Tom Budinick, president, founder and leader of an impressive team that will operate the stylish 190 Sunset, met with Restaurant News to discuss the new establishment and his vision for the space located between Bridgid’s Bottle Shop and Scratch Distillery in the Salish Crossing property. Tom’s face lit up as he described the Northwest-inspired, full-service restaurant and bar. “Foods for all moods,” Tom says the selections will be eclectic and match the atmosphere that will range from casual to elegant. “We want 190 Sunset to be a local gathering place. Folks meet up for drinks, maybe stay for dinner…”

Budinick says 190 Sunset will offer an affordable dining experience and feature an ever-changing variety of menu offerings with a special focus on local cuisine. Menu offerings will utilize quality products and fresh ingredients that change with the seasons, and will strike a delicious balance between contemporary Northwest and traditional flavors. The menu includes a full variety of small shareable plates and main courses, as well as a dessert menu to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. The bar will feature hand-crafted signature cocktails and a substantial wine list that emphasizes wines of the Pacific Northwest. The restaurant will boast a large private dining area, an open exhibition-style kitchen, a 21-seat bar, and one of the largest decks in Edmonds. Huge glass doors will open to the southern-facing deck, which will provide maximum sun exposure, and a great atmosphere for sipping cocktails in the summer or cozying up around fire pits in the winter.

Set to open late August 2016. Daily hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, later on the weekends. The restaurant’s private dining room will accommodate up to 70 guests for meetings and special events.

I can’t wait to dine at 190 Sunset.

Have I mentioned lately that I have THE BEST JOB?

This week I was asked to taste test a local entry in The James Beard Foundation’s Blend Burger Project, a nationwide contest and challenge to make a “blended burger” by blending ground meat with finely chopped, cultivated mushrooms to create a delicious, healthier, and more sustainable burger. The contest runs nationally from Memorial Day, May 30 through July 31, 2016, culminating in the opportunity for five winning chefs to cook at the James Beard House in October.

Chef de Cuisine at Bar Dojo, Luis Brambila, has submitted the Shitake Dojo Burger to the contest. I had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into his unique recipe of local RR Ranch beef blended with 30-percent shiitake mushrooms. This burger is a beast. I’d advise that one take a friend or maybe your Dad, to share this substantial, sustainable fare, and help finish off the crispy skinny fries and chipotle aioli that accompany. And, speaking of Dad, what a great gift for Father’s Day, or treat the all the significant men in your life to a Dojo Burger.

All my favorite burger accompaniments between the slices of a toasted brioche seeded bun: Serrano peppers, melted Beechers cheese, cilantro aioli, apple wood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, fried egg sunny side up, and finished with a blistered Shishito pepper.

If this photo and my description are not compelling, and you need more encouragement to stop by and try one of these babies, here’s statistical logic: Blending meat with mushrooms reduces calories, fat and sodium while adding important nutrients like vitamin D, potassium and B vitamins. A blended burger also brings more sustainable, plant-based items to menus, allowing Americans to enjoy the taste and flavor of the burgers they love, knowing it’s a healthier and more sustainable preparation.

Please Vote!

Diners can vote and support the Blended Burger Project in two ways:
Visit jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject to view the gallery of “blended burger” photos, and cast your vote for the “blended burger” that best represents the most creative use of mushrooms, best flavor profile and most appetizing appearance. The direct link to vote for the Dojo Burger is https://bit.ly/1X69MjK and people may vote once per day.

You can also visit a participating restaurant from Memorial Day, May 30 – July 31, 2016 (view the entire list at jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject) and ask for the “blended burger.” Bar Dojo is the only Edmonds restaurant participating, and one of only 10 restaurants in the state of Washington to be competing.

Ahem…I did mention Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 19? I know women tend to plan ahead, so here’s what I found at our local eateries to keep your father out of the kitchen and away from the BBQ this year.

Bar Dojo: While the Dojo Burger is a great option, they have lots of choices. Delicious and juicy steaks, cold beverages and fresh seafood for dads, granddads and their families. Reservations recommended.

Black Angus Steakhouse in Lynnwood: Has juicy hand-cut steaks, aged a minimum of 21 days, and grilled over an open flame for Dad on his special day.

Celtic Cowboy BBQ has a special for Father’s Day weekend: $5 off smoked pork baby backs or spare ribs. Special runs from Friday the 17th to Sunday the 19th.

Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing: Treat dad to a plated brunch ranging from Forage Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Scramble to traditional favorites like fish & chips. Breakfast items served with fruit & pastries.

Salt & Iron invites all on Father’s Day for delicious steaks, cold beverages and fresh seafood. Reservations highly recommended.

Scott’s Bar & Grill says “Celebrate Dad!” Everyone dining on Father’s Day Weekend – Saturday, June 18 and/or Sunday, June 19 – will receive a special gift.

Restaurant News travels to “places close by”…
A visit to the H-mart location at Alderwood Mall, right next to the new Costco, was like a field trip to another land. Get a feel for the space – www.facebook.com/w3hmart.us – the gigantic store is well stocked with Korean groceries and as well as a great selection of other Asian food. Shoppers can purchase ready to eat portions, or gather plenty of ingredients to cook authentic dishes at home. Produce offers both the usual and unusual. A freezer case stocked with spiky Durian fruits captured our attention. The plentiful fish and meat offerings are rounded out by a house wares section that ranges from lunch boxes, dishes, aprons, and house slippers to high end rice steamers.

The food court is huge. Cuisine choices include Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. This may look like “fast food” to the uninitiated, but each station takes the time to prepare fresh entrees and desserts from scratch. Most spots have a number system, displayed on flat screen monitors, to inform diners when their order is ready. Displays of delicious dishes and menu specials are shown on the screen to tempt diners.

The steady and unending long lines at the Oshima Japanese Cuisine convinced Restaurant News and her companion of the quality, so we opted to dine around the food court. We selected courses from each the remaining kiosks.

Thai Iced tea and Spring Rolls from Pho Thai were perfect starters on a hot day. The Orange tea, with extra tapioca we chose was refreshing and tasty, not over sweet. I was disappointed to learn that the orange color was artificial. The spring rolls did not disappoint, veggie filling was crispy fresh, the shrimp were tender and peanut dipping sauce was flavorful.

Traditional Korean fare selections were set off by a “summer weather” special called Jjoi-Myun, cold noodles in a dish similar to Bibimbap. The homemade sauce was delicious and my meal came with miso soup and hot tea, the best value of the day. Most entrees were in the $8-9 range, with sushi even higher.

Other Korean options include Lee Ga Tofu House Grill, Jin Mi Restaurant and Kong Tofu House. Tempting, but I had to save room for dessert.

I followed the aromatic scents that wafted from two bakeries located close to the food court. Difficult to choose from the multitude of choices at the Le Bon Patisserie, but I settled on the Corn Mochi. It was fresh out of the oven and delicious, I didn’t even ask for a bag!

Eat them immediately says the sign on the wall at Beard Papas. And we did. Cream puffs come in two sizes and are filled with vanilla, chocolate, or green tea cream. Each filled puff is then dusted with powdered sugar of the same flavor. The minis come five for $1 and the hardest decision was choosing- I had to have some of each, of course. Next visit will try out the Éclairs and Napoleons’. A new ice cream flavor caught my eye- Red Bean. I departed with a double scoop cone of this new (to me) flavor and one of the green tea.
Restaurant News recommends repeated trips to H-Mart to be able to taste all of the options therein.

Coming soon- Treats found on train trip to Tacoma and awards for our local producers’ products at the Fancy Food Show in NYC.

Bon Appetite,
Kathy

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds.