. . . enjoy the food, drink, and entertainment of the Taste of Tacoma!  And since the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny, it will be a great way to enjoy the weekend.

The Taste of Tacoma is one giant family picnic – without the annoying relatives!  There are plenty of food choices with over 28 restaurant booths and over 20 food companies represented.  You’ll find lots of choices on the grill, as well as a broad selection of ethnic food.  With nothing prices over $6, you can get your must-have favorite in addition to trying something new. 

There will be four large concert stages, featuring a variety of music, and one stage for comedy.  There’s sure to be something to interest every member of the family.

And lastly, the commercial craft section has been expanded from previous years, giving you plenty of things to oooh and aaah over!

Location:  Point Defiance Park, Tacoma (map it)

Dates & Times:  June 27-29th, 2008; Friday & Saturday 11 am – 9 pm, Sunday 11 am – 8 pm.

Parking:  Available at the Funland parking lot across the street from the Park, $10.  Consider carpooling or taking the bus.

The Taste of Tacoma is a family event.  Pets are permitted in the park as long as they are on a leash, but are not permitted in the food area.  Service animals are, of course, welcome everywhere.

Photo credit: SXC

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

Although holding a cell phone to your ear isn’t grounds for the police to pull you over for a primary stop, it will result increase any other fraction imposed to the tune of $124.

You’ve got ten days to buy a head set and figure out how to use it.  It’s the law!

Image credit:  Amazon

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

. . . look up in the Air – it’s a biplane, it’s a helicopter, it’s a fighter jet – all at the Olympic Air Show.

This annual Father’s Day weekend aviation gathering will feature 70 years of military aircraft, flying displays, a three hour of low-flying aerobatics show, lots of demonstrations and exhibits, and all sorts of cool stuff to look at it.

A few tips:  Wear comfortable shoes, leave the pets at home, and bring plenty of sunscreen.  A folding chair or blanket will make for more comfortable viewing.  Photography is allowed.

Smoking is not permitted, and no glass allowed on the site.

Location:  Olympic Regional Airport (map it)

Date & Time:  June 14-15th, 2008.  Gates open at 9 am, opening ceremonies are at noon, and the air show at 1 pm.

Admission:  $10, cash only.  Children under 6 are FREE.

Parking:  Get there early for parking.  Fly-ins welcome, park your plane near Gower Flying Service.

Take a look at some highlights from last year’s show:

Photo credit:  SXC

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

Then, in Digg fashion, you can “vote up” the ideas that you like the best.  It’s community building at its best — in a real community.

There’s also plenty of space for comments and discussion.

It looks like a relatively new site, with only a dozen ideas posted so far, but it has potential.

I’m not entirely sure that this is directly related to City of Seattle government, or is in any way sanctioned by the city.  I couldn’t find a link to a site administrator, there was no City of Seattle logo on the site, and no “about” box to track down who is behind the site.  The site doesn’t even have a proper name or domain.  Still, it’s worth checking it out.

It would be great if this was directly related to city government, but even if it’s not, what a great way to stimulate and encourage community discussion — using tools familiar to us bloggers.

Thanks to Amy for the heads up on this.

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

To complement the excitement of the racing season, and to make it a family destination, Emerald Downs schedules a variety of special events throughout the season.  These include: 

• Sound Transit Family Days (Sundays, starting June 17th, that offer free family activities)
• Senior Days (those 55 and older receive general admission, an official program, reserved Grandstand or Clubhouse seat and coffee or regular soft drink, for only $3 on Thursdays starting June 1st)
• Fabulous Fridays (Horseshoe Toss Challenge on Fridays starting July 6th)

Look for other special events throughout the year that will include FREE or reduced admission and special entertainment.

Location:  2300 Emerald Downs Drive, Auburn (map it)

Dates & Times:  The 2008 season runs April 18th – September 28th.  The first race is at 6 pm on Thursdays & Fridays; 2 pm on Weekends & Holidays.  Special events are scheduled throughout the season.

Admission:  $5 general admission, those under 18 years of age are admitted FREE.   Reserved Grandstand seating on the 3rd floor is available for an additional $2.50, and reserved indoor Clubhouse seating on the 5th floor is available for an additional $3.    Outdoor and indoor box seating is sold by the season and the day.

Parking:  General Admission parking is FREE, $5 for preferred parking, and $10 for valet.

While enjoying all these other activities, let’s not forget that it is about horse racing, too — those big, beautiful, and graceful animals that cover distances in what seems like a blink of the eye.

Image source:  Logo from Emerald Downs

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Steely Dan will appear for two performances at the winery, on July 30th and 31st. 

Steely Dan rose to prominence in the 1970’s with their blend of musical styles — a little jazz, a little rock, a little pop, with some funk and rhythm and blues thrown in for good measure.  You may recall some of their hits:  Reelin’ in the Years (from their 1972 debut album), My Old School, and Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.  The group toured for awhile before becoming a studio band,  then disbanding  in 1981.  The group has reunited and re-formed and is now touring and making new music.

Tickets for Steely Dan go on sale Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 10 am.

Location:  Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 NE 145th Street, Woodinville (map it)

Dates & Times:  Wednesday, July 30th, and Thursday, July 31st, 2008, both at 7 pm.  Gates open at 5 pm.  The show goes on rain or shine.

Tickets:  $125 reserved, $59.50 general admission.  Tickets are available through Ticketmaster online, as well as through the Chateau Ste. Michelle wine shop.

Parking:  Attendants will direct cars to both onsite and offsite parking areas, and complimentary shuttles are provided.  Carpooling is strongly recommended.

Photo credit:  Steely Dan (flickr)

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

Centerstage Theater in Federal Way presents Nightmare of a Married Man, an original play penned by theater artistic director Alan Bryce.  The performance will be staged at Federal Way’s Knutzen Family Theater.

The story chronicles two couples, irreconcilable differences, and twists and turns along the way to the thrilling conclusions.  It’s billed as a marital thriller.

Location:  Knutzen Family Theater, 3200 S.W. Dash Point Road, Federal Way (map it)

Dates & Times:  February 29th – March 16th; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm.  Matinees on Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm

Tickets:  $25 for adults, $20 for seniors/college students/military.  $18 youth 18 and under.  Tickets can be purchased online, at the door, or by phone at 253-661-1444

Performances on March 1st, both at 2 pm and 8 pm have a special price offering for men:

• Some with your wife – get in free
• Come alone – pay full price
• Come with your girlfriend – pay double

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler

The Harvest Vine opened in 1998, originally as a gourmet take out and wine company.  Owners Joseba Jiménez, and his wife Carolin Messier de Jiménez originally started a catering business, and its success soon became a small little restaurant.

And it was a very small restaurant to start off — about 600 square feet, and seating about 22 — barely more than a convivial kitchen with a group of friends hanging around.  A few years ago, the restaurant expanded, and created a basement wine cellar and dining room.  With stone walls, floor to ceiling wine racks, and open beam construction, it’s as close as you’ll come. . . in Seattle, that is. . . to being in a Basque bodega.

The main floor of the restaurant still retains in cozy feel, with the kitchen itself only 10 feet inside the front door.  The kitchen is open, and surrounded by a copper bar with 10 stools where guests can sit and watch the kitchen create the small Spanish plates that they’ve become known for.

The kitchen swears by genuine Basque ingredients imported from Spain and France, or grown local to very specific, and authentic, specifications.  While there are some consistent menu items, others tend to change and evolve as new sources of products are discovered.

I’ve been to Harvest Vine several times, both in small and larger groups.  My favorite way to enjoy the restaurant is with a group of 6-8 people, sitting at the larger communal table (see photo at left), with wine and a continual supply of shared plates.  The wine list has a collect of over 300 Spanish and Basque wines which complement the menu.

The service is solid, if somewhat uneven, and the staff really knows their menu and products.  It feels like you are at someone’s house, so you roll with the punches instead of being put out when the small plates come out of the kitchen in a different order than what you’d expected.

So let’s talk about the food!

It’s probably easiest if I share some of my favorites with you. 

I’d recommend starting with a couple of cheeses — the Manchego, Picos de Euro (a blue), and Taramundi are delicious — and a Plato de Chacineria (meats).  The Chorizo de Soria is also excellent.  The plates will serve two, so order more depending on the number of people, your degree of hunger, and whether or not you’ll be ordering heavier plates.

Other top choices of mine:  Pimiento de Padron (delicious peppers, fried and dusted with sea salt), Garbanzos (caramelized with a tomato sauce), Ventreska a la Vainilla (tuna with a vanilla infused olive oil), Txistorra (pork sausage with grilled bread), and — my VERY FAVORITE — Venado, a grilled venison leg with Spanish lentils and serrano ham.

My mouth is watering just writing about it!

Location:  2701 East Madison Street (at 27th Avenue East), Madison Valley (map it)

Hours:  Daily, 5 – 10 pm.  Reservations are taken for half the available seating, with the remaining half available for walk ins.

Menu & Prices:  Spanish small plates.  Dinner, including wine but excluding tax and tip, will run around $35 per person.

Harvest Vine also still provides catering services.  Additionally, the wine cellar dining room is available for private parties Sunday – Thursday evenings, as well as for daytime events.  Intimate cooking classes (maximum of 12 participants) and wine dinners are also offered, and are quite reasonably priced.

Photo credit:  Harvest Vine

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Post from: The Seattle Traveler