Fresh in Ballard: GreenGo Food

[Note! GreenGo closed the end of August. Dylan, Heidi, and their son Cypress have packed up and moved to Mexico, where they'll run an organic farm. We'll miss them and their wonderful food but wish them luck on their new venture!] I’m passionate about good food but not so much fancy, fussy gourmet fare. Give me clean, honest, fresh ingredients produced by people who care about a quality product—artisans, really. All the better if the food is grown locally, without pesticides, in a sustainable manner that nourishes the land for future generations. Many upscale restaurants around Seattle and Portland now offer wonderful meals made with food from local producers. But where can you grab food like this on the run without overstretching the budget?

Just south of Market Street in downtown Ballard, a postage stamp-sized brick building sits alone next to a parking lot, dwarfed by sprouting condo developments. Formerly Patty Pan Grill, this spot recently reopened as GreenGo Food. (Don’t worry, Patty Pan is still at the farmers' markets.) Last week I notice a new sign on the building and walk in to see what’s up.

An attractive, wholesome-looking young couple is busy in the open kitchen behind the counter. “Welcome!” says Heidi, her rosy cheeks flushed as she looks up from tossing veggies on the open grill. A cute little boy asks me if I want to sign my name on the green post with a magic marker. (That’s Cypress, Heidi’s son.) Heidi and Dylan Stockman tell me they’ve been serving up savory food at a few farmers’ markets around Seattle and met while cooking at the late, great Union Bay Café.

“Our concept is sort of like a taco truck without wheels,” says Heidi. She mentions Skillet Street Food as an inspiration. Skillet Street’s trailer moves to a different neighborhood around Seattle throughout the week, with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal, and local fare. "Our motto is fast food with a conscience." They've developed relationships with local producers and are committed to serving and supporting local agriculture.

My first take-out meal from GreenGo is their daily special—a lamb pho filled with slivered vegetables and rice noodles, served with a split side of coleslaw and herbed grilled potatoes. Dylan tells me the lamb comes from a small regional farm. While I wait, he serves up the fragrant pho in a compostable container while Heidi grills the sliced small potatoes and dishes up the crispy slaw. All for less than $8. When I get home and take my first spoonful of the pho, I’m astonished at how complex and excellent the rich broth tastes. Really. It’s sweet and spicy, with hints of lemongrass and fresh lamb. My meal is healthful, inexpensive, and very satisfying.

Last night I swung by GreenGo and had the daily sandwich special – a grilled turkey breast sandwich served on artisan Tallgrass Bakery bread, with Greenbank Farms sharp white cheddar, caramelized red onions, and sliced dill pickle and a side of vinaigrette-laced coleslaw. When I tell Heidi I’m watching my saturated fat intake, she obliges and switches to olive oil instead of butter on my bread for grilling. “Want some tea while you’re waiting?” offers Dylan. He pours me a small cup of Enumclaw oolong. Yes, tea grown in Enumclaw by Rockridge Orchards, just 40 miles or so south of Seattle in the Cascade foothills. Spiked with honey and fresh lime juice, the tea is marvelous. I’m bummed to hear they’re almost out of this season’s supply.

Of course the warm sandwich is great. I’m not sure exactly what else is added to the onions, but their savory sweetness perfectly balances with the sharp cheese. And I’m intrigued by the curl of the crispy green cabbage slaw. How do they do that? Another good meal, again less than $10. Actually it was less than $7 but I threw in a decent tip.

Yea, it’s a tough time to start a business, but with such good food for such reasonable prices, I think GreenGo Food is the perfect recipe for a recession-proof business. Head on over to Ballard if you live in Seattle, or make a special trip there if you’re just visiting. You can take your meal to go, or sit at GreenGo Food’s cozy counter and chow down. When it warms up, enjoy your fare at one of their sidewalk tables. And hey, if you try their cheeseburger made from Skagit River Ranch beef, post your review as a comment below! (I haven’t tried it yet.)

When You Go
Here's a link to their menu. GreenGo Food is open 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. so you can grab dinner on your way home from work.

Seattle Teahouses: Zen Dog Studio—Serenity and Superb Tea

For the past few years every time I drive past the Zen Dog Studio gallery and teahouse in northwest Seattle, I tell myself I should stop and check it out. One afternoon recently, while feeling especially stressed out by an insanely busy work schedule, I finally decide to pull over and go have tea.

I’m so glad I did.

What I thought would be a quick 10-minute stop turned into 90 minutes of great tea and relaxing conversation.

This is not a teahouse where you park with your laptop, poaching free wifi while sipping tea at a corner table. Instead it’s a Cantonese-style gong fu tea tasting experience shared with the proprietor.

I walk up the steps of this charming craftsman home, pass through a bamboo portal, open the wrought-iron gate, and ring the doorbell. After a minute or so a calm, friendly gray-haired man with a fuzzy flowing beard welcomes me. “Hello! Please come in!” he exclaims. Larry Murphy is a retired architect and now nature photographer who has converted his home into a photography studio-art gallery-frame shop-teahouse. He leads me up a narrow back stairway into the warm, wood-paneled upper studio.

Instantly I feel a serene sense of light and space. Water trickles gently from a stone fountain next to a healthy green bamboo plant. Larry shows me some of his stunning naturescape photographs. Lovely long scrolls of Chinese characters hang on the walls beside the photos, inscribed with passages from the Tao de Ching.

Larry invites me to sit in a corner alcove with a view north to Puget Sound and join him for tea. He sits behind a varnished gnarled wood bench (his "alter to the tea"), and I grab a matching stool in front. Larry suggests we start with a fine silver needle white tea.

While talking about his travels in China, Larry pulls out a bag of tea from the shelf, pours some loose leaves into a lidded teacup (a gaiwan), and starts heating a pot of water on a small burner. Next he sets out two very small handle-less teacups on a wooden tray and pours the almost boiling water into the gaiwan. “I’m offering the first taste to the Buddha,” says Larry as he pours the tea out over a small ceramic Buddha on the tray.

After brewing more tea in the gaiwan and letting it steep for a moment, Larry pours some into the tiny cups. “Do you like this tea?” he asks. The light, crisp tea is smooth and soothing. We talk until we finish the first pot. Larry’s an interesting guy and attentive host. I keep on making noises about having to leave and go work, but he gently urges me “Oh, you must stay and try more tea, relax.” I learn he’s well-connected in the local community of Chinese tea proprietors and artists. I also learn he helped a young boy in China get treatment for leukemia.

Next we try a couple Chinese red teas, including Bi Luo Chun Hong, a complex, winey, and slightly sweet tea that’s only harvested once a year.

“Gong fu is a ritual style of serving tea. It’s about being mindful of the process” Larry tells me. He shows me some little clay Yixing teapots that are traditionally used for gong fu-style tea. “Some say that over the years the pots become so seasoned that you don’t even need to add the tea leaves to brew a cup!” he says, “And you always have a different pot for each kind of tea.”

My heavy sighs of stress gradually diminish by the third pot of tea. I’m almost afraid to buy some to take home, thinking it can’t possibly taste as good without this Buddha man mindfully serving me in his tranquil, well-lit studio. I finally leave after buying one of Larry’s beautiful photos—a waterfall in China—which I’ve placed on my desk as a reminder to relax, breathe deep, and enjoy fine Chinese tea.

When You Go
Zen Dog Studio is on Northwest 85th Street between 24th Avenue Northwest and 15th Avenue North at the northern edge of Ballard in Seattle. Look for the red sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of the house, and park in front on the street. Don’t give up if the front gate looks closed and no one answers the door instantly. Just ring the doorbell and wait a minute. It’s worth it.

Portland Overnight: A Quick Weekend in the City

Anytime of year Portland is a fun city, so don’t put off your weekend in town just because it’s winter. Too many months have passed since my last trip to Portland, so last weekend I dash down for an overnight. What can you do during a quick overnight trip? Plenty.

Saturday Morning
I-5 is smooth sailing when I leave Seattle at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. I know it sounds brutal to some of you, but a morning drive is much faster than the Friday evening “slog” from Seattle to Portland along the I-5 corridor.

I’m meeting some girlfriends for breakfast at Mother’s Bar & Bistro in Old Town in downtown Portland. On a weekend morning, the line for a table can wind halfway down the block. Since I’m late and my friends are already seated, I scoot right in past the clumps of people waiting in the entrance area. With a name like Mother’s, think comfort food. And big portions. “You’ve got to taste this!” says Karen, pushing her plate in my direction. My huge bowl of oatmeal is okay, but Karen’s French toast dipped in corn flakes is what I wish I’d ordered. Sounds odd but it works—sweet, soft, yet crunchy. Becky’s frittata is cheesy and perfectly cooked. I don’t taste Kathy’s eggs Benedict, but I notice she cleans her plate.

Saturday Afternoon
Next I head to Troutdale, gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, to visit my mom. When I step out of the car, a gust of East Wind hits me. As much as I hated how the wind chapped my hands and legs walking home from school, I’m happy to feel its clarifying chill again.

Troutdale got a facelift about a dozen years ago, and now the main (and only) street through downtown has some stop-worthy shops. I duck into Troutdale General Store to grab a sandwich. The General Store serves up old-fashioned scoops of ice cream, good sandwiches, all the candy you’d care to eat and more. I even find a birthday gift for my nephew while I’m waiting for my tuna on whole wheat. Be sure to grab a latte at the in-store cafe and browse though Celebrate Me Home, a home store stuffed with oversized, elegant lodge-style furniture, cool home accessories, note cards, and fine papers.

Late afternoon I drive back to downtown Portland to check into my room at Ace Hotel on the edge of the Pearl District. I hear that the Ace is the place for hip, creative types. Indeed the clientele is decidedly sub-40 and casually chic. The high-ceiling lobby opens on one side to a Stumptown Coffee shop and on the other to Clyde Common restaurant.

Ace’s look is a blend of contemporary minimalist in an old 1920-era building. The former Clyde Hotel was stripped down and renovated in a spare but comfortable style—long hallways, mostly whitewashed walls, polished wood floors, simple but comfortable furnishing. If you’re not out clubbing all night and want some sleep, ask for earplugs at the front desk. They’ve got plenty. The pillows are also too big for my taste. When I mention it at checkout, the young concierge tells me “Next time pull the pillow out of its case and it’ll smooth down.”

Parking can problematic near the Ace if you don’t want to drop $20 for valet service. I was lucky to find a metered spot on the street a block away late Saturday afternoon and didn’t have to move it on Sunday morning.

But the best thing about the Ace is its location. Can you get any better than being just a block from Powell’s Books? Not in my book. More than one lofty source has called Powell’s the best bookstore in U.S., if not the world. I wander over and browse for a while before dinner, managing to escape with buying only four books.

Saturday Night
Since my hotel is so conveniently located, I walk the 8 blocks to meet some friends for dinner and movies at McMenamin’s Mission Theater in Northwest Portland. (I could have hopped the new street car for half the trip but I wanted the exercise.) For just $3, we get in to a double feature in this former Swedish Evangelical Mission and union hall turned cinema. Matt grabs three seats on the main floor below the balcony, and we line up to order drinks and dinner. The fare here is burgers, sandwiches, and salads. My tasty gyro sandwich is wrapped in a soft, warm pita accompanied by a good green salad. The only downside is the slow service. Larry gets his sandwich and finishes it, then my sandwich arrives and I finish it, and Matt’s burger finally arrives 45 minutes after placing his order.

After the movies we stop by the historic Heathman Hotel’s Marble Bar for drinks. This street-level space is right off the main entrance on Broadway in the heart of downtown. “Can I see a dessert menu?” says Larry, who’s struck with a late evening sweet tooth. His artfully arranged cherry chocolate confection looks exquisite and disappears fast. I sneak a few bites of chocolate.

We make our way back to Ace Hotel and hang out on the comfy sofas in the lobby, talking and sipping drinks from Clyde Commons. When I head to my room after midnight, the restaurant is still buzzing.

Sunday Morning
Sunday morning the city is covered with a thin layer of fresh snow. Thankfully it’s not enough to mess up the roads. My brother and his wife meet me for breakfast next to the hotel at Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen (where I coincidentally bump into a friend from Seattle). This classic New York-style Jewish deli is sunny and spacious, with exposed brick walls, friendly service, and fresh, oversized bagels. My poached egg is cooked just right, and the huge schmear of cream cheese served with my bagel could spread a dozen bagels.

After another trip over to Powell’s Books, I stop in Stumptown Coffee and pick up a fresh berry scone for the road. Forget Starbuck’s and their mass-produced baked goods—Stumptown offers truly excellent and freshly baked local pastries, muffins, and scones that are worth the calories. By noon I’m on my way back north to Seattle. Next time I’ll stay another night and leave more time for Powell’s.

When You Go
My single room with a private shower at the Ace Hotel is $135, which is moderately priced for downtown Portland. You can dowload a map of downtown Portland or pick up a freebie map of downtown at Powell's Books on Burnside.

Squak Mountain: Hiking through the Winter

Normally Seattle area hikers go to the Issaquah Alps for winter hiking to avoid snow-covered trails in the higher Cascades. But this hasn’t been a normal year.

A few weeks ago I joined Blue Heron Zen for a silent meditation hike on 2,024-foot-high Squak Mountain, just a few minutes southwest of downtown Issaquah in the Cascade foothills. For being so close to a major metropolitan area, Squak’s miles of lovely forest trails are relatively uncrowded. Today we see only two other hikers. On a weekend last summer, we saw only four others.

Squak Mountain became a state park in 1972 when the Bullitt family donated almost 600 acres at the top of the mountain with the provision that the land remain in a natural state. Years ago the mountain was logged and used for coal mining. Since then, the forest has regenerated to a lush temperate rainforest. Today you can still see remnant stumps of the huge old cedar and Douglas fir trees that used to mantle the mountain.

“You’re going to hit pretty deep snow soon and lots of downed trees,” says a woman hiking down the mountain as we head up. “Expect lots of potty-mouth moments as you sink into the snow and crawl over and under trees across the trail.” Since this is a silent hike, they’ll be potty-mouth thoughts instead.

After about 40 minutes hiking upward, the trail is covered in slick, packed snow. After an hour, branches of the Douglas fir and hemlock trees along the trail are weighted down with a thick crust of snow. I have to step carefully into the sunken footsteps of those ahead of me to avoid sinking up to my knees. I’m wishing I’d strapped on snow shoes and gaiters.

But it’s beautiful out here in the quiet winter forest glazed in white. And light despite the steel gray clouds overhead. A blanket of snow always brightens up the landscape, no matter what time of day.

About halfway into our planned loop, the footsteps on the trail stop. No one has ventured farther in this deep snow. Our hike leader Anita decides to call a meeting and break the silence. “We’re a little less than halfway, but I wanted to see how everyone is doing and whether we want to continue.” Some of us are noncommittal, but Jeff speaks up and we’re all glad he did. “I’m sinking deeper than everyone else with each step. There are potential dangers.” We decide breaking trail in the waning afternoon light wouldn’t be wise and head back down.

Since I was on Squak, a heavy rainstorm melted most of the snow I encountered. Be careful out there anyway!

When You Go
There are several trailheads to Squak Mountain:
Leave from the Issaquah Trail Center at 110 S.E. Bush St. in Issaquah. To get there, head east on Interstate 90 to Exit 17 in Issaquah. Go south on Front Street for .8 mile and turn left on Bush Street. The Trail Center is a block and a half ahead on the left. Parking is available on the street.

To pick up the Squak Mountain Access Trail, walk west on Bush Street to Front Street and after crossing the street, head left for a block to Newport Way. Go right and just ahead to Wildwood Boulevard. The gravel road (just ahead on the left) that follows the creek is the Squak Mountain Access Trail. It heads south for about 2 miles, eventually hooking up with the East Ridge Trail.

West Access Trailhead: Go east on I-90 to Exit 15, just west of Issaquah. Head south on Highway 900 for 2.5 miles to a small gravel parking lot on your left.

Squak Mountain State Park: Go east on I-90 to Exit 15, just west of Issaquah. Head south on Highway 900 for 4 miles to Southeast May Valley Road and turn left. The park entrance is 2.6 miles ahead on the left. There is a $5 day-use fee for parking. Green Trails Map, Cougar Mountain Squak Mountain 203S

Kicking and Gliding into the New Year

Our ski season was a little late getting started this year, but it heated up to full boil quickly. With several big snowfalls in the Cascades the last month, Northwest skiers and riders are out shredding and gliding in the new year. Where are some good spots to get started?

I like to warm up gradually my first few times out each season. This year my first trip to the mountains is to cross-country ski on the Iron Horse Trail just east of Snoqualmie Pass.

The section of this 110-mile-long former railroad/now recreational trail that runs along Keechelus Lake is kick-and-glide and skating heaven. Starting at an old train depot below present-day Hyak*, you can ski over 15 miles out and back on a wide, tracked and groomed, mostly flat trail. (My late aunt remembered taking the ski train from Seattle up here to ski at the long-gone Milwaukee Ski Bowl.)

When we pull into the parking area a little after 9:30 a.m., less than a dozen vehicles are in the lot. We’re ahead of the crowds. It’s snowing lightly and a chilly 22 degrees. After a pit stop in the heated bathrooms in the converted train depot, we’re off to the groomed track trail.

With a fresh layer of light snow atop a decent base, skiing today is smooth and fast. After a half mile or so, we start getting glimpses of the slate gray lake to our left as we’re headed east. We pass through corridors of tall evergreens encrusted with a thick layer of snow.

A couple miles from the parking lot, a bathroom lies just off the trail. This is a perfect stop for 5-year-old Lena, the youngest in our group today. In years past we’ve skied down off the trail and had lunch at the picnic table nearby, but today it’s obscured by a thick blanket of snow.

“Let’s ski to the avalanche zone and then think about lunch,” says Mark. We ski a few more miles and reach a sign on the trail warning that we’re entering an avalanche and rockslide zone.

With an early melt and freeze atop the base layer of snow this season, Cascade slopes will be more prone than usual to avalanches throughout the winter and spring. Along the lake in the avalanche zone, the slope just above the trail stretches about 30 feet up to the treeline.

Those of us in the lead decide to proceed with caution. After I turn around and head back, a man skiing past me points to the slope just 10 feet to my left and says “This looks like it could let loose any time.” I glance over and realize, yikes! He’s right. Something about the heavy set of the thick snow on the short but steep slope looks ominous. (I bet after the heavy rainstorm a couple days ago these slopes did slide.)

When we all meet up at a spot overlooking Keechelus Lake for lunch, Mark and John pull out their avalanche shovels and dig us a bench in the snow just off the trail. We pull out tarps and sit pads, and out come the thermos of hot tea, sandwiches, and leftover Christmas goodies.

On the way back I decide to pick up my pace a bit for the exercise. Lucky Lena gets towed by her parents, so they get good exercise regardless of their slower pace. By the time we get back to the parking lot at 2 p.m., it’s packed with cars and families using the sledding hill just north of the lot. Good time to head out.

When You Go
The Iron Horse Trail is also called the John Wayne Trail. Heading east on I-90, take the Hyak exit (Exit 54). At the bottom of the exit take a left before the entrance to Summit East ski area and then a right at the sign to the Hyak Sno-Park. You’ll need an annual Washington State Sno-Park permit or you can pay $10 when you get there for a day parking pass. Go early! It gets busy after 10 a.m. on the weekends.

*Hyak, or Summit East ski area, was hit by a massive snow and mudslide this week, likely shutting them down for the ski season. This shouldn’t affect the Iron Horse Trail, but check online before you head up.

Happy New Year!

This weekend I'm finally getting out into the mountains for some skiing and hiking after the holiday frenzy. Look for new posts on cross-country skiing at Snoqualmie Pass and winter hiking in the Issaquah Alps in the next couple weeks.

Although we love it here, many Northwesterners still want a break from our long gray winters and head south for warmth and sunshine. Self included. So for a change of pace, take a quick break with me by clicking here to read about my trip sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortes in Baja California, Mexico.

Cheers

Let it Snow

Our unusually cold and snowy weather here in the Northwest has been causing travel snafus, but all that white stuff still makes me as excited a little kid. Out come my cross-country skis and Sorrel boots for jaunts around the neighborhood. Bring on the hats, scarves, and mittens. It’s a winter wonderland.

No time to write much this week. I’m a notoriously late Christmas shopper. The last few days I’m running around Ballard shopping like crazy, accumulating gifts for a big family gathering on Christmas.

Then there’s the cookie baking and decorating sessions. (Friends ask if I’m going to make my chocolate pepper cookies again, hint hint.) On top of that I volunteer to cook up a big batch of chili and host dinner on Christmas Eve for some friends and friends of friends. Gotta clean and tidy up. And of course I’m working this week.

I’ll be back soon with more everyday adventures. With the recent and upcoming dumps of snow in the Cascades, it’s time to hit the slopes. And my aborted trip to Portland due to weather will be rescheduled soon.

So hug somebody today. Ask yourself, What can I do to help? Then do it.

Peace to you and yours.

Happy holidays.

A Walk in the Park

You could say that Green Lake is north Seattle’s back yard, where we go out to play. In droves we walk, run, bicycle, scoot, or rollerblade around the 2.8-mile path encircling the lake. Sometimes we kayak on its surface or just watch racers sprint across the lake in their thin, high-speed shells. We picnic, practice tai chi, or just lounge on the grassy edges. It’s a utilitarian city park—heavily used, pleasant, always accessible when you need a walk and fresh air. But for one night each year it’s transformed into something special and magical.

When I arrive at the lake on this cold night, the second Saturday in December, snow is just starting to waft lightly out of the sky. It’s dark except for hundreds, maybe thousands of glowing luminarios lining either side of the paved trail around the lake. The effect is enchanting.

Instead of the usual focused runners and walkers, engrossed in their own worlds, tonight we’re all sharing the holiday spirit. Families and friends stroll, talking and laughing. Some have wrapped themselves (and their dogs) in strings of battery-lit lights. People stop and gather to listen or sing along with small groups of carolers and musicians interspersed along the trail. My favorite this year is the quintet playing medieval-style recorders just off the trail past the Bathhouse Theater.

I first discovered the Pathway of Lights around Green Lake when my brother and his wife lived just a block from the lake in the early 1990s. Since then a friend and I have made this an annual holiday tradition. Greenlake community volunteers fill the bottom of small white paper bags with sand and place a candle inside. (For the first time, the lights are LED instead of candles.) The bags are evenly spaced along the paved trail around the lake. On rainy years, half the candles go out quickly and the sopping bags fall over flat. But this year is just perfect. It’s snowing!

After walking, listening, a little singing, and getting cold despite being bundled up, we decide it’s time for a hot drink. Mab and I head to Chocolati’s Greenlake Cafe just across the street on the north side of the lake. We luck out and hit this cozy sweet spot when the line isn’t too long. My hot cocoa is creamy and rich. Mab’s decaf mocha smells divine.

Pretty soon I bump into a co-worker and her fiancee. Not long after that Mab’s brother David sees us while walking by and comes into the shop. I love that this big city really feels like a small town sometimes. It’s nights like this that make it a community.

When You Go
Mark your calendar for the second Saturday in December next year to catch the Pathway of Lights. The event officially runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wear your walking shoes and come prepared for the weather. Chocolati is one of numerous coffee shops or eateries around the lake where you can stop to warm up.