Seattle's best coffee is cut with maggi seasoning, miso and caramelized bananas
Plus: Help me find a good burrito!
Do we still say TGIF? (I’m just gonna say it) TGIF! (That felt pretty okay)
I’ve been real busy making podcasts and TV shows, and I’d love to share the latest with you!
On the newest episode of The Nosh:
I get to experience a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at Lands of Origin in Pike Place Market, something you can do as well!
And I visit my friend Yenvy Pham, co-owner of Hello Em, a fantastic Vietnamese coffee shop that serves the best coffee drinks I’ve had in Seattle (yep!). The sweet & salty egg whip topping is soooo dreamy — check out the menu! Yenvy is Seattle Pho Royalty: her parents’ opened the city’s first pho shop in 1982.
It’s worth stopping by Lands of Origin just for the African pastries, handmade by owner Meeraf Mamo. I learned that the pastéis de nata (egg custard tarts) I had in Portugal are also popular in Mozambique, where they are scented with a whisper of orange blossom water. Meeraf’s are the best I’ve ever tried!
The tasty food at Hello Em is conceptualized by Yenvy, whose signature Vietnamese/Pacific Northwest flavors show up in this bánh mì bouquet we got to enjoy after filming.
You can also observe Yenvy’s caffeine-induced feats of strength in this episode!
Five episodes are out now, three more to come!
This was last week’s, a favorite of the season:
And I talked about baked beans (A LOT about baked beans!) with Tony, Emmy and Grammy nominated singer Josh Groban, who is the sweetest, funniest dude!
Ok, now I need your help.
burrito noun
bur·ri·to bə-ˈrē-(ˌ)tō
: a flour tortilla rolled or folded around a filling (as of meat, beans, and cheese)
snob noun
ˈsnäb
: one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste
^^ That! ^^^ That’s me!
But it’s not my fault: I was born and raised in northern California! As a baby, my mother swaddled me in tortillas, all of our rivers flowed with cheesy, refried beans and when we got hurt, we bled Tapatio.
(Um, but honestly I mostly ate a lot of Taco Bell!)
It was when I moved away to college, to Chico, CA, that I became fluent in taco trucks and developed a fierce love of Taqueria Cancun Mission-style San Francisco burritos. When my parents moved to San Diego, I fell in love with chile relleno burritos, wrapped in yellow paper, and there are few things as perfect as a simple, Sonoran-style costilla burrito at Sonoratown in downtown Los Angeles.
When I arrived in Seattle in 2005, I had NO IDEA I was leaving that blessed burrito life behind. The first burrito I tried, purchased at a very legit looking taqueria, was tragically terrible. The rice was dry and strangely tinged with cinnamon and there were frozen corn, peas and carrots laced throughout. That was definitely an atrocious anomaly — but I have struggled to find a burrito I LOVE in the Seattle area, or ever really like.
But here’s the thing — I stopped eating burritos in Seattle a long time ago. YEARS ago. I gave up! A taco is a few bites, but a burrito is a commitment & I couldn’t take the disappointment anymore.
But a few weeks ago I had a thought: there might be good burritos now! And I wouldn’t know because I stopped eating them! And it’s not right for me to continue to trash a food that I haven’t eaten in many years.
So I’ve decided to go on a local burrito quest! There MUST be at least one fantastic burrito out there! Please send me all your Washington burrito recommendations. Here are my qualifications:
No wet burritos. I’m looking for taqueria and taco truck style burritos that are wrapped tightly in foil and can be eaten on-the-go. No fork and knife necessary. No sit-down restaurant style burritos.
I love squishy, soupy refried beans. I’m not a black bean burrito person and I strongly prefer refried or smashed to whole pinto. Bring on the lardy beans!
I like meat burritos, but I also really love the simplicity of a bean, cheese and sour cream burrito. But all elements must be perfect! Do you know where to get the perfect gooey bean and cheese burrito? I have learned to make them at home and will share that recipe soon!
The tortilla has got to be good! Whether they steam or grill, I’m looking for a chewy, velvety wrap — no dry tortillas need apply!
I like my burritos real squishy, with even ingredient distribution, where all the fillings basically become one & every bite is the perfect bite. This La Taqueria burrito situation is pretty ideal (photo by WhatGraceEats)
CAN YOU HELP ME?
Maybe your friends have an idea??
Happy weekending!
XOXO
RACHEL BELLE
Rachel, everything you described in a burrito could have been found at Casa D's in Bellevue (of all places!). Sadly, a quick search of the internet turned up this:
"After over 25 years in business, it saddens our hearts to announce that tomorrow (5/27/16) will be our last day open. We appreciate the years of support, loyalty, and love. Make no mistake, it is not due to a lack of business. We simply lost our lease. With hope in our hearts, we will return."
Another option to try would be Ooba Tooba in Redmond. I have no idea what the name means!
Good luck in your quest.
I trust that if/when you find burritos good enough to talk about, you’ll share that info.