El Gaucho Bellevue Debuts Patio

NOW OPEN!

El Gaucho Bellevue PATIO

Outdoor Dining in Downtown Bellevue’s Best Kept Secrets

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(August 24, 2009)— The recently opened El Gaucho Bellevue has added al fresco seating adjacent to downtown Bellevue’s beautifully landscaped City Center Plaza. Located in the heart of the financial district, El Gaucho’s outdoor dining is an urban oasis of water fountains, grassy landscaped grounds and trees. The 21-and-over patio is open seasonally during lunch, dinner, and happy hour and offers daily alfresco food and cocktail specials.

WHO:

El Gaucho Bellevue

WHAT:

El Gaucho Bellevue Outdoor Patio

WHERE:

El Gaucho Bellevue
City Center Plaza
450 108th Avenue N.E.
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 455-2715

WHEN:

Monday, August 17, 2009
Open daily 11 a.m. to close.

El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting-edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and malt scotch lists. El Gaucho offers intimate private dining and nightly live music. El Gaucho Bellevue is located at the City Center Plaza at 450 108th Ave. N.E. For more information on the Bellevue location, please call (425) 455-2715 or visit www.elgaucho.com.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

Northwest Cellars Announces Nationwide Availability of Custom-Labeled Wines

Northwest Cellars Announces Nationwide Availability of Custom-Labeled Wines
Personalized Labels Make Uniquely Memorable Gifts for Family, Friends and Business Associates

KIRKLAND, Wash.—(August 24, 2009)—Expanding their market in anticipation of the holiday season, Kirkland-based Northwest Cellars is pleased to announce they are now shipping their highly awarded wines nationwide.*

Northwest Cellars produces and distributes high-quality, affordable wines that can be purchased with personalized labels or the Northwest Cellars label. The winery’s highly awarded, custom blends have earned a loyal following among customers who wish to purchase specially labeled wines for business gifts, non-profit fundraisers, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other special events.

Says founder and winemaker Bob Delf, “Our wines are a great way to mark special occasions, and also make truly personal gifts during the holidays. Between the specialty labels and our custom blends, you never have to worry about your gift being duplicated!”

Northwest Cellars’ expanded distribution of its popular custom-labeled wines isn’t the only thing creating news this holiday season. The 2005 Columbia Valley Intrigue—a custom Bordeaux-style red blend—was recently awarded 90 points by Wine & Spirits magazine, and proclaimed “Outstanding!” by Wine Press Northwest. The 2005 Merlot won Double Gold at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Gold in the Seattle Wine Awards.

Northwest Cellars’ wines available for holiday gift giving include the following:

• 2004 Merlot [Yakima Valley] 80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Syrah
• 2005 Merlot [Yakima Valley] 75% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Syrah
• 2005 Intrigue [Columbia Valley] 50% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 16% Cabernet, 4%Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
• 2005 Petite Sirah [Enver Salman Vineyard, Northern California]
• 2006 Pinot Noir [Willamette Valley]
• 2008 Adagio [Columbia Valley] 61% Sauvignon Blanc, 39% Chardonnay
• 2007 Chardonnay [Yakima Valley]

Northwest Cellars offers a 10-percent discount with the purchase of a case. Wine-label design is complimentary when customers supply the images, but there is an additional fee for custom artwork. There is also a onetime setup fee of $85 for the custom label. When reordering a previously produced label, Northwest Cellars waives that fee. The wines can be ordered online at www.northwestcellars.com/pages/wines.html.

*Nationwide should be interpreted as any reciprocal state. See wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com for details.

Northwest Cellars is located in Kirkland, Wash. at 11909 124th Avenue NE, and produces high-quality, affordable wines with the Northwest Cellars label or a custom–designed label. The custom–labeled wines are ideal for restaurants, hotels, corporate and personal gifts, private clubs, non–profit fundraisers and regional or community–based projects, as well as special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and grand openings. The tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays 12 – 5 p.m. Let Northwest Cellars help you uncork the possibilities! Find Northwest Cellars on Facebook under “Northwest Cellars” and on Twitter under @nwcellars. For more information, visit Northwest Cellars online at www.northwestcellars.com.

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ÀVotre Santé!

Media Contact: Kelsey Simmons
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR AT STIR MARTINI + RAW BAR
AUGUST 24 - 30

Celebrating Opening with $1 and $3 Seafood Appetizers

¨¨¨¨¨

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(August 19, 2009)— STIR Martini + Raw Bar is offering all day happy hour Monday, August 24 through Sunday, August 30 to celebrate its recent opening in Bellevue Place. The happy hour menu offers Northwest and Asian influenced $1 and $3 seafood appetizers and half priced oysters. Individually crafted happy hour-only specialty cocktails are offered at $6, draft beer $3 and house red and white wines $5. Menu as follows:

Happy Hour Menu

Food
Poke orange nairagi ($1)
Ceviche rock shrimp ($1)
Oyster half off market price (MP)
Crab Slider saffron aioli, kimchee, avocado, garlic fries ($3)
Calamari green tea sea salt, creamy sweet and spicy sauce ($3)
Pan Fried Oyster saffron aioli, kimchee ($3)
Garlic Fries ($3)

Beverages

Specialty Cocktails ($6)
Taste of the Rainbow gin, vodka, Chambord, sour, soda
Pink Fizz rum, Triple Sec, muddled orange, lemon, cherry, Grenadine, Sprite
Seattle Sidecar brandy, Triple Sec, muddled lemon, soda

All Draft Beer ($3)
House Red and White Wines ($5)

WHO:
STIR Martini + Raw Bar

WHAT:

All Day Happy Hour

WHERE:

STIR Martini + Raw Bar

10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 125

Bellevue, Wash.

WHEN:

Monday, August 24 through Sunday, August 30
11 a.m. to 1 a.m.


For more information about STIR Martini + Raw Bar, contact Andrea Courtney at (206) 624-5757 or andrea.courtney@randallpr.com.

Opened August 2009, STIR Martini + Raw Bar focuses on precise mixology paired with simple and contemporary raw preparations of poke, sushi, ceviche, tartare and oysters and an all-day menu of NW and Asian influenced seafood. The restaurant offers an intimate, indoor urban lodge-feel with modern elements. Open daily from 11 to 1 a.m., STIR is located at 10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 125 Bellevue, Wash. in the Bellevue Place Wintergarden, just off the grand staircase of the Bellevue Hyatt. For more information, visit www.stirmartinibar.com or follow us on Twitter @StirBellevue.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

4th Annual Shooting for the Stars, September 20, 2009

El Gaucho Portland Hosts

4th Annual Shooting for the Stars
Putting Challenge and Casino Night
Sunday, September 20, 2009

Who:

El Gaucho® Portland, Hemophilia Foundation of Oregon (HFO) and Oregon Health and Science University’s Oregon Regional Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC).

What:

Fourth Annual Shooting for the Stars

When:

Sunday, September 20, 2009
5 p.m. to midnight

Where:

El Gaucho Portland,
319 S.W. Broadway, Portland

Why:

One hundred percent of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the HFO and the HTC. Founded in 1963 by a small group of parents and children with hemophilia, the HFO is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing education and support to families affected by hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The HTC, located at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, serves children, teens, and adults with hemophilia and other genetic bleeding disorders.

Details:

• The restaurant will be transformed into a casino with blackjack, poker, craps tables and roulette.
  
• Guests will receive $50 in gambling chips with unlimited opportunities to purchase additional chips.
  
• The evening’s events will feature a three-round putting challenge, offering lucky putters the chance to win $10,000.
  
• Guests will enjoy a buffet dinner with El Gaucho’s renowned 28-day dry-aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime tenderloin kabobs, prime rib and signature Caesar salad prepared from scratch.
  
• Live auctions and raffle
  
• Black Jack Tournament and a Texas Hold ‘em tournament will be available for guests with a $100 buy in.
  
• Prizes will be awarded for each tournament winner and the highest overall winning player of the night.
  
• Signature cocktail menu designed by Mark Joseph, beer and wine are included.

Throughout the night, guests will also participate in raffles and a silent auction benefitting HFO and HTC.

Tickets are $150 and include one entry into the putting challenge, and $50 in gambling chips. Additional opportunities to participate in the challenge are available for a fee. Black tie attire is recommended.

To sign up for the putting challenge, buy tickets, or receive more information about this charitable event, contact Monica Dickey at (503) 297-7207 at the HFT.

Open since 2000, El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and malt scotch lists. El Gaucho’s swanky bar was recently featured in Continental Airlines magazine and given the “Gold Standard” by Portland Monthly magazine. Located at 319 S.W. Broadway, El Gaucho is open Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. Happy hour is available 5 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and all day Sunday. For more information, visit www.elgaucho.com or call (503) 227-8794.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

FETCH! Wine Walkabout Sucess!

Talkabout a Success!

5th Annual Wine Walkabout Raises Money for Nonprofit Organization FETCH!

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash.— (August 12, 2009) — Cloudy skies and cool breezes couldn’t keep dog and wine lovers away from the FETCH! Wine Tasting Walkabout on August 8! Despite the less than ideal weather, the 5th annual Walkabout raised $2,000 (Free Exercise Time for Canines and their Humans!).

Over 100 attendees enjoyed fine cheeses, breads and chocolates accompanied by an assortment of wines provided by Novelty Hill, Januik Winery, Bohemian Highway, Rosenblum Cellars, Goats do Roam and Penfolds. An estimated 125 canine friends were also in attendance, wagging their tails, stretching their legs and nibbling tasty homemade treats.

With this year’s expanded wine list, even FETCH! founder Pat Buchanan was recruited to help pour at the tasting tables.

“The addition of more Washington wineries this year has been wonderful,” Pat Buchanan said, “local businesses supporting local parks—what a way to give back!”

Stay tuned for information on next year’s FETCH! Wine Tasting Walkabout!

FETCH! is a volunteer run 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting safe, responsible off-leash play time for dogs and their owners. FETCH! was founded in 1998 after 81-year-old Margaret Kuehn was prohibited from allowing her dog run off-leash at Double Bluff Beach. Fellow dog lover, Pat Buchanan, heard Kuehn was collecting signatures for a petition, and decided to help. In 1999, after much support from others, a trial off-leash area was designated. The off-leash area became permanent a year later. Since then, five off-leash parks have been secured across Whidbey Island.

FETCH! parks are visited by approximately 85,000 humans and 105,000 canines each year. FETCH! receives approximately 96 percent of its operating funds from direct donations and fundraisers with the balance coming from sales of retail merchandise. For more information about FETCH! please call (360) 321-4049 or visit the web site at www.fetchparks.org.

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Media Contact: Lydia Vernon
Randall PR/ (206) 624-5757

Olsen Estates Winery Introducing Two New Northwest Rarities

Olsen Estates Winery Introducing Two New Northwest Rarities
Botrytis Dessert Wine “Golden Berry Select” and a 100-percent Petit Verdot

PROSSER, Wash.—(August 12, 2009)—As the family behind Olsen Estates Winery continues to celebrate its centennial year in the Yakima Valley, they are adding two very rare and very distinctive wines to their repertoire: the 2007 Golden Berry Select ($75) and the 2007 Petit Verdot ($37).

Available September 8 and only in the Olsen Estates Tasting Room, the 2007 Golden Berry Select Botrytis Riesling is one of only a handful of its kind in the state of Washington.

This special, fascinating dessert wine is made in the German Trockenbeerenauslese style, a term meaning “selected harvest of dried berries.” What makes this wine unique is that the grapes, from which the wine is made, have contracted the fungus Botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot.” The fungus occurs naturally and only in certain rare and unpredictable conditions, determined by Mother Nature. It removes moisture from the grapes, causing them to shrivel, or “raisin,” thereby concentrating fruit acids, minerals and sugars.

2007 Golden Berry Select Botrytis Riesling ($75)
Aromas of honey, apricot, spice, citrus and floral notes follow through the palate,
finishing soft and tremendously long.
Fermentation: 85 days
Total production: 14 cases
Bottle Size: 375 ml.

“Conditions have to be perfect in the vineyards for “good” botrytis to grow, if we have too much moisture we end up with grey rot, which is completely unusable” said winemaker Kyle Johnson. “When our vineyard manager noticed it was happening, we were ecstatic at the chance to make something so extraordinary.”

Olsen’s second rarity is the 2007 Petit Verdot, released July 4 and available online and at the tasting room. While petit verdot is normally used as a blending grape, winemaker Kyle Johnson decided to bottle the wine as a single varietal after noticing its balanced and unusually soft tannins.

2007 Petit Verdot ($37)
100% barrel-aged for 16 months in 100% French oak (75% new oak)
Black cherry, tobacco and chocolate surround a core of
blackberry and cassis, with a long, luscious finish.
Total production: 200 cases
Bottle Size: 750 ml.

“This wine is very special to us as a family,” said winery manager Martin Olsen. “Not only is the varietal on its own unusual, but the grapes were grown in a vineyard on our family’s newly dedicated Olsen Hill and released in our family’s centennial year in the Yakima Valley.”

Olsen Estates Winery Olsen Estates Winery is located at 500 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Wash., in the Yakima Valley AVA. Known in the valley as longtime grape growers, the Olsen family unveiled their first vintage in 2006, made from only the best grapes from their 800-acre vineyards. Olsen Estates’ focus is on 100-percent-varietal and Rhône-style blends, crafted by winemaker Kyle Johnson. Tasting room hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday during the summer. The winery and surrounding grounds are also available for private events. For more information, call (509) 786-7007 or visit www.olsenestates.com.

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Editors Note: Samples of the Olsen Estates 2007 Petit Verdot are available by request. Due to the limited quantity of the 2007 Golden Berry Select, sample tastings are only available through the winery manager at the Olsen Estates tasting room.

Media Contact: Andrea Courtney

Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

El Gaucho Seattle to Host Saucy Burlesque Show

El Gaucho Seattle to Host Saucy Burlesque Show

Miss Indigo Blue will Bring Va Va Voom to Pampas Room this Fall

Seattle, Wash.—(August 11, 2009)— With its swanky ambiance, El Gaucho Seattle’s Pampas Room is the perfect venue for the adults-only variety of dinner theater known as burlesque.

Popular dancer Miss Indigo Blue, a modern-day Gypsy Rose Lee and accompanying troupe will showcase “Nouveau Burlesque” from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on October 16. Admission includes a four-course, set dinner menu with your choice of entrée. A select, discounted wine list will be available during the show. Tickets vary in price from $70 to $200 per person and are available at El Gaucho, (206) 728-1337.

• Front-row table seating costs $200 per person and includes a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne
• Regular table seating costs $130 per person
• Bar seating costs $70 per person

With her sassy, sultry attitude, enchanting, irreverent humor, and sophisticated costumes and choreography, Miss Indigo Blue is a shining starlet who deftly balances the almost-tasteful with the always-titillating. Although she thrills audiences around the globe, this three-time Miss Exotic World award-winner and world-class tassel-twirler calls Seattle home. She is also headmistress and founder of the Seattle Academy of Burlesque.


El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting-edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and single malt Scotch lists. Offering intimate private dining and nightly live music, El Gaucho’s bar was recently named one of the “Best Places to Network” by Seattle Business, “Readers’ Choice for Best Steak” by Seattle Magazine, and has earned five Wine Spectator “Awards of Excellence” and three “Best of Awards of Excellence.” Located at 2505 First Ave., El Gaucho is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (206) 728-1337 or visit www.elgaucho.com.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

El Gaucho Seattle to Host Saucy Burlesque Show

El Gaucho Seattle to Host Saucy Burlesque Show
Miss Indigo Blue will Bring Va Va Voom to Pampas Room this Fall

SEATTLE, Wash.—(August 11, 2009)— With its swanky ambiance, El Gaucho Seattle’s Pampas Room is the perfect venue for the adults-only variety of dinner theater known as burlesque.

Popular dancer Miss Indigo Blue, a modern-day Gypsy Rose Lee and accompanying troupe will showcase “Nouveau Burlesque” from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on October 16. Admission includes a four-course, set dinner menu with your choice of entrée. A select, discounted wine list will be available during the show. Tickets vary in price from $70 to $200 per person and are available at El Gaucho, (206) 728-1337.

Front-row table seating costs $200 per person and includes a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne
Regular table seating costs $130 per person
Bar seating costs $70 per person

With her sassy, sultry attitude, enchanting, irreverent humor, and sophisticated costumes and choreography, Miss Indigo Blue is a shining starlet who deftly balances the almost-tasteful with the always-titillating. Although she thrills audiences around the globe, this three-time Miss Exotic World award-winner and world-class tassel-twirler calls Seattle home. She is also headmistress and founder of the Seattle Academy of Burlesque.

El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting-edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and single malt Scotch lists. Offering intimate private dining and nightly live music, El Gaucho’s bar was recently named one of the “Best Places to Network” by Seattle Business, “Readers’ Choice for Best Steak” by Seattle Magazine, and has earned five Wine Spectator “Awards of Excellence” and three “Best of Awards of Excellence.” Located at 2505 First Ave., El Gaucho is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (206) 728-1337 or visit http://www.elgaucho.com/.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

Olsen Estates Winery Welcomes Robert Johnson as New Sales Manager

Olsen Estates Winery Welcomes Robert Johnson as New Sales Manager

Seattle-Based Johnson Brings Expertise and Enthusiasm to Award-Winning Winery

PROSSER, Wash.—(August 10, 2009)— Olsen Estates Winery is welcoming top wine professional, Robert Johnson as its new sales manager.

With over a dozen years of experience in both restaurant management and wine distribution combined with his specialized wine training, Johnson is a valuable addition to the Olsen team.

“Robert is a genuine triple threat,” says Martin Olsen, winery owner and manager. “He is passionate and knowledgeable about wine but also knows the ins and outs of the industry with all the experience he has under his belt. We’re absolutely thrilled to have him.”

Johnson, a Seattle native, discovered his love of the wine industry on a personal wine trip to Napa Valley in the fall of 1995. “What really got me was the customer service. I was taken care of at each winery,” Johnson said. “I loved that the wine industry was so friendly and from then on I just saw it as a place I could work in.”

Johnson shortly thereafter met the corporate trainer for G. Raden & Sons, while managing the Keg restaurants. A small distributor at the time, Renton-based G. Raden quickly recruited him after seeing his potential and passion for wine.

For the next 13 years, Johnson held various positions and helped grow G. Raden into one of the largest beer and wine distributors in the nation. The company eventually became Young’s Columbia.

His experience is complemented by his wine training, which includes his Level One Sommelier certification and a Certified Specialist of Wine.

Now, Johnson is using his connections and breadth of experience to promote, market and expand sales of Olsen Estates wines in Seattle and throughout the state.

The timing couldn’t be better. The Olsen Family is celebrating their centennial year of farming in the Yakima Valley: Festivities will continue with a series of events through September, culminating with the release of their first Heritage Series wine, a 2007 Syrah made from their finest 100% estate-grown grapes.

Olsen Estates Winery Olsen Estates Winery is located at 500 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Wash., in the Yakima Valley AVA. Known in the valley as longtime grape growers, the Olsen family unveiled their first vintage in 2006 made from only the best grapes from its 800-acre vineyards. Olsen Estates’ focus is on 100 percent varietal and Rhône style blends, crafted by winemaker Kyle Johnson. Tasting room hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday during the summer. The winery and surrounding grounds are also available for private events. For more information, call (509) 786-7007 or visit http://www.olsenestates.com.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney

Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

Happy Birthday to icon Grill!

Seattle's bastion of Aroused Americana, icon Grill, celebrates 11 years of service to the Emerald City today!

Check out icon's own Chef Nick Musser on King 5, sharing tips for dinner done easy:
http://www.king5.com/video/food-index.html?nvid=386723

And if that's still a bit too much work, pop into icon Grill for their limited time pulled pork sliders with chipotle peach bbq sauce and pickled watermelon rind... mmm...
http://icongrill.net/

Watermelon Goes Mainstream at icon Grill

Watermelon Goes Mainstream at icon Grill
Menu Items Debut for a Limited Time

SEATTLE, Wash.—(July 29, 2009)—icon Grill, known for its playful pink décor and creative comfort food, brings its “Aroused Americana” attitude to the blushing summer favorite: watermelon. This season’s fresh, flavorful melons inspired Chef Nick Musser to add a southern classic to the menu, house pickled watermelon rinds, nestled atop juicy pulled pork sliders:

Pulled Pork Sliders ($11.95)
Applewood-smoked pork with grilled peach chipotle barbeque sauce
Served with house-pickled watermelon rinds

Waste-not, want-not: Chef Nick was inspired to use all the leftover juicy fruit in these beverage offerings, available for a limited-time:

Watermelon Mojito “Wo-jito” ($8.95)
Watermelon puree, white rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, fresh mint, splash of soda

Watermelon Summer Cooler ($8.95)
Watermelon puree, raspberry vodka, limoncello, fresh lime juice, fresh mint

Watermelon Lemonade ($3.50)
Watermelon puree meets fresh-squeezed lemonade

As if watermelon-lovers need another reason to try these summertime sippers: The fruit also boasts anti-inflammatory properties and is packed with antioxidants and nutrients, such as Vitamins A, B1, B6 and C (one cup provides a quarter of the recommended daily intake of C).

icon Grill, open since 1998, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year and is located at 1933 Fifth Ave. in Seattle, Wash. Open Monday—Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., bar until midnight; Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight and Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight, bar until 1 a.m.; and Sunday 5 to 11 p.m., bar until midnight. Executive Chef Nick Musser’s cookbook, Aroused Americana, includes recipes for his highly regarded Ultimate Mac and Cheese and Texas Funeral Fudge Cake. Call (206) 441-6330 or visit www.icongrill.net for more information.

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Spit in Good Health!

Media Contact: Kelsey Simmons
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757

STIR/Martini + Raw Bar Opening in Bellevue Place Saturday, August 1

STIR / Martini + Raw Bar Opening in Bellevue Place Saturday, August 1
Solstice Restaurant Group’s New Eastside Location Offers Relaxed All-Day Dining, Precise Mixology and Lively Atmosphere

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(July 29, 2009)— Come early August, STIR / Martini + Raw Bar will do with cocktails what Twisted Cork has done for wine: ignite Bellevue’s drinking and dining scene.

Solstice Restaurant Group, the creative force behind Twisted Cork Wine Bar and 0/8 Seafood Grill is unveiling a “stirring” new restaurant concept that will focus on an innovative cocktail program, offer a Northwest and Asian influenced menu and wrap it all up in a lively yet sophisticated atmosphere.

“We want to take that same relaxed-fun vibe that we have at Twisted Cork and recreate it in a hip and contemporary cocktail bar,” Solstice Restaurant Group Owner Matt Bomberger says.

As the name implies, a big focus for STIR is on its liquids. Offering something for everyone, from classic to contemporary, from innovative to traditional, master mixologists will offer signature and unique cocktails while also customizing cocktails to guests’ preferences. A distinct feature of the bar is the ice encrusted vodka tap, which will dispense vodka at the perfect temperature, eliminating the need to chill—and dilute—it with ice. The signature cocktail menu includes:

Baby Shea ($7.5)
Titos Vodka, Lillet, Orchard Apricot, lemon juice

Purple Flower ($11)
Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, Crème de Violette, Lavender Dry Soda,
garnished with an iced violet

Caju Caipirinha ($7)
Cachaca, lime, sugar, caju juice

For Whom the Bell Tolls ($9)
Hornitos Tequila, lime, maraschino, grapefruit juice

Summertime Manhattan ($14)
Basil Hayden, Vya sweet vermouth, peach bitters

Maximiliano ($10)
Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka, aperol, egg white, Champagne

In addition to a distinctive cocktail set, simple and contemporary preparations of poke, sushi, ceviche, tartare and oysters are joined by an all day menu of northwest and Asian influenced seafood. The menu will also feature a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Highlights include:

Raw Bar
Beef Tartare ($9)
Sake (Salmon) Sashimi ($8)
Ahi Tuna Poke ($10)
Oyster selection (MP)
King Crab Roll - crab, cucumber, cream cheese, fried tempura, spicy chili aioli ($9)
Halibut Ceviche - tomato, red onion, lemon grass, peppers, plantain chips ($7)

All-Day Dining Menu
Lobster Bisque ($7)
Rock Shrimp Miso Soup ($4)
Crab Salad ($10) / ($14)
Oyster Po’ Boy - cayenne, caramelized onions, saffron aioli ($9)
Beef Udon – seared tenderloin, shiitake mushrooms, scallion, lemongrass ($8)
Coconut Vanilla Prawns - black rice, pea vine, crispy kale ($12)

Designed to have a dynamic, urban lodge vibe, STIR’s ambiance invites comfortable lounging, lingering conversation and socializing. The restaurant is dominated by a bustling central bar lined with shaved-ice for keeping drinks frosty cold. Lounge furniture, dining tables and booths create distinct, intimate areas that punctuate STIR’s large open dining room.

Taking advantage of the warm months of summer, STIR will offer seating on its outdoor patio, accented by grassy and landscaped areas. Ideal for people watching, indoor patio seating will be available in the Wintergarden, just off the Bellevue Hyatt’s grand staircase.

STIR / Martini + Raw Bar will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

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Opening August 2009, STIR / Martini + Raw Bar will focus on precise mixology paired with simple and contemporary raw preparations of poke, sushi, ceviche, tartare and oysters and an all-day menu of NW and Asian influenced seafood. The restaurant offers an intimate, indoor urban lodge-feel with modern elements. Open daily from 11 to 1 a.m., STIR is located in the Bellevue Place Wintergarden, just off the grand staircase of the Bellevue Hyatt. For more information visit www.stirmartinibar.com or follow us on Twitter @StirBellevue.

Media Contact: Andrea Courtney Randall PR / (206) 624-5757