowls so they can get away with serving you one measly ounce of soup are the worst.

Nothing makes me more enraged than a disingenuous bread bowl.

The Maine-style lobster roll at PPC also receives high marks.

My Search for Redonkulous Sushi Continues

Noshino received very high praise from the venerable Zagat without charging $70 per flake of fish. I sprinted to Washington Park to try it out.

As my dad astutely observed, some of the dishes at Noshino, especially the triumphant appetizers, are better than anything you can find in Boise, but the sushi wasn’t life-changing.

The photo quality is rubbish, but these clever wonton-wrapped shrimp were anything but that.

The mushroom agedashi tofu was a hardcore umami bomb.

I’m at a strange place in my sushi eating career. I’ve had plenty of very good sushi (I’ve had my best experiences at Wabi in Venice), but I don’t think I’ve ever had legitimately great sushi, and I’m not sure if I can ascend to the next level in raw fish without reverse-financing a house.

Until I can afford a trip to n/naka, I’ll be hunting for bright spots in the two dollar sign range.

There is mushroom for innovation

Here’s something I haven’t seen before: morel mushrooms on pizza. I ate this handsome, fontina fonduta-drizzled pie at Stoneburner in the charming Ballard neighborhood.