re:public (yep, no capitals and the colon stays!)

republic burger

Voted #1 New Restaurant in Western Washington for 2010 by KING5’s Evening Magazine, re:public was one of the first restaurants to move into the South Lake Union neighborhood. Now the neighborhood is a bustling destination spot, not just for the urban professionals who roam the streets during lunch and dinner hours, but for taste bud thrill-seekers on the lookout for perfectly prepared oysters or a sophisticated burger.

It all came together three years ago in a 1920s-era brick building, the brainchild of owners Ruadhri McCormick, Matt Greenup, and Hannes Schindler – just as the Amazon campus was taking shape and before the neighborhood started filling in with restaurants and shops.

From the beginning, the chefs at re:public envisioned a Wagyu burger with a bun that could stand up to its juiciness. Lucky for us, they found Macrina brioche buns filled the bill and, according to Greenup, “tasted the best”. Many of their high quality ingredients are sourced from local producers like Beechers cheese, which is featured on the burger along with Wagyu beef, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, house-made horseradish aioli and apple ketchup. Oh, and don’t forget the mound of hand-cut frites that accompany the burger.

Urbane and hearty, re:public’s Wagyu Burger will keep you coming back to this hip, South Lake Union spot. Our advice…give it a try, and tell them that Macrina sent you.

Happy Hour: Seattle Wine and Food Experience

Macrina Bakery and CafeHere at Macrina we love food. We love making food and sharing the food we create each day in our bakeries and cafes. And we look forward to events that allow us to share how we make our sweet and savory creations. Seattle Wine and Food Experience is one of those events.

On Sunday, February 24th, Macrina will be dishing up deliciousness: Guinness Chocolate Mousse Cake (which will be available in our cafes in time for St. Paddy’s Day). You can nosh to your heart’s content around the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, sampling away at creations from chefs around the Seattle area.

SWFE_logoThe Seattle Wine and Food Experience is the premier showcase for wine, beer, spirits, and gourmet foods in the Northwest. From the vineyards of Oregon to the fields of Eastern Washington, hundreds of opportunities for tasting wines and gourmet foods will be in one central location to satisfy your gastronomical needs.

The event benefits the Giving Grapes Foundation, a national organization providing assistance to local charities that offer financial assistance to service industry professionals who need to take time off work due to injury or illness. The 2013 non-profit is Big Table, located in our home state in Spokane.

Tickets for the 5th annual Seattle Wine and Food Experience are available on their website. The event runs from noon to 5pm…think of it as one long happy hour!

 

Valentine’s Day: Not Just for Lovers

Macrina Bakery Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies In the February 2013 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, you will find a love story – not your typical love story, but a story of love that is shared with good friends around a hearty meal. The author suggests that Valentine’s Day become a “food holiday” like Thanksgiving and Christmas. She looked forward to each Valentine’s Day with her husband because it meant a night out at a fancy restaurant, but she asks why exclude the unpaired ones from a Valentine’s Day feast.

What are your Valentine’s Day traditions? Do you hand out Valentine’s Day cards to people besides your significant other? Have co-workers ever taken the opportunity to “share the love” with you? Children celebrate en masse every Valentine’s Day in elementary school, so why can’t adults? It’s time to think about Valentine’s Day beyond lovers and celebrate those we admire.

Macrina Bakery Cupid's CupcakeMacrina founder, Leslie Mackie feels the same way. Admittedly, over the years, we name seasonal Valentine-related products with the traditional love holiday in mind – Eros Cake, Beating Heart Galette, and this year’s Cupid’s Cupcake. But why limit those treats to your one and only when you have friends, family, and co-workers that deserve appreciation? Leslie hopes that you will take the opportunity to show your gratitude to those that matter most to you.

Our Valentine’s Day Offerings can help with your homespun, heartwarming feast, including Baked Brie en Croute, a divine combination of sweet and savory with caramelized onions, sweet and tart cherries, and cocoa in a mild, creamy brie; our popular Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies shaped in a heart; or our product of the month, Cupid’s Cupcake, a moist red velvet cupcake filled with a dollop of vanilla bean pastry cream and topped with white chocolate buttercream frosting, a fresh raspberry, sugared rose petal, and sugar sprinkles.

Let’s turn Valentine’s Day into an official food holiday and celebrate and share the love of food with good friends and family!

Greatest Hits: Flatbreads for Sandwiches

Schiacciata_ovenBack by popular demand, Macrina’s founder, author, and artisan baking artiste, Leslie Mackie will be sharing her flatbread knowledge and skills February 23rd and 24th at South Seattle Community College. The Bread Bakers Guild of America is reprising its greatest hits to honor 20 years of supporting the artisan baking community, and Leslie’s class is the first gig on the nationwide tour.

In this two-day master class, Flatbreads for Sandwiches, students will learn to make Schiacciatta, Piadina, Francese, and Olivetta breads with a seed dough starter using professional equipment available at the college through the Culinary Arts Program.

Schiacciata_loavesThe class goes beyond making loaves of bread. Students will create sandwiches for their enjoyment: a BLT with the herbed Schiaciatta; a grilled Piadina with mortadella, mozzarella, and pepperoncini; a Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwich with the Francese bread; and a roasted pears, turkey, caper aioli, and Cambozola sandwich on Olivetta. Leslie will also share her tips of the trade with professionals. “Creating sandwiches is a way to showcase the breads…and create customer loyalty by offering more than just loaves,” Leslie explains.

The class is a fundraiser for the Guild, which is dedicated to advancing the artisan baking profession through support and education, and is open to professionals and enthusiastic home bakers. Cost for the two-day, 11-hour master class is $340 for Guild members, $425 for non-members (fee includes 12-month Guild membership). Registration deadline is February 7th. Please visit the Guild website for more details and the registration form.

This is one stop on the tour that you do not want to miss! And she might even sing for you.

Bread Bakers Guild of America