Comrade – Copine

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Ever since the Book Bindery closed, I’ve been keeping an eye out for chef Shaun McCrain. Book Bindery had clean dishes that sought to highlight the main ingredient in an inventive way that was minimalistic, and yet inventive. It’s fine dining, but not overly fussy without being boring. So it was with high hopes that t0e and I went to Copine in Ballard to see how the chef had faired in his own restaurant.

Copine - fried salmon pate

Fried Salmon Pate – with salmon roe, with crème freshe. A nice amuse bouche to start the meal – a take on salmon multiple ways in a very complex bite.

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Scrumptious – Salare

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They call Salare a chef-driven restaurant and a labor of love. Mr. and Mrs. Nutkin agreed to give it a try with me for one of our dinners. They recently returned from their honeymoon in Zion, and what better way to celebrate love, than dining in a restaurant that is a labor of love?  The reviews have been positive and Salare has made Ravenna somewhat of a hotspot. Salare has a bit of southern influence that you can see in the cornbread, grits, and okra, but you can also taste Europe in the lamb au jus and duck confit. It may be eclectic, but it’s thoughtfully curated and wonderfully prepared.

Salare - fried okra

Fried Okra – with pineapples and bacon. So no one likes okra, except for me, most of the South, and Mrs. Nutkin (thankfully), because it’s slimy and furry. Well, when you deep fry it in the most delicate and silk thin of batters, pair it with a hearty bacon and then punch it up with some pineapple, it’s not your average fried okra anymore. Granted, they probably should have cut the okra in half so some of the older ones weren’t so stringy, but overall, this is one of the best preparations of okra that I’ve eaten.

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Maroon Me Here – Restaurant Marron

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My bi-monthly dinner explorations with Salumi continued this month with Restaurant Marron. There has been a lot of excitement from foodies regarding this restaurant because it was supposed to be a 16-course journey. While that menu hasn’t quite come to fruition yet, a carte blanche for $98 is. Consider it their version of the tasting menu. How is it different from a tasting menu? Chef Eric Sakai makes dishes up as he goes along and it is splendid. There is no better way to get a sense of the chef’s chops than the tasting menu (the Black Knight would agree whole-heartedly with me on this) and so both Salumi and I ordered the carte blanche and waited to see what magic the kitchen could concoct.

 

restaurant marron - avocado & kumquat

avocado & kumquat: the amuse bouche, light refreshing with just enough acidity to make you start salivating

restuarant marron - red beet salad

red beet salad – with smoke cherries and mustard green, our veggies for the night; the beets were sweet and firm pairing nicely with the crunch of the greens and light dressing; the cracker, paper thin, was full of flavor and the best part of this dish

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