Art Restaurant at the Four Seasons Seattle

On my trip to Seattle, I didn't realize just how much of the city seems to shut down relatively early. By relatively "early" I mean early for someone more accustomed to the nightlife in to so-called city that never sleeps (New York)- So I made a critical mistake- I was killing time, and waiting to decide where to eat. When 10pm rolled around, and I still had not eaten, I was left with few choices, so I went back to my hotel and ordered room service from the attached restaurant instead of searching for a late-night bite in an unfamiliar city only a few hours after arriving.

Octopus Salad and Mussels at the Good Dog Bar, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia is a city with a tough image. Many areas within it's sprawling borders are filled with old buildings that look like they have been slowly crumbling for decades, juxtaposed against a more modern downtown area. You get a sense of age from the place- similar to what you would see in Manhattan, and you also see the newer, more ambitious construction. Philadelphia is clearly a city with one foot in the old, and traditional, and one foot in the new and forward-looking. This combination of opposites seems to be fertile ground for good food - the kind that innovates and takes risks, while remaining respectful of the underlying traditions behind the food. Last time I was in Philadelphia on business, a tip from an old friend led me to a small pub and restaurant that captured that idea perfectly - the Good Dog Bar and Restaurant.

Labor Day Picnic at VFW Post 7164 - Avenel, NJ

Our food adventure for the weekend was a family trip to the annual Labor Day Weekend picnic at a nearby VFW post in Avenel, New Jersey. We've been going to this picnic for the past several years, and they always have plenty of simple, but good food to go around. This year, I made an effort to sample a little of everything- not that I consider that a hardship...

Simple Fresh Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad served with a light lunch

As a kid, vegetables of any kind (even ones that were actually a fruit...) were a hard sell. There were few that I would eat, and it was nearly impossible to convince me otherwise, unless you dumped a gallon of cheese sauce on it. I also came from a family that always had a backyard garden- so we typically had fresh cucumbers (among other things- I would actually pick and eat string beans raw even though I only tolerated them cooked). My mom used to cut up the cucumbers and make a very simple salad from them, that I actually liked. A big part of that was the fact that the cucumbers were typically picked about 60 seconds before being served- even kids can tell the difference between fresh, quality produce, and the cheap stuff that's been sitting around too long.  Here's my take on Mom's simple cucumber salad...