If you use it often, you might consider growing it. It grow like crazy in containers. I got some at Swansons nursery 2 years ago and it keeps on going despite being neglected. (may be just a little early in the season to get it though).

I'm looking for recs on a restaurant in the SOMA/Convention Center/Union Square/Embarcadero areas with a small private dining room for ~10-12 people. It seems like many of the private rooms are intended for much bigger groups like 40 or 80 (and are $$$$). This is for a working dinner, so it is important to have a private space.

I see Farallon does have a smaller room and know it was a good option many years back, but how about now? Other places I should look at?

Thank you bizzwriter! This is indeed great news. I'm not in town now, but La T will be on my list as soon as I arrive! Thank you for your true CH effort to check this out!

Some years ago I found La Soledad mole paste in a small market off Clairemont Mesa Blvd. I think it was in the Diane shopping center by 163. Does anyone know if that shop is still a source for La Soledad mole? Or if not, any other suggestions for a source?

I got lunch to go from the Wallingford location a few weeks ago during the week. They only had the most basic items available at lunch (e.g., quesadillas, burritos), so I couldn't order any of the more interesting offerings. Not even some of the other antojitos (huaraches, tlayudas). I ended up witha quesadilla that wasn't even very good. Pretty disappointing. I'd be willing to give it a try at dinner time since the dinner menu is clearly more appealing.

Oh, it looks like I'll miss that since I won't be in town until the 23rd. Boo.

Don Carlos would be more convenient than a trip to Chula Vista. Are the Don Carlos ones recommendable? And do you have any info on pre-orders? I am, unfortunately, not in town until the 23rd, so either need somewhere with a reliable supply or need to commit site unseen, so any further info would be very handy. Thanks!

I am looking for suggestions for best bets for Christmas tamales (Mexican style). Tamales Ancira could be a possibility -- Yelp says they PB location in closed, though. Can anyone confirm this? Where else should I consider?

Soledad is amazing stuff, both the chocolates and the mole they make. It is worth a long trek, so you may wish to head over to Tacubaya and give it a try. Soledad and Mayordomo are literally across the street from each other in Oaxaca. The whole street was scented with chocolate love.

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Tacubaya
1788 4th St, Berkeley, CA 94710

Just reporting back -- at Interbay WF, $1.49/lb fresh or $1.99/lb roasted. They have loads of them but this is the last weekend.

Thanks for the tip -- I just checked out the WF website and this is the last weekend. The good news is that you can call to reserve a case for pick-up!

I have a stovetop pressure cooker and love love LOVE it. It will make quick work of any braise - carnitas takes top marks in our house, but you could also do a tagine, chicken cacciatore, etc. We also make big batches of various beans -- refrieds, frijoles de olla. Chickpeas too for chana masala or even for hummus. Saveur had a great (and very spicy) veg chili recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes...

As others have mentioned, stocks are great. I freeze the leftover bones from a roasted chicken and once I've collected enough craps of carrot, celery, onion, parsley, it all goes in the pot.

My favorite ... steamed artichokes -- 8-12 minutes means this is a vegetable I can eat on weeknights.

Thanks for the tip - I did order from them and the recipient was thrilled at the unusual gift, so hopefully it is good too!

Interesting, I had not heard of an artificial alternative, although I think "fake" or farmed civet coffee is probably pretty common. Well, I ended up ordering some from a website in NY that was rec on the General Chowhounding board and the recipient of the gift was thrilled, which is what really counts anyway!

Hi Seattle Hounds, I'm a new arrival here.

I need to develop a list of "go-to" places to pick up food to-go, or even delivery, and the #1 criterion is deliciousness, followed closely by convenience to Queen Anne (e.g., a combination of distance and parking availability).

A few weeks back we got some pretty righteous food at Tup Tim Thai, so it's on the list. Pizza seems easy to handle with Via Tribunali down the road. Malena's is OK, but seems more likely a lunch place than dinner. Would be interested in recs for other places to check out with bonus for ethnic options including Szechuan, Korean, Vietnamese, Greek, Middle Eastern etc.

I am aware that Eat Local is nearby but what I am really seeking is more standard restaurant choices, food that I don't have to heat myself. What other places should I have on the list for emergency weeknight food?

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Tup Tim Thai
118 W Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98119

Via Tribunali
317 W Galer St, Seattle, WA 98119

I'm looking for a source for kopi luwak / civet coffee and there seem to be concerns that there is a lot of "fake" kopi luwak floating around. Can you vouch for a source that would be available by mail-order? I would also be interested in recs for other particularly noteworthy beans that would make an exceptional gift. thanks!

Hi, Is there a good place in Seattle to buy kopi luwak? I am looking for some as a gift and in particular seeking a place with a good reputation. Thanks!

Agree when it comes to fish and anything fried -- we'll have to go back for those.
We got a duck red curry, drunken noodles, beef salad, and nam sod. All were delicious and traveled home just fine.

They made it just under the gun.
Rod Dee (Porter Sq): open today, hallelujah!

Confirmed: Thai food has arrived!!!

Steady stream of take-out orders coming out of the kitchen tonight (including ours) and a few customers eating in.

Diagnosis: Delicious!

Phone 617-374-9252. www.roddee.net The menu says they deliver. Hours M-Th 11-10:30, F/S 11-11, Sun noon-11.

Walked by today... signs are on the building. Inside is looking good -- tables and chairs are out in the dining area and 3 guys were inside chatting by the counter. Hope they get the paper off the windows soon and open their doors!

Actually Cooks Ill did hummus a year or so ago. Fabulous recipe - comes out great every time if you follow the directions.

Whole cumin too I think. We also had the mala and the herbal; both were excellent and a major step up relative to some of the shabu joints.

The Mexican food in Boston is truly pitiful. What would be considered the better options for Mex in Seattle?

like carnitas, cabrito, guisados, moles, that kind of stuff, not nachos or a pizza-crepe-taco-pancake-chili-bag

Mmmmm. Just had nasty pseudo-ethiopian food for dinner; this could be promising.

Bland. They don't even have teff injera, which ironically is sold at the Gourmet Express in Porter Sq as well as a variety of convenience stores in the area.
Fasika is a much better bet.

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Fasika
147 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145

Gringo, notwithstanding DD's report that A y O's tortilla soup is airplane-worthy, I have no current access in the forseeable future (1000's of miles). I am intrigued, however, by your report of UNAM publishing a bilingual ed of Los Chiles... Do you have any more info? Any ideas on how to get a copy (in the US)?

This is almost entirely unrelated but my supply of La Soledad chocolate and mole is dwindling and it makes me very sad.

I've had some respectable kabobs there for lunch, which came with bread, hummus, grilled tomato, rice, cucumber salad, etc. It was a while ago, though and now when I look at the menu they do not list the accompaniments which makes me wonder if they have scaled back the generosity of the lunch plates. The one time I got takeout for dinner was another story altogether. I got the fesenjoon which was one of the worst value-for-money meals I've ever seen. $16 plus tax got 3 small cubes of chicken in sauce with rice and nothing else. When I got home and saw that was all the food in the order I was astonished.

We happened to be there last night and they has the Chiles en Nogada as a special. Superb -- a much more refined version of the dish than I've had at other venues. A mixture of meat and dried fruit; the sauce is walnut-based. It was great!

I don't know the specific recipe you are looking for, but make granola a lot. The basic technique would be to mix together the dry stuff and wet stuff separately, combine and bake - I usually go for about 45 mins at 350, stirring a few times until it looks good. Dried fruit goes in once it's cool. Here are 2 great recipes that I use as a base and then adjust (type of nuts, fruits, amount of sweeteners, more ground flax seed or wheat germ etc) to my liking on any given day. Never had a bad batch yet!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-recipe/index.html
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Pe...