Bacon in my Bourbon?

Now that Tini Bigs has welcomed nationally renowned mixologist Jamie Boudreau it is time to expand my cocktail palate. I have never been shy about trying new and cutting edge flavors, but with a new menu boasting cocktails with bacon infused bourbon and red wine vinegar, I admit- I was skeptical. But wow, did it blow me out of the water. This man, mixologist, mad scientist has created a catalogue of innovative AND delicious prohibition era cocktails that will literally delight everyone. Check out Tini Bigs website at www.tinigbigs.com to hear about new and hip happenings at the swanky lounge.

An Evening at Troiani Ristorante Italiano

If there is one thing I have learned while being at Randall PR, it's how many fantastic restaurants there are in the Seattle area. As noted in my last entry, I simply adore eating out and discovering new restaurants. After a long day at the office one Monday, Krista Koster and I decided to treat ourselves to a happy hour at Troiani Ristorante Italiano.

We had heard fantastic things about Troiani's happy hour and the restaurant is a mere three blocks from our office in downtown Seattle, so this seemed like a natural choice. After each ordering a glass of pinot noir and sorting through our dinner choices, we settled on splitting Beef Tenderloin Tips, the Grilled Chicken Burger and of course, French Fried Potatoes sprinkled with truffle oil. To sum it up, the experience was quite heavenly. And since we decided to indulge during happy hour, our pocketbooks were pleased as well.

Since our happy hour excursion was a great success, we have set our sights on icon Grill for our next night out. Because let's be honest, their Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese has been ingrained in our mind since their 10th Birthday Party in August!

First Week at Randall PR

As the newest addition to the Randall PR team, I must say my first week started out with a bang! Day one on the job included our quarterly planning meeting. Sounds boring, right? Here’s the catch; Lori kicks off every quarterly meeting with wine education. I was a little unsure about putting a blindfold on, but hey, everyone else was doing it. With minimal wine education, I am please to say I identified the corked wine as, “super-tart, little like eating Skittles while drinking lemonade. EWW!”

By the second day, I found myself at icon Grill’s 10 year anniversary celebration. When I walked in, I was greeted by chef Nick Musser. Maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of Iron Chef, but I always thought of chefs as the strong silent type. Not Nick, he was very friendly and made me feel right at home. It was great to see so many people there to support icon Grill’s decade of success and of course, chef Nick.

You're invited to join in the fun! Just sign up for the party list and you’ll be looped-in on all sorts of exciting special events!

rian men's Spring/Summer 2009 Line Debut

Congratulations Rian and Julie Berry for the fantastic launch party at Corio in New York City. Click here to see a short clip with all the excitement.

10 Years & Favorite Martinis.

icon Grill celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year... actually, this month they celebrated their 10th year!

Chef Nick Musser's "aroused Americana" has kept Seattle-ites hungry for more... not a small feat considering the ever-changing food scene. But there is something different about icon that keeps us coming back. Chef Nick's genuine, charismatic charm... Those fried macaroni and cheese bites... All that glass art... Likely, its something different for everyone.

Stop by right now to make your contribution to their legacy... throughout the month of September, amateur mixologists have the opportunity to enter in icon Grill's martini contest. One customer submitted martini from icon Grill (and sister-restaurant, Zephyr Grill & Bar in Kent) will be added to the menu. Winners will also be treated to a martini dinner later this fall.

Stop by and enter. Your favorite drink might soon become truly iconic.

Seattle Wine Awards

Congratulations Tsillan Cellars, Olsen Estates and Northwest Cellars for their multiple wins at the Seattle Wine Awards! The awards tasting event was at the Ranier Club this year and featured some of the state's top wineries pouring incredible wines. It was a beautiful sunny day and was a delicious way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more information about the Seattle Wine Awards, visit www.seattlewineawards.com.

That's what I call educational.

With so many wines on the market, many young wine lovers can be easily confused. How is a newly enchanted oenophile to know if a wine has a subtle nose, or if it suffers from an awkward structure?

Substance is the result of a collaboration between hip, young wine entrepreneurs Jason Huntley, Jamie Brown and Greg Harrington, MS. They came together to create an educational label that would be distinctively Washington State and varietally correct.

The accompanying website is insanely addictive--mirroring the periodic table of elements (just as the wines' labels do). www.winesofsubstance.com

I recommend a highly disciplined approach to this particular field of study. If only college chem had been this much fun.