Washington Cider Week, Tacoma Style

Washington Cider Week, Tacoma Style
  • So…I’m a little behind this week. I meant to post this last week, so as to give you enough time to appropriate plan all of your cider activities. But there’s still time! It’s officially Washington Cider Week, September 5-15th. And the good news is, it’s actually longer than a week. Those smart cider people sure know what they’re doing. There are all kinds of fun cider-related events going on this week. If you love cider as much as I do, you’ll want to get to an event, or at least pick up one of your favorite local ciders to celebrate. I know I’ll be imbibing…in fact, I need one right now. It’s Monday, that’s reason enough.Check out all the Washington Cider Week events on their website, but here are some Tacoma-area cider activities to wet your whistle:
  • Pint Defiance Events
    Get daily cider tastes of all your local favorites, and stop by on Sunday, September 15 for a Sunday Cider Sampler from 11:30-4 p.m. to taste ciders from all over the country.
  • Events and Ciders on Tap at the Red Hot 
    Tue Sept 10th, 5 p.m.
    Whitewood Cider Co.
    Tap List:
    1. Old Fangled Heirloom Blend (100% WA grown blend of Jonathan, McIntosh, Gravenstein, & winesap. Dry & crisp w/clean citrus flavors)
    2. South Sounder (100% South Sound community grown apples, flavors of apricot & green grape, tannic bite)
    Wed Sept 11th, 5p.m.
    Schilling Cider Night
    Tap List:
    1. Schilling Original (blend of 100% Washington apples w/light dry hopping of NW whole leaf hops)
    2. Radler Session Cider (w/grapefruit & lemon)
    Thu Sept 12th, 5 p.m.
    Tieton Cider Night
    Tap List:
    *all Tieton Ciders made with blends of their own farm-grown fruits.
    1. Apricot (crisp, tartness of apricot, notes of fresh and dried apricot)
    2. Cherry (A well balanced apple cider blended with Cherry w/big mouth feel & long finish)
    3. Wild WA Apple (w/pineapple aroma & pronounced mineral quality that gives the cider a lively mouth feel. Notes of green apple & preserved lemon)
    4. Yakima Valley Dry Hop (aroma of fruit-forward nuttyness followed by a citrusy palate)
    5. Special Surprise Randallized Cider

Broadway Sizzle

Broadway Sizzle

I see a lot of food-related events run across my desk each month, and I try to make it to as many as I can. One upcoming event that has stood out to me is Broadway Center for the Performing Arts’ Broadway Sizzle, August 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. Following the event, you can choose to combine the dinner with a show and attend the premier night of the national-touring musical, Chicago.

Call me crazy, but it sounded like a great excuse to get dressed up for a memorable night on the town. The dinner will be at a communal table set up under a tent in the middle of Broadway. Chef Dustin Joseph has created a menu utilizing all local ingredients (menu below), and if you love food, it’s a delight to read (and equally good to taste).

I’m very much looking forward to attending the event, and hope to see you there! Tickets for dinner only are $75, or $150 for both dinner and tickets to Chicago, and can be purchased online. Ticket sales benefit Tacoma Free For All, Broadway Center’s 100 percent free programming each month.

Menu for Broadway Sizzle

Wine and Beer Garden
Braised pork macaroons, pickled sweet onions (Walla Walla, WA), apple jelly (Yakima, WA), caramel sea salt biscuits

Compressed watermelon (Hermiston, OR), thyme-chevre, aged balsamic, honey (Lakewood, WA / Spring Valley)

Dinner
(Family style)
Grilled corn (Puyallup, WA / Sterino Farms), cilantro aioli, cotija cheese, chile dust Heirloom tomato salad (Yakima, WA),  fresh burrata, basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette

Cucumber-kale-farro salad (Puyallup, WA / Duris Farms), goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, lemon-cilantro vinaigrette Heirloom melon cornbread

(Plated)
Rosemary grilled (Columbia River, WA) salmon, crisp wild mushrooms (Olympia, WA / Ostrom Farms), sweet potatoes, rose hip jus

Pesto grilled hangar steak (Niman Ranch), chipotle potato salad, caramelized onions, grilled peppers (Wapato, WA / Inaba Farms), aioli

(Dessert station)
Honeyed biscuits, cinnamon creme, macerated strawberries Roasted peaches (Wapato, WA / Pence Orchards), lavender (Sequim, WA / Purple Haze Farms), pistachio Chantilly cream

August Food Events

August Food Events
  • Savor South Sound
    August 1-August 3, a three-day event. The Savor South Sound beverage tasting event will feature five cideries on Thursday, August 1, eight breweries on Friday, August 2 and five wineries on Saturday, August 3. Tastings will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day in the Heritage Hall Annex at the Thurston County Fair. Patrons must be 21 or over to enter the Savor South Sound event.
  • Table For Olympia
    August 3, 4 p.m.-8p.m. Community picnic in the heart of the Olympia, on Fifth Avenue in front of the Capital Theater, presented by the Thurston Food Systems Council. Join them at Olympia’s largest table and bring a picnic, plus plates and silverware to share with your friends and neighbors.
  • Primo Grill Cooking Classes
    August 3, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. The savory cuisine of Morocco. $65/person, includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Call Jacqueline at 383.7000 to purchase tickets.
    August 24, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Summertime grilling: fish; meats and vegetables, $65/person, includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Call Jacqueline at 383.7000 to purchase tickets.
  • Pierce County Gleaning Project Film
    August 4, 8 p.m. Showing of food justice themed film, The Real Dirt on Farmer John. It’s a bike-in movie, so bring your finest human-powered vehicle and enjoy the movie and discussion surrounded by the garden in full bloom. Hilltop Pop Shop will be there with their awesome bike-powered popsicle shop, selling locally made popsicles. Free.
  • C.I. Shenanigan’s Bulliet Bourbon Dinner
    August 6, 6 p.m. Four course dinner paired with Bulleit Bourbon cocktails and prizes. $45/person, includes tax. Call 253-752-8899 to reserve.
  • Bayview School of Cooking Classes
    For each class, call 360-754-1448 to reserve.
    August 6, 6-8:30 p.m. Dinner on the Grill. $50/person.
    August 8, 6-8:30 p.m. All Fed Up Food Truck, $45/person.
    August 15, 6-8:30 p.m. Grilling with Barry Martin, $45/person.
    August 20, 6-8:30 p.m. A Posh Picnic, $45/person.
    August 24, 6-8:30 p.m. Hands on Grilled Italian Skewers, $50/person
    August 27, 6-8:30 p.m. Kabobs, $45/person.
  • Fermented Vegetable Class
    August 11, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Taught by Summer Bock of OlyKraut. Learn how to make raw sauerkraut and sample sauerkraut. Leave with recipes and instructional handouts. Register online.
  • A World of White Wine Benefit Dinner
    August 24, 5 p.m. A four-course dinner, plus passed appetizers, paired with white wines. Proceeds benefit Clover Park Technical College’s Culinary Arts Programs. Tickets are $95/person and must be purchased ahead of time. Purchase tickets online.
  • Harvest Potluck Event
    August 24, noon to 4 p.m. Food, music, games for kids at the Gallucci Learning Garden Plaza. Free.
  • Tacoma Food Coop 2nd Anniversary Party
    August 25, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Greet local farmers and connect with local businesses. Sample beer, wine and other fantastic treats. Take a self-guided tour of the store, learn what’s new in the co-op. Free.
  • Broadway Sizzle
    August 31, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Picture 150 people dining at a jovial communal table under an elegantly appointed tent on Broadway. Chef Dustin Joseph will create a “Scratch American” upscale picnic to showcase local ingredients picked at the peak of the season. Broadway Sizzle will “Razzle Dazzle” you with lively entertainment, farm-fresh produce, craft brews, artisan cheeses, award-winning wines, and gourmet products of all kinds. Then, move into the gorgeous Pantages Theater for “All That Jazz”—the glorious national touring musical Chicago. Tickets for the dinner only are $75, or tickets to dinner and a B-tier seat to Chicago are $150. Get tickets online.

The Moveable Feast — THIS WEEKEND!

The Moveable Feast — THIS WEEKEND!

Tomorrow, July 28 from noon to 5 p.m. is the second annual Moveable Feast, my favorite outdoor food event of the year. Last year’s event was so much fun, and full of amazing food with a great sense of community.

Food trucks are the best way to try different cuisines in a relaxed, casual way without spending a bunch of money. While Tacoma does have its own unique food scene, in the past we’ve been noticeably short on food truck variety. Yes, we have great food trucks and now a couple of others for certain events, but we’re still way behind in the selection of Seattle and Portland.

This is why I love the Moveable Feast. For one day and in one place, you can choose from 38 food trucks/mobile food vendors and 7 breweries, all while enjoying live music and fun activities for the kids.

As if it couldn’t get any better, this year’s event has a new feature, the Made in Tacoma section, which will have hyper-local vendors like Lynnae’s Pickles, Little Eorthe Farm, Great NW Popcorn Company, Dry Soda, One Spot Jam, Libertine Tacoma salts and more. This doesn’t even include local Tacoma-area vendors Pampeana Empanadas, Barrel No. 51, Burrito Boy,  Choripan, Celebrity Cake Studio, Hello, Cupcake, Hilltop Pop Shop, Fleischkuechle, Ice Cream Social, Reciprocity Foods, Lumpia World and Rico’s Tacos.

You could almost put all the vendors in the Made in Tacoma section, which is awesome.

While general admission is free, VIP tickets are still available online for $10. It gets you one hour early entry to avoid the lines, a t-shirt and parking. Last year, I did this and it was worth it if you’re trying to get food quickly.

I’m not sure which trucks I’ll visit this year, but I’m excited to see some new-to-me folks like Jemil’s Big Easy, Tokyo Dog and the Box on Wheels. Check out the full list of vendors on their site and make your plan of attack.

For more information, check out the article I wrote about the Moveable Feast for NorthwestMilitary.com.

Also, check out my detailed recap of last year’s Moveable Feast, with full food truck listing.