Sweet Tooth for Cupcakes

Cupcake has become a form of art in Seattle. A lot of cupcakes business blooms in the past few years. Yet, no one has written a review about cupcakes in Seattle. Let's explore more about Seattle's Cupcakes!... This is definitely going to be an interesting article.

First, let's find out where does cupcake come about. According to Wiki (yes, this is my favorite resource when looking for origins), in 19th century 'cup cake' or 'cupcake' were baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or molds and took their name from the cups they were baked in. The name "fairy cake" is a fanciful description of its size, which would be appropriate for a party of diminutive fairies to share.

Nowadays, cupcakes artist make them look so beautiful and amazingly creative, with decorative frosting and fondant, colorful wraps and liners. Cupcakes soon becomes an alternative to cakes for celebrations, such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays.

Check out some of Seattle's amazing Cupcake Places:

Trophy Cupcakes, located at three major location throughout Seattle and Bellevue.

SOURCE: HAPPY CAVALIER

The cupcakes based on many reviews was voted as one of the most moist cupcakes in town. Don't believe. Try it for yourself.

Cupcake Royale, located mostly in and around Seattle. Cupcake Royale always have cupcake of the month. Check out what their cupcake of the month is by going to one of the stores around Seattle.

Coffee to a Tea with Sugar Cupcake Place has some delicious and delightful cupcakes and other types of dessert.

SOURCE: COFFEE TO A TEA WITH SUGAR WEBSITE

The Yellow Leaf Cupcakes is one of the newest cupcake place in Seattle. They just recently open (May 2009). "You won’t believe there's Campbell's tomato soup in the signature cupcake at Belltown's petite Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. (the tender cake tastes more like a marriage of spice and carrot cakes), but co-owner and chief cupcake baker Tony Portugal assured me it's in there. The subtly sweet cake... "from Seattle Magazine.

New York Cupcakes is definitely divine. It's one of my favorite cupcake place in Seattle. Their cake is very moist. It's too bad they close the branch in Seattle, however you'll find them inside Bellevue Square.



See more Cupcake Places in Seattle:
Wink Cupcakes, located in Queen Anne.
Sweet Cakes, specialized in Gluten Free Diet, located in Kirkland.
Common Ground Cupcakes located in Renton.

City's Fabulous Street Food

If you never aware about Seattle's Gourmet food trucks thereabout, here's the time to know more about it. Seattle is one of those city that keeps exploring for new ideas and new innovation. We have many Gourmet Food trucks around Seattle that you can't even believe.

Here are some of them in town.

Marination

Marination Mobile is Seattle’s sauciest food truck. Marination specializes in Hawaiian and Korean curb cuisine that is always fast, usually marinated in a signature sauce, frequently served in a tortilla, and mostly healthy. Find out where they are located in Seattle, go to their blog and check out Marination latest news.

Skillet

Unlike other street food, this one provides gourmet food like you never thought before. The menu is like what you would find in a five star restaurant. They provide seasonally relevant, locally sourced and impeccably executed bistro style food up and down the west coast…...out of their airstream trailers.

Find out where they are located in Seattle and make sure to check out their menu.

Maximus Minimus

If you in need of a simple, yet delicious food for lunch, you've got to try Maximus Minimus. Their menu offers pulled pork or vegetarian (roasted onions, fennel, and barley) sandwiches. Sandwiches can be customized by choosing between two styles of sauce, maximus (spicy and savory: made with beer, a blend of six peppers, onions, and fruit juices) or minimus (sweet and tangy: made with tamarind, honey, and molasses). Just thinking about it, makes my mouth watery!... Be sure to check out their location and their menu before you visit their famous pig truck.

Kaosamai Thai

Kaosamai Thai is a unique mobile kitchen. they also offer catering to events like wedding, birthday party and have their mobile cook right in front of the venue space. The food is amazing, it is gourmet Thai food. Check out their locations and twitter for their latest news.

Gert's BBQ

Michael N. from Yelp says, "The DDot Sliders were tasty and the sides (green bean casserole, mac & cheese and the fries) could not be beat. I'll definitely go back and try their other offereings as well. Hope their mobile station brings them in toward downtown Seattle!". Be sure to find out their location and menu.

El Camion

El Camion offers authentic Mexican food. The food is very affordable and they have a lot of selections to choose from. From breakfast burrito to special plates, you name it, they have it. They have two trucks located at South of Seattle and North of Seattle. Be sure to check their where about before going there.

Parfait Ice Cream

Parfait offers elegant versions of classic ice cream flavors, with a variety of fruit and specialty flavors regularly rotated into their menu according to the season.

At Parfait, every cone is a waffle cone. They prepare organic cones from scratch. Each Parfait cone is pressed on a specialty iron and hand-rolled with care. Be sure to check their locations and taste those yummy ice creams.

Macarons in Seattle

Hi All, I have been extremely busy these past few months and didn't get a chance to post anything new at all... Last month, I just got engaged. Ever since, I have been really crazy about planning and finding venue and all that... So, I'm sorry for being absence for so long... I'm back though!

Let's talk about Macarons...What is it? What is so interesting about Macarons? I'm going to take you back to the 18th century, where French people started to these.
Macarons is a traditional French pastry that is made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. This sweet pastry came out of the French courts' baker's oven as round meringue-like domes with a flat base.

Here's what I found out: In the 1830s macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. The macaron known today is the "Gerbert" macaron, born in the 1880s in the Beleville neighbourhood of Paris.The double-decker macaron filled with cream that is popular today was invented by the French pâtisserie Ladurée.


Macaron come with many colors. The famous ones are pink, purple, yellow, and pistachio green. If you are interested how to make macaron, you can check out the step by step instructions at Serious Eats.

Macarons can be found in several places in Seattle. One of my favorite place to go is Bakery Nouveau, Honore Artisan Bakery in Ballard, Le Panier at Pike Blace, and Boulangerie Nantaise in Belltown.

Because of the cute shape and colors, you can use Macarons for many occasions, such as Tea Party with the Ladies, Wedding showers, Baby showers, or even weddings.
Their pastel or bright colors make it look so good in the pictures.

Next time if you are thinking of a colorful decoration idea for your event, think of Macarons.

Red Fin Sushi, a fun Dining Experience.

If you haven't try Red Fin Sushi, you oughta try it. They have delicious sushi and bento box on the weekend.

I got this amazing discount from Restaurant.com, where you can get $25 gift certificate for only $10. If you love eating out, but want to save some money, you should try to go to Restaurant.com, and there you can find many participating restaurants.

Something that we like over there is the Tarantula Sushi Roll, Ichi Roll, Barbie Roll, and their bento boxes (only available on the weekends). The place is very modern and really neat, located right besides Hotel Max in Downtown Seattle. Our Yelper describes, "The most striking aspect of Red Fin is the decor. Black and red colors in a rather streamlined minimalist approach. I wouldn't have expected anything else from a Seattle sushi bar. The seats had neat stitching and were rather plush... the ambiance was subdued." -Kiki M.

Red Fin Sushi is located at:
612 Stewart St (between 6th Ave & 7th Ave)
Seattle, WA 98101

April 2009 Best of the Best Restaurant in Seattle

According to Seattle's Best Restaurant, April 2009 Best of the Best Restaurant is:

PURPLE CAFE & WINE BAR


CUISINE: American (new) / Mediterranean
LOCATIONS: Seattle (financial district), Kirkland & Woodinville

A multifaceted food & wine concept that merges casual sophistication with an upbeat metropolitan style. Featuring a global wine selection coupled with a menu that blends classic American styles, seasonal northwest ingredients & Mediterranean themes. The atmosphere is often described as an urban retreat with rustic elements.

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar is a wine lovers dream! Offering wines flights from all around the world and the perfect food to pair. This is a great place to bring a date, impress clients or for group dining.

According to Foodette, from Restaurant Review World, "The atmosphere at Purple can be described as nothing short of swanky. Dim lighting, an upstairs lounge, and two stories of open wine storage really made the place feel hip."

Our Pick Yelper, Jennifer K says:

"We came here with a group twice in the last few months.
Loved the food, especially:
- the apple pear walnut & stilton salad
- butternut squash & prosciutto salad
- lobster baked mac & cheese
- butternut squash ravioli

Loved the atmosphere and it's great for groups. Ironically however I expected to be more impressed with the wine both times. Once I ordered a flight of Pinot Noir, and another time we ordered a bottle of a cabernet & merlot blend (can't remember the name since this was the visit from months ago). The wines were good, but they didn't knock my socks off. Oh well, I still love this place and I'll be back to try out more food and wine.

Check out Mondays for half price on certain bottles of wine."

Be sure to check out Purple Cafe and Wine Bar around your area!...

Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle

One day on visiting a friend who lives in West Seattle, we stopped by on California Ave to get fresh bread from Great Harvest, Co. We came a little bit too late and found out that they were already closed. As we walked several steps going to the crosswalk, my good friend, told me that there is this amazing bakery and pastry called 'Bakery Nouveau', just a few steps away from Great Harvest Co. We went it and looked around. I was truly amazed at the pastry choices. They all looked so good!

I didn't try that day- but decided to come back several days afterward with a troop. We tried their Banana mousse, Twice Baked Chocolate Croissant (top favorite), and the Lemon Meringue Tart. Their menu offers variety of selections, from Traditional & Specialty Breads, Breakfast Pasteries, Cakes, Tarts & Desserts, to Sandwiches, Pizza & Quiche.

Bakery Nouveau received many recognitions and awards throughout the years. They updated their accomplishments and awards in their blog.

Bakery Nouveau is located at
4737 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
www.bakerynouveau.com

Where to Eat, Drink and Be Merry at Ballard?

Food is always the topic that I'm so passionate about. My mom always said, "Food is something you should enjoy!" and I believe that it is true!... as Keith Floyd, the famous British Chef and TV Presenter once said, "Food is life, life is food." So we must celebrate and share the good food around us.

I have been exploring Ballard these days and I have been wanting to share my readers some great eateries around Ballard.

The Top Restaurants:

Ray's Boathouse

Ray's Boathouse is world-renowned for its impeccably fresh Northwest seafood. Complementing Ray's cuisine is their award-winning wine list of more than 700 selections, with an emphasis on Northwest vineyards. Ray's Boathouse is located by the Puget Sound, with the view of the water and close to Golden Garden Park. This is one of the restaurants you must try at Ballard.

Le Gourmand Restaurant

Le Gourmand is a gastronomical pleasure. Chef-Owners Bruce and Sara Naftaly craft organic Northwest ingredients into artful fare. See critic reviews at Urbanspoon.com

The Ethnic Restaurants:

Thai Siam

Thai Siam is indeed a culinary oasis North of Ballard. They work with only the freshest ingredients from local suppliers, providing an uncomplicated approach and strive for purity and the perfect balance between local-grown ingredients and a natural, flavorful, and exotic Thai herbs and spices.

La Carta de Oaxaca

"More often than not, I've had to wait to score a table at La Carta de Oaxaca. Chances are you'll also face a wait if you choose to dine at this small, excellent Ballard eatery." (Source: Seattle P.I - Penelope Corcoran)

India Bistro

"The truth of the matter is we have tried almost everything on the menu at India Bistro and cannot seem to get enough of the satisfying and aromatic stews and sautés." (Source: Gayot.com)

The "One of a Kind" Restaurants:

The Dish

For all of Seattle's hippie-dippiness, it's a real project to find a good tofu scramble in town. Luckily, there's the Dish, home of the Slacker Special—a rich, inventive scramble of cheese, enchilada sauce, more cheese, onions, tortilla chips, and eggs or tofu, topped by a dollop of sour cream and salsa and offered with a side of potatoes and toast.(Source: The Stranger, photo by: Scott K, Yelp Reviewer)

Olsen's Scandinavian Foods

"Much, much love for this place. It's one of the last blatantly Norwegian businesses on Market St. but their offerings are pan-Scandie - plenty here for the expat Swede or Dane as well, despite the tiny space they're in. When I need a Kalles Kaviar fix or have one of my twice-yearly cravings for fiskekaker, I would drive very far for these things - but they're a short walk from home, and that just makes my life indescribably better."(Source: jk w. - yelp reviewer, Photo by: Inballard.com)

Hang Out and Relax:

Verite Coffee & Cupcake Royale

You don't want to miss this place. Delicious gourmet coffee drinks and tastey treats. Located inside Cupcake Royale, just two doors down from the Majestic Bay, Verite Coffee is the perfect spot to grab an espresso before or after a movie. (Source: inballard.com)

Equal Exchange Espresso

Equal Exchange has created Big Change since 1986. Our founders envisioned a food system that empowers farmers and consumers, supports small farmer co-ops, and uses sustainable farming methods. They started with fairly traded coffee from Nicaragua and didn't look back. Today, we continue to find new and powerful ways to build a better food system. We partner with co-operatives of farmers who provide high-quality organic coffees, teas, chocolates and snacks from farmers all over the world, including here in the United States. (Source: Equal Exchange Espresso, Photo By: Meghan H. Yelp Reviewer)

Floating Leaves Tea

"This tea house is as unpretentious as it gets. If you like tea and want someone who can help you find the right tea for an occasion or person. This is the spot." (Source: Ruth M- Yelp Reviewer)

The Happiest Hour:

The Dray
Happy Hour Details: Daily 5-7PM ($1 off pints) | 708 NW 65th St

Ballard Loft
Happy Hour Details: Mon- Fri 4-6PM ($1 off drafts and wells, half off appetizers) | 5105 Ballard Ave NW

The Bal Mar
Happy Hour Details: Daily 5-7PM ($3.50 draft pints, $4 wells, food specials) | 5449 Ballard Ave NW

Chaco Canyon Cafe: Organic Cafe Raw Vegan Food

Chaco Canyon Cafe is one of a kind restaurants. With variety selections of raw and organic food, they served delicious and nutritious live food!

And what is RAW food?... They are un-cook and un-process food. People who have this kind of diet is called Raw foodism.

PHOTO BY: DON L

PHOTO BY: pleomorphic

I dare you to try it! :)
The Natural Directory website posted a very nice article about Chaco Canyon Cafe, "For those of you who have never had a raw meal, have no fear: the food is scrumptious and will have you salivating at the thought of return visits. Hot vegan sandwiches and soup have been recently added to the menu, so you can bring your less-adventurous friends along!"

PHOTO BY: pleomorphic - Ginger Sesame Bowl with kelp noodles-

PHOTO BY: pleomorphic - Basil Pesto bowl with kelp noodles-

PHOTO BY: Marissa S - Raw Pizza-

Chaco Canyon Organic Café is located at 4757 12th Ave NE in Seattle Washington, on the corner of 12th and 50th in the University District.

Organic Eateries around Seattle : Portage Bay Cafe

One of the advantages living in the Northwest is that we are blessed to be surrounded with people that care about living healthy and eating organic food. Many restaurants in Seattle carry organic ingredients and are targeted specifically for Northwesterners.

Last week, I went with my sister to try this organic breakfast place called Portage Bay Cafe up in Roosevelt, the wait was 45 minutes, but it was well worth it.

Portage Bay Cafe specializes in Breakfast. They open from 7.30AM - 3PM (M-F) and 8AM - 3PM (Sat-Sun). If you don't want to wait for a long time, it's better to come early, right when they just open or later in the afternoon. Although breakfast is truly a gem over there, nothing beats the smell of coffee in the morning and a fresh pancake! Yummy!...

As soon as we are seated, we ordered something that the reviewers from Yelp have been craving about and that is Banana Foster French Toast and their special of the day- Goat Cheese Omelette with Nettles and Potatoes.

PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: BANANA FOSTER FRENCH TOAST | GOAT CHEESE OMELETTE WITH NETTLES

What we ordered were so good. Especially with the French Toast, you can have an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT fruit bar! Not just that, knowing that what you are eating are all organic, makes you fell so good!... Their philosophy is Eat Like You Give a Damn!

Apart from their excellent menu, Portage Bay Cafe's specials of the day was also depending on the seasonal local fruits/vegetables. Which makes this place even so special and local.

A friend of mine who later joined us for breakfast and an organic foodie later told me that the omelette that I ordered was very nutritious. She said that Nettle is an annual herbs that has to be grown locally. She was surprised that Portage Bay has Nettles in their menu. Nettles that came with my omelette is a herbaceous perennial plants, an annual plant that is well known as a strong plant with medicinal purpose that is high in nutrients, specifically in vitamin K, calcium, and iron.

So the next time you're in the mood to have a delicious and nutritious breakfast, come to Portage Bay Cafe, located at two locations: University District and Salt Lake Union.

More about their philosophy: Eat like you give a damn! and their menus.

Happy exploring, Seattleites!...

The Best Eggs Benedict at Glo's Coffee House

On a Saturday morning, I purposefully woke up a little bit earlier to try this well reviewed restaurant in Capitol Hill, Glo's. My favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning is trying new breakfast places with friends or just by myself. Glo's was best reviewed for their Eggs Benedict. It's a small restaurant with an excellent service. The turn table at that restaurant is quite amazing, simply there is no empty table at all. We waited for almost 20 minutes to be seated. I asked one of the customers that was waiting outside with me if this was her first visit to Glo's, her answer was, "I've been here so many times, and the food has always been so satisfying. Just look at the place, it's tiny, but a lot of people don't mind waiting for a long time, so the food must be GOOD!"...

Soon enough after waiting outside in a cold, snowy weather, me and my boyfriend went in to be seated, we ordered Salmon Eggs Benedict, Black Bean Omelette, and their famous Sour Cream Coffee Cake. They only had two chef's in their tiny kitchen to serve the whole restaurant, the wait was a little bit long.

When the food came and we had our first bite- Oh My!.... The wait was worth it... Each bite was so good, it melts in the mouth so smoothly and perfectly. The Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict was simply the best. English Muffin at the bottom, layered with fresh Smoked Salmon, top with poached eggs smothered with Benedict sauce, and a small tiny slice of olive- was so perfect and good. It was served with a side of Hashbrown and a slice of grapefruit. This dish was definitely to die for. In a second, we forgot how long we've waited in the cold weather.

I can tell you in a long page how the omelette taste and the Sour Cream Coffee cake, but I've got to share with you Seattleites' Diary readers, if you have never tried Glo's - You have got to try this wonderful local eatery at Capitol Hill anytime soon! You will not regret it.

Glo's is located at:
1621 E Olive Way | Seattle, WA 98102

They open from 7am-3pm Mon-Fri, and until 4pm - Sat through Sunday.
See what Yelpers are yelping about Glo's.

B & O Espresso Gains Fame From its Coffee

Located in Capitol Hill, B & O Espresso gains fame from their coffee. Many thinks that they only serve coffee and dessert, but they also provide yummy food that are very appetizing to the tummy.

The atmosphere is very inviting and warm, perfect for a hang out place with friends while you have a sip of your favorite coffee drink. Try these recommendations from the reviewers of yelp: The Chocolate Pot, Fruit Tart, Sour Cream Lemon Pie, and white chocolate cake with raspberry puree.


If you are not in the mood for coffee nor dessert, but do have a hungry tummy, you could swing down there and try their breakfast or lunch menu. Katy H, one of yelper's reviewer wrote "I usually end up deciding between the three poached egg meals.. the salmon eggs Benedict is bomb!"

Next time you are around Capitol Hill, make sure to stop by:
B & O Espresso is located at:
204 Belmont Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102

B & O Espresso Website

Business Hours:
Mon-Thu. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Top Pot Doughnuts

Who knew local Seattleites craving for traditional old-fashioned Doughnuts could make Top Pot as one out of ten 'America's Best Doughnuts' in the United States by MSN and AOL City Guides.

Top Pot Doughnuts is so popular among those who live in Downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill. "They make the best Doughnut around here" says one of the customer of Top Pot. Top Pot was in the highlight of their success when Starbucks offered to carry their product both locally and nationally.

The fact that Top Pot Doughnut serves zero gram trans fat doughnuts, tells a lot about the local shop. Top Pot Doughnut serves more than 40 different types of Doughnuts. Their Doughnut size is twice from a regular doughnut size.
Top Pot not only provides good food and aromatic Coffee, their shop is equally amazing. I have only been to the Downtown location, and I can tell you that it is a must-see shop! The shop's interior architecture shop is modern, sleek, and inviting. It's a high ceiling, two-floor building with glass windows all-around,and a tall bookcase full of interesting books to read.

Top Pot is located in five different locations around Seattle:
Capitol Hill | 609 Summit Ave E |Seattle, WA 98102

Downtown Seattle | 2124 5th Ave | Seattle, WA 98121

Wedgwood | 6855 35th Ave NE | Seattle, WA 98115

Queen Anne | 325 West Galer | Seattle, WA 98119

Bellevue | 10600 NE 9th Place | Bellevue, WA 98004

Check out Top Pot Website