SamSpade's Profile
Rec for an office lunch in Seattle (pioneer square)
I'm a fan of Gretchen's box lunches personally (part of the Schwartz Bros. Restaurants family). Their caprese is really tasty on the Amtrak Cascades line and I've had a boxed lunch with a nice roast beef (the Cougar) from there before too.
Buying sea salt in Seattle
I am a big fan of Redmond Real Salt from Utah. I have only seen it in the small shakers here, but it also comes in larger crystals and even a huge rock form. Tony Caputo, who owns an Italian deli and market in Salt Lake City, sold me on it with one of his cooking demonstrations.
Their Web site lists it available in a variety of small, local stores where I haven't searched for it as I discovered it in the Fred Meyer "Natural Selections" section. I really like the flavor of the product. It is a "sea" salt from the great Bonneville Lake that created the geography of that region as well as the Great Salt Lake present today.
I-84 PDX to Boise, Decent Food?
LaGrande is the best place to stop for chow!
I've heard the Chinese restaurant in town isn't bad (don't take my word), but I have eaten at the upscale American place in downtown as well as the local coffeehouse for breakfast. The latter has great baked goods (highway 30 coffee co).
The former is named: the Foley Station and they serve brunch on weekends and all the food I've tasted there is excellent (dined for dinner only). The chef is a transplant out of the Portland culinary scene if I'm not mistaken.
