Day four in Seattle was all about repeating to myself "I am not worthy, I am not worthy..." Our first class was a charcuterie tasting with the following quartet: Herb Eckhouse of
La Quercia in Iowa, Christiano Creminelli of
Creminelli Fine Meats in Utah, Paul Bertolli of
Fra'Mani in California, and Armandino Batali from
Salumi Artisan Cured Meats here in Seattle.
Those of us who worship cured meats pray to this panel
Armandino opened his remarks with the following: "As I look over the three men sitting to my right, the first thing I think about is how lucky America is to have them." He went on to explain that because of the artisans on the panel, American charcuterie ranks amongst the best in the world. Few would argue. We are honored to represent each of these brands to our customers...please come by and ask for samples.
For lunch, we checked out a Japanese Hot Dog stand. Very creative and tasty, in the line of our Happy Hour menu but with an Asian flair.
Ummm...one of each?
We restrained ourselves, having just one apiece, probably because we were jittery and excited about the Keynote Address with guest speaker Michael Pollan. Author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," "The Botany of Desire" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," Pollan captivated his audience with charm, wit and irrefutable evidence to support his thesis: Eat Real Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
The "Not Too Much" part will have to wait until we are back home
We actually took it easy for dinner, opting for an oyster happy hour, knowing that the Festival of Cheese and award ceremony were just hours away. Over 1200 varieties of cheese available to taste? Yes, please.
One of our hometown favorites from Elverson, PA
Cabot Clothbound, perched atop American Cheddars, where it belongs
We ordered a couple wheels of this, Flagsheep Reserve from Beechers. Cheddar-esque made with one third sheep milk. Delish!
And finally, we offer our sincere congratulations to Mike Gingrich, who took Best in Show for his
Pleasant Ridge Reserve. This is his third Best in Show, and it couldn't go to a nicer man.
Ummm...one of each?
We restrained ourselves, having just one apiece, probably because we were jittery and excited about the Keynote Address with guest speaker Michael Pollan. Author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," "The Botany of Desire" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," Pollan captivated his audience with charm, wit and irrefutable evidence to support his thesis: Eat Real Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.
The "Not Too Much" part will have to wait until we are back home
We actually took it easy for dinner, opting for an oyster happy hour, knowing that the Festival of Cheese and award ceremony were just hours away. Over 1200 varieties of cheese available to taste? Yes, please.
One of our hometown favorites from Elverson, PA
Cabot Clothbound, perched atop American Cheddars, where it belongs
We ordered a couple wheels of this, Flagsheep Reserve from Beechers. Cheddar-esque made with one third sheep milk. Delish!
And finally, we offer our sincere congratulations to Mike Gingrich, who took Best in Show for his Pleasant Ridge Reserve. This is his third Best in Show, and it couldn't go to a nicer man.
