Food & Drink (Events & Places)

Arcade Light (great cause, amazing local food & drink) returns April 19th to Pike Place Market

Arcade Lights returns April 19th!  I’m excited to attend for the first time ever! Proceeds of this event benefit the Market Foundation which supports low income folks in our area through a variety of human service agencies.

At Arcade Lights (April 19th in Pike Place Market) you’ll be able to celebrate local artisan

food, craft beer and wine with over 60 vendors participating.

Tickets are $28 in advance and $35 day of which gets you a glass and 10 tasting tokens (you can buy more at the event to support the cause event more).

There are a BUNCH of amazing local vendors participating – some that jump off the page to me include:

Savory foods: Mt. Townsend Creamery, Pampeana Empanadas, Uli’s Famous Sausage

Sweets: Kukuruza Popcorn, Portage Bay Cafe, Sweet Iron, The Confectional, Theo Chocolate, Whidbey Island Ice Cream Company

Wineries: Cavu Cellars, Naches Heights Vineyard, Terra Blanca,

Breweries: Fremont Brewing, Odin Brewing Company, Pike Brewing Company

Drinks: The Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Tieton Cider Works

Hope to see you there! 

Dine Around Seattle: Now through March 28th

It’s your chance to taste some of the finest fare Seattle has to offer, all while supporting your local economy.

Dine Around Seattle runs March 3-28, Sundays through Thursdays. They’re offering 3-course dinner menus of one starter, one entrée, and a dessert for just $30, with many restaurants offering a 3-course lunch menu for just $15.

Some restaurants I love made the list: Local 360, La Bête, Coastal Kitchen, Andaluca, Cutters Crabhouse. There are many restaurants participating that I haven’t had a chance to check out yet, and this is just the excuse!

Have you been to Dine Around Seattle this year yet?

Altos Tequila tasting review

Seattle Wine and Food Experience returns 2/24 + Giveaway!

What’s better than a wine event in Seattle? Next to nothing. Except a wine event with great tastes from local restaurants, of course!

2/12 update – special offer from SWFE: “Still looking for the perfect gift for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day? Why not grab a pair of tickets to this year’s Seattle Wine and Food Experience – we’re offering2 tickets for $90 (value: $110). Use code “CUPID” whenpurchasing! Offer good until February 13 at midnight!”

Seattle Wine and Food Experience is back this month: February 24th at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.  The venue large to accommodate all the local Washington Wines, regional wines (Idaho, Oregon, California), as well as spirits, cideries and breweries and more.  A wide range of fabulous Seattle restaurants and food vendors will be on site to sample great tastes. Discover new restaurants and vendors you may not have tried yet! Food and Wine, the perfect combination!

Here are some of my tips when attending this event:

• Get your tickets early (this event tends to be popular, so don’t wait until
• Check out the lists of who will be there (wine + other beverages and food) in advance!
• Make a list of food/drink booths you want to visit. I like to make a list of “favorites” (those I’ve tried before and LOVE) and “newbies” – always try wines you haven’t tried before, that’s a big part of what makes this event fun!
• Bring a bag! Sometimes restaurants and wineries will hand out coupons/tasting passes etc – you’ll run out of pocket room fast! A bag is always good to carry your water bottle with you too
• Drink lots of water! Hydration is key.
• It’s ok to spit or dump! A lot of wineries will give you an ample pour – this is so you can see the color of the wine and smell it easier – it’s ok not to drink it all! Your senses will diminish as you get buzzed and a lot of the fun of this event is finding wines you’ll want to buy later
• Talk to the folks pouring wine, but feel free to engage in conversation with them as you step to the side and invite them to pour for the people behind you. You can still chat them up while you let others listen in and sip for themselves

Here’s your chance to win a pair of tickets! First, leave a comment on this post stating a specific winery or other beverage or restaurant/food vendor you’re excited to check out at Seattle Wine and Food Experience. Then be sure to visit the rafflecopter entry form and enter to win tickets by getting credit for your blog comment, liking Seattle Pockets on Facebook and more! Contest closes at 11:59pm Pacific Time February 14th. Disclaimer: I was given a pair of tickets in exchange for this preview piece. As always, I only promote events I’m personally excited about…and I am SO excited about this event coming back. I had a great time last time! 

St Nick’s Winery Open House Weekend – Dec 1 & 2 – Giveaway!

On December 1st and 2nd, the wineries of Woodinville Wine Country will open their doors from 11:00am – 4:00pm for the annual Saint Nicholas Day Open House. This unique holiday event invites guests to taste wines from over 45 of Woodinville wineries and meet the wine makers!

They’ve also set up a shuttle that will transport you from winery to winery. More details on that here.

Ticket price includes wine tasting at over 45 participating wineries, special coupons, a tote bag, wine glass and other items.

Participating Wineries to date:
Airfield Estates Winery, Alta Cellars, Anton Ville Winery, Apex at Alder Ridge, Auclair Winery, Barrage Cellars, Brian Carter Cellars, Bunnell Family Cellar, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Col Solare Bottega, Columbia Winery, Convergence Zone Cellars, Covington Cellars, Davenport Cellars, Des Voigne Cellars, DiStefano Winery, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Dusted Valley, Elevation Cellars, Eye of the Needle Winery. Finn Hill Winery, Forgeron Cellars, Gecko Cellars, Goose Ridge Estate Winery, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio, Kaella Winery, Lauren Ashton Cellars, Matthews Estate, Michael Florentino Cellars, Newhouse Family Vineyard, Otis Kenyon Wine, Page Cellars, Patit Creek Cellars, Patterson Cellars, Piccola Cellars, Pondera Winery, Red Sky Winery, Robert Ramsay Cellars, Silver Lake Winery, Tefft Cellars, Two Vintners , Vortex Cellars, Woodinville Wine Cellars, XSV Winery.

So many to visit!

Leave a comment below for one way to enter (mention one of the wineries you’re excited to visit), then click here to enter via Facebook and Twitter for more chances to win!

2013 International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle + discount for bloggers!

The International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) is taking place in Seattle in 2013!

I’m signed up to attend and, thanks to my blogger friend Kristen of Kristen Pot Pie, was able to sign up at a discounted rate! Instead of $395, if you are a food or drink blogger with an active blog, you can sign up for only $95 if you agree to write 3 or more posts about the conference on your blog! Pretty awesome deal.

Seattle Restaurant Week continues Oct 21 – 25!

Seattle Restaurant Week continues this Sunday through Thursday! With over 100 restaurants to choose from, it’s hard to decide where to go!  You can pick the 3 course dinner option for $28 and some restaurants are offering 3 course lunches for $15. Spoil yourself and go to as many as you can!
Read on to check out who caught Seattle Pocket’s eye, then enter to win a $50 dining gift certificate! Update – giveaway has ended.

Click here to see who is participating and click the restaurant name to check out their menu (3 options for each course, usually).

Top picks:

I used to hate soup. But lately, squash and pumpkin soups make me melt!  I can’t wait to try The Tin Table’s Sugar Pumpkin Soup  with  toasted pepita tuille, sage crema (one of their appetizer selections).  Keep reading to find out how to win a $50 gift certificate from The Tin Table!  I’ll definitely be swinging by their restaurant before the week ends to try this!

. 

I’m heading out to Marche for date night next week and can’t wait to try their butternut squash soup and Pistou pasta.  If you haven’t been to this newish restaurant (by owner Daisley Gordon of Cafe Campagne) you are in for a treat!

Palomino’s chop chop salad makes me so happy – glad to see that made their SRW menu!

Other restaurant favorites on the list include Cafe Flora, Barrio, Serious Pie, Chan, Crow, The Pink Door, RN74, Nordstrom Grill, and Poppy. What restaurant do you plan to check out?

Contest time! Enter to win a $50 gift card to The Tin Table! UPDATE: GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CONGRATS TO WINNER CHANEL R.

Enter each way if you like!

1) Comment on the blog a menu item from a restaurant participating in Seattle Restaurant Week that you are excited to try

2) Tweet “I want to win $50 to @centuryballroom The Tin Table from #seattlepockets for #SeattleRW http://bit.ly/seapock” (be sure to follow @centuryballroom @keridwyn and @seattleRW on twitter)

3) Comment on Seattle Pocket’s Facebook pagewhich restaurants you’re excited to visit during Seattle Restaurant Week!

Good luck and happy eating! Winner will be announced Saturday.

Disclaimer: I was given $50 gift card to SRW, an event I was already excited to share with fans, as well as the $50 to The Tin Table for my readers.  All opinions expressed in this post, as always are mine – gifts will never alter the opinions or thoughts shared on this blog. Full disclaimer,here

Revenge Premier Party at Henry & Oscars – Giveaway!

Komo 4 and Henry & Oscars (new restaurant in Belltown from the owners of The Big Picture) are hosting an exclusive invite-only viewing party this Sunday, celebrating the premier of Revenge on ABC.  They’ll be hosting cocktails and tasty snacks while guests tweet about the drama that unfolds in The Hamptons!

“Invite only? Then why the heck blog about it here?” you ask, with arms crossed and a pout on your face. Well,  KOMO has given us a couple of tickets to give to our readers to attend the event!

Here’s how to enter (you can enter both ways)

1) Comment on this blog post with something you love about the show

2) Tweet: “I want to win tickets to the invite only premier party of #Revenge #liveonkomo #seattlepockets http://bit.ly/PlnpW9 ” (or just click here to generate the tweet)

Enter by 11:59pm Pacific Time Thursday 9/27/12. Winner will be announced on Friday!

20something Wine is BACK – November 17th!

Save the date and buy your tickets now! 20something Wine is back on November 17th. This event is incredibly unique, approachable and fun. Wander the elegant Fremont Studios with glass in hand as sommeliers greet you face to face (scratch those stuffy wait-in-line booths, you get to interact with them directly on the floor) of bottles that are $20-something or less!  This is a fun excuse to get your vino-drinking friends together, learn more about wine, dress up and even hit the dance floor at the end of the night.  Local restaurants also join in to bring some delicious bites to the event as well. Facebook event page, here.

We’ll have more info on this event as it arises but tickets are on sale now, so start planning!

South Lake Union Block Party – August 10th!

Bites from local South Lake Union restaurants (including Cuoco and Tutta Bella) and food trucks (Skillet, Top Pot and more) will be served, with kids events, a beer garden and more. I’m particularly excited to taste and then cast my vote for “Best Burger in SLU.”  All proceeds benefit Plymouth Housing Group, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent, supportive and stable housing to chronically-homeless adults.    Event is free but food and drink are available for purchase.