Spur's Cocktail The Foreigner One of Year's Best Drinks

TOP DRINKS OF THE YEAR

David Nelson's cocktailing is showcased in a pretty cool photo in the upcoming April issue of Seattle magazine.

"Spur Gastropub bartended David Nelson mixes up a mean cockatil at this Belltown hotspot," the photo caption reads. Food writer Lorna Yee selected Nelson's rye whiskey, Amaro Ramazzotti Strega, blood orange bitters, opeach bitter and flamed orange peel cocktail The Foreigner as one of the year's best drinks.

Thanks Lorna.

photo for seattle mag by brooke fitts

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Spur's Fries Rated the City's "Most Delicious Barhopping Snack" by Seattle magazine

MOST DELICIOUS BARHOPPING SNACK OF THE YEAR

April's Seattle magazine gives our fries a shout-out as this area's best post barhopping snack. Tossed with our house smoked olive oil and served with a tasmanian pepper aioli, late night and early diners seem to agree. Thanks for the accolades Seattle.

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Spur Gastropub at Star Chefs Event

We had a great time last night, joining our peers to serve-up some amazing dishes to the throngs of serious food lovers. Event better than being recognized as Rising Star Chefs was the opportunity to interact with so many talented people, all enthusisatic about good food and good wine.

Thanks Star Chefs for a terrific evening. We sure enjoyed it.

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recipe sharing from the chefs, post three

click blog title above to go to Star Chefs website for our recipe

Spur's Beef Carpaccio with Deep Fried Bernaise

At tonight's Star Chefs event at McCaw Hall we've been asked to serve this dish to guests attending this gala honoring our area's top chefs. We though you'd enjoy the recipe, as discussed on the Star Chefs website. It's a fun one to cook and eat.

photo by StarChefs

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Food & Wine magazine's article on the nation's best new places to eat includes Spur

The April 2009 Food & Wine magazine "Where to Go Next" feature covers wine bars and beer halls this month.

In their list of the country's six best gastropubs not to miss, you'll find Spur.

"America's liveliest places to drink are also some of its best new places to eat," the article reads.

What an honor to be included.

Thanks Food & Wine.

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April issue of Food & Wine magazine mentions Spur

Food writer Anya von Bremzen describes the salmon of Spur's crostini, prepared using the sous vide method, as having the "ultimate silkiness".

The salmon is on our March menu at Spur or-- for those of you with the burning desire to recreate it at home-- the recipe can be found on an earlier blog post from Chefs McCracken and Tough.

Thank you Anya.

salmon crostini photo by Kristin Zwiers.

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a classic 1870's cocktail at Spur

Here’s one coffee drink that’s not a coffee drink at all.

On our dessert menu, you’ll find the “Coffee Cocktail” which first appeared in recipe form back in 1887 in Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tender's Guide or How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks book.

It looks like an after dinner coffee drink when in actuality it’s a delicious marriage of cognac, ruby port and egg. Watching David Nelson whip one up is a mouth-watering affair indeed.

Photo by Kat for Spur.

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housemade sorbets and ice creams at Spur

Our menu always features a sorbet or ice cream from Chefs McCracken and Tough. These desserts have their own following, with people often asking what's featured now. To appease our need to know, Chef Dana Tough took a quick picture of their brown butter sorbet with frosted feuillitines and compressed apples. So there you have it...

The Seattle Weekly Names Its Favorite Restaurants of 2009

The list of favorite restaurants was just announced and the Weekly's Jonathan Kaufman wrote,

"Spur: At their tiny cocktail bar-restaurant, decorated in a style you might call West Elm Western, Dana Tough and Brian McCracken have rightly picked up a reputation for being among Seattle’s most adventurous chefs. Given their work with molecular-gastronomy devices, I imagine their kitchen as a cross between the Flubber set and a high-priced hair salon. But most of the unsuspecting diners on whom the pair bestows their gels, foams, and creams will only notice how good everything tastes. That’s because, in terms of flavors, McCracken and Tough are echt Seattle, calling on the best of the seasonal, local produce within their reach.

The two both trained under Maria Hines, whose all-organic restaurant, Tilth, is a model for sustainable, ingredient-driven cuisine. Their playfulness comes out in texture: a parmesan foam floating over a plate of fresh tagliatelle with hedgehog mushrooms and a duck egg yolk; the sashimi-like feel of a chunk of smoked salmon croustade with mascarpone and pickled shallots. This is food that your retired parents, as well as your Top Chef-addicted college student, will fall for. "

Note by JONATHAN KAUFFMAN; Serves: dinner, late night. 113 Blanchard St., 728-6706. BELLTOWN, spurseattle.com

Photo by Steven Miller for the Seattle Weekly.

Thank you Seattle Weekly.

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the Seattle Times examines The Last Word classic cocktail

Tan Vinh wrote an in-depth piece in today's food section on the comeback of Prohibition-era The Last Word cocktail. This gin drink features maraschino liquor, lime and green chartreuse (a French liqueur originally made at a monastery in the French Chartreuse Mountains and containing no less than 130 different plant extracts plus chlorophyll for its distinct color).

Thanks for including Spur in your article, Tan, as one of the spots in town to try this historically significant and modernly pertinent drink.

Photo, courtesy of Chartreuse. To learn more about this fascinating liqueur, mentioned in everything from The Great Gatsby to Brideshead Revisited, read more about it on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse_(liqueur)

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Bourbon at Spur: Critic and Foodie Clancy Recaps Her Taste of the Kentucky Tuxedo

Food critic and writer Maureen Clancy was back through town last week... this time on a quest for bourbon. The delight she took in David Nelson's Kentucky Tuxedo cocktail was a treat to hear.

In her "Going Bonkers Over Bourbon" article Clancy says,

"This marriage of Bulleit Bourbon, Sherry, lavender syrup and homemade orange bitters, is smooth and elegant, with a come-hither aroma and layers of flavor."

To read her full article on this drink and others, visit Clancy's Matter of Taste blog: http://www.maureenclancy.com/.

Thanks Maureen!

Photo by Kristin Zwiers for Spur.

sweets

March's dessert musings from the kitchen and bar include:

Coffee Cocktail
cognac. ruby port. egg.

Daily Dessert Cocktail

Profiteroles
pomegranite. foie gras. pistachio.

Cocoa Butter & Chocolate
ganache. blood orange. candied tarragon.

Pear Clafoutis
brown butter. almond. crème fraiche.

Ice Cream
playful accompaniments.

Sorbet
playful accompaniments.

Artisanal Cheeses
accompaniments.

dessert photo by Kristin Zwiers for Spur.

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March menu

March has arrived and with it some new menu items here at Spur.

Artisanal Cheeses

accompaniments.
13.

Baby Lettuces
speck. almond. sherry vinaigrette.
9.

Sockeye Salmon Crostini
mascarpone. caper. pickled shallot.
9.

Fried Potato Dumplings
tasmanian peppercorn. fondue. chive.
9.

Dungeness Crab Salad

cerignola olive. pear. frisee.

14.

Razor Clam Chowder

bacon. celariac. red potato.
11.

Slow Cooked Butterfish
fennel. brown butter. pickled grapefruit.
26.

Tagliatelle
oyster mushroom. parmesan. duck egg.
14.

Oregon Rabbit
rutabaga. ham hock . mustard.
22.

Pork Belly Sliders
heirloom apple. mustard. bourbon.
12.

Bison Burger
caramelized onion. pepper ketchup. shoestrings.
15.

Grilled Flat Iron
sunchoke . fried egg. anchovy.

26.