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Copper River wild-caught salmon arrives mid-May.By Tim O'Brien, Salty's SommelierSEATTLE AND PORTLAND – Salmon and halibut are here, wild and fresh as ever. If spring decides to make an appearance we'll open our "Funshine Decks" and begin living the great lifestyle that only the Pacific Northwest and Salty's can provide. May is not your ordinary month. We anxiously await the arrival of Copper River salmon from Alaska and although we hear there's still a bit of ice on the river, it is expected mid-May. This is the time of year when culinary choices bloom with spring freshness. The gifts of both the earth and the sea are vying for our chefs' attention. Wild salmon and halibut share the stage in our May featured entrée. Our chefs could not leave either out. Seattle Chef Jeremy McLachlan refers to the dish as Surf & Surf and as he says, "What better way to welcome wild-caught salmon than nestling it next to fresh Alaskan halibut?" On our market sheets you'll see it listed as Citrus-Marinated Halibut and Wild Salmon Brochettes with Sweet Corn-Studded Cheesy Grits (made like polenta but we use white corn), Charred Tomatillos and Pickled Peppers, Dried Andouille (a coarse-grained smoked meat) and Celery Salad. Chef says the dish has a slight heat element and will be balanced with a blend of bold flavors.
The Pinot Gris has melon and a touch of anise and mineral with a finish as fresh as the morning. Year after year this wine is singled out as one of Oregon's best. Firesteed is the leading producer of Pinot Noir in Oregon and the 2006 demonstrates their affinity for it. Although it's the most finicky grape in the vineyard, Firesteed makes it look easy with consistently bright berry flavors unencumbered by oak or excessive alcohol. Here is wine made with food in mind. Salmon and Pinot Noir meet in the crossroads of your palate in perfect synergy with intensity and balance. Surf & Surf, Pinot & Pinot, Yum & Yum. Make your reservation at http://www.saltys.com/reservations for lunch or dinner, Alki, Redondo or Portland for the perfect match for halibut and salmon, Firesteed Pinots, Gris and Noir. Buy Mom a $100 gift card and get a free cookbook for her, too.Dear Salty's Guest,
There are 69 recipes written in both Italian and English, side by side – 57 from Roberto and 12 from Salty's. My own personal recipe is the Clam and Mussel Risotto. Our cookbook also includes a description of Roberto's Tuscan villa Parco Fiorito, which was a 16th century convent that has been transformed into an organic farm and Agriturismo that we highly recommend. Our family has enjoyed our visits there touring the countryside, sipping at the wineries and taking cooking classes with Roberto. It is a magnificent place for you to consider traveling to or at least vicariously through his recipes.
Wishing you well always. Here's to Good Ciao with your family and friends! Kathryn Hilger Kingen, Salty's Co-owner & Cookbook Author! Mintz–her words.By Eileen Mintz, Public Relations Spokesperson for Salty's
Salty's in Portland presents Saturday brunches starting Mother's Day weekend. Make your reservation at Saltys.com for Salty's Weekend Brunch on Saturdays, too, starting Mother's Day Weekend, May 10 and 11.
The Portland Food Dude at PortlandFoodAndDrink.com (their byline is "Throwing Ourselves on the Grenade of Bad Food to Save you) lists Salty's as an outdoor dining spot. "It is the perfect place to watch the river traffic, water fowl and planes, plus the food is mighty good, too," says Bette Sinclair, Salty's Portland PR maven envisioning the good weather ahead. Visit http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?page_id=1224 for more. Attend an Arts West play in West Seattle on Sundays and bring your ticket stub to Salty's for dinner a free slice of White Chocolate Mousse Cake. For more about the May/June play, I Am My Own Wife, tickets and address go to http://www.artswest.org and be sure to bring your ticket to Salty's afterwards (Sundays only).
Alki live music.SEATTLE – Piano-Man Victor Janusz plays during Saturday and Sunday brunch at Alki. Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio plays Mondays and Fridays 7 to 10 p.m. in the Café-Bar. Redondo pop music.SOUTH SEATTLE – Please come join us in the Café-Bar in May. Here's the schedule: Friday, May 2 – Jonny Smokes Columbia live jazz.PORTLAND – Oregon Music Hall of Fame Inductee Mel Brown plays 7 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays with Pianist Jof Lee and Saturdays with his trio. Portland Keyboard Romantic Andrei Kitaev plays Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. to close. Go to http://www.saltys.com/reservations for reservations. Don't forget to buy a gift card for mom at https://www.saltys.com/gifts/giftcard.asp and receive a free Good Ciao cookbook if it's $100! April 2008Fresh halibut Nirvana.By Jamie Meade, Purchasing ManagerSEATTLE AND PORTLAND - Nobody turns fresh halibut into Heaven like our Chefs do. Try this on for sighs: A fillet of juicy halibut grilled and teamed up with wildly tasty purple fingerling potato salad topped with sweet corn and bacon-wilted spring pea vines. Add a dollop of Piquillo pepper aïoli and you've got Halibut Nirvana à la Salty's! (See http://www.saltys.com/recipes/entrees/halibutwiltedpeavines.asp for the recipe.) It's served for lunch or dinner in April only - just for the halibut. Prized for its delicate sweet flavor and healthy attributes, halibut has tender, flaky yet firm, white meat. A great source of protein and minerals, it's low in fat and calories. Where does this wonder of nature come from? Some hail from the Northern Pacific, others from the Northern Atlantic, but we serve halibut from the clear, cold waters of the North Pacific. Halibut are one of strongest fish in the sea. During the longest migration ever recorded, one was tagged near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and later captured 2,500 miles away in Coos Bay, Oregon. Most require a gunshot or more to kill them - be sure to do this before you get it in the boat! The classic smack on the head with a fish bonker won't get you anywhere with these beasts. In the North Pacific, halibut are among the top of the marine food chain with sea lions, orca whales and salmon sharks as their predators. Marine biologists tell us halibut eat almost anything that fits in their mouth - octopus, crab, salmon, cod, pollock, herring, fishermen (just kidding) and even smaller halibut (not kidding).
Salty's Owner, and sometime halibut fisherman, Gerry Kingen (just back from bonefishing in Venezuela!) caught this sweet 27 pounder with his Dad, the late Robert (Bob) Kingen (pictured right, Bob was also a restaurateur and known for Kingen's Drive-In in Bellevue). Please join us at Salty's and sink your teeth into some of the sweetest halibut in Seattle and Portland. Salty's Chefs turn it into Halibut Nirvana - just for you. Visit http://www.saltys.com/reservations and make your reservations today. Sexy SyrahBy Tim O'Brien, Salty's SommelierSEATTLE - I can't wait for this event to happen each year. It's like Christmas in April for wine lovers. That is why Alki keeps doing it and every year we have more fun than the year before. This year's edition includes over 40 wineries and a spread of Salty's savory Syrah-loving fresh seafood classics like grilled salmon, crab cakes and bacon-wrapped prawns. We also carve up some lamb and roast baron of beef to match up with brawny Syrah. Read more. Seven Hills Winery dinner at Portland Salty's.PORTLAND - Seven Hills Winery is coming to Salty's in Portland April18 for a winemaker's dinner. Winemaker Casey McClellan is the fourth generation in his family to work in agriculture. His winery is one of the original five wineries of the Walla Walla Valley. "My goal as winemaker is intensely structured, balanced wines expressing the distinct terroir of their vineyard origin. I believe the soil, climate and grapes in our Northwest appellations afford the opportunity to make wines ranked among the best in their class," McClellan says. The Seven Hills winery is located in the historic district of Walla Walla. Their wines have won numerous accolades and high scores from wine publications.
Here's the five-course menu:
Sommelier Jason Ludlow and Chef Dana Cress invite you to join them Friday, April 18, at 7 p.m. The cost is $115 (includes gratuity). Call (503) 288-4444 for reservations today. Mintz-her words.By Eileen Mintz, Public Relations Spokesperson for Salty's
Gayot listed both Alki and Redondo on their Best Brunch in Washington for Easter. Alki Chef Jeremy McLachlan tells me he's made some slight changes to the Alki menu "to get more spring in our step." Visit his blog at http://www.saltys.com/news/blogs/chef_blog_seattle to read more on one of his favorite subjects.
Alki live music.SEATTLE - Piano-Man Victor Janusz plays for you during Saturday and Sunday brunch at Alki. Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio plays Mondays and Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Café-Bar. Redondo pop music.SOUTH SEATTLE - Columbia live jazz.PORTLAND - Oregon Music Hall of Fame Inductee Mel Brown plays 7 to 10:30 p.m. Fridays with Pianist Jof Lee and Saturdays with his trio. Portland Keyboard Romantic Andrei Kitaev plays Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. to close. Bluetooth meets blue plate.SEATTLE & PORTLAND - As of now, you have free Wi-Fi internet access for PCs or Macs at all Salty's during lunch hours. "Come with a luncheon partner and you can both click onto the internet over something yummy. Salty's lunches are what computer folk have called very in-the-groove grub," says Redondo Managing Partner Terianne Broyles. "You might want to give our Blue Plate Special a go. It's tastefully reinvented daily. Very much like yourself!" The Blue Plate Special is available at all Salty's at lunch for $9.95. Go to http://www.saltys.com/reservations and get in the groove now. Portland Sunday buffet on Saturdays, too, starting Mother's Day weekend!
Butter up your secretary April 21-25.SEATTLE AND PORTLAND - There's no better reward for a job well done than lunch at Salty's. On you. Surprise your Secretary, Administrative Professional, or Your Team, with our: THREE-COURSE APPRECIATION LUNCH
It's only available during Administrative Professionals Week April 21-25. Just go to http://www.saltys.com/reservations and tell us when you want your reservation. And be the real you. The world's best boss. If you can't make it in to Salty's, consider a gift card, available in any denomination. Go to https://www.saltys.com/gifts/giftcard.asp and buy one today. March 2008The inside story of the sweetest cheeks in the sea.SEATTLE AND PORTLAND – Editor's note: We asked Eileen Mintz, Salty's spokesperson and blogger, to get the scoop on Alki Executive Chef Jeremy McLachlan's newest creation for all Salty's.
Jeremy McLachlan: It's sort of a twist on a classic: Pan-Seared Halibut Cheeks Oscar. We're doing it to kick off our annual Halibut Festival. EM: Salty's fans love this season, "Just for the Halibut," yes? JM: Right. It's all about halibut and it runs through May, highlighted by the return of fresh-off-the-boats halibut mid-March. EM: Tell us about halibut cheeks. JM: Many people consider the cheeks section of the halibut the tastiest part. They come from just behind the head and they have a texture similar to scallops, only sweeter. EM: The foodies among us want to know how you're preparing them. JM: Very simply. We want the natural taste of the cheeks to dominate here. So we just pan sear them in butter and compliment them with a light saucing. EM: I've heard you're using a sauce béarnaise. JM: Yes, but the one we make is different than most. We take red wine vinegar and infuse it with bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and tarragon. Then we whip that together with egg yolks and salt and drawn butter. It's finished with a touch more of fresh tarragon and garnished with a little orange tobiko. It's a béarnaise that goes perfectly with halibut cheeks. EM: Sounds delightful. And what side dishes have you chosen? JM: We surround the cheeks with Yukon potatoes mixed and mashed with some celery root and even a few turnips. Add roasted garlic, cream, butter and salt and you have a superb side for halibut. We complete the dish with some fresh sliced asparagus that has been marinated in lemon juice and oil. It's quite a plate, a treat to the eyes as well as the palate. EM: A great combination. Tell us about the wine you are recommending. JM: White wines work best for bringing out the best in halibut cheeks. Just for fun and to learn about one's individual taste preferences, we're recommending our guests order a flight of three two-ounce taster glasses of Chardonnays from Washington, Oregon and France at Alki. Portland will feature California instead of French and Redondo will feature all Washington Chardonnays.
JM: Yes! It's Hawaiian Tart à la Moo, a caramelized pineapple and coconut pastry cream topped with crispy macadamia nut streusel, garnished with powdered sugar, caramel sauce and candied almonds. It's served with a triple vanilla milkshake. EM: Sounds intoxicating! JM: When you visit us during our festival we'll give you a "Just for the Halibut - Get Hooked" postcard to get the dessert for free on your next visit. It's good through May. EM: Thank you, Jeremy. You've given us another fascinating adventure in seafood cuisine. For the latest on the fresh Alaskan halibut catch - which arrives any day now - visit Salty's What's Fresh Blog at http://www.saltys.com/news/blogs/whats_fresh/ by Jamie Meade, Salty's purchasing manager. If you can't make it in to Salty's see http://www.saltys.com/recipes for a dozen halibut recipes to try at home. The Alki alchemist.
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A dish this creative and savory demands a similar wine pairing. Our choice for Surf & Surf is Pinot & Pinot! Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. We recommend two three-ounce glasses of Pinot & Pinot with your Surf & Surf entrée. We went directly to Oregon to find the freshest wine on the planet (it's a shame it's not Walla Walla). Oregon has established itself as a premier region for both Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Firesteed Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris jumped out of our wine glasses and ahead of the competition. Here are wines that have purity of fruit picked perfectly ripe then handled with precision and care. 
It's a cookbook you might love to have for yourself or even consider as the perfect gift for your mother (Hello, Mother's Day is coming up!), father (Father's Day is not far behind), your wife, your husband, the graduate, sister, brother, friend – anyone who loves to cook! It's 199 pages with a matte-finish soft cover and French flaps. You can peruse sample pages at 
NWSource.com is asking you to cast your vote in People's Picks 2008. I love a good contest and we hope you feel Salty’s is worthy. Here are the links and you can vote daily until June 17:
Also watch the YouTube video of Russo preparing his Pici with Breadcrumbs aka Pici alla Briciolaat (he says it's an ancient dish dating from Etruscan times – now that's ancient) at 
The fourth annual Seattle Cheese Festival features more than 200 local and international artisan cheese makers will offer samples to taste and for sale. A cheese race, wine garden, cooking demos and kids' activities (human, not goat) add to the merriment! Visit 
Washington State is the second largest producer of wine in our country. With so many vineyards, who has the time to visit, taste and enjoy them all? Now, you do along the Washington Wine Highway. This third annual event takes place May 24-25 on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville where 80 wineries and 40 restaurants will offer samples of the Northwest's bounty. Please attend and visit Alki's booth Saturday, May 24. Alki Chef Jeremy McLachlan has a demo on the Viking Cooking Stage (new this year). This event is held rain or shine! Hope to see you there! Visit 
The Seattle Elliott Bay Water Taxi is back in operation! The Water Taxi service operates seven days a week between Pier 55 at the foot of Spring Street on the downtown Seattle waterfront and Seacrest dock in West Seattle. The crossing time is approximately 12 minutes. Salty’s is just a five-minute walk from the dock in West Seattle. Visit 
Restaurants & Institutions magazine ranked the nation's 100 top-grossing independent restaurants and Salty's came in at 93 serving 210,000 meals. Reporting on the piece, Rebekah Denn, PI food blogger, said Alki was "helped along by private-dining seats that brought in 21 percent of total revenues." Visit 
There
are many stories about the biggest halibut ever recorded: one is of
a 459 pounder caught in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, another claims 533 pounds,
and yet another 726 pounds. These are halibut caught for sport. Halibut
at Salty's or in grocery stores come from 10- to 60-pound range. Smaller
halibut are sweeter and juicier than larger, older ones that roam the
ocean floors. 
Zagat
Seattle Restaurants Survey scored both Redondo and Alki "Very Good
to Excellent" in food, décor and service. "It's all
about the 'right on the water' views at these two seafooders that
satisfy gawking gazers with 'good' fin fare plus 'spectacular Sunday
brunch' (on Saturdays too, at Alki Beach) featuring 'endless piles
of fresh oysters, shrimp and crab… it's 'worth it,' especially
for 'impressing' 'out of town guests'."
Is
it surprising that Alki was again voted Best Brunch in the reader's
poll of Seattle Magazine's 2008 best restaurants issue? 
The
Federal Way Mirror's readers voted Redondo Best Brunch and Best
Seafood Restaurant once again. We caught Managing Partner Terianne
Broyles beaming with appreciation. 
A prix fixe menu with two courses for $25 is available at
Alki during April. It's
all part of a promotion called Seasoned Seattle by NWSource featuring
Seattle's legendary restaurants. Choose either an appetizer and entrée
or entrée and dessert, with three choices each. The menu is
available Sunday through Thursday in April only. Go to 
PORTLAND - "You won't believe it," says Managing Partner Linda
Addy. "Our unmatched, award-winning, spectacular Sunday
Brunch is on Saturdays, too, starting Mother's Day weekend." It's
the Nation's Best Sunday Brunch, says MSN-Citysearch.com. The winning
reason is the unabashed, mind-numbing variety of all-you-can-eat
crab, peel-it-yourself shrimp, hand-carved roasts, pasta bar, oyster
bar, waffles, omelet stations churning out eggs with every filler
under the sun, scores of pastries, breads, and fruits, and more bacon
and sausage than you can shake a stick at. Throw in the postcard
views of the Columbia River, the ever-solicitous waitstaff, and the
kid-friendly setting, and the choice is not so surprising. Make your
reservation at 
Eileen
Mintz: Jeremy, the buzz I hear is you've created a new halibut
dish.
EM:
I also hear Salty's Pastry Chef Jane Gibson has created a festival dessert
for all Salty's. 
By
Tim O'Brien, Alchemist Blogger
PORTLAND
– One of the original five wineries of the Walla Walla Valley
– Seven Hills Winery – is coming to Salty's
in Portland in April for a winemaker's dinner. Winemaker Casey
McClellan is the fourth generation in his family to work in
agriculture. His family began growing grapes about 20 years ago in Washington
(their winery was originally located in Oregon). 
Russo's
son Giuseppe Russo recently attended a Kids Korps USA
gala with CNN's Larry King who was the celebrity MC
of the evening. The Russos' Parco Fiorito vacation-package auction item
had the highest bid of the evening see (
Meet
a farmer who picks his olives, and the man who presses them. Art your
thing? Listen to the passionate sermons of her guide, and real-life
descendant of Cortona's own Luca Signorelli. Want to eat the way the
heartiest Tuscans do? For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you will. Guaranteed,"
says Tim Stark, writer for Gourmet and Conde
Nast. Whyman was recently featured in "Women in Business on the
Kitsap Peninsula" see (
Taste
Washington's pairing extravaganza takes place this year on
April 6 at Qwest Field. Alki will pair tasty bites with great Washington
wines. Tickets go fast! Visit 
SEATTLE
– If you want a little more swing and bebop with your Easter,
come to Alki on March 23 when Pianoman Victor Janusz
and his longtime sidemen Tim Koss (upright double bass)
and Mark Taylor (celebrated saxophonist) will play
for you. The date also commemorates the three-year mark for Vic's favorite
weekly gig playing for Alki's Saturday and Sunday brunch patrons. He
says, "Well, it's true that time flies when you're having fun! It's
been three years since Managing Partner Bonnie David
contacted me and said Hey, let's give this a go!"
Our
recipe contest is extended until June 30.
SEATTLE
AND PORTLAND – Gerry and Kathy Kingen, Salty's
official co-ship captains, recently issued an unofficial proclamation
that henceforth every day in February shall be unofficially known as
Valentine's Day at all Salty's restaurants. 
Alki
– 
Portland
local jazz legend Mel Brown is always a hot topic.
He was recently inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, and now
he's releasing a CD of a recording he made at Salty's. Don't
miss the Mel Brown Trio's CD release party at Columbia on Friday, February
8, at 7:00 p.m. Brown, Tim Gilson and Jof Lee (pictured here)
will play and mingle with guests. Their CD will be available for $15.
Go to Saltys.com for reservations. If you can't make it in for the party,
find more jazz events at 
Good
Ciao, the cookbook by Author-Chef Roberto Russo
and collaborator Salty's Co-Owner Kathryn Kingen, garnered
praise from Braiden Rex-Johnson, author of Pacific
Northwest Wining and Dining (now in its second printing by Wiley
publishers). 
She
attended the cookbook's unveiling at the third annual Under the Alki
Moon wine dinner presented by Russo and Salty's Chefs (pictured here
left to right) Portland Sous Chef Josh Gibler, Alki
Chef Jeremy McLachlan and Redondo Chef Gabriel
Cabrera. Visit 
Salty's
reinvents the famous "Blue Plate Special."
SEATTLE
– Italian Chef Roberto Russo comes to Salty's
on Alki for his third annual "Under the Alki Moon" wine dinner. He will
introduce his new cookbook Good Ciao with collaborator Kathryn
Kingen, Salty's co-owner. She is pictured here in Tuscany with
husband Gerry at Russo's villa, Parco Fiorito. Russo
will give away three nights bed and breakfast for two at Parco Fiorito,
with two single sessions of the hammam (Turkish bath). You will want
to join him at Salty's on Alki, Tuesday, January 15. 
The
year 2007 was a great one for Salty's and we hope for you as well! In
2008, we're continuing Tea Time, served Monday to Friday
from 2 to 5 p.m. at Alki and Columbia and 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Redondo.
Savory sandwiches and delicious sweets paired with Queen Mary
Tea are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up or special treat for
friends and family. 
Alki
guest Marlene Liu was pleased to find out that she
and her friends were Alki's "Tea Time First Timers." She's pictured
here with friends Tina, Debra and Mary, who used to work together and
used Tea Time to catch up.
Alki
Chef Jeremy McLachlan and Sommelier Tim O'Brien
have designed a menu celebrating American Culinary Trends Through the
Decades for South Seattle Community College's annual
fundraiser Gifts from the Earth. The event features
15 celebrity chefs preparing multi-course meals paired with wine from
30 Washington wineries on Saturday, January 26, in support of culinary
arts and wine studies programs. Here's Salty's multi-course menu you
won't want to miss: 
Everything
is the same as the award-winning all-you-can-eat weekend brunches upstairs,
but now Alki can accommodate groups from 20 to 200 hungry folks who
will be forever thankful to you for treating them to the best Sunday
Brunch in town. They'll enjoy everything from fresh cracked Dungeness
crab to smoked salmon, Belgian waffles to Eggs Benedict, honey-glazed
ham, the freshest fruits and the most mouth-watering salads and desserts.
It's beyond delicious.
In
Portland, Salty's takes groups up to 150 for Sunday brunch and at Redondo
bring hungry folks up to 20. Call us for more information and visit