Fall Rumbings #3: Joule



Ready for our Physics lesson. Get it!? Joule!? *crickets*



Last night, we had the pleasure of dining at Joule, a Korean/French/American fusion joint in the Wallingford neighborhood. Joining us were my old friends from college, Grant and Melissa Williams, and our new friends Steve and Michelle Strub. Grant and Melissa are no stranger to my feable attempts at culinary greatness, and were brave enough to join me for the very first Sunday Supper Club.

I've passed Joule numerous times, and always found myself beelining it to the posted menu. They have carved out a very specific niche of cuisine that combines the tradition and rich flavors of French cooking with bold sweetness and spice found in Korean food. I was exposed to Korean food very early on in my life, and grew up on staples like bibimbop and bulgogi. And French cuisine has lately been my north star; I've found myself using those foundational flavors and takes on the mother sauces much more. So really, this stuff should be right in my wheelhouse.

First



Roasted Asian Pear Bisque
w/ Brussel Sprouts and Smoked Chili



By far my favorite course of the night. I had roasted asian pear bisque with brussel sprout and smoked chili (A) Warm and elegant, it not overwhelm with sweetness or heat from the chili. The brussel sprout leaves added a nice earthy element, as well as some texture. Full marks for creating something true to form, creative, and seasonally relevant. Ann had sardines over crostini that was solid but somewhat unspectacular. Grant, again braver than the rest of the table, had the beef tongue with thai basil and hot mustard, which to our surprise wasn't chewy/gummy as tongue tends to be, and had a nice pot roast-like texture.

Second

Hawaiian Prawns with Jasmine Grits & Walnut Piccata

For me, the main dish was probably the least inspired course of the night. I had grilled Hawaiian prawns over jasmine rice "grits" and walnut piccata (C+). The prawns were nicely cooked, and pulled apart easily, but the grits and walnut piccata were very one-note. Perhaps there needed to be more piccata in my dish, but I did not get the variety of flavors that I was expecting. It wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't blow wind up my skirt either. I was just...whelmed. My partner in crime had grilled matsutakes on sticky rice with pine nut agrodolce which she promptly devoured, but wasn't terribly excited about. Rounding out the entrees was a kalbi with parsnip puree and pickled chantrelles, which I think had the best plate appearance of anything we saw that night. The kalbi was very tender, but a little fatty for our collective tastes. 



Kalbi with Parnsip Puree & Pickled Chantrelles



Last

Fusion desserts, I imagine, can be tricky. You have a lot of creative license to push boundaries and experiment. In this case, the more aggressive desserts proved out, while a traditional offering fell flat on it's face. I quickly inhaled my bittersweet chocolate bread pudding with chili marshmallow (B+), which was more like a molten chocolate cake than bread pudding. Really, only the bottom third of the dish would I consider to be the consistency of a bread pudding as I understand it. And the chili marshmallow didn't stand out in the dish as much as I wanted. I was hoping for some heat, the same type you get when you bite into a Theo Spicy Chili chocolate bar. But never-the-less, I was a Hungry Hungry Hippo and that dessert was a small white plastic ball. Ann polished off her baked apple with ginger crumble with five spice cream, which was tasty and quite potent. The five spice stood out against the tartness of the apple and earthy sweetness of ginger. As for Grant (poor Grant), he had what we all agreed was the worst dish of the night. A very simple blue cheese with roasted dates and chestnut honey . It's a simple type of dessert that restauranteurs like Ethan Stowell champion, but this was just too powerful. The cheese was disporportionately pungent, and the chestnut honey left a burnt nutty coating in your mouth that was highly obnoxious. It was like an unwanted house guest, on our tongue, overstaying its welcome.



Chocolate Bread Pudding w/
Chili Marshmallow



Overall, Joule offers a lot to casual restaurant-goers that are looking for something outside the box. I wish there were more restaurants like Joule that push conventional cuisine aside for aggressive flavors. And even though the occasional cheese dessert may rear its ugly head, I have a strong suspicion there are some wonderfully exciting dishes yet to emerge from this Wallingford hotspot.

-Nick

Fall Rumblings #2: Poppy

We're happy to say that we didn't have the Wizard of Oz result and fall asleep due to Poppy - or poppies.  Instead, we had happy and full tummies and were awash in a happy opiate-like stupor after dinner.

I'm sometimes wary of Eastern-inspired restaurants; they tend to be expensive, small-portioned versions of their authentic counterparts with weird fusion ideas that lack the soul and spice that makes ethnic food wonderful.  For example, I'm not a fan of the overpriced Wild Ginger.  Fancy Asian food made upscale by being served on a square plate?  I'd rather go to the local international district, spend $10 bucks and have an amazing meal.

I was surprised and delighted that Jerry Traunfeld's Cap Hill restaurant was not directly Indian inspired but rather was inspired by the "thali" which is a platter served to diners holding a bunch of small dishes that comprise of a main entrée. It reminded me of when you go to a Korean restaurant and get a bunch of small bowls and plates with delicious sides to go with your main dish. Traunfeld is a Top Chef Master alum, James Beard award winner of "Best American Chef: Northwest and Hawaii"  and former exec chef at the Herbfarm so we knew he had pedigree but more importantly, would know how to embrace seasonal and local ingredients.

Apparently we had a bit of a reservation time snafoo and more time means cocktail time!  We started out with unique cocktails; the ladies had a shiso-cucumber-gin cocktail that was refreshing and crisp while the men had tasty, classic Boston sours - frothed egg whites included.  Kudos to the bartender!

First

How can you choose with all of these options?

Poppy has one of the more ambitious restaurant week menus, offering plenty of choices for our dining group of 6. All of the appetizers sounded wonderful and delicate so we asked our server for some advice.  I had the batada wada, which were round, spiced potato fritters with an aromatic and light dipping sauce.  They were delicious, delicate and echoing of Indian; crisp on the outside, spiced and creamy on the inside with that hint of cumin.  I wanted more than just the three small pieces.  Nick had the blue cheese, cherry and sage tart which was almost too delicate to be a tart and seemed more like a cocktail party appetizer than a first course.  Steve had the poached oysters which he gobbled up quickly while everyone else had the fritters.

Second

The cod thalis

The scallop and pork belly thali

There were so many thali options, we were staring at the bright red menus for a very long time.  We adored the lovely presentation of the thalis when they came - they were on these heavy round platters with an overwhelming abundance of small dishes  some of which were: picked burdock root, either a pumpkin soup or a tomato cinnamon soup, celery walnut salad, a gratin, roasted fingerling potatoes , roasted brussel sprouts,  radicchio and pumpkin seed salad and a small piece of flaky buttery naan for all.  Sara and Angela weren't fans of the radicchio salad or the burdock root but my palate is probably a little more used to pickled things and I thought that burdock root was crisp and delicious.  Nick loved his roasted brussel sprouts.  The pumpkin soup was silky instead of a chunky bisque and was flavorful and delicious - especially when you dunked a piece of naan bread into it.  Onto to main entrée now...

The risotto thali

Naan!

I had the black cod with beet-wasabi vinaigrette which was visually stunning; white fish against a contrast of bright fuchsia liquid.  It was a feast for the eye as well as the palate; the cod was perfectly cooked so each layer of fish was silky and soft.  It was lightly seasoned and the vinaigrette added subtle flavor - not overwhelming.  Nick had an autumn risotto which was a little too watery and slightly undercooked and under-seasoned for his taste. Steve opted for scallops and pork belly; the scallops had a nice sear and texture.

Dessert!

Again, the menu options were a bit overwhelming. I asked the server for his favorite dessert and my compadres joked that he recited whatever desserts were selling poorly rather than his favorites; he exclaimed that the goat cheese pudding was unusual but was his favorite and that he also loved the licorice chip ice cream which had herbal, anise notes instead of licorice candy.  Most of the dinner party opted for a malted chocolate sundae while Steve had a chocolate terrine and I took the server's suggestion and had the goat cheese pudding.   The sundae was pretty and served in a martini glass but wasn't anything extraordinary. Steve's chocolate terrine however was a knockout; it was small but featured rich layers of chocolate and served with candied ginger to add some spice.  While the presentation of my goat cheese pudding with mint and figs was a little boring (see photo), the flavors were really good. The texture of the pudding was creamy and rich with a hint of honey; the figs and mint added some zest and texture that worked well with the creaminess of the pudding.   It was different and I enjoyed it immensely.

 Poppy surprised me! All of the servers were extremely knowledgeable and the flavors of the food were fresh, seasonal and spiced.  We didn't travel to Oz or the exotic spice markets of India; we had some great autumnal food and wonderful company in our own backyard.

Fall Rumblings #1: Anchovies & Olives

That's right...it's Seattle Restaurant Week again! *Happy Dance* *Joy Shimmy* For those new to the blog, Ann and I did a series of posts last spring, critiquing five restaurants. We intend on doing the same this fall, with another five restaurants:

1. Anchovies & Olives
2. Poppy
3. Joule
4. Mistral Kitchen
5. The Georgian

First up is Anchovies & Olives, Ethan Stowell's Capitol Hill haunt that specializes in...wait for it...Italian seafood dishes. Bet you didn't see that coming. But it's not your typical Seattle seafood restaurant. You won't find pan-seared salmon with {insert green vegetable} and {insert yellow-white starch}. These are off-the-beaten-path entrees that take advantage of the bountiful seasonal options of the Pacific Northwest. Hamachi. Mackerel. Geoduck. This is comfort food that's outside your comfort zone.

  

First


Escolar Crudo



Both of us: Escolar Crudo w/ Fennel, Lime and Avocado. Named by GQ magazine as one of the 5 best dishes in America. Great starter. Stowell's starters are always enjoyable (my favorite is Hamachi with lime, avocado and serrano), and this is no exception. The escolar has just a hint of fishy odor, is soft and buttery, and goes very well with the smooth avocado puree and freshness of lime and fennel. A-

Second


Risotto



Ann: Risotto w/ Uni Butter and Geoduck. Risotto was creamy and cooked to a perfect consistency but the important parts were a) the Uni butter sauce and b) geoduck (which I hope you're pronouncing 'gooey-duck' in your head and not 'gee-oh duck', you amateur). What was this magical uni stuff? As I expected an uni sauce to taste like, it was sharp, pungent and slightly seafood fishy - in a good way. Oh and the b) chewy pieces of geoduck scattered throughout added some texture and balance but wasn't too obnoxious since risotto is about the rice and sauce. It was oh so fatty and delicious. B+





Gnocchetti



Nick: Gnocchetti w/ Bacon, Chantrellles & Cabbage. Love gnocchetti! It's my new favorite pasta. Little, open gnocchi that resemble grubs. I know that's not an appetizing analogy, but this is my blog, so DEAL WITH IT. Savory bacon lardons and chewy chantrelles bring it all together. If there was one thing I would change, it would be slightly more cabbage. It needed slightly more ruffage, and maybe a touch of earthy pecarino shaved on top. B



Third

Ann: Chocolate cake with caramel sauce. Deep and dense, and overwhelming. Food coma-inducing. Decadent cake like this is always amazing, but I really made a mistake of going with back-to-back rich dishes (risotto then cake). Be forewarned: ending a rich fall meal with a heavyweight dessert can be hazardous to your waistline. Your pants will find themselves magically becoming unbuttoned when you finally settle in on the couch (where I am as I write this). B



Nick: Vanilla Panna Cotta w/ Huckleberries. Huckleberries are one of my favorites. I first discovered them in an ice cream on the way to Smith Rock for some rock climbing, about 15 years ago. Anyway you can infuse them in a dessert, I'm there. Light and fluffy panna cotta is a perfect delivery vehicle after a rich and savory entree. B+

 

On a lighter (and what ultimately was an intensely dense) note, Chris went with ice cream with almond cookie for desert. We each sunk our spoons into the mounds. It was like digging into room temperature butter. It looked like vanilla bean ice cream, but felt like the creamiest gelato ever. We put it our mouths. Oh mama. It was creamier, thicker, and richer than we imagined. Our eyes bugged. We stared at each other in astonishment. Had we just had the most creamalicious gelato ever designed by man? No sooner had we began opining on what we had just experienced, our waitress ran over with another bowl of ice cream with cookie. We looked at her and pointed at the first bowl. She nodded, and simply said "yeah, we're sorry...we gave you marscarpone." Whoa...What?! Yes, vanilla bean marscarpone cheese. Not much more to say than, holy shit, that is a gut-bomb. We occasionally snuck in bites of it, just to remind our taste buds, and stomachs, of what not to have on a regular, or even a rare, basis.





The Aftermath (The offending marscarpone in the center) 





Restaurant Week!

F*ck Yeah!

What I'm eating right now...

caramelized pear & gorgonzola ravioli. sausage, shallot & dill cream sauce. chervil sprigs.

Top Chef Season 7 Finale

Hey loyal blog-followers! All seven of you...

We're back for the finale of Top Chef Season 7, with a live blog from Casa de Morrison. In addition to the live blog, we're making din-din for Beth, Ann and myself. On the menu is potato gnocchi with spring veggies and sauteed mushrooms. It's a pretty straightforward recipe from TC finalist Ed that you can find here.

I've been in the mood for seasonal pasta dishes lately, and even though this is a springtime dish, the heavy gnocchi and rich oyster and shitake mushrooms give it a weighty autumnal flavor. We opened a Dundee Hills 2006 Pinot Noir and started cooking. Ann and I prepped the mushrooms, blanched and shocked the sugar and snow peas and asparagus tips, and then made a garlic infused oil that we'd use to sear the gnocchi.

So...mistakes: I skimped for packaged gnocchi. I don't have the time or experience to make gnocchi by hand although that will be an experiment for a rainy Sunday. Packaged gnocchi is just not the same.

We also didn't have the right pan to sear the gnocchi for that crisp edge. And the veggies, while crisp and cooked perfectly, lacked the necessary seasoning. I needed to be a little more liberal with the salt and pepper as well as other spices. Other than those oversights, I think it's a solid dish that just about anyone can whip up in 30 minutes.

We began to speculate on what would happen in the Finale while watching the replays and giving Beth a recap of what had happened during the season as well as a characterization of the chefs.

So, before we get right into the TC finale, here is the final product. Comments?







Top Chef Finale: LiveBlog

Last week, we saw Kelly get the axe, despite the fact that all chefs performed admirably. In fact, all of them made really great food; Kelly's simply wasn't great enough. Too bad...I really like Kelly. She was certainly the strongest female competitor, and I knew it from the first episode. She also held it together better than her male competitors (Angelo's weepy fits, Kevin's hyper-aggressiveness, Ed's grudges).

The episode begins with a recap of the finalists, giving us a glimpse of their varied personalities.

Padma and her publicity orbs inform Ed, Kevin and Angelo that they will come back and draw knives for the final. The final four-courser is a little different this year:
1st: vegetable
2nd: fish
3rd: mystery protein that Ripert and Tom will choose (Tom threatens them with monkey)
4th: dessert

But the knives are for the sous. Hung, Michael Voltaggio and Elan, winners for TC Seasons 4, 6, 2 (respectively). Ann is squealing in delight when Michael comes on the screen. She has a major crush on last season's winner, which I largely ignore.

Cut to the next morning, and Angelo is sick in bed. Queue the 'Whhhaaa Whaaaa' horns. Angelo has by far been portrayed in the most negative light throughout the season. He's kind of opened himself up to that criticism but there's no denying his talent. We'll go ahead to call a moratorium of the Angelo dissing for now. Although he did admit having crabs on national television, for which there is no coming back from.

Tom and Eric show up with the mystery proteins and fish. There's cuttlefish, red rullet, cockles, and slipper lobster. And the proteins are pork belly and duck.

Angelo relays to Hung over the phone that they're going to do a duck and foie gras marshmallow...Wow! Sounds amazing. Hung continues to do the work of two chefs and would probably take any of our season's finalist blindfolded.

Kevin announces his menu. The standouts are cuttlefish "noddles" and the Singapore Sling panna cotta. Impressive. Ed's menu has a duo of duck, and sticky toffee cake. This should be interested.

Angelo is miraculously better. He better bring it, because Kevin and Ed are bringing out their big guns. Wants to show the judges what he can do "under the circumstances." Well, Angelo...I'm afraid that's not gonna cut it. If you've learned anything, the judges don't take those extraneous issues into account. They look at the food like anyone would at a restaurant...they don't care if the chef has a fever.

Susan Finegar sighting!! Ripert! David Chang (of Momofuko fame)! Celebrity chefs have invaded Southeast Asia.

Aside: Ed is becoming a bit of a douche. I know that he's a self-admitted "sarcastic guy" and has had a "bit of a 'tude" but he's now now crossed the Rubicon into super-douche territory. Be humble and gracious. Everyone on TC deserves to be there, but don't spend every waking moment on camera tearing down your opponent. Angelo, on the other hand, who started out with a huge ego, has gotten progressively sweeter and more endearing. Go figure.

The judges are effusive in their praise for the chef's menus, especially the desserts. One of them calls Kevin's frozen Singapore Sling the "new national dessert." And David calls Ed's sticky toffee cake a "F*ck you."

Judging time!!

They start with Angelo's second course...

They do take issue with his cherry shooter as a palate cleanser, citing that it coated their mouths. The marshmallow though seems to be well-received.

Kevin's veggie terrine could have used a little spiciness. He noted that he removed the seeds from the peppers, which accounts for this lack in impact. His 2nd, the cuttlefish noodles with slipper lobster on top looked like it really delivered. The 3rd, duck a la orange, was cooked well. And they all really enjoyed the Singapore Sling dessert.

Ed seemed to fall short the most, out of the three. The corn & fried cockles was well-received, but everything else seemed to be slightly lackluster, in light of what he's been doing lately. The fish wasn't a standout, the duo of duck was the weakest of the 3rds, and Tom took issue with his dessert as well. It's not looking good for Cotton.

Angelo appears to have executed his dishes, despite him being on the shelf during prep. The foie gras marshmallow was definitely the stretch dish, and overall it succeeded, but the fish course was really well conceived and implemented. The mushroom pork belly handmade noodle opener was also strong.

OK! Here we go...

Tom heaps on the praise, citing that the chef that took the biggest risks that also delivered the best meal would win.

And...

It's Kevin! Yay!! I definitely thought Kevin's menu was the strongest and it appears he made it happen, Cap'n! Hurray!! Ed and Angelo are gracious in defeat. Kevin has really been the darkhorse since about halfway. Somedays he really brings it; somedays his dishes fall well short of the others. I felt the same way about my girl Ashley Merriman last season. She could have easily made it to the final. Or gone home the first few episodes. Ed and Angelo, in all likelihood, are better chefs. Kelly probably is too. But Kevin was stood out when it counted the most. He wanted it more than they did too. He's trying to establish himself, whereas Angelo and Ed are already entrenched at their respective establishments.

And with that, we're done. Here's to one the weakest overall seasons of TC, with one of the strongest finales. Looking forward to TC9!! Cheers.

Epic Sasquatch Hunt 2010

We know, we know… We've been heavy on the food and light on the music. Also, we have a backlog of blogs to get through. Here it goes...

The elusive Sasquatch had been spotted. Not deep in the woods leaving giant footprints in the murky mud but over the Cascade mountain range to the winding mighty Columbia gorge. The 2010 Sasquatch hunt was insane.

For those of you not in the know, Sasquatch Music Festival is a three day long music festival that is held at the scenic Columbia river Gorge amphitheater during Memorial Day weekend. Amazing music with crazy people at one of the loveliest concert venues on earth? Score. http://sasquatchfestival.com/

It was so much fun and jam-packed with experiences, I can hardly remember what I had seen without the aid of photos and videos. OK Go? I had almost forgotten that I had seen them on the mainstage and sang along to their songs. Some of what happened during this year's festival stays at the festival but I broke down this year's Quatchie search into themes of items I can divulge:

Music of little yetis

Yes, it's us

This year's Sasquatch lineup lacked something it had from other years. Sure, Sasquatch has always supported up and coming indie bands or cult favorites but there usually are a few headliner bands. This year's Sasquatch lacked a classic headliner band accustomed to playing the large arenas and stadiums - no Nine Inch Nails, the Cure, Beck, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon or the Beastie Boys. I loved the lineup at this year's event but I must admit I missed the huge stadium rock bands to look forward to in the evening and some bands had issues translating their small venue sound to the mainstage at the Gorge which should make the very last high hippie on the topmost edge of the lawn rock out. Regardless, the musical experience was still different and fun.

Day One

The first band we had rushed to see was Minus the Bear. We missed out on the first 30 minutes but those long-haired scruffy boys were great as always with an easygoing vibe.
I think I am a bigger fan of OK Go after seeing their creative music videos - this rube goldberg machine one is a favorite: In all honest, these guys are as fun and energetic live as they are in their videos. Their lead singer was enthusiastic and charming - even leaping into the masses for some crowd surfing, cracking jokes and instigating some serious audience participation. Not only did everyone sing along to 'This too shall pass' - even us sunbathing folk up on the lawn - but they got the crew with stuff animal hats to do a little crazy dance.

Bubbles at Sunset

The National also rocked in a much more subtle way as the sun was going down - they were a perfect 'sit on the grass and enjoy the sunset' band. The low baritone droll and steady beats made for a good cool down band before Vampire Weekend came out with their upbeat emo music.

BTW Deadmau5? Trippy.

Day Two

Istanbul? Or Constantinople? They Might Be Giants aren't the new, hot, young indie band anymore - they are, how shall we say, seasoned. But they still rock with plenty of fun, irreverent dancey music - oldies mixed in with newer songs. The crowd was an interesting mix of young and old (many geeks old enough to be their parents) but everyone had a good time.

Rocking out to Kid Cudi

A revelation of this year's Sasquatch - the crushable lead singer. Ok I'm known to be a tad more than a little boy crazy. A guy who can sing? Be still my heart. Kid Cudi was not only hot, but he was entertaining and connected well to the audience. His set list was a good mix of chill surrealistic pieces and more energetic songs that showcased his unusual style and gravely voice. Kid Cudi was definitely the biggest show of the day at that point in time; the crowd amassed after They Might Be Giants to enjoy Kid Cudi's hazy soundscapes.

I only caught a bit of The xx from a beer garden but I enjoy the play of male and female vocals. Complementary and sometimes dueling but sort of brit-pop-sexy music. The kind that you'd enjoy in a Topshop boutique.

Pavement was perhaps the single worst band I had seen all weekend long. They are barely worth mentioning except the fact that they started out strong with their 90's hit, "Cut Your Hair" which was a cock tease. I was left with blue balls. They were so bad in fact that I left in the middle and didn't care that Massive Attack was on next. My friend Jeff and I fled to watch some Public Enemy and dance in the rumpus room. Public Enemy was surprisingly great but they took the opportunity to get political and took it to the edge. Come on Chuck D, we're all politically opinionated and don't mind a sprinkling of it here and there but step off of the soapbox after 10 minutes please.

The rumpus room not only was a contained rave but it was full of nice people whom we gave glow bracelets to. Hey, we share!

Day Three

Day three was a beautiful day of strange weather - as if the weather Gods had done as much drugs as many of the concertgoers had and was reacting. It was warm and the brightest and sunniest it had been in a while with periods of warm sprays of rain periodically to cool off the sunburned and tanned masses.

We loved us some Passion Pit which turned out to be more fun, energetic and infectious than expected. A large crowd amassed for She & Him and there was a resounding agreement of how lovely Zoey Deschanel was. In fact, there is no way they would be on the main stage if it weren't for her popularity amongst both men and women. They were sweet-sounding like a combination of an indie band from Portland and a 1960's church-approved jingle band but otherwise not main stage material.

Band of Horses? Meh. For some reason, I don't dig them that much and don't think they translate well to big spaces. I got myself a snack and a catnap with the boys at that time.

Nick, Steve and I hoofed it back down to MGMT at Sunset and prepared ourselves for another dance-filled show. I hadn't realized how adorable the lead singer was (again, crushable singer) and despite the crowd getting really into the music and dancing up a storm, the band seemed to be going through the motions. Yes, they were energetic and gave some choice shout outs and we all can't help but gyrate to "Electric Feel" and "Kids" but they did not have the same authentic, emotional connection that some of the other bands did.

The Nice Canadian

The prevailing theme of the trip has been the nice Canuck. Not only do they say "about" in a funny way and really do say "eh" more than Rihanna does in Umbrella-ella-ella but they were the genuinely friendly and nice people of Sasquatch in contrast to the un-friendly and eyebrow raising American dick.

Nice and crazy Canadians with crazy animal hats

My friend Jeff and I tested this as we decided to wander after Pavement's horrible show. We walked up to random people and asked for hi fives, asked questions on their favorite acts of the day, handed out free glow necklaces. The ONLY people who reciprocated the hi fives, talked to us and generally gave us more than a dirty, exasperated look were Canadians. The Canadians camped out next to us and generously offered to share their beer, liquor and, ahem herbal refreshments. They chatted with us, asked us which acts we were excited to see, wanted to know if we wanted to walk with them, play flip cup with them, have breakfast with them, sit around with them, etc. (There were four sets of Canadians immediately around our area and they all did this.) I don't think the Americans camped around us even introduced themselves to us and promptly ignored everything we did.

To all of the Canadians out there: We love you. Come party with us next year.

To the Americans: Stay home and make room for us to party with the Canadians.

Dance Dance!

Everyone loves to dance but Sasquatch has subsequently gotten dancier with the times. I don't think there was much dancing the first Sasquatch I went to (was it 2005?) but now it has become an all out dance party from the campgrounds to the inner sanctum itself. I suppose that why Sasquatch even added a dance AND comedy tent.

Also, I think new bands are less afraid to be 'pure' in terms of their musical styles and have allowed their many influences and passions to come through, including dance. Rock bands have embraced some hip-shaking beats and rappers have incorporated not only guitar solos and rock elements but electronica.

Last year, our friends camped next to a group of nice Canadians who had an amazing soundsystem so we started last year's premier campground rave (complete with fog machine, lasers and lights to our delight). This year, we were determined to find the same group and party with them again - we lovingly referred to them as the 'real Canadians'. This year's Sasquatch was no different - except that we didn't originate the rave this year since it was already tried and true and more than an urban myth.

We danced like crazy on the second night there - we were dancing all night long with glow bracelets and necklaces like raving teenagers, feeling very happy and content until the campground security had to break it up to enforce quiet hours.

Games

Group games are fun. Especially if they involve a little alcohol. At our campsite, we played tons of 'circle of death' with a few deck of cards, which we surmised to be less fun once we realized that Anna was cheating and drinking only juice. We also played a lot of beer pong and flip cup with friendly Canadian neighbors. We had a massive flip cup tournament at one point, mostly with PBR and Coors. I have no idea if anyone really kept track of winning and losing teams - it was just all fun.

The Canadians are forced to drink

The epic Olympic battle of Americans vs. Canadians started when the Canadians challenged our boys to a beer pong duel - upping the challenge by suggesting instead of beer, a few select cups should have vodka in them as a surprise. The Americans prevailed although it certainly was a tough battle.

All in all, this was a fantastic exploration of music and people. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and can't wait to search for Sasquatch again and party with the Canadians.