Lunchbox Laboratory

For Father's Day, Lunchbox Laboratory was offering free burgers to dads. The stipulation was that you had to have a mustache, so I didn't shave for four days. Turns out they weren't really holding anyone to it.

Jennifer and I went for lunch and it was surprisingly not too crowded. (We did have to wait almost 20 minutes.) This was our first time at the new location, and probably our first time at Lunchbox since September 2009. The new environment is a bit more sterile than the old environment although many of the decorations have remained. The restaurant is much bigger and able to accommodate more people than previously as well.

We sat down and got menus. They had the typical list of menu burgers and then the build your own burgers. I felt like there were less options for the build your own, but it has been a while, so perhaps my memory embellished the list a bit. Jennifer got the black bean burger or vegetarian patty which she claimed to be the best she ever had. I went with a lamb burger as I didn't want to get something I could easily make at home. We both got shakes as well, and I seem to recall there were more shake options in the past as well. I got Mac and Cheese as my side as it was heavy on the chilies, but I was not super impressed with it.

The burger was delicious as usual, but even with my free burger, we spent $30 on our lunch. I'd be hard pressed to head back to Lunchbox unless it was a special occasion. And I think my first father's day would count.

Garlic Scapes

I clipped the scapes off the the garlic a few days ago, and Jennifer found a recipe for pesto to use them in. I think there were a dozen scapes, and it made more than we were expecting. The quick recipe for the pesto was the scapes, walnuts, Ricotta Salata, Pecorino Romano and some fresh lemon juice. We put it over whole wheat gnocchi. Only a week or so more, and I can harvest the heads of garlic from the ground.

Copper River Salmon

It is that time of the year again. A time of frenzy in the Pacific Northwest when the Copper River Salmon Season starts. About two weeks ago or so we saw the first fish in Whole Foods around $22/lb for sockeye. But that was first of the season, and it turns out they are having an amazing season for sockeye on the Copper River, so the price has dropped under ten dollars a pound.

The appropriate thing to do with Copper River Salmon is to grill it. I only add a little salt, but there are plenty of recipes out there for the salmon, I just don't feel it needs it. When we first moved to Seattle and discovered Copper River Salmon, I thought it was like buttered bacon. The fish are touted to be extra fatty due to the long distance they travel to their spawning grounds up river. And probably due to the colder waters of the river as well.

The typical companion on the grill for the salmon in our house is local asparagus. Since Washington is probably second only to California in asparagus production in the states, and it is usually abundant and inexpensive. (Especially if you make the trip to central Washington to get it from a farm stand.)

I recently had non Copper River salmon and I can definitely notice the difference. That said, the season is mostly over, but if you look hard, you may find some still around. I just got a tail fillet at PCC that I am waiting for drier weather to grill.