We ended The Time is Ripe for Pears Tour with a bang in Seattle, visiting a few of the city’s best restaurants and serving up some pear-fect pear and cheese samples for cold, hungry shoppers at Pike Place Market.
On our first day, we lunched at the restaurant of an old pal: Chef Ethan Stowell. Lucky us! Tavolata, his rustic yet sleek Italian joint in Belltown, was indeed a treat. We started off with a simple, sparkling drink – the Bosc Pear Spritz. Refreshing and light, this cocktail got the party started!
Before the main course, we happily slurped down a bowl of Chef Stowell’s Sunchoke and Pear Soup, which he shared with us back in 2006 (recipe here). Instead of a sprinkling of chanterelle mushrooms and bacon, the bowls were set before us with a plump scallop sitting smack in the center, topped with fried sage leaves. Blissful.
Chef Stowell’s passion for creating harmonious dishes out of simple, seasonal ingredients shone through in every dish we tasted. But don’t just take my word for it. See why Chef Stowell loves ingredients (like USA Pears) here:
The next afternoon, we ventured down to Pike Place Market to serve USA Pears with a few delicious samplings from Beecher’s Cheese. Their Extra-Aged Flagship Cheddar was delicious with our slices of Red Anjou. Again, don’t listen to me! Listen to them:
All in all, we had a wonderful tour! We made new friends, reconnected with existing pear fans, and spread the word that the time is ripe for pears!