Whether you live in, near, or far from Seattle, I want you to know about a great food networking event called Foodportunity, created by my friend Keren Brown. Her blog and Twitter handle are both “Frantic Foodie“, and if you knew how busy she is with work and family, you’d know that frantic is just the beginning of it. She probably does more juggling than Ringling Brothers, but pulls it off with good humor and spirit. And Foodportunity is a reflection of that, for sure.
Foodportunity is always a bit of a family reunion for food bloggers, social media enthusiasts, and food lovers. (Which reminds me, you should check out Keren’s book, The Food Lovers Guide to Seattle.) And it’s a chance to sample bites from some of the best restaurants in Seattle, and this Foodportunity did not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorites:
How about the gorgeous smoked salmon crostini (they assembly of which is pictured) from the team at McCracken Tough, served with marscapone, pickled shallots, and fried capers? A very lightly smoked salmon, it was surprisingly excellent with a glass of Vinho Verde. If you haven’t had this wine before, it’s a delightfully light, fresh, and fizzy white wine from Portugal. Vinho Verde is a seafood-loving wine, especially for lighter-style seafood dishes, or ones elegantly constructed (both flavor-wise and in appearance) like this salmon.
Moving from the savory to the sweet, I loved the Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta from RN74 Seattle. Garnished with fresh fruit, a kind of crunchy basil candy, and a tiny, precious meringue cookie, it had a wonderful assortment of textures and flavors. What I really liked about it was that it was not too sweet; I am not a fan of cloying desserts. The panna cotta had a nice savory tang from the yogurt that made me want to eat it for breakfast every day. (Is that allowed? And apologies for my craptastic photo; it was getting dark.)
I also really enjoyed the Lamb Sandwich with Pickled Cherries from Sky City. I am full of regret that I did not get to try the King Salmon from Lark. I also deeply regret only eating one of Jess Thompson‘s perfect Tart Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies.
As I hinted at earlier, one of the best things about Foodportunity is that it brings together so many great people in one room, and I’m sure Keren would be glad to know that it is a perfect event for catching up with old friends and making new ones.
The RN74 panna cotta was a highlight! The chef described it as basil glass (made with agar agar) and I would eat sheets of this by itself.
I’m sorry you missed out on Lark’s bite, it was superb!
Lilian,
Thank you for the detail on the basil “glass.” I could eat sheets of it, too!
Jameson
Fun recap of Monday’s Foodportunity event -I’m continually amazed at how Keren Brown always pulls these off so seamlessly while always managing to look fabulous & be as gracious as can be! How funny -I said the exact same thing about the Panna Cotta -“I could eat this for breakfast every day.’ It really was that amazing! The Basil Glass was an unexpected touch.
Eileen,
Thanks for the kind words. I agree that Keren is pretty amazing; I would be so freaking out if I was in her shoes, and even if all I had to deal with was the event! We’ll have to see if RN74 Seattle can open for breakfast….
Jameson
So. Much. Fun. Great to see you again and admire your fancy shoes. 😉
Denise,
Thanks, it was great to see you as well. I hope it is sooner rather than later. And I’m flattered that you dig my green and yellow-striped addidas.
Jameson
thank you. Love you guys