Every year Taylor Shellfish sponsors the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, run by my friend Jon Rowley. This contest aims to find the best West Coast wines to pair with oysters. I first really got into oysters at a dinner hosted by Jon that served the winners of that year's competition with freshly harvested oysters. That night changed my life.

Anyway, here are this year's winners:

• Brassfield Estate Winery 05 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
• Dry Creek Vineyard 05 Sonoma County Fume Blanc (CA)
• **Dry Creek Vineyard 06 Dry Chenin Blanc (CA)
• **Geyser Peak Winery 06 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
• Hall 06 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
• **Kenwood Vineyards 06 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
• *King Estate Winery 05 Signature Pinot Gris (OR)
• *Martin & Weyrich Winery 06 Unwooded Chardonnay (CA)
• Sweet Cheeks Winery 06 Pinot Gris (OR)
• *Willamette Valley Vineyards 06 Pinot Gris (OR)

*Prior "Oyster Award" Winner
**Multiple prior "Oyster Awards"

Typically crisp whites with maybe a little mineral taste pair well; you can see a lot of chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris on the list. The one chardonnay is unwooded; big oaky chardonnays are too much for oysters. Occasionally, you'll see an pinot noir on the list, but not this year. The other nice thing about the varietals that pair well with oysters is that they're typically pretty cheap. I haven't priced these wines, but previous winners have been $10-15/bottle. It's rare to find wines that win any contest for anything in that range.

So, if you can't have whisky with oysters, then pick one of these wines. Mmm...

(Here's another good profile of Jon, in case you're interested. He's quite a character and big in the Seattle food scene. He's also the guy behind the Copper River Salmon craze.)

Last weekend, Kellie, Kristen, Katya, Christopher, Barbie, and I went out to the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington for a little wine tasting. After a brief stop at the XXX Root Beer Drive-In for lunch, we headed to Ellensburg for a fun filled evening (there were no hotel rooms in Yakima that evening). We had a good time playing hearts (which I never played before, but now I'm a fan) and drinking beer at the Tav, a good dinner at Pearls-on-Pearl, and more bar fun at the Starlight Lounge and Oak Rail Tavern. Nothing like partying with a bunch of college kids (from Central Washington University - the only thing in Ellensburg.) I really liked the Tav and Starlight Lounge; Pearls-on-Pearl was nice too.

After a slow morning at the luxurious Comfort Inn (I got a in a five mile run before almost anyone was up and got to watch Americas Cup TV coverage!) we headed over to Red Mountain, an AVA about an hour east of Yakima. We hit six wineries in a short period here. Of these, I really liked Fidelitas and Tapteil.

Fidelitas, in particular, was a group favorite with several of us joining their club (many of these places have a wine club where you "subscribe" to their quarterly or semi-annual mailings of a few bottles of wine). Their M100 reds and whites were very nice low-priced table wines, and their 2004 Syrah and eight Syrah were fantastic. Their new wine room was very nice too.

We had a pleasant lunch at Tapteil inside their cozy wine room (we brought a picnic lunch, but it was too windy to eat outside). Their 2001 Cab Merlot was our lunch wine and very tasty, especially once it opened up. We also found some good wines at Hightower Cellars and Kiona Vineyards Winery (esp. their Chenin Blanc ice wine - lush and tropical...). I didn't care for Sandhill Winery or Chandler Reach (although their 36 Red wasn't bad) as much.

Honestly, I think six wineries was too much for me. My taste buds were blown by the fifth place (Kiona), so I chose to sit out for a while; I probably didn't give Chandler Reach a fair shake because of this. After all that wine (thank goodness Barbi, who doesn't drink, was driving the mini-van), we had a quiet dinner at Gasperetti's in Yakima. Gasperetti's is supposed to be some kind of institution in Yakima (I'm sure it is), but I thought it was only OK. We saw a few kids out in prom-wear; ah, young love. Apparently, prom in Yakima includes Cheetos, since Barbi saw a bunch of girls in prom dresses buying bags of Cheetos at the gas station. We made a half-hearted attempt of going out in Yakima (including a few rounds of shuffleboard on the worst table ever at the Sports Center in Yakima) and called it a night.

After another night in a luxurious hotel (the Cedar Suites in Yakima), on Sunday morning we hit a few more wineries, all of which we loved. Our hands-down favorite was the new Agate Field Vineyard. Pretty much everything was gold there. I especially liked their 2002 and 2003 Red Blends (esp. 2002) and their Syrahs. Another favorite was Wineglass Cellars; Linda, the co-owner, was very charming and helpful. I bought a few of their older Cabernets and loved their Elerding and Rich Harvest. I'm looking forward to trying the ones I brought home. Masset was a nice surprise as well; I thought their Margaret Alice Late Harvest Viognier was especially good and slightly unusual. Sheridan was pouring their second label, Kamiakin, which was fine. Unfortunately, I had hoped to try their Sheridan branded wines. (Don't go to Sheridan on a Sunday, I guess.)

The cars loaded down with wine and a yummy Mexican lunch under in our bellies, we headed home. We had a great time and found a lot of tasty wines. There are apparently over five hundred wineries in Washington now, so I guess we have a lot more tasting to do...

Click here for Kellie's account of the weekend (I can't believe she got her post out before I did...)

Last week was definitely a week of conspicuous consumption. On top of the Oyster Games, I went to another Scotch Malt Whisky Society tasting at the Rainier Club. This year, I went with Alex, a crazy smart and fun Russian developer on my team (and a good photographer, as you'll see from his site).

As usual, there were many fine whiskies. More than the other years, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings were simply superb. One of my favorites was 33.63, a young (7 year old) bottle from Ardbeg, one of my favorite distilleries. It was fantastic - true to form for Ardbeg: smokey and wonderful. Alex's favorite was 113.14, a 12yo from Braes of Glenlivet (it was nicknamed "Sinful and Naughty" which I think enhanced the appeal for Alex.) The 1.120 was a 39 yo from Glenfarcas, and 4.114 was a 22 yo from Highland Park (another favorite distillery of mine). These were both fantastic. I will likely buy a bottle of each of these.

Macallan had their Fine Oak 21 year old, which was even better than the 17yo I tried and loved last time. It was definitely more refined and lighter than the younger Fine Oaks (I love this whole line, I admit).

Suntory had their Yamazaki Sherry Wood there for the first time. I thought this was great as well; full-bodied and raisiny -yum. Unfortunately, not available in Washington (our liquor sales are run by the state gov't).

Alex and I were split on the Glenlivet Nadurra, which was new to both of us. He loved it; I didn't care for it. It's a light, flowery whisky. I just didn't like the tail.

Finally, I had to have another glass of the Talisker 175, which was a fav from last time.

I was much smarter this time around. I poured out the whiskies I didn't care for, took smaller pours, ate earlier in the evening, and stopped drinking after we left the event and met friends in a bar afterwards. Most important I skipped the cigars entirely (big win). I was totally sober a few hours later when we left the bar and headed home.

I met a bunch of nice people, ran into some friends, and tasted a mess of great whisky. What could be better? (OK, if we had some oysters or bacon, it would be have been perfect.)

For the past three years, I've been a regular at the Oyster Olympics, a fundraiser for the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. This year, the US Olympic Committee decided that after eighteen years, the Oyster Olympics impinged too much on their Olympics and issued a cease-and-desist letter (losers). So, after a naming contest, they changed it to the "Oyster Games". (My losing entry was "Oysterpalooza".)

This year, I had the good fortune of going to this amazing event with four lovely ladies from the office: Kellie, Kristen, Katya, and Jane (Jane was invited for name alliteration diversity.) Kellie came with me last year; Katya and Jane are also oyster buffs. Kristen was a raw oyster virgin, having only eaten cooked oysters until now. I think we converted her. Katya shocked us all by eating a huge oyster; she apparently loves the really big oysters. Even as an oyster lover, I must admit it was too daunting for me.

Once again, I ate my way through my weight of oysters. As usual, I loved the Kumamotos and Pacificas, particularly from Hood Canal. I also found the Olympias to be a special treat; I don't recall ever eating so many Olympias before. They were the surprise highlight. I thought the Virginicas were watery this year and only OK. As usual, I don't care for the more metallic tasting European Flats.

As a special treat, I brought a flask of Ardbeg 10 years old Scotch whisky, one of my favorite whiskies and a great match with oysters. I would pour a few drops onto an oyster and slurp the whole thing down. Simple heavenly. I started handing out spiked oysters to the people serving plus any nice people I met. I soon became the Pied Piper of oysters with whisky. Jane brought a flask of Laphroaig, which was lovely with the oysters as well. Those peaty, ocean-y Islay whiskies are just ideal with oysters. Mmm.

This is always one of the highlights of my food year; this year was no exception -- even with the Grinchy USOC trying to ruin the event.

Click here for photos from the event in 2004 (I didn't take as many photos this year.)

I love potato chips. They're like the veggie brother of bacon. I almost went to MIT instead of Stanford because I fell in love with Cape Cod Chips when I visited Boston. Really. (Thank goodness I didn't since by senior year, we could get Cape Cod Chips in Palo Alto. I got to be in shorts in February and eat yummy chips. Top that, MIT!)

I've eaten potato chips around the world and loved almost all of them, but the very best chip (or should I say crisp?) in the world are Cheese and Onion Tatyo Crisps from Ireland. These are the most popular crisps in Ireland (the dark horse is Kings, made by the same company and very good, but just not world class.)

I typically shy away from flavored chips, but these don't hit you over the head. They're thin and crispy like Lays (vs. the heavier crunch of Cape Cod or Tim's). Simply heavenly with a pint of Guinness.

They have a "smokey bacon" flavored chip too which I have not yet tried; those might actually be the best chip in the world...

For years, I've relied on friends traveling to Ireland to feed my need (thanks to Fergal to bringing me back a few bags recently to remind me of the old country). However, I just discovered that you can mail order Taytos from Ireland to the US. Of course, they're not cheap. US$20.59 for twenty snack-sized bags plus $31.88 shipping to Seattle (ten day service).

This is an affordable luxury and a small price to pay for such delight.

Irene, a dear friend of mine from many years ago, recently sent me six pints of ice cream from Graeter's Ice Cream, a famous shop in Cincinnati (and now other locations in the Midwest). Many consider it to be the best ice cream in the world. I'm a believer.

Irene sent us two pints of black raspberry chip (her favorite and their signature flavor) and a pint each of caramel, cookies and creme, chocolate, and coffee. The flavors and texture are amazing; for instance, in the caramel, there's a lovely burned-sugar taste. The taste is very natural, unlike Haagen-Daz, my stand-by, which has a more chemically taste. The ice cream is incredibly rich and has a great mouth feel. Graeter's makes their ice cream by hand using a French pot process in two gallon batches, hand packing them into the pints.

You can order the ice cream over the Internet and have it shipped (which is what Irene did). The pints come packed in a cooler with dry ice and were frozen solid; frankly, they were so hard we had to let them soften in our freezer until we could scoop them. (Dry ice is so cool.)

The Graeter's was a special treat and a wonderful surprise. Thanks, Irene!

(Of course, Wikipedia has more on Graeter's.)

For Christmas Eve dinner this year, I served the 2003 Les Pavot from Peter Michael Winery. Like everything I've had from them, this Bordeaux blend was fantastic. Full bodied with rich berries, it was a hit with everyone, especially after it opened up a bit.

I don't tend to buy a lot of wine by the case or half-case because we don't have a lot of space for wine, but whenever the offer goes out to their mailing list, I buy a bunch. Great stuff.

I just finished The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, another interesting food history book by Mark Kurlansky (author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World and Salt: A World History - I wrote about these books earlier).

The title is somewhat misleading. The book is really a history of New York from the perspective of oysters. It's a little hard to believe now, but New York City and the waters surrounding it were once incredibly productive fishing grounds and the richest oyster beds in the world. New Yorkers rich and poor ate obscene numbers of oysters and shipped barrels of fresh and pickled oysters across America and around the world.

Like Cod and Salt, The Big Oyster was an engaging read cover-to-cover. This one was a bit different, however, because the scope was so local. Where Salt was a really global and across world history and Cod spanned centuries and focused on trans-Atlantic trade, The Big Oyster was very localized to New York City and the time since colonization. As a result, the book was less epic but perhaps a little more intimate.

Aside from the oyster details, Kurlansky weaves in a bunch of New York history and lore, like how Wall Street got its name and a running history of Delmonico's Restaurant. I have only a passing knowledge of New York, so these bits were interesting and new to me.

Anyway, I really like Kurlansky's style. Since I've finished his food mini-histories, I think it's time to move onto some of his other books.

I spent way too much time today making and eating Parmesan crisps today. These are little cheese crisps that you eat like a cracker. Mmm...

There's really nothing to making them.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Gas Mark 3).
• Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat (btw, Silpats are the best thing in the world...)
• Make little mounds of shredded Parmesan cheese, how big depends on the size you want your final crisp. I like the little bite sized ones best. The cheese with spread a bit. Don't make the center too peaky or the cheese will be too thick in the middle.
• Top the mounds with a little pepper or other seasoning if you like. (I'll try cayenne next time.)
• Pop the sheet into the over for 10-12 minutes, until the crisps are toasty brown. I found I had to turn the cookie sheet around after 6-7 minutes to keep the cooking even.
• Once they're done, take the sheet out and let the crisps cool a bit (they can still be a bit chewy until they cool off.)

So easy to make and so tasty. I discovered the time it takes a new batch to cool off and get eaten is about the time it takes to bake the next batch. How convenient.

I don't know how well they keep because none survived the day. Maybe I'll figure that out some day...

About two weeks ago, Michelle and I went to Serious Pie, Tom Douglas' new pizza joint here in Seattle. I don't consider myself a pizza connesieur, but damn, this was some slap-your-momma good shit.

The pizzas have a thin, crispy crust and are generously sized for one person. The toppings, of course, are to die for. We had an incredible pie with foraged mushrooms and truffle cheese (oh man, oh man, oh man that was good) along with a daily special that was slightly more traditional (kick-ass salami or something on a tomato sauce.)

My ribollita (a rustic bread soup) was stunningly good too. Michelle's salad was good too, although she thinks she may have gotten a little ill off it since she wasn't feeling too good the next day.

The place is small with long bar-type tables meant to be shared.

Anyway, Details Magazine thought it was good enough to include it in their Best Pizza Places in the Country list. It was certainly the best pizza I ever had.

Serious Pie
316 Virginia
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 838-7388