Falling into food

autumn crisp air brings my need to feed  / by sandee glib

I don’t know about any of you, but autumn is my favorite season. There is no guessing when it happens around here; unlike summer, we all know it has arrived because it is so very obvious. The first morning you step outside into the crisp air, it is like a slap in the face, but I LOVE it. This season also brings my need to feed. Maybe I am storing up for the winter? I don’t know, but the cool, crisp air causes a feeding frenzy, so open the floodgates, here I come.



My first stop last week was a wine dinner at Masa. This was my first visit to this South-of-the-border-inspired restaurant, and I was really looking forward to the experience. The wines presented this evening were from Argentina, an up-and-coming wine region I assure you is worth the research. All courses were quite tasty but were presented with a strange, tasteless orange oil drizzled on the plates. It made the dishes look pretty (it’s all about the presentation folks), but I longed for a slight dab of flavor. That aside, it was a terrific evening with my favorite wine being Torrontes, an aromatic white that smelled of flowers and apricots, but was dry and mouthwatering. Look for it!



My friend Mick dangled the next indulgent opportunity in front of me during the lunch hour last Friday. Now common sense tells a restaurant owner not to leave at lunch to go EAT lunch, but the lure of conveyor-belt sushi won me over. Blue Island Sushi and Roll in Federal Way is to me like candy to a toddler. It was not the best sushi or the worst sushi I have ever had, but it satisfied my needs quite nicely.



I think the best thing about this place is the immediate satisfaction. If you are lucky, the host seats you right away, and as soon as you sit, you can grab something off the rotating belt and start indulging — and oh how we indulged. Between the two of us, I think there were at least 12 plates of sushi consumed, and the whole thing cost only $28! I felt sorry for the poor schmucks that had to sit in the waiting area and watch us grub.



My next date with food was with my darling husband Saturday morning. Before we were married, we always had a breakfast date on the weekends usually at the Harvester or the Hob Nob. Nowadays, I usually bust out breakfasts at home on the weekends, but I heard about the “build your own” bloody Mary bar at Paddy Coyne’s and just had to check it out.



Paddy’s is the same as it is at night, cozy and warm but a short and sweet breakfast menu in place of the regular rib-stickin’ menu. I chose the Irish Seafood Frittata with a side of hollandaise, and hubby had steak with sausage gravy and red potatoes. My frittata was packed with scallops, shrimp and cod, with spinach, onions and red peppers. It was yummy dipped in the hollandaise sauce but then again what isn’t! I tried my husband’s sausage gravy, and it was tasty too (OK, get your minds out of the gutter people). Red meat is not my thing, but I’ll take his word that his steak was also very good. Next time I will try the oatmeal. I’ve heard raves about it.



Oh, I can’t forget the Bloody Mary Bar! Yeah, we didn’t do it. After our server told us the bartender would make it for us, my lazy Saturday morning attitude kicked in so I let her make them. Also, a good bloody Mary is tough to find, so I wanted to see if she could pull it off, and she did, with flying colors. My only other favorite place for a Bloody is Alfred’s Café. They use magic or crack. I’m not sure, but they are tough to put down.



Well if I keep this up, I’ll be the size of a house by November. Indulgence is only good if there is a balance, so I will be hitting the “Y” a few more hours a week than normal or enjoying the crisp fall air while running at the waterfront. And maybe while I’m down there I can grab a cup of chowder at Johnny’s or a slice of pizza at Katy Down. OK, must stop … now. Help me …



Eat out Tacoma. We need your love.



Sandee Glib has worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for more than 12 years as a server, bartender, cook and owner. Her opinions are expressly her own and she is always right.