Tilth

Mother's Day is probably the one of the most popular days to eat out at a nice restaurant. Count me in! I got a reservation for an early dinner (brunch was booked, alas!) at Tilth, a neighborhood place featuring organic, locally sourced food. Besides having delicious cuisine, it's a super cute place, located in a green Craftsman house with a lovely outdoor eating area and excellent service. According to the restaurant's website, Tilth was voted one of the best new restaurants in the country in 2008. Its executive chef and owner, Maria Hines, is a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef of the Northwest, as well as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s 10 Best New Chefs of 2005.

Luckily, it was a beautiful sunny day, so we got to eat outside. We opted to get the five-course tasting menu; I got the vegetarian version and Chris and Oscar got the carnivore version. The first course, savory apple soup with a gruyere and caramelized onion-topped crouton, was Chris and Oscar's favorite. My favorite was the second course, roasted garlic flan with cauliflower, green onion, and caper. I also had carnaroli risotto with firm chunks of carrot, stinging nettle, and pine nuts and house-made potato gnocchi with English peas, morel mushrooms, and lemon thyme. (Oscar and Chris had sablefish and hangar steak for the last two courses.) For dessert, we got chocolate ganache cake with cocoa cream and a salt-topped chocolate cookie the size of a pencil eraser. It was a great meal, and even Oscar ate most everything, and at least tried everything.

Tilth's menu changes monthly, which makes me think it might be a good idea to visit at least seasonally! I'm still determined to eat brunch there one of these days. I need a special occasion. Or a visitor! Anyone?!

Free Comic Book Day

Today is the first Saturday in May, which is one of my favorite holidays: Free Comic Book Day! It's such a fun way to preview the latest comics from all types of publishers. The best contain complete stories; some have previews of a few pages of several titles the publisher is promoting. There's even a full-cover hardcover freebie anthology of Mouse Guard this year. There's a huge array of samples, but the stores I've been to set limits on the number you can take. Last year at our local Oakland, California store the limit was three; at our neighborhood store in Seattle today the limit is six, but either way if you bring several family members, you can get a good supply of reading material for free! Be careful of flip comics or you might pick up the same comic twice like I did: Even though it was clearly labeled as a flip comic on both sides, I didn't realize that Anna & Froga and Moomin Valley Turns Jungle were two sides of the same comic. I was too excited by the Anna & Froga artwork (check out the pic of the worm, cat and frog below). So pretty!

Our local comic book seller, Comics Dungeon, was mobbed when Oscar and I arrived at 11 a.m. Besides shelves of free comics, the store has marked down its kids' comics by 35% and its graphic novels and trade paperbacks by 25%; T-shirts and toys are also on sale. Like most of the crowd in Comics Dungeon, we took advantage of the lowered prices. (The cashier told me Free Comic Book Day is by far the busiest day of the year!) I got a hardcover Nancy book by one of my favorite old-school artists, John Stanley; Oscar bought a Skullboy Army comic. In terms of comics, I gravitate to the all the kids' comics, and my favorites consistently come from Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly. I also love Bongo, Top Shelf, and Kaboom! And I should mention the Voltron Force comic that my friend Traci at VIZ Media edited is in Free Comic Book Day preview form as well. (I don't know anything about Voltron Force and generally avoid the superhero-type action stuff, but I know if Traci worked on it, it's awesome!)

Anyway, free comic book day goes on all day long, so be sure to hit up your local shop!

Company picnic, 2012-style

Yesterday I participated in my first 5K run! Except it was more like a brisk walk -- partly because I haven't actually run since high school (possibly junior high), and partly because I was hemmed in by toddlers, strollers, and many, many, many Microsoft employees and their families. We all showed up on Saturday morning for the first Campus Jam activity of the day, the Family Fun Run! The route took us around and through the Microsoft campus. There was a giant balloon arch and marching band at the end, which was playing Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" as I crossed the finish line. Even though I'm sure I routinely walk that distance around the neighborhood, it felt glorious!

After the run, we ate box lunches outside by one of the fountains, checked out exhibitor booths, and I took an invigorating and challenging zumba class while Chris and Oscar played Frisbee. There were yoga classes too, but I missed out on that. In fact, we really experienced only a tiny fraction of the activities available. There were player appearances from the Seattle Seahawks, Sea Gals, Seattle Storm, Sounders FC, and the Seattle Mariners. There were kids' sports clinics for cheering, football, baseball, soccer, and basketball; cooking demonstrations; crafts; a scavenger hunt; 3-on-3 basketball; a climbing wall; trampoline; Kinect games; and yes, even a competitive 5K race.

Microsoft, obviously, is incredibly huge, and this event was packed with thousands and thousands of people. The number of box lunches they had on hand -- at four distribution stations over the campus -- was staggering. It was crowded! Not horribly so, but they did run out of cups for the water during the race, and certain flavors of the free smoothies they were giving out. Obviously a fitness-centered event like this is designed to encourage employees and their families to be healthy. The cynical part of me thinks MS probably gets a big discount on insurance rates for promoting a healthy lifestyle. It would've been cool to have some old-timey sack races or tug-of-war competitions, but it was a great spring event even so.

The Next 50 at Seattle Center

Seattle hosted the World's Fair in 1962, so this year marks the 50th anniversary. It would be so awesome if Seattle would host a 2012 World's Fair, but instead the city is marking the anniversary of the 1962 event with a six-month celebration called "The Next Fifty." Yesterday was the opening celebration. Hoping for some cool retro nostalgia, we headed to Seattle Center -- where the Space Needle is. The Space Needle was of course constructed for the 1962 World's Fair, and the "saucer" part was recently painted orange because that's how it looked back then -- when it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Seattle Center is a huge area -- home to Key Arena, Memorial Stadium, Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Repertory Theatre, SIFF Cinema, Seattle Children's Theater, the new Chihuly Garden and Glass museum (opening soon!), the International Fountain Pavilion, a Poetry Garden... and lawns for lounging and picnicking.

The weather this weekend could not have been better, warm and sunny and perfect for enjoying an day outside watching school marching bands, drill teams, and skateboarders at the skatepark, and sampling fare from the many assembled food trucks. There wasn't much in the way of 1962 artifacts, but there are some cool vintage tchotchkes for sale in the gift shop, and 1962 TV shows were playing the pavillion. ("The Beverly Hillbillies" was onscreen when I popped in.)

The Next Fifty celebration is going on until October 21 (to coincide with the 1962 World's Fair dates), so it's a great time to visit Seattle Center!

Rock Band Camp

Oscar spent much of his spring break brushing up on guitar at Rock Band Camp. He's been taking piano lessons at Off the Wall School of Music since last fall, but his guitar has been sadly neglected in Seattle -- until now!

At camp, the kids were able to try new instruments and play together as a group, which Oscar's never done before in a rock setting, though he's played in orchestral bands at school. Oscar's band named themselves "The Mustache Brigade," and wore adhesive mustaches from nearby Archie McPhee. They also made a music video with crazy props, which I'm dying to see (if I get a link, I'll post an update!). On the last day of camp the kids gave a performance to show off the songs they'd learned. Check it out (and apologies for the crazy iPhone camerawork)!

All Along the Watchtower
Sunshine of My Life
Seven Nation Army

Off the Wall is holding more Rock Band Camps this summer, so hopefully Oscar will get more experience as a rock god. I highly recommend Off the Wall's staff: They're playful and fun, extremely patient, and of course all talented musicians!

Teacher love at Kidd Valley

It's hard to be a non-meat-eater in a meat-loving family, so I'm always looking for options that we'll all like. Since I also try not to eat fried foods (i.e., the fish sandwich is usually not a good option for me), it can be difficult in an on-the-run situation to find anything that I want to eat. My favorite fast-food place in Wallingford is Kidd Valley for one reason: It serves genuine, original-style Garden Burger-brand garden burgers, which I find infinitely superior to the dreaded Boca burgers, and most other veggie or black bean burgers. Kidd Valley's hamburgers, fries, and onion rings are also Oscar- and Chris-approved, and their shakes -- hand-mixed with seasonal fruit, chocolate, or vanilla -- are reknowned.

Since it's spring break week here in Seattle, it's an excellent time to visit Kidd Valley with the kids, and while you're there, make sure you have them nominate their favorite Washington teacher for Kidd Valley Teacher of the Year. (Entries must be received by May 20, and you can also enter online, mail them in, or submit them at any Kidd Valley restaurant.) The winning teacher will get a $500 gift card for school supplies, and the student who nominated him or her will get a Kidd Valley Burger Party. My kid hates to write, and especially hates essays, but evidently he really loves his Japanese teacher because he immediately took an entry form -- unprompted -- and filled it out, including specific examples of why his teacher is the best. Good luck, Ms. McDonald!

Spring flowers

While Seattle doesn't get much of what I think of as true wintery weather, the transition to spring is much more dramatic than the Bay Area. Now, everything is blooming! It's so beautiful and welcome after a gray rainy season. We've had some nice warm sunny days -- including the last two weekends. I've been busy weeding, planting, and trimming stuff -- and since I know nothing about gardening it's all very experimental. (We have a lot of worms in the yard, but also a lot of slugs -- do those cancel each other out?) I can't wait to see if any of my seeds actually grow into plants!

Nook

Nook -- on scrubby University Way & 50th in the U District -- mostly serves one thing: biscuits. Fluffy, buttery, delicious biscuits. Biscuits with sausage gravy; biscuits with mushroom gravy; biscuits with bacon, egg, cheddar and tomato jam; biscuits with ham, egg, and cheese (with dijon or jalapenos optional); biscuits with goat cheese spread, tomato jam, and egg; biscuits with ham, brie, and arugula-pesto. You can even get a plain buttermilk biscuit with jam. There's also homemade soup and chili if you don't like biscuits (i.e., if you're crazy!).

The biscuits alone are basically irresistible, but Nook itself is as well. From its owl logo to the cheerful aqua wainscoting and jam jar light fixtures and snug booths, it's the epitome of hipster chic.

Unfortunately, all this irresistibility has a price. As in, you better get there early (I suggest arriving when it opens at 9, Wednesday through Sunday). And the competition for the four booths and four counter stools is pretty fierce as well. Nook closes when it sells out of biscuits (and from what I hear, it always sells out). Get there before noon on a weekend, or you're probably out of luck.

Vintage book: The First Book of Words

I love vintage stuff in general, but I think my favorite vintage thing to collect is children's books. The First Book of Words: Their Family Histories is vintage at its anachronistic best, a window to its publication year of 1954. But a lot of this information is still relevant and is a great introduction to word history, covering English's Indo-European roots, the Norman conquest, Latin and Greek roots, the history of writing and printing, names and surnames, word evolution in the U.S. and words borrowed from other languages, and words formed from brand names, onomatopeia, prefixes and suffixes and slang. It's written in a very engaging way and I expect kids would learn a lot from it. I especially love the two-color art by Hungarian artist Laszlo Roth.

There's always stuff in old children's books that would never fly today, and this book is no exception.

Gotta love the '50s, when women were always pictured cooking, talking on the phone, or being a nurse.

I can just see the letters to the publisher about this entry for assassin.

My kid's elementary school in Oakland, California was always discarding books like this to make room for more politically correct and modern fare, so I "rescued" a lot of them. But this book is from Alphabet Soup in Wallingford.

First Date: A New Musical

I just learned that Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre is a significant developer of new musicals. It's produced 14 in the past ten years, five of which went to Broadway and two of which won Tony Awards for Best Musical, including Memphis, which is currently on Broadway. Huh.

This past weekend I saw the premiere of a new musical, First Date, which was a collaboration between the 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT-A Contemporary Theatre. It's a 90-minute, one-act, seven-actor piece about modern-day dating. I was initially skeptical, unwowed by the bland opening number and stereotypes, but I was won over in the end -- in large part because of the outstanding male lead, Eric Ankrim (who, incidentally, just played Curly in Okalahoma!). He plays Aaron, a Jewish Wall Street trader set up on a blind date with Casey, a Soho artist. He's an open, optimistic BDV (blind date virgin) who is still trying to get over being jilted by his ex; she's a jaded BDS (blind date slut) with a codependent gay boyfriend. They seem opposite in almost every way, and yet, somehow you end up believing that they'll be great for each other.

Unfortunately, none of the music sticks in my head, but the numbers -- such as "The World Wide Web is Forever," about how Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. can ruin your chances with someone before you even meet -- are heavy on dating humor. There are no spectacular, over-the-top dance or vocal numbers, which is in keeping with the more intimate storyline. (Again, Eric Ankrim has a lovely voice, though!) In short, this play isn't gonna go down in history like Oklahoma! and it's not the next Wicked, but single people and those of us who remember well what it's like to be single, will find it amusing. It's at Falls Theatre until May 20.

Happy Pi Day!

Today is Pi Day -- 3.14! If you're thinking "We never had Pi Day when I was a kid," you're right, because it was created in 1988 by a San Francisco Exploratorium physicist and was recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives as a holiday in 2009. Last year, Oscar's 5th grade class celebrated by eating a bunch of parent-supplied pies.

I'm gonna take this opportunity to mention my favorite Wallingford cafe, Irwin's, which has couches and armchairs to curl up on on this cold, rainy day, as well as great sandwiches, pizza, and quiche, but above all else, amazing pie. Specifically, marionberry pie, served warm with fresh whipped cream. It's heavenly. There are three Irwin's locations in Seattle, so if you live near one, I suggest you celebrate Pi Day there.

Blue C Sushi

Blue C Sushi is the McDonald's of sushi. Just like a McDonald's hamburger satisfies a different craving than a handmade burger grilled on a barbecue does, Blue C Sushi fulfills a different niche than a fine sushi house. Like McDonald's, it is a 5-star destination for children, young and old. They have some crazy sushi, such as the St. Patrick's Day rolls on green pedestals that are currently offered. Besides a daily happy hour, happy hour goes from 4 to close on Thursdays and Sundays, at least at the two locations I've been to in U-Village and Fremont (there are six restaurants in the Seattle area).

The big appeal at Blue C is the conveyor belt, snaking around the entire restaurant, by booths and counter seats, covered in America's version of sushi. It's truly mesmerizing and irresistible, even to me. If you do need a server, say to order mochi or drinks, you just push a button that lights up.

After dragging Oscar shoe shopping this weekend, he was in such a foul mood he was barely speaking to me. But Blue C Sushi instantly dissolved his disagreeableness. He loved surveying his options, and selecting the colorful plates of his favorite dishes: shrimp nigiri, kappa maki, pork gyoza, sesame noodles, spring rolls... It was such fun that we selected a lot more plates than I intended. This brings me to how Blue C is not like McDonald's at all. Each color plate has a different price point; the green are $1.50, yellow are $2.75, all the way up to purple, which are $5.50. It all sounds so cheap, but they quickly add up. Sushi is definitely not inexpensive, especially when you're eating with Oscar. But turning your kid's frown upside down is priceless, right?

Hunger Games hype

I know I'm not the only adult who reads young adult fiction. It's often so much more imaginative and fun than "adult" books! I still haven't read Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, but I will! Oscar has had the first book in the series for about a year (his friends had recommended it), but he didn't like it. Now that the movie is coming out, he's found it impossible to resist the hype.

I have no idea how the decision came about, but the entire 6th grade class at Oscar's middle school is now headed on a field trip for a noon showing of the film three days after its release. The letter I received from the school explains:

"Many, if not most, of our 6th grade students have read the book The Hunger Games and wish to see one of their favorite books come to life on the big screen. They have been anticipating the release of the film for several months. Students who have not read the book seem to be motivated to read it before the film is released to compare and contrast the book and movie."

I am still flabbergasted that these middle school kids get to go see a movie -- which most could have gone to see with their families anyway -- during school time! But I'm not about to relegate my kid to sit in the library while everyone else gets to go on one of the most anticipated events of the entire school year. After all, friendships and bonding experiences are a huge part of adolescence, so...whatever.

I'm also highly in favor of this sort of hype surrounding book releases (I really miss the anticipation of the new Harry Potter volumes), so this is possibly the next best thing. And just like the letter said, the anticipation of the movie inspired Oscar to reread the book. And this time, he liked it. Now he wants to read the sequels, and I'm happy about that.

Oklahoma! at the 5th Avenue Theater

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I like musical theater. Almost everyone I know hates (or claims to hate) musicals, but occasionally I drag Chris and Oscar to one. Last night we went to see Oklahoma! -- the first musical written by the legendary team of Roger and Hammerstein and first performed on Broadway in 1943 -- at the 5th Avenue Theater. It's a classic, but I don't remember ever seeing it before. Is that possible?

I might have seen it as a child, because I definitely recognized a lot of the songs, including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top," "I Cain't Say No," "People Will Say We're in Love," and of course the title song. The plot was really corny and old-timey: Essentially, cowboy Curly wants to take a farm girl to the box social but she's irritated that he asked her at the last minute, so instead agrees to go with Jud, a farmhand she's afraid of. You can absolutely imagine how this all ends up.

The Seattle version of Oklahoma! has been controversial because a black man plays Jud, a bad guy. There's a scene in the play where Curly holds up a noose and basically tells Jed to hang himself, and there's a dream sequence where Jed forces himself on his would-be girlfriend. I bought the tickets before reading about the uproar in the paper, so I can't say whether I would have noticed the actor's race. I'm used to seeing all races in theatrical productions, and the casting director claimed that he meant the casting to be colorblind and was not trying to be provocative. In any event, the actor playing Jud had an amazing voice.

Production aside, the 5th Avenue Theater itself is worth checking out. Modeled after China's Temple of Heavenly Peace, the Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City, the interior is unlike any I've seen before. The center chandelier is held in the teeth of a coiled dragon, and dragons feature prominently in the design elements. It's very striking. It's also really comfortable, and even though we were way up in the balcony, we could see and hear fine. I'd definitely like to see another show here.

Modern tuna noodle casserole

Confession: I've always struggled with making dinner. For most of my adult life, I either ate out or made a box of Rice-a-Roni or something equally a) easy and b) not nutritious. Once Oscar came along, I definitely became more health-conscious in my food choices, but not necessarily ambitious. (For example, a microwaved bag of frozen organic brown rice plus a can of black beans is a standard meal for us.) Add devoted carnivore Chris into the mix and it's very rare to find a dish that we all like and will eat together. But occasionally I hit upon a success. This healthy version of tuna noodle casserole is so easy, adaptable, and best of all, tasty that we all like it. It's now in frequent rotation at our house.

Cook 4 cups of whole wheat pasta, such as penne or fusilli
Chop an onion, mix with 2 or 3 cans of drained tuna fish and the cooked pasta
Heat 2 cans of cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of fat free milk
until smooth, add a cup or so of frozen peas (or whatever you have on hand), 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 TB Mrs. Dash (or other seasoning).

Mix everything together and put in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Melt some shredded cheese on top (2-4 more minutes), and it's done.

The Sneakery

Chris and Oscar were positively gleeful in The Sneakery, an emporium carrying casual footwear -- but more importantly the most awesome array of socks I've ever seen. Besides his standard Converse low-tops, Chris ended up buying three pairs of socks. Can you guess which ones? So many cute socks in one place -- and lots of kids' shoes and socks as well!