II Corvo: Handmade Pasta

              Nestled in the lower area Between Pikes Market and the Piers, this little shop makes homemade and authentic Italian pasta. I got the opportunity from one of my chefs to walk down and go see how the pasta was made and try some out. Our group ordered three dishes of pasta and got the full experience of the restaurant. The question from others is, is it worth going to? From the beautiful location, a unique twist to Italian food, flavorful dishes and simple presentations, Il Corvo presented a surprising delight.

                Most people my now know too much about this restaurant do to the fact that it is brand new and in an interesting location. Il Corvo shares its space with Procopio Gelateria, an Italian gelato shop located between lower Pikes Market and the piers. Due to this, the whole atmosphere has a rich feel of Italy with its small patio seating and limited space inside. This adds a more authentic and different experience that you might not get anywhere else. Il Corvo has limited opened hours on Monday thru Friday, aimed to provide lunch to people.  

The number one reason this restaurant stands out is the menu itself. Each menu item is prepared by hand and the menu changes every day. To add even more freshness, they make each item from local ingredients from pikes, which highly inspires the menu. The owner and chef, Mike Easton, told me that every item is special because it uses different and seasonal ingredients. He takes great pride in providing some of the most unique and fresh pasta that Seattle has to offer. Every morning he wakes up, goes to pikes to find ingredients, then spends the rest of the morning hand making pasta. This makes his menu limited to three to four items a day and makes sure all of his dishes are under ten dollars.  

The most important part about going to eat here is, of course, how the food tastes. When my group got to the restaurant, we ordered all three dishes offered. This included: marinated olives, parpardelle with tomatoes and asparagus, roasted eggplant Ravilolini, and gnocchi with blue cheese sauce. The marinated olives were the appetizer which also got a side of bread to dip into the oil which the olives are marinated in. Up next was all of the pasta; simply served on plates with just the right amount. The parpardelle was a thick noodle served with diced tomato, asparagus, squash and onion. The flavor blend of this was had an amazingly light but flavorful appeal that was the taste of summer. The ravilolini had a bold, rich flavor that filled you up fast but made you want to buy more. This dish was topped with fresh parmesan and a light tomato sauce which added a great texture. The last dish, the gnocchi, was by far the most unique. The spongy feel of the boil potato soaked up the flavors of the blue cheese. It was one of the most unusual yet satisfying pasta I have had up to this date.

Overall, this restaurant is a pasta and foodie lovers paradise. It offers a great range of flavors, types of pasta and a great experience. If you have some money and you are getting hungry in the Pike area, I would highly suggest going and trying out Il Corvo. It is a great excuse to go out and try something new, unique and fresh.

Pike Market Sandwiches

Pike's Market in famous for its fresh, local and community appeal. If you even go walking down the main street, I would advise you to go and try a sandwich show called "michou". This tiny and well hidden shop is located right next to Le Panier. It first glance it seem to be just your average bakery that serves soups and salads but you are wrong. It is so much more then baked good and such. The main attraction is the sandwiches they make which a fresh, local and very cheap. Each sandwich is prices all the same and for half a sandwich it is around $2.75 and for a whole it is about $5.50. They may seen flat and small but the looks are deceiving. I personally got the "Caesar Salad Chicken Sandwich" and it filled me up better then a foot long at Subway. If it by chance doesn't fill you up fully, the pastries will. For one dollar a got a Turkish style doughnut. The pastry was huge, almost too big for me to finish in one sitting. All in all, this place is well worth checking out and trying out. If you enjoy sandwiches, you will highly enjoy this place.

Beans, Rice and More

As a new quarter and a new class starts, I learn a new food from a region of the world. I am currently taking "Latin Cuisine" which is a class based on Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. These past few weeks the focus has been Mexico, which to most people, is just tacos and burritos. The fact is mexican food can go so much deeper into flavor then just beans and rice. One example is the soups they make, tomato or garlic soup. They are simple, flavorful and have a very appealing look to them. They also are big on stuffed pepper which are personally my favorite. These tend to very depending on what pepper is used to stuff with but the options are almost endless. You can have a meaty, savory filling or use more sweet ingredients such as fruit w/ pork. By far one of the most underrated and more complex dish that they make is the mole. Most people associate this dish to being a sauce with cocoa in which is true but, like an Indian curry, has many types. These dishes tend to be very heavy on peppers, spices and seeds but can also be fruit and vegetable oriented. All in all, Mexican food has more to offer then just simple and sometimes boring dishes. Once you truly explore what the country has to offer for food you can truly appreciate it.  

The Waterfront Seafood Grill

It has been a while since i have posted a review or anything for that matter so i will start off with a fine dining restaurant. The first thing to say about his place is make sure you have a lot of money! All of the dishes are $30 and above though they do have the option of "small plates". I'm not trying to scare people off due to the price because trust me, you get your moneys worth. What nice too about the seafood grill is they do have a happy hour at the bar before the restaurant opens so if you just want a 1/2 off  appetizers, they do that that option. If you are there to eat dinner then they have a very good selection. The Waterfront Grill of course serves a wide selection of seafood but they also have a section of steaks. When i went, I had the thai curry w/ the side of truffle mac and cheese topped with crab. This alone was a lot to handle which they do great about with their dishes. You get them and it might not seem like a lot but it really will fill you up and get you moneys worth. The presentation of the dishes are also premium which all the ooohhh and aahhh factor. From this one experience, i would highly suggest this restaurant if you have the money to spend on it. it is a great addition to the fine dining community and proves itself strongly. To add a bonus feature, they also have a prime location which give you an amazing view of the bay area with, at times, an amazing sunset.

Shellfish Preparation

One of the many ways to prep seafood at a restaurant or at home is to serve the clams and oysters raw. For those who have not does this your self, be warned, it is difficult. Your first step is to clean the shells of any sand or sea grim, this is also the time to tap on all open shells. This is to check if the animal is still alive, if it does not open discard immediately. For mussels you also want to remove "the beard", a long hairy string that dangles from the side of the opening of the mussel. The second step, also the hardest, is to open them with either steaming them to cook them or prying them open to eat raw. Steaming is easy because you just heat water, aromatics and a little bit of wine, toss in the seafood and cook till they open. Just like before, do not eat any closed shellfish and discard immediately. For the raw method you are doing to need a oyster or clam knife to pry them open with. The trick is to open them when they least expect it (refrigerate before hand) and stick the knife through the opening in the back if the shellfish. if it still gives you trouble them let it rest and try another one. The last step for this is to dislocate the shellfish from the shell and clean out any shell or sand that got in.