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Why Are These Eaters Smiling?

Yes, it's true that I ate three days worth of food in three hours. Wretched excess?  Absolutely.  Would I do it again?  Need you ask?  Besides, I think Nancy ate more. So what were we all doing there?  Well, it's a medium-long story.

I've been emailing with Chef Trevis Gleason for several years now, ever since he first dropped me a note during my morning jazz show.  T's very successful chefing career hit the wall when MS deep-fried his body's wiring system.  His response?  Move to Ireland and write a book about it.

Gleason's in the states for a tour promoting Chef Interrupted, about his trip from then to now and I interviewed him for the upcoming March 28th edition of KPLU's Sound Effect (10am Saturdays).  A chance to eat with Trevis is never to be passed up, so last week he gathered a group of friends at Pioneer Square's Salumi.  Not all of us knew one another but we all clicked instantly and lunched like the shameless feeders we are. 

And what a menu Chef Brian Davis served to us.

First the platter of house-cured meats, olives and marinated artichokes followed by crostini topped with cheese and a dab of tomato sauce.

Credit Nancy leson
Just the starters.

Then Chef Davis presented the house-made sausage and finochiona-wrapped rapini (pictured in slide show above).  After which we shared a perfectly dressed salad of black kale, arugula and shaved fennel studded with more salume. 

Greg and Lorraine Smallwood, proprietors of Laurelhurst Cellars brought some of their wines, which may have added to the non-stop hilarity.  The 2012 Petite Verdot and 2013 Vinum Vidua were big hits.

We had to remember to pace ourselves because there was still more to come.  Like the spaghetti in roasted peppers shown in the slide show up top.  And the super-savory, multi-textured boned chicken thighs stuffed with bread crumbs and herbs.  We wrapped up with a dish of fresh fruit and cheese.  In a nod to moderation I abstained from the former.

On the way home that Wednesday night DeGroot and I swore to limit ourselves to raw celery and pure rain  water for at least the next three days – a promise we duly trashed on Thursday.

Credit Nancy Leson
The food pyramid: Chef Brian Davis, the L&T and me.

"Ask not what you can do for your country.  Ask what's for lunch."

– Orson Welles

Dick Stein joined KNKX in January 1992. He retired in 2020 after three decades on air. During his storied radio career, he hosted the morning jazz show, co-hosted and produced "Food for Thought" with Nancy Leson and wrote and directed the Jimmy Jazzoid live radio musical comedies and 100 episodes of Jazz Kitchen.