Purple Cafe’s Prosciutto and Squash Blossom Pizza

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Have you ever eaten a dish that surprises you so much that you can’t stop talking about it?

That was our recent experience in the Seattle area at Purple Café and Wine Bar.

In this case, the dish in question was simple pizza. It was made with a delicious flatbread crust. But the crust was not what made it fabulous. It was the prosciutto, squash blossoms, and lemon olive oil that took the ensemble into another dimension.

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Upon ordering, we thought this was just going to be something that would be kind of different but not very memorable.

We were wrong. The first bite was questionable. The flavors were so good and so amazing that we wondered if everyone was just so hungry and starving that this was the reason it tasted so good. But bite after bite, everyone agreed that this combination was indeed amazing.

The server informed us that this item was new to the menu. We think it will do very well if other diners have an adventurous enough spirit to order it.

Regardless, we are in the process of looking for a recipe for this pizza so everyone can make it at home if they cannot make it to Seattle  or Bellevue. Be warned, fresh squash blossoms are not easy to find.

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Purple Cafe and Wine Bar
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1225 4th Ave
Seattle, WA
(206) 829-2280
430 106th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA
(425) 502-6292

www.purplecafe.com

The Pop-up Playbook from Eventbrite

Our good friends at Culintro have brought to our attention that our great friends at Eventbrite (which we use for all of our direct event ticket sales), have created a nice how-to for restaurants and bars considering holding their own pop-up event.

The compilation is called the Pop-up Playbook, and collects the advice of several experts for you to use. (BTW, they did not call on us, which is of course an oversight since we also manage PopUpRestaurants.com).

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It also includes a Toolkit to help you organize your popup event, such as this Popup Report on ‘experiential dining.’

To view the Eventbrite Pop-up Playbook, go here.

 

The Big One – TASTEABLE CALIFORNIA Episode 50

 

We are thrilled to announce that TASTEABLE CALIFORNIA Episode 50 has been released, and airs on KRCB public television to 2.5 Million Households in the 6th largest media market in the United States, the San Francisco Bay Area.

Making it to Episode 50 is a major achievement, and we could not have done it without the support of the station, our team, and of course, the food and wine creators we cover.

ABOUT EPISODE 50

TASTEABLE: California takes viewers on a weekly tour of California food and wine creators and destinations. This episode enjoys poolside dining at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, learns how to make homemade mozzarella at Restaurant Lulu, tours legendary Scoma’s seafood restaurant in San Francisco, talks with CocoTutti about how to be a chocolatier, and gets a recipe for Warm Molten Chocolate Cake.

Produced by TasteTV, www.TasteTV.com

View the Episode 50 Intro Online (note: entire episode only airs on television, not online)

TASTEABLE CALIFORNIA television episodes 45 to 49 premier

Ceviche Project Pop Up Dinner Series in Los Angeles

 

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Travelers visiting Los Angeles this summer and fall are in for a culinary experience.

The Ceviche Project and DeLeón Tequila are coming to Skybar at Mondrian for a 5-part dinner series featuring 5-course seafood pop-up dinner and handcrafted cocktail pairings, taking place from Thursday, June 25th throughout July 23, August 20, September 24 and October 22.

Tickets for these affairs are available at http://cevicheproject.nightout.com.

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The Ceviche Project is a pop-up culinary and cultural experience that brings together people, music, and Michelin star restaurant–caliber ingredients in a communal and one-of-a-kind dining experience that features innovative takes and artful, never-repeated seafood dishes.

The Ceviche Project, DeLeón Tequila, and Skybar at Mondrian are teaming up to showcase Founder Octavio Olivas’ varied experiments with ceviche and its many variations, as well as tiraditos, oysters on the half-shell, and crudo preparations:  featuring fresh and premium offerings from fish and farmers markets alike.

While guests can expect culinary delights to be the centerpiece of their experience, Ceviche Project is a true celebration of all things summer in Los Angeles: one that brings together a unique mix of in-the-know locals and chic vacationers looking for something new and exciting to share during dinnertime.

Each dinner will kick off with DeLeón Tequila tasting followed by dinner featuring five new dishes paired with handcrafted cocktails from DeLeón, so each dinner is unique. Guests will eat, drink, converse, laugh, dance, learn, and engage, and Olivas will share stories about the origin and inspiration of each dish and paired cocktails.

http://www.cevicheproject.com