Cafe Flora Adding Weekday Breakfast January 4

Cafe Flora Adding Weekday Breakfast January 4
Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls to Kick-Off First Day
9 a.m. to Noon

SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 17, 2009)— Recently recognized as “reader favorite in the Northwest” by Vegetarian Times magazine, Cafe Flora is kicking off its 19th year with its first-ever weekday breakfast service.

Beginning January 4, breakfast will be available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mark those calendars, because from 9:00 a.m. until noon on opening day, Cafe Flora will be celebrating by offering a free vegan cinnamon roll to each diner who comes in for breakfast.

Cafe Flora regulars and those curious to try Seattle’s favorite veggie restaurant will also have an opportunity to win free breakfast for two (value $30) on Facebook. Leading up to the breakfast premiere, fans are invited to name their favorite breakfast menu item in a post on Cafe Flora’s Facebook page to enter the competition; a winner will be drawn every Monday through January 4. First drawing will be December 21. To become a fan, click here.

As good for the planet as it is for the body, the Cafe Flora breakfast menu represents the best seasonal, locally sourced, sustainable and organic produce available. “Flora in the Morning” offerings include:

Fall Forager Scramble – ($9)
Locally foraged golden chanterelle mushrooms, crimini mushrooms, roasted butternut and delicata squash, fresh sage and Fontina cheese. Made with free-range eggs. With organic tofu, add $1.

Winter Root Vegetable Hash & Eggs – ($10) (vegan/gluten-free)
Pan-fried seasoned purple potatoes, yams, parsnips, yellow onions and red bell peppers topped with a horseradish-sour cream sauce. Served with two eggs over-medium and multi-grain toast.

Cranberry Chai French Toast – ($9)
Hand-crafted artisan bread slices grilled in a rich cinnamon egg-batter, served in pool of chai-spiced crème anglaise, and topped with warm cranberry compote and spiced whole pecans.

The new menu will also feature lunch items, available beginning at 11:00 a.m.:

Roasted Pumpkin & Wintergreens Salad – ($10) (vegan/gluten-free)
Hearty, seasonal winter greens tossed with gently-spiced roasted pumpkin and freshly shredded granny smith apples in an allspice-sherry vinaigrette. Garnished with cornbread croutons, fresh pomegranate and spiced pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Apple Sage Focaccia Sandwich – ($12) (vegan)
Warm sliced apples with herbed-pistachio pesto on grilled La Panzenella focaccia with sharp white cheddar cheese and crispy frizzled onions.

Roasted Cauliflower & Yam Pizza – ($13) (vegan)
Seasoned cauliflower and yams on a roasted garlic-onion base; lightly drizzled with rosemary oil and finished with spiced sunflower seeds and dried cranberry chutney.

Says owner Nat Stratton-Clarke, “Weekend brunch has always been outrageously successful for us. On Saturdays and Sundays, people are constantly lined up out the door, waiting for a table, so guests have been requesting for years that we spread out the love a bit.”

Cafe Flora’s award-winning menu features modern and sophisticated vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cuisine inspired by international culinary traditions and created with local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Accolades include Vegetarian Times magazine’s Dining Award for “Reader Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant in the Northwest 2009” and “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” by Seattle Magazine eight years running. Located at 2901 East Madison, dinner is served Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m. Lunch and afternoon menus are served weekdays 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (206) 325-9100. www.cafeflora.com Twitter:@CafeFloraVeg

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

icon Grill takes March Madness to a New Level with “Ultimate S′Mac′down”

icon Grill takes March Madness to a New Level with “Ultimate S′Mac′down”
Mac-n-Cheese Contest Encourages Participants to Bring Their A-Game

SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 9, 2009)—icon Grill’s Executive Chef Nick Musser is initiating his own unique take on March Madness with a contest to seek out new and unique ways to prepare this iconic comfort food. This January and February, talented home chefs are invited to enter their gooey-est, cheesiest, most over-the-top decadent macaroni and cheese ideas to Chef Nick.

• What: icon Grill invites Seattleites to submit their most original, unique take on iconic macaroni and cheese.
  
• When: Entries will be accepted January through February, 2010. The “Final Four” recipes, as determined by Chef Nick, will be featured on icon’s Mac-N-Cheese fresh sheet for the month of March.
  
• How: Not only will restaurant guests be able to vote for their favorite on the spot, but online voting will also be open to the public. Beginning January 1, 2010, entrants can visit www.icongrill.net to find a direct link to the contest entry form.

For more than a decade, icon Grill has been a trendsetter in a city rich in comfort food. Chef Nick’s classic dish, Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese, was just named Seattle Weekly’s #3 of Seattle’s “Top 5 Places for Mac and Cheese,” and has been featured on Food Network’s Home Food Advantage with Tyler Florence.

Chef Nick says, “I’m really looking forward to seeing how inventive people can be with this. I’m talking about inventive like a deconstructed version of mac and cheese… or maybe a mac and cheese cocktail? I’m just hoping for some crazy ideas!” So, whether the home chef’s version is dusted with truffle shavings, larded with lardons or baked with ribbons of apple, icon looks forward to finding the most original, inventive macaroni and cheese concept.

The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate, a bottle of wine from icon Grill’s award-winning list and a signed copy of Aroused Americana, which includes Chef Nick’s Ultimate Mac & Cheese recipe. All four finalists will receive Golden Macaroni trophies to be proudly displayed in a place of honor – perhaps the kitchen is most appropriate.

icon Grill, open since 1998, 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. Follow icon Grill on Twitter, @iconGrill. Call (206) 441-6330 or visit www.icongrill.net for more information.

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

FORGET THE MILK: COCKTAILS WITH MR. CLAUS at TINI BIGS

FORGET THE MILK: COCKTAILS WITH MR. CLAUS at TINI BIGS

Take a Sip and Snap a Pic with Jolly Old St. Nick

December 11, 9 p.m.

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SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 4, 2009)— Don’t tell Mrs. Claus! Before his trip around the world, Santa’s parking his sleigh atop Seattle’s martini mecca, Tini Bigs, for a night of drinkin’ and photo snappin’ on Friday, December 11.

Sip on one of Tini Bigs’ signature martinis (a Dirty Girl Scout perhaps?) and muster the courage to tell the big guy in the red suit what’s on the Christmas list. For $10 cash, Totten Photography will capture the memory and provide proof that St. Nick does exist with a 5”x 7” you can frame and hang on the wall. Why should the little kids have all the fun?

• WHO: Tini Bigs Lounge
  
• WHAT: Cocktails with Mr. Claus
  $10 (cash only) for a custom 5”x 7” print
  
• WHERE: Tini Bigs
  100 Denny Way, Seattle
  
• WHEN: Friday, December 11
  9:00 p.m.

Tini Bigs is located at the bottom of Queen Anne and the top of Belltown at 100 Denny Way, near the Seattle Center. Hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Food is served until 10 p.m. Recently honored by Food & Wine magazine as one of the “Top 100 Bars in America 2009,” Tini Bigs features its award-winning signature martinis along with Prohibition-era classic cocktails and globally inspired contemporary cocktails. The bar has been open for 4,750 consecutive days. To learn more about Tini Bigs Lounge, visit www.tinibigs.com, or call (206) 284-0931.

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Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good nightcap!

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

Dirty Girl Scout Tini
From Tini Bigs’ Big Martini Book

Ingredients:
3 ounces Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso vodka
1 ounce chocolate liqueur
Splash (¼ ounce) of white crème de menthe
Graham cracker crumbs
Heavy sweetened cream*

*In a jar or container with a tight lid, combine 1 part Kahlúa, 1 part rock candy syrup and 2 parts heavy whipping cream, leaving room for the contents to mix. Shake vigorously until the mixture becomes frothy.

Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour vodka and chocolate liqueur into the shaker. Add crème de menthe and stir. Rim a big martini glass with graham cracker crumbs. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into the martini glass. Gently float a layer of heavy sweetened cream on top.

Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant and Gig Harbor Rotary present

“Ho! Ho! Harbor Holidays!”

A Charity Benefit Featuring Fashion, Food and Wine in Uptown Gig Harbor

Thursday, December 10, 3 to 5 p.m.

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SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 2, 2009)—Deck the halls with fashion, food, wine and giving at Uptown Gig Harbor.

Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant is joining its neighborhood Uptown merchants and the Gig Harbor rotary to invite guests to Ho! Ho! Harbor Holidays! Thursday, December 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person with proceeds benefiting the Gig Harbor rotary. Reservations are required by contacting Sip. Gig Harbor at (253) 853-3020.

The fashion show of must-have-looks will come from Uptown retailers; festive cooking demonstrations by Sip. Chef Robert Green; beauty tips, product samples, and an appetizer bar and wine. Guests are also invited to stay for an evening of shopping at the Uptown retailers shops from 5 to 9 p.m. For a list of participating merchants, click here.

• WHO: Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant
  
• WHAT: Ho! Ho! Harbor Holidays!
  · Fashion show featuring Uptown merchants
  · Appetizer bar and wine from Sip.
  · Cooking demonstration by Sip. Chef Robert Green
  · Holiday beauty ideas
  
• WHERE: Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant Uptown
  4793 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Suite 400
  Gig Harbor, WA 98335
  
• WHEN: Thursday, December 10, 3 to 5 p.m.
  Reservations through Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant

The Napa-Valley-inspired Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant offers an approachable, global wine selection featuring nearly 70 by-the-glass choices, wine flights, and more than 250 bottles from the Pacific Northwest, California and around the world. The Northwest driven food menu comforts and inspires, and is sourced locally whenever possible. Locations include 909 5th Ave., Seattle 98101 (206) 682-2779; 1084 NE Park Dr., Issaquah, 98029 (425) 369-1181; and 4793 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Suite 400, Gig Harbor, 98335 (253) 853-3020. For further information, visit www.siprestaurant.com.

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

Participating Uptown Merchants:

Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant

Adam & Eve

Bloom

Chicos

Coldwater Creek

Elanden Gallery

Heart

Indigo Plum

J Jill

Julep Salon

Teaching Toys and Books

Barrio Introduces Late Night Happy Hour
Celebrate Early, Celebrate Late with Barrio’s Newly Expanded Happy Hour, and the Return of the $5 Margarita

SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 2, 2009)—Just in time for the bustling holiday season, Barrio locations in Capitol Hill and Bellevue have added late-night happy hour to help merry-makers get a little more festive.

In addition to bringing back the $5 margarita—delectably crafted with El Jimador repesado, orange blossom Muscat, lime, agave and sea salt—Barrio offers guests house made sangria, select wines and cervezas, perfect accompaniments to an irresistible happy hour menu of small plates and sweets.

BEBIDAS
Margarita ($5)
Sangria ($5)
Vino ($5)
Blanco, roja y rosa, del dia
Mexican Cerveza ($3)
Bottle or draft

ANTOJITOS
Housemade Salsas ($3 each)
Fresh tomato, roasted tomatillo-Serrano, or fire-roasted tomato-habañero with tortilla chips
Guacamole Made to Order ($5)
Fresh tomatoes with tortilla chips
Taquitos of Shredded Chicken ($6)
Guacamole, crema, escabeche slaw, cabbage and fire-roasted tomato-habañero salsa
Crispy Fried Hominy ($5)
Slivered garlic, sliced chilies and orange-chipotle aioli
Yucca fries ($3)
With chipotle ketchup

TACOS
Shredded Chicken en Adobo ($3)
Escabeche slaw, toasted sesame seeds, queso cotija and ancho syrup
Wild Mushroom ($3)
Drunken beans, arugula, laura chenel chèvre and roasted tomatillo-Serrano salsa
Pork Loin al Pastor ($3)
Caramelized pineapple, shaved red onion and cilantro

POSTRES
Churros and Xocalatl Chocolate ($5)
Cañela and sugar dusted fried pastries
Smoked Salt Caramels ($1 each)
70% chocolate and ancho chile


HAPPY HOURS
Capitol Hill: 3 to 6 p.m. daily
Sunday through Thursday, 10 p.m. to midnight
Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Bellevue: 3 to 6 p.m. daily
Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Barrio offers modern, Mexican cuisine with creative, classically balanced Latin-focused cocktails. Barrio Capitol Hill is located at 1420 12th Ave., Seattle, Wash., and is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. until midnight; Friday 11:30 a.m. until 1 a.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m. until 1 a.m.; and Sunday 10:30 a.m. until midnight.

Barrio Bellevue is located at NE 4th St and 106th Ave. NE, Bellevue, Wash., and is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. until 1 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. until 1 a.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, please see Barrio Restaurant online at http://www.barriorestaurant.com/.

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Hora feliz!

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

CAFE FLORA DISHES UP NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH

Local, Organic Vegetarian and Vegan Breakfast Buffet Steal at $18

New Year’s Day, January 1, 2010

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SEATTLE, Wash.—(December 1, 2009)— Back for a second year by popular demand, Cafe Flora, a Vegetarian Times magazine “reader favorite in the Northwest,” will be serving up local, organic and delicious brunch goodies on New Year’s Day. Starting at 9 a.m. guests can dig into sinful meat-free goodies like caramel pecan sticky buns, French toast and signature scrambles. Cost is $18 for adults, $12 for kids.

To see the complete New Year’s brunch buffet menu, click here.

• WHO: Cafe Flora
  
• WHAT: New Year’s Day Brunch Buffet
  Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options
  $18 per person, $12 kids
  
• WHERE: Cafe Flora
  2901 E. Madison St., Seattle, 98112
  
• WHEN: New Year’s Day – January 1, 2010
  9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Reservations are highly recommended for parties 8 or more. For reservations or additional information, call (206) 325-9100.

Cafe Flora’s award-winning menu features modern and sophisticated vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cuisine inspired by international culinary traditions and created with local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Accolades include Vegetarian Times magazine’s Dining Award for “Reader Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant in the Northwest 2009” and “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” by Seattle Magazine eight years running. Located at 2901 East Madison, dinner is served Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 5 to 10 p.m. Lunch and afternoon menus are served weekdays 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (206) 325-9100. www.cafeflora.com Twitter: @CafeFloraVeg

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

Cafe Flora New Year’s Day Brunch Buffet Menu

Fruit & Pastries
A variety of seasonal fruit and fresh baked pastries including:
Caramel-pecan sticky buns (vegan)
Cinnamon doughnut bites (vegan)

Salads
Freshly made salads featuring a variety of organic wild greens, house-made dressing and local produce:
Caesar with crisp romaine and fried capers (vegan)
Organic wild greens with raspberry vinaigrette and winter-spiced pecans
Organic wild greens with poached pears and crumbled Roquefort
Fresh spinach with winter root vegetables and an herbed-mustard vinaigrette
Marinated grilled vegetable salad
Sesame Asian noodle salad

Entrees
Fall Forager – Signature Flora egg and tofu scramble with locally foraged golden chanterelle, crimini and oyster mushrooms with roasted butternut squash and fresh sage
Flora Morning – Signature Flora egg and tofu scramble with fresh spinach, caramelized onions and chopped Roma tomatoes with fresh herbs
French Toast l’Orange et canneberge - Handcrafted Columbia City Bakery bread grilled in a rich cinnamon-vanilla batter laced with Cara Cara orange notes, dusted with powder sugar and served with warm cranberry compote and maple syrup
Potato Latkes- Traditional potato pancakes served with warm house-made apple sauce and crème fraiche

Accompaniments
Roasted Yukon gold potatoes
Cheesy grits
Braised winter greens
Black-eyed peas

Purple Café & Wine Bar’s Inventive Wine Cocktail List Goes Beyond the Spritzer

Purple Café & Wine Bar’s Inventive Wine Cocktail List Goes Beyond the Spritzer
Wine in Cocktails Showcased at New Bellevue Location

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(December 1, 2009)—Drawing on their vast cellar and the extensive experience of Christene Prentice, Director of Liquids for Heavy Restaurant Group, Purple Bellevue is introducing five scintillating new wine cocktails to their beverage menu.

The current cocktail culture boom shows no sign of slowing, but—sparkling notwithstanding—wine-based potent potables remain largely unexplored territory. Spritzers, Kir Royales, sangria and the French 75 have all become ubiquitous. But there’s a whole new drinks rage waiting to be discovered, and Bellevue’s Purple Café & Wine Bar is leading the way:

The Harvest Fizz ($9)
Gewürztraminer, Bellringer gin and Austrian orchard pear liqueur…
The perfect way to prepare you for the snowy slopes

The Montoya ($9)
A movie character that is forever etched in our minds…
Rich and exotic Spanish brandy, Argentine Malbec and a splash of Pedro Ximénez

Di Mora ($9)
Our wine director’s favorite… she insisted on this…
Bourbon, cabernet sauvignon, Fernet-Branca (yes, it will soothe your belly) and muddled blackberries

The Thymeless Kiss ($9)
You will not find this anywhere else…yet.
Riesling is the base here, with fresh thyme and green Chartreuse

The Karmic Sour ($9)
This cocktail is designed to give you goose pimples… hopefully, it will.
Chai-infused syrah, pisco (Peruvian un-aged brandy), lime, egg white and black pepper

Christene Prentice is the mastermind behind these innovative drinks. Prentice started with Purple Kirkland in 2003 as a wine bartender. She currently oversees all liquids for Purple (Seattle, Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland) and Barrio (Seattle, Bellevue).

Notes Prentice, “I wanted to bring out certain characteristics inherent to each grape, just as mixologists do with different spirits. Bolder spirits are matched with more ‘masculine’ grapes, and clear spirits with more delicate varietals. Fresh fruits, spices and herbs make these drinks a delicious food pairing alternative to a glass of wine.”

Purple Café & Wine Bar is a multifaceted food and wine concept specializing in an eclectic Northwest-inspired menu coupled with an extensive global wine selection, including 90 wines by the glass, wine flights, and hundreds more wines by the bottle. Purple is a two-time winner of Evening Magazine’s “Best of Western Washington” contest in the category of “Best Wine Bar,” and has been awarded Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence” and Wine Enthusiast’s “Award of Ultimate Distinction.” In 2008 Purple was named “Best Place for Wine Tasting” and “Best Washington Wine Focused Wine Bar” by Seattle Magazine. Purple is located in downtown Bellevue at NE 4th St and 106th Ave. NE, Bellevue, Wash. (425) 502-6292.Visit www.thepurplecafe.com for hours and more information.

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In Vino Veritas!

Media Contact: Kelsey Simmons
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757 / kelsey.simmons@randallpr.com