What to eat when you just got back from a trip

Plus, where to eat in Seattle

Hi friends,

Welcome to This Needs Hot Sauce, a newsletter by Abigail Koffler about cooking, dining out, and making the most of it. If you’d like even more, I recently launched a premium edition of this newsletter and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has subscribed so far! So far, subscribers have gotten tips about my favorite hot sauces and my failproof vegetable roasting method. Subscriptions are just $5 a month or $50 a year.

If you’re in New York, save November 19th for my next happy hour! Now, let’s dive in.

Something to order:

I got some incredible recommendations for my time in Seattle and ate very well! Thank you all for helping and to Team fatcork for being such great hosts! Check out my highlight on Instagram for more.

Some highlights:

Coffee and pastries at Anchored Ship (Ballard) and Analog (Capitol Hill)

Lunch at Oddfellows Cafe & Bar: this was my first stop and it hit the spot. The space is huge and perfect for working, reading, or catching up with a friend. They also have an afternoon happy hour and a great grain bowl. Stop at Elliot Bay Books while you’re there!

Ice Cream at Frankie & Jo’s: yes it’s dairy-free AND I have omnivorous friends who call it the best ice cream in Seattle. The flavors are so good, it was hard to choose. I went with chocolate and bread, a collaboration with a local cookbook author. They ship as well. Thanks to Leslie for taking me here!

Late lunch at Champagne Diner: this is a brilliant concept. It’s an updated diner with an amazing wine list. Team fatcork caught their afternoon menu which included excellent fries, vegetable soup, olives, broccoli cheddar dip, and french lentils with carrots and creme fraiche.

Dinner at Stoneburner: this Ballard restaurant has a great atmosphere (the ceiling looks like the inside of a wine barrel) and great food. Get a pizza, the cacio e pepe and the olives. And I can’t forget the best cocktail I’ve had in ages: the cottonmouth, which had tequila, lime, grapefruit, cinnamon, orgeat, and mezcal.

Solo Dinner at Homer: this was perfect for my last night. I was done with meetings and getting stressed about the busyness that awaited once I was home. I saw at the bar and enjoyed two dips (the labneh is insane, with herbs and roasted tomatoes) and a glass of wine. Read Delia’s article about hanging out alone if you need another push.

Back in New York, my family and I saw Freestyle Love Supreme (incredible) on Friday and had a pre-theater meal at Marseille. It’s a great standby in that neighborhood and they take reservations.

Dale and I got brunch at Guadelupe Inn. It’s the same owners as Mesa Coyoacan so we shockingly liked it (it’s bigger than Mesa, so great for groups). Ask for the salsas.

Something to cook:

I miss cooking when I travel and was excited to get back into a routine.

The day I got back was my cheese party with Wisconsin Cheese! It was so much fun! The team at Wisconsin Cheese sent tons of delicious cheese and I paired them with crackers, plantain chips, nuts, fruit (apples, grapes, and dried fruit), jam and chocolate. The cheeses were so good, especially a whiskey-soaked one and a gouda style cheese.

On Saturday, Leah, Lizzi and I cooked this roasted eggplant for dinner. We threw in some carrots and onions to roasted and tossed the final product with some linguine to make it more substantial.

Today, I made a burrito bowl for lunches. It’s a mix of roasted cubed sweet potato with spices (paprika, chili powder, cumin), sautéed and smashed black beans, shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese, scallions, spinach, a soft boiled egg, and some pepita salsa. So satisfying.

Something to read:

I attended a food writer’s symposium at Pepperidge Farm last week and got to learn more about their founder, Margaret Rudkin. She was so innovative and even negotiated herself a board seat when she sold to Campbells in the 60s. (More on this event soon, it was lots of fun and we got to make milanos)

Loved this interview with Samin Nosrat, I’m eagerly awaiting her next show.

Sorry Australia, flat whites are really not that unique.

Two articles about the end of City Bakery: how the business’ finances fell apart and how the bakery made us all feel like extras in a Nora Ephron movie.

A topic near and dear to my heart: what makes a good bar nut?

Now, let’s talk about wine.

I was looking forward to my dad’s answer: I have so many favorite types of wine but, if I had to narrow it down, I’d say old vine, red, California field blends. 

Paige has a favorite I need to try: My favorite wine is Xarel-lo,- a Spanish white that hits all of my favorite notes: tart, acidic, funky, but somehow still smooth and incredibly easy to drink. It's not super common in US restaurants so if you ever see it, definitely order it!!

Hillary is loyal to her fave: As you know, my forever fave is New Zealand sauvignon blanc (a friend once told me she overheard a girl at a bar call it "savvy b") but I'm also currently very into South African chenin blanc. I'm interested to see what reds people recommend because I am not a red drinker but would like to become one.

This week, I’d like to talk about Thanksgiving. I know it’s super early, but I want to make sure I give you ideas with plenty of time. What do you normally contribute to Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving? What dishes do you want to try this year? Is Thanksgiving…overrated? This is a space for honesty.

Happy eating and thanks for reading.

xo, Abigail

This Needs Hot Sauce is a food newsletter and community by Abigail Koffler. After nearly two years of free content, a paid edition is here! Subscribe now for exclusive content.