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Lauren's Section...

Hello to all friends and family who are interested in what is going on with me, I hope that life is treating you well. I basically use my section of the website to update everyone on my recent activities/job/interests/hobbies/etc. Feel free to email me if you have questions, comments, pieces of advice (preferably wise advice), updates of your own, and so on. Again, I hope that life is treating you well, and that you are both happy and healthy.

09.20.2004
We've been rather busy since my last update. Bart's parents were just here for a visit and it was great to see them and show them a bit of Seattle. Unfortunately, I was working both days, but I did get to spend some time with them in the mornings. It was wonderful to have them here and I was sad to say good-bye.

Bart and I went up to Vancouver to see Sarah McLachlan finish the North American leg of her tour. It was an amazing concert, as always. It was also great just hanging out in Vancouver again. We were only there for the one night, but we walked around the downtown area quite a bit and got the know the city a little better. We are constantly looking for great places to eat, and Bin 941 in Vancouver did not disappoint. It is a tapas bar that serves until 1:30, which made a great after show place. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Vancouver.

In Lark/work news....
In August, Bart and I helped the Lark representation at Sunset Supper at Pike's Market. It was wonderful event and it was so much fun to work, especially since Bart was working with us as well. Each vendor hands out samples of food/wine/beer to the event goers, who can make a great meal out of tasting bites from the participating restaurants. Our sample was a savory corn ice-cream float. It consisted of corn relish with corn ice-cream and roasted corn nuts in a saffron soda all garnished with green corn shoots. More info about the event at www.pikeplacemarket.org.

We closed for a couple of days to visit some wineries in Walla Walla and Prosser. We had a fabulous time and I learned a ton. All the people we met were so gracious and open with their wineries and vineyards as we descended on them to learn more about their industry. In Walla Walla we tasted at 6 wineries (listed below) and in Prosser we hung out and stayed at the Chinook Winery, who had just finished crushing Chardonnay grapes when we arrived. Clay Simon and Kay Mackey, the owners of Chinook, are great people and answered all of our questions so openely. A huge thanks to them for letting us hang out at Chinook and crash in their guest house. Another huge thanks to Eric Dunham from Dunham Cellars who arranged for our lodging in Walla Walla and introduced us to 26 Brix, a great restaurant in downtown Walla Walla.

Walla Walla wineries we visited:
     Le Ecole No 41
     Abeja
     Walla Walla Vintners
     Dunham Cellars
     Cayuse
     Beresan

In the press: Wine Spectator magazine features Lark and Union Cafe in an article on where to eat in Seattle. It's really great press for the restaurant and we've been busy as a result.

08.07.2004
I got back from visiting Houston/Hunstville about a week ago, and I must say that while it was great to see family, I am glad to be back in Seattle. Some of my family from overseas were visiting and I don't get to see them very often, so I thought I would go for a visit. It was great to see everyone, especially my cousins as they are children and they grow up so quickly. It's so frustrating feeling as though the little time I get to spend with them has to last for so long. Regardless, it was great to have the chance to spend some time with them as well as the rest of the family and my in-laws. I was also able to re-connect with some of the friends I miss dearly. Unfortunately Bart was unable to come with, but those are the breaks sometimes.

07.19.2004
Seattle has been treating us very well. We've been here for almost 6 months and we are extremely happy that we moved here. It has been interesting having to adjust to living in a new place with no family or friends, outside of each other. In some ways it has been easier than I thought, and in others more difficult. We are settling in well and are really enjoying living in a city that has so much to offer. We do miss our family and friends - hopefully we will see some of them move up here one day.

My parents came to visit in April and it was great to see them. It was also great for us to show them the city we have chosen live in for the first time. We were also able to take them to Vancouver, Mt. Rainier and show them a few things around the city. Unfortunately Bart and I had to work during much of their trip, but they were able to get out and explore on their own. I must say they certainly didn't waste time sitting around the house (I think they might have seen more of the area in their time here than we have since we moved here).

I am currently working at Lark, which is a new restaurant in the Capital Hill area of Seattle. It opened its doors on December 12, 2003 and is owned by Chef Jonathon Sundstrom, JM Enos and Kelly Ronan. All of whom are wonderful to work for and I feel extremely lucky that I have the opportunity to work there and learn from some great and extremely knowledgable people. I began a stage there on Valentines Day and was hired about 6 weeks later. I work both during the day doing prep work in the morning and run the pantry station one or two evenings a week. I'm learning tons and because I do prep work in the mornings I have more exposure to both the sauté and pastry stations.

Press on Lark has been excellent, which means that business is very good. Below are a few links to reviews and other exposure we've received. The list is not exhaustive, but hopefully you get an idea of the restaurant's concept from these few.

     New York Times - travel section article on four Seattle restaurants.
     Seattle Post Intelligencer - one of 2 major local newspapers.
     Seattle Times - the second of the 2 major local newspapers.
     City Search - their general restaurant listing page.
     Seattle Weekly - free weekly publication and a somewhat mixed review.

Other than working and just settling into living here, Bart and I have started a little vegetable garden. We are trying to keep it small, but somehow it seems to keep getting bigger, although I think we have finally reached our threshold. We are complete novices, but we are learning so much and are having a great time with it. It is definately hard work, but I must say I believe eating something you have planted from seed and nurtured for months is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. In May we volunteered at the Seattle Tilth Association's Edible Plant sale. It was a lot of fun and we got some great plants and advice from fellow gardeners.