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Doing New Years in true downtown Bellevue style

December 30, 2011

It’s that time of year again. Break out the party poppers and champagne, pin up a brand new calendar and maybe a list of resolutions—it’s New Years! Luckily for Eastsiders, downtown Bellevue is a New Years party hot spot. The following is a list of downtown restaurants and entertainment venues gaurenteed to help you ring in 2012 right.

Pearl Bar and Dining
Pearl Bar and Dining is well established as one of the best dining options on the Eastside, so it comes as no surprise that they will be hosting a fabulous New Year’s Eve celebration! Join Pearl on December 31 for a gourmet three-course dinner followed by a nightclub style party and a champagne toast to ring in 2012. Pearl’s New Year’s Eve Ball will include multiple bars, a DJ and even party favors. Tickets are $30 per person through Brown Paper Tickets or $40 at the door. Valet parking is provided free by The Westin Bellevue. Come celebrate a gem of a year at Bellevue’s own restaurant jewel, Pearl!

Pogacha
Early birds rejoice because Pogacha is celebrating all day long on December 31! Starting at 11 a.m. on New Year’s Eve day Pogacha Bellevue will be serving its breakfast and lunch menu until 3 p.m. Starting at 5 p.m. Pogacha will feature a special New Year’s Eve menu in addition to a host of new winter specials like Hawaiian blue prawns and a variety of featured wines including Ross Andrew’s Boushey Syrah and Soos Creek Sundance Red.

Purple Café and Wine Bar and Lot No. 3
If you didn’t get your fill of New Year’s Eve festivities, Purple and Lot No. 3 have the perfect solution—New Year’s Day brunch. On January 1 both restaurants will be serving a New Year’s brunch to welcome in 2012. Items include hearty morning favorites like seasonal omelets at Purple and bagel sandwiches and waffles at Lot No.3. So put off cleaning up your New Year’s Eve party mess, just for a bit, and enjoy a New Years day brunch! Purple Café will also be open for New Year’s Even festivities. In addition to the full menu, Purple will feature unique food and drink specials.

The Melting Pot
New Year’s Eve is all about fun and the celebration of another successful year gone by—and nothing says fun like fondue! Join the Melting Pot this New Year’s Eve for a special four-course New Year’s dinner complete with featured seasonal wines and cocktails. Dinner is $75 per person and guests who book reservations between 3 and 5 p.m. will receive $100 in Melting Pot gift certificates for a delicious 2012! End the night with The Melting Pot’s signature chocolate fondue and get a sweet start to the New Year.

Wild Ginger
Creative cocktails and delectable dining are the name of the game this New Year at Wild Ginger! On December 31 Wild Ginger’s menu will include a vast array of creative cocktails, as well as a decadent dinner menu available all night. Diners can look forward to Wild Ginger’s Asian fusion favorites such as Thai chili beef, green curry chicken, squash and sweet potato stew as well as a satay bar. Wild Ginger will also serve a host of delicious cocktails like the cracked coconut martini, lychee cooler, vanilla passion sidecar and mango mojito. With options like that, who needs champagne?

Z’ Tejas Southwestern Grill
Can’t wait until the 31st to star your New Year’s celebration? You’re in luck. Z’ Tejas at the Bellevue Collection is starting their New Year’s festivities early too. December 30 through January 1 Z’Tejas will be serving a special New Year’s menu. Featured items will include an ahi ceviche with seasoned tostados, Southwestern chicken achiote and a molten chocolate cake for dessert. A trip to Z’ Tejas can be a delicious precursor to your New Year’s Eve!

Not everyone’s New Year’s Eve celebrations center around a meal out. For party-goers that prefer their night out with a little more action, downtown Bellevue has plenty of exciting options.

Munchbar will be hosting an angels and demons costume party on New Year’s Eve complete with guest DJ, celebrity host, champagne and of course prizes awarded to those with the best costumes. If you’re interested in something a bit more formal, consider New Year’s Eve at Piano Bash. Piano Bash will be holding a black and white themed attire party on New Year’s Eve featuring a prefix dinner, champagne toast and live jazz band.

Down the street in Old Bellevue The Spot Off Main will be hosting a New Year’s Eve party of its own. Don’t have a New Year’s Eve date? Play their “Match Ups” game and leave a message for that certain someone you’d like to stand by when the clock strikes twelve. The pinnacle of the night will be a champagne toast at midnight and a drawing for a trip to Hawaii! Doors open at a 8 p.m. and happy hour prices will be offered all night long.

520 Bar and Grill is known among locals for hosting festive holiday parties and New Years is no different. 520 will open at 8 p.m. on December 31 for a pre-funk and DJ and dancing begin at 9 p.m. Celebrate with your close friends at 520 all night!

For those with athletic flair, head to Lucky Strike Lanes! They don’t call it “the ultimate playground for adults” for nothing. In addition to a bowling, Lucky Strike features an arcade, billiards room, dance lounge and bar, making it a great choice for your New Year’s Eve venue. Lucky Strike’s New Year’s celebration will also include an appearance from UFC Octagon Girl and Brittney Palmer.

However you like to welcome in the New Year, downtown Bellevue has all the venues to make it happen. Here’s to 2012!

Give the gift of good eats and holiday treats

December 16, 2011

Shopping for friends and family is one of the most enjoyable parts of the holidays. However thinking up gift ideas that are both creative and personal can sometimes be a chore. Don’t fall into the shopping rut of neckties and mittens this year—below is a list of easy gift ideas from downtown Bellevue restaurateurs that will add that personal touch!

Does your friend, co-worker or family member have that one special restaurant they rave about? If so, you may want to consider purchasing them a gift card to their favorite dining spot. Some of downtown Bellevue’s best eateries are offering up gift cards for holiday gift giving this year including Red Robin, Blue C Sushi, Flo Japanese Restaurant, Palomino, Wild Ginger, Pearl Bar and Dining and Z’Tejas. And several feature bonuses for the gift giver too! For instance Blue C Sushi offers $10 off the price of every $50 gift card purchased and Z’Tejas offers a $5 bonus gift card for every $25 in gift card purchases.

If you need gift cards in bulk, Vovito Caffe and Gelato features a “buy five get one free” deal; a great option for office gifts as well as stocking stuffers! Gift cards are perfect for anyone on your list that lives or works in downtown Bellevue.

John Howie, owner of John Howie Steak and Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar has a creative solution for the foodies in your life. In addition to gift cards at both of his fantastic restaurants, Howie will be selling his famous seasoning rubs and specialty salts; an ideal gift for the chef in the family or just fans of John Howie’s restaurants. In addition, Howie will be offering both small and large cedar roasting planks; a great gift for the family gourmet who thinks they have everything. Another idea is John Howie’s new book Passion and Palate—a collection of Howie’s own stories and recipes.

For those on your list with a sweet tooth, swing by Specialty’s Café and Bakery and pick up a box of their cookie mix. Specialty’s is famous for delicious, gourmet cookies and they make a great gift for kids or as an enticing snack to set out at a holiday gathering. Mixes are just $12 each and come in three delicious verities; white chocolate, milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. Mixes are available both online and in Specialty’s locations.

Specialty’s isn’t the only place with holiday treat offerings. In addition to retail wines, gift cards and holiday catering platters, Purple Café and Wine Bar offers boxes of sea salt caramels. These delicious confections strike the ideal balance between sweet and salty, making them a great accompaniment to your holiday party appetizers.

And not to be outdone, Trophy Cupcakes is offering a variety of new, seasonal cupcakes inspired by holiday flavors. Stop by any of their three locations to sample the chocolate candy cane, gingerbread, bourbon eggnog and candied yam cupcakes. Buy a few to try or a dozen for your next party or get together.

Gifts are only one aspect of your holiday giving. If you’re stressing over what to bring to the holiday office party, look no further than Tap House Grill. Through the holidays Tap House club members are eligible to receive a free Tap House Growler just by swiping their member card. Growlers can be filled with any of  Tap House’s 160 varieties of beer. Growlers are great for sharing with friends, family and co-workers and make a unique gift for the host of the party.

The holidays are meant to be a time of relaxing with family and friends but as we all know, it is easy to get caught up in the obligations this time of year brings. Sometimes a good laugh can provide the perfect cure for all that seasonal stress. Luckily for frazzled holiday shoppers The Parlor Collection has a fresh new December lineup of comedy acts. And in addition to top notch comedy shows, The Parlor Collection offers weekly events like Roadhouse Wednesdays, Karaoke on Thursdays and a daily happy hour. For a full list of Parlor Collection events check out their events calendar here.

If comedy isn’t your thing, The Spot Off Main offers a more down-home line up of events with activities such as beer pong on Thursday and a poker tournament every Tuesday. Come relax and watch the game after a hectic day at the mall or just stop by for a night out with a few good friends.

Downtown Bellevue also has a variety of dining options available the 24th and 25th of December. Bellevue’s own Palomino will be open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on December 24 and from noon to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. Its special menu will include Puget Sound clams, roasted prime rib, rotisserie pork loin, warm pear bread pudding and an extensive menu of specialty wines.

Joining the lineup of restaurants open on Christmas are Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, making for a truly A-list holiday dinner lineup!

Sample the best food in Bellevue without breaking the bank at Seattle Restaurant Week

October 16, 2011


You know you have one – that restaurant you’ve been meaning to stop in to but never have. Well now is the perfect chance to eat at that swanky bar or hip new bistro you’ve always wanted to try! October 16-20 and October 23-27, more than 150 restaurants in Seattle and on the Eastside will be participating in Seattle Restaurant Week.

Sponsored by Seattle Restaurant Cooperative partners and seattletimes.com, Seattle Restaurant Week is a celebration of our region’s unique culinary scene and an excellent opportunity for the budget conscious diner. Participating restaurants offer three course dinners for $28 and some with three course lunches for just $15.

Although Seattle Restaurant Week includes primarily restaurants throughout Seattle, Eastsiders need not feel excluded. Some of the best restaurants downtown Bellevue has to offer are participating in the event. Cantinetta, Monsoon East, Nordstrom Grill, The Melting Pot, Purple Café and Wine Bar, Wild Ginger, McCormick and Schmick’s and Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar are all on the roster.

No special passes or tickets will be required to dine at participating restaurants, however due to high public interest in the event, diners are highly encouraged to make reservations at their restaurants of choice ahead of time to ensure a spot.

Whether you’re a longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest, in town visiting, or just a fan of great food at an amazing price, come sample the best food the region has to offer at Seattle Restaurant Week! For information, visit seattlerestaurantweek.com.

Bringing back brunch: Tiny dumplings are causing a big stir!

September 22, 2011

Although it has only called downtown Bellevue home for two years, Wild Ginger has rapidly become one of the Eastside’s preferred destinations for fine Asian cuisine. Ideally nestled amid the high end shops at The Bravern and floor after floor of Microsoft-ies, Wild Ginger has proved that it is more than capable of holding its own against its five star neighbors.

Wild Ginger is unique in that its menu includes food from multiple regions around the Pacific Rim, providing diners with the intense spices of Eastern Asia and the sweet coconut infused dishes of Thailand and Indonesia all in one meal. While Wild Ginger’s diverse offerings are more than enough to draw a substantial dinner crowd, the restaurant has found a surprising niche within the brunch and lunch scene.

Wild Ginger is one of the few restaurants on the Eastside that offers traditional Dim Sum on their menu. Don’t let its focus on Asian fusion cuisine fool you ‒ Wild Ginger’s Dim Sum remains true to its Cantonese roots. Prepared by expert chefs trained in the fine art of authentic Chinese cooking, Wild Ginger’s Dim Sum experience is a cut above the rest.

Wild Ginger stays true to Cantonese tradition by offering their Dim Sum during lunch hours (11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. on Sunday) just as it is enjoyed in its birthplace of Canton. If you are planning a special brunch, looking for a hip new weekend lunch haunt or just in the neighborhood on a weekend afternoon, Wild Ginger’s Dim Sum is a must try!

And for those with a flair for the culinary, the authentic taste of Wild Ginger’s famous Dim Sum is as close as your own kitchen. The recipe below includes detailed instructions for making Wild Ginger’s popular Scallop and Chive Dumplings, perfect for a Chinese themed party or to show off your cooking prowess at your next family dinner.

Scallop and Chive Dumpling

Serving: 25 dumplings

For filling:
1 lb fresh scallop, chopped
1/2 lb garlic chive, chopped
3g salt
8g sugar
15g potato starch
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp oil
1/2 egg white
pinch of white pepper
dash of sesame oil

Combine all ingredients together and mix well, set aside.

For wrapper:
11/2 cup wheat starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
boiling hot water

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. To make the dough, slowly pour dry ingredients in hot water and mix to form a clay consistency.

To make dumpling (click here to see chef Jacky Lo demonstrate on Q13 Morning News, or view embedded video below):

1. Take a piece of cherry sized dough and roll it into a ball, press the ball flat with a knife or rolling pin to form a round wrapper.

2. Place 1 oz of filling in the center of the wrapper, close the end by folding the edge into the center.

3. Steam the dumpling for 3-4 minutes, remove from steamer, and brush the dumpling with sesame oil, pan fry dumpling until slightly brown on both sides.

Serve while it’s hot.

 

Of Barth and Betz – fall wine events are here!

September 14, 2011

Barth Tasting at Wild Ginger
September 14, 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Mark Barth From Weingut Barth in Germany’s famed Rheingau region will be pouring an amazing lineup of Rieslings (sparkling, dry and sweet) at Wild Ginger at The Bravern for a casual tasting.

The Barth family owns some of the best vineyards in Germany’s Rheingau wine region. The wines, though not as famous as some of the other greats, are acclaimed as some of the most true and delicious Rieslings anywhere on the planet. Barth Ultra is also one of the best sparkling wines from anywhere, and made entirely from Rheingau Riesling.

Join Mark Barth as he shows guests his best juice, paired with light appetizers prepared by the chefs at Wild Ginger. Cost is $18 per person (all inclusive).

Reverse your space by calling (425) 295 8889 or stopping by the Wild Ginger Bravern front desk.

 

Betz Family Winemaker Dinner at Daniel’s Broiler
September 21, 6:00 p.m. welcome; 7:00 p.m. dinner seating

Join Daniel’s Broiler in the Vintage Lounge for an exclusive food and wine event with legendary Washington wine icon Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery.

Bob will discuss his long and noteworthy presence as a visionary and leader in the Washington wine industry and in particular his fabulous, award winning Betz wines.

Following will be a multi-course food and wine pairing tour de force created by Chef Mike Dremann, where each course will be expertly paired with a magnificent Betz wine.

Cost is $125 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Reserve your space by calling (425) 990-6310 or email vintagelounge@schwartzbros.com. See the full evening’s menu below:

SEATED HORS D’OEUVRE – BABY BACK FINGER RIBS
Blackberry Barbecue Sauce, Sweet Potato Salad
wine pairing: Syrah La Serenne, 2009

SALAD – PANZANELLA
Smoked Mozzarella Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Crisp Potato Bread, Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
wine pairing: Syrah La Serenne, 2009

FISH COURSE – “THREE PEPPER” CRUST SEARED AHI TUNA
Truffle Spaghetti Squash, Braised Mustard Greens
wine pairing: Syrah La Cote Rousse, 2007

INTERMEZZO – OLYMPIC MOUNTAIN WATERMELON SORBET

ENTRÉE – MIXED GRILLED KABOBS
Beef, Pork and Lamb, Grilled Russet Potatoes with Truffle Butter, Roast Cream of Sweet Corn, Rich Blueberry Demi-Glace Sauce
wine pairings: Clos du Betz, 2008

DESSERT – DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY POT PIE
Pere de Famille Cherry & Bittersweet Chocloate Filling, Olympic Mountain Madigascar Vanilla Ice Cream, Cherry Syrup Drizzle
wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille, 2008

 
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