A Cup of Joe at the Center of the Universe with Freemont Coffee Company

Pin-Ups on Tour's Caitlin Comeskey

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to be Seattle a few months ago while performing with the amazing Pin-Ups on Tour and while there we were able to experience local coffee roaster the Freemont Coffee Company.

Freemont is Seattle’s funky, creative district where your inner child, communist or troll (living under the Aurora Bridge in this neighborhood) comes out to play.  So it’s only fitting the Freemont Coffee Company would embody the rouge unconventionality that this city embraces in totality.

In case you weren’t aware, Freemont is known to be a special geophysical local.  The locals will tell you, “Stay long enough and you’ll notice an odd gravitational pull.  It’s an inability to stay away, the overwhelming urge to return again and again.”  So in 1991 at a local bar, some Fremont Scientists determined the Center of the Universe to be at the intersection of N Fremont Ave and 35th St N, with the reasoning that this local can neither be proven, nor disproven. 

Suffice to say there was alcohol involved with this conclusion... 

After much politicking, cajoling the group was able to convince the Metropolitan King County Council of this truth and the group were able to officially name the Center of the Known Universe Fremont.  The official proclamation noted: Freemont is a State of Mind, no a foreign nation but an ImagiNation based on the freedom to dream.

So it’s totally fitting that the Freemont Coffee Company is everything but a corporate Starbucks.  Since opening in 2003, Freemont Coffee Company artisan-roasted, Fair Trade and organic coffees have become a local staple for those sipping-in or to-going out.  Housed in a historical home and decorated with macabre knickknacks such as bronze skulls and Bastets (the Egyptian Cat God statues) it’s just the right amount of funky.  

 

This shop is the one of a kind coffee joint where you can spend (or waste) an entire day.  Dogs abound, comfy chairs, and a wraparound porch that is perfect for counting raindrops, snowflakes, or those precious 58 days of sun that Seattle gets per year.

Freemont’s coffee mantra: Complex passion.  Simple approach.  The company meticulously curates each bean individually, roasts them attentively, and blends intelligently.   The results are coffees with distinct flavors reflecting their origin along with the company’s distinctive personality. Their skeleton inspired Boneshaker House Blend will perk you up to the point where you’ll want to shake, rattle, and roll the night away.  As an added bonus your guilt free conscious Joe is always served with a side of clever (one of my favorites was a sign declaring “Keep Calm and Pumpkin Spice Everything.”). 

So for the perfect bone shaking cup of coffee at the Center of the Universe, check out Freemont Coffee Company.

Here’s to life being delicious and to today being one of those 58 Seattle days of sun!   

Pho-nomenal! The World of Seattle’s Favorite Vietnamese Soup: Pho!

A few months ago I was lucky enough to experience on the classic dishes of Seattle while performing with the Santa Monica based Pin-Ups On Tour: Pho!

Seattle has a large Vietnamese population (large enough that there’s a section of the city called Little Saigon) and pho is known as the National Dish of Vietnam.  It’s absolutely un-pho-gettable!

 

For those not familiar, pho is a noodle soup consisting of beef broth, rice noodles, herbs, and vegetables.  It originated in the early 20^th century in northern Vietnam, and was popularized throughout the rest of the world by refugees after the Vietnam War.  

It’s eaten for breakfast in Southern Vietnam, while northern Vietnamese consume it any time of day.  Regional variants of pho are segmented into “northern pho” which normally tends to use wider noodles and large quantities of green onion in its dish.  “Southern pho” aka “Saigon pho” has a broth that is slightly sweeter and has bean sprouts and a greater variety of fresh herbs.

 

While in Bellevue, a posh section of Seattle, we were able to squeeze it a dinner at the classic What the Pho!  It’s almost a requirement that pho restaurants have pun-y names, some of my absolute favorites include 9021Pho and Absolutely Phobulous in LA.    

What the Pho!’s broth is crafted through their meticulous twelve-hour process of careful summering and a specialty blend of herbs.  This fragrant broth is then combined with fresh rice noodles, thinly sliced cuts of eye round steak, brisket and flank, book tripe, tendon squeezed lime, bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos, and fresh Thai basil leaves.  Since I’m a Veg I indulged in phở chay a vegetable broth version substituting anything from a cow for deep fried tofu and vegetables.  The result was a large steaming bowl is hard to resist!!!

 

To compliment my pho I (naturally) had to get a Vietnamese coffee.  The drink, served Iced or Hot, is espresso style coffee crafted with sugary sweet condensed milk.  With its strong bold flavor (this was Seattle...) balanced with a Nutcracker like sweetness, it was the perfect after meal demitasse.

 

So if you’re looking for a dish that’s Pho-ever Yum in the Seattle area, What The Pho should be on your list!!!

Here’s to life being delicious and absolutely pho-bulous!!!

Viva la Pizzeria MOD!

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow we though we would focus on the world of abundance and choice. 

While in Seattle Edible Skinny was introduced to the world of MOD Pizza.  Our native Seattleite guide, Julia Reed Nichols, noted that the Emerald City’s citizens’ viewpoint on pizza is similar to pretty much every other item they consume: I don't want to be like anybody else, just let me be my quirky self!

MOD, which stands for Made On Demand, brings scratch made organic dough and gourmet ingredients to a pie that’s cooked in three minutes flat over an open flame.  Guests can order one of the company’s Top 10 Favorites (such as the Calexico made of mozzarella, gorgonzola, chicken, jalapenos, hot buffalo sauce, and MOD red sauce or the Lucky Sunshine composed of mozzarella, parmesan, artichokes, garlic, and dollops of MOD red sauce) or they can add or subtract any ingredients they want. 

And the most awesome part, they are always the same price.  Always $6.28, no matter how many toppings you add or remove.

A pretty popular concept since MOD Pizza is now in 9 states and plan to have 47 locations open in the next few months!

CEO Scott Svenson and his wife Ally founded MOD Pizza.  The couple started out and grew Seattle Coffee Co. until its 1998 sale to Starbucks.  Svenson then served as president of Starbucks’ European division until founding the Italian-deli cafe chain Carluccio’s, which went public in the UK in 2005.  The Svensons opened their first MOD pizza in 2008 in Seattle’s Union Square.   "We were the first to bring together the best of made-on-demand, individualized pizzas with the convenience and value associated with fast-casual dining," Svenson says.

Svenson went on to become the CEO of Freestone Capital Management, the largest independent wealth and asset management firm in the Seattle market focused exclusively on the needs of affluent families before leaving to focus on MOD pizza full time.  Turns out a thin and crispy pizza's siren call was stronger than a good portfolio.  

And MOD isn't alone, 800 Degrees, Pizza Rev, and Naked Pizza have all be making waves in the world of "Fast Casual" Food (restaurants that blend the line between traditional quick service and casual dining concepts.  They are known to feature limited service or self-service, average checks between $8 and $15, contain made to order food, and have upscale decor).  So much so that the National Restaurant Association formed a new Pizzeria Industry Council aims to address issues specific to pizza operators.  

But what makes the Seattle MOD different is the ability to be your own quirky self.  Fun, fresh, and as much extra chicken (or veggies) as you want. 

Viva la Pizzeria MOD!

The Soul of Seattle: Pike Place Market

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to be in Seattle a few weeks ago (for the burlesque conference BurlyCon as one of Kat’s other profession is creator of the burlesque YouTube channel Workin’ the Tease!) and was able to check out the iconic Pike Place Market.  

  

Pike Place Market, founded in 1907, is one of the country’s oldest farmers markets.  Encompassing nine acres in the heart of downtown Seattle, the Market’s historic arcade, winding alleys, stairways and lower levels offer a multisensory experience of sights, sounds, tastes, aromas and textures. 

Fostered within the Market are year round produce stalls featuring the abundant variety of fruits and vegetables sourced from within the state and around the globe.  More than 80 local Washington farmers sell at the Market, offering seasonal abundance from their orchards and fields such as Rainer cherries, Walla Walla sweet onions, and Honeycrisp apples!

Pike Place Market houses dozens of specialty food stores that carry everyday and exotic spices, ingredients and products for nearly any kind of edible adventure.  One fun stand within this realm is Pappardelle's, a Colorado-proud gourmet food company specializing in handcrafted, flavor-infused pastas, sauces & pesto.  Described as the “Michaelangelos of Pasta,” Pappardelle’s craftsmen have been shaping colorful, flavorful pasta dough into edible art since 1984.  Their stands boasted such exotic flavor choices as Garlic Chive Pappardelle, Porcini Mushroom Linguine, and Dark Chocolate Linguine.  

And Hello Dungeness crabs!!! (Kelly was quite jealous on this one!)  Pikes Place Market’s seafood stalls provide an abundance of fresh seafood from Pacific Northwest and Alaskan waters.  The company Pike Place Fish Market is renowned for their crew of fish mongers who underhand fish to each other much to the entertain customers both in person and online (as they have a live web cam for anyone who wants to watch virtually).   Or if someone you know needs a grand gesture to remember the magic of the Emerald City you can now send them Pike Place Fish Market eFishCard!

Pike Place Market is also home to the Original (love it or hate it) Starbucks.  Starbucks actually opened one block north on Virginia Street in 1971, but moved to Pikes Place Market in 1975 when that building was demolished.  In the beginning they only sold beans, but began selling espresso drinks in 1987 when Howard Schultz took over the company.  Today, the store has become a tourist attraction with its racy original logo (topless mermaids) and has the ridiculously long lines to prove it.  

So whatever your reason to visit, next time you’re in the Emerald City make sure to check out the “Soul of Seattle” at Pike Place Market.