Belles of the Sound

Cascadian Edible Landscapes will help you eat your yard. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Since we’ve been having such lovely weekend weather the past few weeks (and for the weekends coming up!!), I’ve been on a HUGE farmer’s market kick. I usually try to go during the winter, but it’s so much more pleasant when I can wander around and take in the entire experience.

Therefore, I’m giving a shoutout to my local farmer’s market, the Ballard Farmers’ Market! I love you and all your flowers, fresh veggies and excellent people-watching opportunities. Whenever I get there, I always make an initial pass around the market to see who’s there. I’m keeping an eye out for the veggies I need to pick up, and what types of flowers I want for the week. The selection can change almost weekly, so I love getting a feel for what’s in season. [Take for example, there are TONS of starter veggie plants out right now. I picked up a gorgeous lettuce start just last week, and it is so, so, so happy in my garden right now. If you've ever thought about starting your own edible garden, visit your nearest farmers' market now to get going.] (more…)

Another great post in our “Belles’ Man on the Street series” by local Seattleite, Henry Fitzgerald.

Over the years, I’ve developed a taste for healthy foods I never thought possible, including brown rice, squash and raw vegetable juices. I make a mean eggplant dish that even my momma loves. But after a long day, I’m just not interested in making it, or anything else, myself. I can’t manage the effort to find the olive oil, marinara sauce and cheese. Sad, huh? On my nights, with a craving for pizza and no pizza equipment in sight, I seek out the best eco-friendly establishments I can find. My local favorites never let me down.

My Favorites:

• Z Pizza (Capitol Hill, 1620 Broadway Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, (206) 432-9158)

The Z Pizza menu offers fantastic gluten-free and vegan options. Their roasted eggplant is made fresh in-house. My friends and I appreciate that they use select ingredients including certified organic tomato sauce and fresh produce. This inexpensive option makes a great lunch or dinner when you really need it fast and you can even order on-line. Go in to enjoy their happy hour pricing on beer and wine.

• TASTE Café at the Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121, (206) 332-1376)

During the summer, when I want a seasonal soup, I know where to go. The TASTE Café serves their soups with fresh baked focaccia bread. If you’re looking for packaged local and organic snacks, this is a great quick stop. It’s awesome that all of the packaging is biodegradable. Their commitment to composting helps us all sustain the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Furthermore, investing in local farms helps promote the environment and build the community.

• Stumbling Goat Bistro (6722 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103, (206) 784-3535)

When I’m looking for something a little fancier, I head over to the Stumbling Goat Bistro with a group of friends. The menu changes seasonally. And, I like that the menu changes according to what is regionally available. For me, coming here is a treat, giving me a chance to support my local community and sustainable businesses. Their pan-roasted organic chicken with roasted oyster mushrooms and garlic confit is a crowd pleaser. For dessert, try the blackberry pear tart.

Other Options
Other places I frequent include the Agua Verde Cafe and Paddle Club, a waterfront restaurant featuring eco-friendly Mexican dishes, promoting good health and sustainable resources. I also enjoy the Chaco Canyon Organic Café, when I dine with friends with food allergies. They offer raw and vegan menu options. Molly’s Salads provides a great lunch option. They too support local farmers by purchasing their products nearby. The great part is that these places help promote the farms that provide their produce so when I have the time, I can go myself and can buy my own vegetables and cook. That’s the plan anyway!

My Pledge

My commitment to visit restaurants that serve environmentally-friendly foods is easy in Seattle because so many restaurants are dedicated to providing their customers with healthy options that also allow them to invest in local and sustainable food sources. Supporting these businesses on a regular basis keeps prices down for everyone. When you patronize local establishments, you enable them to participate in outreach programs, including school and community events to promote awareness about the importance of sustainable farming. I like knowing where my food comes from, don’t you? Get out and try some of the best sustainable local restaurants in Seattle and you won’t regret it!

Welcome to the first installment of Brewery of the Month! My husband loves to brew, and with so many little microbreweries popping up around Seattle, I thought it would be fun to start visiting them and passing along my findings to you all! If you have any suggestions for breweries we MUST visit, please email me at jeanine at belles of the sound dot com. Thanks!

Hilliard's Regimental Scottish Blonde

Hilliard’s Brewing

Let me first start by saying that I visited Hilliard’s on one of our recent AMAZING sunny Saturday afternoons. We were able to walk to the brewery and take in the sunshine along the way. This vitamin D overload certainly contributed to a wonderful first impression of Hilliard’s Brewery in Ballard.

Upon walking in, I first noticed how large and open the space is. I love when you can see the operation going on, and Hilliard’s had 1oos of 1,000s of cans along the wall. The two brewmasters were pouring beer, and were very friendly and kind. My husband has a tendency to ask a MILLION questions, and they were more than willin and gracious to indulge him. (more…)

I’ve been on a serious health kick lately. Maybe it’s the weather or just a desire to feel good, but I’ve been all about it. That said, one of my favorite things to do is offset a good night of drinking by working out beforehand! Before you stop reading, I’m not suggesting you go lift weights with the other buff dudes…

I’m suggesting you kick off your Cinco de Mayo festivities off right by running/walking in the Fiesta 5k Ole! Isn’t that fun to say? If you need a little more motivation, there is a beer garden, concert and taco truck challenge awaiting you at the end. The race takes place at Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park and begins at 9:30am. Registraton Proceeds benefit the Hope Heart Institute.

So get out, get healthy and have a margarita for me!!

Oh, and stay tuned for next week’s Brewery of the Month review of Hilliard’s in Ballard!

Some of you may be like me and are mourning your busted NCAA bracket and the end of college basketball season. Or maybe you’re like Belle Kara and are relishing your mastery of picking the teams! Either way, if you’re looking for a second chance to pick a killer bracket and win some aweome prizes, you NEED to enter KJR AM’s Bigger Dance.

Going on 16 years now, local Seattle sports radio station KJR AM has been hosting the Bigger Dance, their take on the NCAA basketball brackets. And the bracket contestants? They are compiled from sexy, celebrity women both locally and around the world. Before you smirk at that, consider the prizes. The winner wins two tickets to the sporting event of their choice anywhere in the world… surfing competition in Australia anyone?? The top 30 finishers will win a host of amazing prizes, including trips, sports tickets, free pizza and more.

Here’s how it works: Each morning during the competition, there will be four lady match-ups live on the air at 8:50am, 10:50am, 1:50pm, and 4:50pm. Listeners are invited to call in during the match-up and “vote” for their favorite. Votes will be tallied for 3.5 minutes, and the lady with the most votes at the end of the time will move on. The final four match-ups are done live, in-person at a party hosted by The Parlor.

It doesn’t cost to enter, but you only have the rest of the day to do so!! The Bigger Dance kicks off tomorrow morning at 8:50am, so get your bracket in ASAP. And, best of luck to you all!

The latest in the our ongoing series “Belles’ Man on the Street,” profiling new Seattleite Henry Fitzgerald’s adventures in getting to know our great city.

Are you new to the Seattle area and trying to meet friends? Like many college grads, Seattle may have offered the perfect career opportunity for you, but moving hours from friends and family has probably been taxing. However, just as you and your guys spent every free minute during college watching March Madness, the NFL season, and Opening Day and on in the Spring, the guys in Seattle obsess over sports as well. With the young MLB season, throwing a Mariners viewing party for co-workers and maybe some guys from the gym could be your first step to finding a group for weekly poker nights and after-work drinks.

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Congrats to the Mariners! Today the team won it’s Opening Day game versus the Oakland Athletics. And get this, the first pitch was at 3 a.m. PST! Wowza. This was due to the fact that both teams traveled to Tokyo for the game. I know some of you are hardcore and were up for the game, but I still love the M’s, even if I couldn’t get myself out of bed that early! Sorry team.

With the home opener just over two weeks away (April 13, FTW!), it’s time to change your gears and start purchasing tickets! I already have my opening day seats (I’m going with ex-Belle Cathy), and I have blocked a few weekends throughout the summer. Pick up you tix here. Don’t forget that there will be King Felix days too…

This year, the M’s are testing out a new dynamic pricing system, as outlined in this Seattle Times article. Basically, this means that tickets in the same seats may not cost the same on different game days. Tickets will be priced according to popularity of the day, opponents, and several other factors. I love this idea! It makes the tickets much more accessible to a broader group of people, and it will encourage folks to attend the mid-week games. Afterall, is it fair for people who go to a Tuesday game to pay the same as people who go to the Saturday Yankees game?

All in all, I’m excited for another season of baseball. I love this team and I can’t wait to see how we look this year! For those of you who love the Mariners’ commercials, here is my personal favorite:

For my first formal weekly feature on the Belle’s, lets not waste any time and dive right in.  This is Fashion Fridays.  Not only does everyone LOVE Fridays, but I like to think everyone has love (whether it be a little, a lot, or more of a love/hate) for fashion – besides, it’s a necessity, you have to wear clothes.

So, in the spirit of spring (which hasn’t officially graced us Seattleites with its presence, yet) lets talk about optimal weekend wear for these transitional times.  Here are a few key pieces to take you through the inevitable showers and sun-breaks ahead:

Burberry vest, H&M sweater, Joes jeans, Tod's loafers, Michael Kors watch

Stay tuned and stay stylish!

Don Quichote image via Frybooks.com

Do you like to literally DEVOUR your books? If you answer is yes, the 7th Annual Edible Book Festival in Wallingford may be for you. I was unaware of this event until I read it on the Wallyhood blog, and it sounds absolutely fantastic. Creative people think of hilarious ways to combine their favorite books into a pun and then cook it up. For example, Don Quixote was turned into a lovely quiche called Don Quichote! Ha. I love it.

There are awards for: Most Pun-derful, Most Drop-dead Gorgeous, Most Delectably Appetizing, Best Young Edible Artist (K-12), and Best in Show (voted on by attendees). And, for those of you who are wondering, you do can to eat the edible art after judging at 2pm.

The event takes place on Saturday, March 31 from 12-3pm at the Good Shepherd Center. Admission is free for entrants and $10 for all other visitors.

For more information on the event, visit Wallyhood’s post here.

I learned the hard way that not all cities have coffee shops on every block like Seattle. And I’m talking two hours of dragging a giant suitcase around Brooklyn at 6 a.m. “hard way.” Damn you, Seattle. Damn you for keeping me in a sheltered, caffeine-infused cocoon of coffee shop couches,  low-fat bran muffins and ceramic “for here” mugs. The real world is hard and without free wifi and easily accessible electrical outlets! You should have prepared me.

#FirstWorldProblems #NewYorkisHotandSmellyintheMorning #Aren’tHashTagsFun?