Salmon Fiends

by Erik Olsen on

Oh, luscious wonderful salmon. How often do I dream of gnawing
your succulent pink meat!

 — anonymous

Having spent a fair amount of time in the Northwest, I have a salmon fixation. Smoked, baked, turned into soup, fried,
grilled. Just thinking about it makes me want to head to Ivars (bizarrely, no
mention of this fishy institution in the piece). But would I be willing to do a roadtrip through salmon country just to
dine on this king of fishes? Why, yes I would. Absolutely.

But the writer of this New York
Times article beat me to it. Heading out from Seattle to Vancouver via the state’s backroads and through some of
its great little towns, the author delivers a hefty dose of Northwest history while keeping his eye firmly on matters
of salmon. It reminded me a bit of a shorter version of the Tim Egan classic (a must read for all bona-fide and
would-be Northwesterners)

The Good Rain. The article covers many of the great NW spots: Pike Place Market, Neah Bay and Port Townsend, Port
Angeles.

Makes me miss the Northwest right now, mid-July, when the palce is heaven on earth.

Those Running Bulls

by Erik Olsen on

Well, I guess we can all be thankful and heave a sigh of relief. So far the famous
Running of the Bulls celebration
has gone off without anyone getting
killed. Sure there have been some bruises and scratches, maybe a hoof print in the back or two, but no gruesome skulls
crushed or mangled bodies. Yet. There are still a few days to go after all. Actually,
one Canadian woman running in
flip-flops got injured (flip-flops? hello?), but she’ll be fine and now has a good story to tell her kids.

As usual, the wine is flowing and lifting the exuberant rhetoric to lofty heights: “It’s been the best four hours of
my life, and it’s only going to get better.” gushed one sloshed participant, presumably before vomiting on his
shoes.  As all Papa fans are aware, the festival in this northern town dates gained fame from Ernest Hemingway’s
1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. A fine book, historically accurate, but whose depictions of the event failed to include
modern nuances like brain-dead frat boys chugging Sangria bongs, or the
horde of
semi-nude protestors (come on folks, if you’re going to do it, go all the way!) who took the time to stride around
with their save the bulls banners held high.

The runs, which follow all-night street parties, continue daily, starting at 8 a.m., through July 14.

Hotel Monaco in Denver

by Adrienne Wilson on

Some sweet good-ole’ summer time memories snuck up on me recently.  Out of nowhere I found
myself immersed by childhood memories of splendid summer nights in Colorado and this
wicked little game I used to play with the fireflies in Kansas.  But we won’t go any further than that about the
fireflies. I noticed I missed those days, when I spent my younger years roaming the streets of the mid-west. 
All this is really beside the point, but as I became so consumed with possibly visiting my old stomping grounds in
Colorado and possibly apologizing to all those fireflies in Kansas I began searching for lodging. 

So without delay, the results of my searches give us today’s hotel pick. 
Hotel Monaco out of Denver, CO seems perfect for play, work or some
fun mid-western mischief. The place feels a little like home with its custom-designed furnishings
and rich interiors. You can expect personalized service from the staff at the boutique hotel as well as
complimentary wireless Internet access, and a complimentary daily evening wine reception. That sounds absolutely
swell if you ask me, but what’s even better is Monaco’s location in the historic 1917 Railway Exchange
Building. Located close to all things in downtown Denver, Monaco seems like a good option if you plan on
going.  Of course you might want to check out their website for more room information. 

Two Fine Shanghai Sites

by Erik Olsen on

China is booming. We all know that. And some places like Shanghai are becoming big-time tourist and expat
destinations. But a friend of mine who just returned from there said that it can still be difficult to get around the
country’s brightest, boomingest city, let alone to make yourself aware of what’s going on in the city re: music, food,
culture. Sure, you’re Lonely Planet
guide will get you so far, but having access to a couple of great Web sites would be immensely helpful, don’t you
think?

Well, here are two to get you started. Shanghaiist is a new site from the folks
who brought you Gothamist and all the other “ist” sites, and it provides tons of great info on the city and happenings
around the country. Another great blog site over there is Dan Washburn’s
Shanghai Diary, which provides a great expat eye’s view of the city. Both
of these sites will get you started as you plan and prep for your trip to Shanghai.

Pasha in London

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’m really craving Moroccan food right now.  Tasty lamb dishes in a bed of cous cous and grilled
Mediterranean veggies.  Yummm…  There is this place down the block that serves
fairly decent Moroccan fare for a good price and while I was looking for a website to order ahead for them I stumbled
upon Pasha. Pasha looks and sounds like a Moroccan culinary
retreat out of heaven located in London. 

The romantic yet cozy atmosphere is created by oil lamps and candle light dancing on the walls, the soft
trickling sounds rose petals in fountains, and aroma’s from dishes like lamb shank, beef tangine, and roasted sea
bream escaping from the kitchen. Your wait may come off as one incredible tease, a pro-longing of satisfying your
hunger, a painful delay of one of the most spectacular explosion of flavor your taste-buds have yet to experience, but
the wait is well worth it.  Least that’s how I imagine it to be as I have never dined there myself, but the
website with it’s menu and amazing photos of dishes certainly got my mouth watering.

Worth a look if you’re in the Kensington area.