"A Critical Guide to Local Food & Drink"
This new book about Seattle's food ecosystem by a veteran food writer and restaurant critic. Over 300 entries follow the path of local food from its origins in nearby waters, fields and vineyards to farmers markets, groceries, wholesalers and specialty retailers. Along the way, dozens of food artisans contribute their efforts (bread, cheese, sausages, chocolate). At the center of the book stand scores of restaurateurs from high profile local chains to indie pizza parlors, fancy steakhouses, mom & pop burger joints, and family-run pho parlors.
Forking Seattle also delves into the region's acclaimed wine industry, the origins of Starbucks coffee, and profiles towering figures of local food history. There are villains, too: remote private equity funds that carelessly suck the life out of local brands.
"Seattle's oyster bars, its coffee culture, its pho parlors, its fine wines, didn't come about by some grand design but as the result of a historical accident of geography. "We are singularly fortunate, on the Northwest coast of North America," Holden writes, "a mild climate, a dormant volcano, a bountiful harvest of apples, cherries, grapes and grain); waters full of big fish and succulent oysters; a thriving economy, and a hungry, international workforce. How do you feed this city? One fork at a time."
293 pages with copious illustrations.