Foothills Jan-Feb 2014

Wenatchee u LeavenwortH u ChelaN u and all of North Central Washington

oothills

January-February 2014

Dream Meal II Area eateries dish up winners

Ice Fishing The Hole Story

Winter Romance at Mountain Home Lodge

Editor’s Letter

Re-connect in 2014 by disconnecting S

ocial media has its fans, that’s for sure.

I have a Facebook page and a Twitter account, but don’t consider myself an active user. More of an occasional peruser.

Beyond Facebook and Twitter, my wife and I text more than I ever thought we would — me mainly with my siblings and her with her friends near and far. And I’m the first to admit that texting has improved my relationship with at least two of my siblings.

Still, it’s too easy these days to consider an exchange of Facebook comments or a string of text messages as real conversation. They’re not. Likewise, I don’t view sharing what you ate for dinner via a 140-character tweet as a higher form of communication.

I’m convinced that, more than ever, there is no substitute for being around other people. Not just being around other people, but interacting with them — chatting, sharing ideas, working toward a common goal.

So put that smartphone in your pocket and keep it there for a few hours; turn off your laptop or tablet and walk away.

What will you do without your electronic connection to the world? Invite that text-message buddy and his/her family over to dinner for some real conversation. Become more involved in your child’s school or your church. Another idea is to volunteer at any of a number of nonprofits doing good things in our region.

Doing one or more of those things probably won’t net you 15 new “friends” on Facebook or a dozen new followers on Twitter, but they may lead to lasting friendships that survive beyond the next popular platform of the social media craze.

Marco Martinez, editor

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Follow us

facebook.com/Foothills.Magazine

@Foothillsmag

oothills A bi-monthly lifestyle magazine about North Central Washington

Publisher Rufus Woods rwoods@wenatcheeworld.com Managing editor Cal FitzSimmons (509) 665-1176 fitzsimmons@wenatcheeworld.com Editor Marco Martinez (509) 664-7149 martinez@wenatcheeworld.com

"On the darkest of nights the men from Lucerne were glad the ladies of Point Lovely left the light on for them."

General Manager, advertising and sales Joe Pitt (509) 664-7143 pitt@wenatcheeworld.com Design Jared Johnson

Lake Chelan, www.hardrow.com

Staff writers Mike Irwin, Dee Riggs, Rick Steigmeyer Staff photographers Mike Bonnicksen, Don Seabrook Contributing editor Russ Hemphill

Foothills Magazine is published bi-monthly

by World Publishing, 14 N. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA, 98801.

Subscriptions: $14.99 annually Send check or money order to: Foothills, Subscriptions 14 N. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA, 98801 or email foothills@wenatcheeworld.com Copyright 2014 with all rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission.

On the cover: Dream Meal judges selected the Osso Bucco from the Chateau Grill at Chateau Faire Le Pont as the Best EntrÊe in this year’s food contest.

Kathryn Stevens photo January / February 2014

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Contents 6 Fast 5

Mike Irwin brings the heat

Page 6

8 Doing Dad Proud

Ray Largent brings new life to Dad’s Dodge

10 Water Works

Mike Bonnicksen goes abstract

12 Super Food

CheffyK cooks up a winner

Page 8

14 Lakefront Luxury

Page 12

20 Ancient Brew

Chelan home is built to please

Tea is a winter wonder

26 Food For Thought Experts share healthy eating habits

30 Winter Sports

Outdoor options to get your heart thumping

34 Texting ... Greg Taylor

Page 20

Mr. Aplets & Cotlets says no to potlets

36 Dream Dishes

Food contest draws raves from judges

48 Frozen Fish Tales Ice fishing is region’s coolest sport

56 Remote & Romantic Mountain Home Lodge is a winter wonderland

64 Upon Further Review Barb Robertson knows a good value

66 Black is the New Fun Photos from Little Black Dress Party

Page 26

Page 34

Fast five

1

Toasty at the Coast

You come out of the cold with the intention of riding up nine floors for a mug of Irish coffee in the Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel’s Rivertop Grill. But the lobby’s wood-and-marble fireplace — certainly one of downtown Wenatchee’s coziest spots — blazes a welcome. And who can resist?

Surrounded by soft sofas and wide easy chairs, the “eternal” flame (it burns 24 hours a day in winter) is a favorite warming spot for hotel guests, diners and conventioneers. Business folks chat fireside. Grandparents and kids gather at the hearth for family photos.

Best of all, the gas fireplace radiates a real toastiness — a genuine comfort in mid-winter. For info: 662-1234 (Note: Rivertop Grill’s open fireplace is a great place to sip Irish coffee and watch a winter sunset.)

2

Stayin’ Warm

Get high on chai

edition

Forget that pre-packaged dishwater some coffee shops serve as chai, and instead head for Cha, the tea shop at Pybus Public Market. They whip up a steaming cup of the India-influenced concoction that’ll make your nostrils and tongue dance like a Bollywood production number. Owners Aubri and Dustin Armitage (and staff) brew each cup fresh from their own mix of loose black tea, cardamom pods, cinnamon cloves and black pepper. Mix in milk (choices range from half-andhalf to soy to vanilla almond) for one of the best liquid warm-ups this side of the international date line. Sit and sip at one of the store’s sunny tables while the spices warm from the inside out. Cha, in Pybus at 7 N. Worthen St., Wenatchee. 888-8327.

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January / February 2014

By mike Irwin

3

Feel the burn

It only seems like you’re melting. Really. Hot yoga in a 110-degree studio lengthens tight muscles, relaxes creaky joints and coaxes out gallons of sweat containing all those yucky toxins leftover from the holidays — yes, even that fourth flagon of amarettoKahlua eggnog you downed on Christmas Eve. “A 90-minute class can be challenging,” says Traci Naubert, director of 9th Street Yoga in East Wenatchee.

4

“But afterwards you feel fantastic.” In fact, area yoga students love the hot stuff. Teachers report that classes in January and February are packed with enthusiasts (of all fitness levels) seeking those searing asanas, and sessions at Beyoutiful Hot Yoga are nothing but hot.

Find classes at 9th Street Yoga (884-4965), the WRAC (662-3544), Beyoutiful Hot Yoga (509-930-9827), iLa Yoga (670-2384) and others.

Ablaze at Glaze

Hoooiee! This baby’s spicy hot, so get ready to gargle some ice water. The Death Valley sandwich, a specialty of Glaze Baked Delights in East Wenatchee, is one heaping pile of jalapeños, pepperoncinis, pepperjack cheese, Tabasco-laced mayo, red peppers, red onions, pepperoni and ham between thick slices of fiery jalapeño focaccia. Then it’s warmed all toasty, melty and yummy. It’s the perfect backpack food for chilled skiers and snowshoers needing a digestible “combustible” on backcountry trails. Serving suggestion: You iron-gut diners should follow up the Death Valley with one of Glaze’s chocolate-caramel-marshmallow-coconut doughnut bars to smother the flames. Grab one at Glaze, 595 Grant Rd. 888-4529.

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There’s a cap for that

Scientists claim you don’t really lose excessive heat from the top of your head, but isn’t your noggin chilly right now? Relax. Local artist and crafter Kasey Koski constructs retro-style wool hats (mostly for women) that look good and feel great on winter’s most blustery days. These shapely chapeaus are a merging of art and handiwork — Koski knits them, then repeatedly washes them to “full” (or blend) the yarn into a top-notch topper. Then she decorates them using decades-old buttons, ribbons and pins for yesteryear flair. “I’ve come to appreciate the creative combination — the counterpoint — of old and new,” said Koski. “I’ve always had a soft spot for vintage goods.” For info, call Koski direct at (509) 741-9161. F January / February 2014

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wheels of wonder

Da Ray Largent inherited a 1941 Dodge Army truck from his dad in 1995. He started restoring it 10 years later. (Inset: The truck at the Largent farm in 1954.)

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Foothills

January / February 2014

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Story By Sharon Altaras photos By mike bonnicksen

d’s Old Dodge Ray Largent brings new life to classic

F

or 49 years, it was his father’s truck. Now, 70-year-old Ray Largent has made the 1941 Dodge his own.

He’s put in a new engine and transmission, carefully detailing the military vehicle inside and out to highlight vintage features. A lustrous coat of paint applied two years ago completes the transition.

“That truck has got a real history here,” says the East Wenatchee resident.

“Everyone that went down Wenatchee Avenue — if they saw that truck — they knew who was in it. It was my dad’s truck.”

The late J.D. Largent was a mechanic who owned Largent’s Ritzville Service Station on South Wenatchee Avenue. He bought the half-ton pickup for $350 at a surplus auction at Fort Lewis military base in 1946, just after the end of World War II. Ray says the truck was used for hunting and for routine chores on the Woodward Drive ranch and fruit orchard he grew up on above Fifth Street. He shot his first elk at age 13 on a hunting trip in the truck.

When his dad died in 1995, Ray found out he had left the Dodge to him.

Ray’s daughter, Kappy Schoening, 47, a teacher at Vale Elementary School in Cashmere, remembers the truck “was

just a big, rusty mess,” when her dad inherited it.

She describes her dad as meticulous and says what he’s done with the vehicle is “just amazing.”

When Ray got the truck, he was busy running Wenatchee’s Checker’s DriveIn, his third restaurant. He’d previously owned Rusty’s Drive-In in Cashmere and The Spaghetti Works in Wenatchee. He kept it parked at Checker’s for several years, but didn’t have time to improve it.

“Guys that ordered burgers would ask the girls: ‘Who owns that truck? Who owns that truck?’ ” says Ray. “I’d go out and drive it and start it every once in a while.”

“I said, ‘I’ll do a better job on it than any of those guys,’ and in fact I did.”

After retiring in 2005, Ray — who learned his mechanical skills from his father — knew it was time to get his hands dirty.

He replaced the truck’s original sixcylinder L-head engine with an eightcylinder Dodge 440, and its four-speed standard transmission with a 518 Dodge automatic, also installing a two-speed heavy-duty transfer case.

“I changed all the running gear totally because it was so slow. The military didn’t build it for speed,” he says.

When it came time to paint it, he considered a traditional olive-drab green.

“But I had so much chrome on the motor and everything, it just wouldn’t look right,” Ray says.

He spotted a green jeep while driving down Wenatchee Avenue in 2011 and knew it was the color he wanted. So he followed the driver home. The man, who was about Ray’s age, obliged by going inside and searching through paperwork to determine the hue —

Largent replaced the truck’s original six-cylinder L-head engine with an eightcylinder Dodge 440. called “Rescue Green.”

When the 72-year-old Dodge truck was auctioned in 1946, his dad paid what amounts to just over $4,000, today. But Ray says he’s turned down an offer for $75,000.

He says there were 2,573 half-ton WC1 T207s built in 1941 and 1942. “The iron is probably a quarter-inch thick.”

Ray has won lots of trophies for his dressed-up military vehicle, and given most of them away.

In 2011, he led the Corvette entourage in the East Wenatchee Classy Chassis parade, and has driven the truck in Cashmere’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, too.

“It’s so rare, it’s so unique, I can’t even drive it down to Safeway or Costco without drawing a crowd,” Ray says of his truck.

In its new skin, with a modern engine and transmission, he admits the truck is a different beast than what his dad owned.

He had a dream that he saw his father after making all the changes.

“He saw the truck,” says Ray. “And he went, ‘What the (expletive) did you do to my truck?’ ” But, Ray laughs, “It’s my truck. I put a lot of sweat and work in this thing. I wanted it to be right.” F January / February 2014

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on the trail

Season of

A layer of ice covers these leaves on the shore of Little Eightmile Lake. Below, the mountains and trees reflected in Eightmile Lake.

A

s I’ve been hiking lately, I’ve been looking for more abstract images. The pictures I’ve included with this package are all shot using water and/or reflections in water. It’s been another fabulous season of hiking in the central Cascades and now I’m into my winter hibernation mode, hitting the foothills around Wenatchee and dreaming of spring and hitting the shrub-steppe. F

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Reflection

photos By mike bonnicksen

The wind hitting the water of Clara Lake near Mission Ridge causes the rippling reflections of the yellow western larch trees to create an abstract feeling.

A log in Clara Lake breaks up the reflection of western larch trees.

At left, craggy rocks cause a mirror image in Eightmile Lake.

January / February 2014

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kitchen creations

Story By Marco Martinez photos By frank cone

Gameday Flavor A

Super Bowl Salmon Sliders Recipe courtesy of Chef Kent Getzin

Chef Kent Getzin tops his Super Bowl Salmon Sliders with baby arugula.

Name of Business: CheffyK and CA’s Cooking School Owner: CherylAnn Crego (CA) and Kent Getzin (CheffyK) Phone: 509-387-5563 Description: Customized and portable cooking classes at your home or business, or commercial kitchen. We specialize in fun, flavor building, and solid cooking techniques. Classes can be hands-on, or you can watch and listen to CheffyK while he prepares food for the whole class.

Website: cheffykandca.com

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January / February 2014

ny chef who can work a Zagnut candy bar into a prize-winning dish is all right with us. That would be Kent Getzin, winner of the Country Financial Chopped Competition at Pybus Market in early November.

Getzin was one of seven chefs competing for the Golden Spatula (OK, we made that last Kent Getzin part up) at the Pybus event. Chefs were given basic cooking goods to work with, along with a bag of “mystery” ingredients. Getzin’s mystery bag held a Zagnut, an old-fashion candy bar that contains peanut butter and toasted coconut.

The quick-thinking chef worked the candy bar into a Zagnut Chicken Curry that impressed judges.

For those unfamiliar with Getzin’s work, he’s put in more than 30 years in the food industry, including the past 14 years as the food service director for the Wenatchee School District. Prior to that, he worked 20 years in restaurants and country clubs.

The Culinary Institute of American grad was one of the three judges for the Dream Meal II competition. You can find the results from this year’s contest starting on Page 36.

When he isn’t busy winning cooking competitions or overseeing school meals, Getzin and girlfriend CherylAnn Crego operate a cooking school that specializes in delicious.

Salmon Patties

2 pounds fresh salmon filet, skin removed, chopped into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 teaspoons cajun seasoning, divided 1/2 medium onion, small dice 1/2 green bell pepper, small dice 1/2 red bell pepper, small dice 1 1/2 stalks celery 3 tablespoons olive oil 5-6 large, fresh garlic cloves, mashed 2 slices whole grain bread or 1 cup bread crumbs 1 egg 16-18 small buns, warmed Garnishes

Sliced tomatoes Thinly sliced red onion Baby arugula Shredded pepper jack cheese Chipotle Aioli Sauce (Recipe below) 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place chopped salmon in a large bowl, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning and salt, mix well then set aside in refrigerator.

3. Add olive oil to a large skillet. Heat on medium-high heat until oil is hot and add diced onion, bell peppers and celery. Sauté vegetables for 5 minutes.

Do not allow them to brown.

4. Add 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning to vegetables and sauté for 1 more minute.

5. Add mashed garlic to cooking vegetables. Turn heat down to medium and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.

6. Remove vegetables from heat and allow them to cool enough to touch (you can spread them out on a shallow pan or plate and refrigerate to cool them faster.

7. Toast the bread in your toaster on low until browned and dry. Then dice and crush into crumbs. You could also do this in a food processor or just use store-bought bread crumbs.

8. To the salmon add the cooled vegetables, bread crumbs and the egg. Mix well with a spoon until well combined.

9. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and place 2-inch balls of the salmon mixture on the

pan. Pat the salmon balls out into ½-inch thick-by-3-inch-wide diameter patties.

10. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes.

11. While still hot, sprinkle baked patties with some shredded pepper jack cheese.

12. Split the buns then assemble the sliders by spreading some Chipotle Aioli Sauce (see accompanying recipe) on both halves of the bun, add the salmon patty and garnish with sliced tomatoes, arugula and red onion slices.

13. Serve immediately Yield: 16 to 18 sliders

Chipotle Aioli Sauce 2-3 canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (more or less to taste), chopped into a paste 1 cup mayonnaise Juice from 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 large garlic clove, mashed 1. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and stir with a wire whip until well blended.

January / February 2014

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Inside home

The streetside view of the Lipe home suggests modesty. It’s not until you enter the Lake Chelan home that its features stand out.

What started out as a “little cabin” project grew to 5,300 square feet.

At far right, the main sitting area.

Nestled In Lake Chelan homeowners built to fit in

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January / February 2014

W

hen Lynda and Ralph Lipe began building their home on Lake Chelan in 2000, they wanted it to look like a longtime area home.

They knew they’d succeeded when an electrician, working on the home as it neared completion, asked, “Why is the wiring so brand new in this old house?”

The Lipes’ goal, Ralph said, was to avoid creating “a theme home, like an Italian villa or something.”

“We wanted it to look like it always belonged here,” said Lynda.

It’s hard to pinpoint why the house looks “of this place” but it may be the gray siding and the fact that its shape makes it look modest from the lake.

The Lipes love their property.

“This is clearly the best location in Chelan,” Ralph said. “We like to be able

Photo provided

Ralph and Lynda Lipe in their backyard next to a contemporary totem pole group by artist Steve Jensen. to walk to town.”

He and Lynda recall chatting with a real estate agent many years ago and being told, “You’ll never get one of those houses.”

They were talking about houses on

Story By dee Riggs photos By roger turk

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Lakeshore Place, which is a stone’s throw from town and offers beachfront property.

But the Lipes, who were spending vacation time in a condo near town, later got to know the owners of two of the homes on Lakeshore Place, and were able to buy both of them through the homeowners directly.

The houses, however, were old, and an original idea to remodel them was tossed out “when we started looking around and found dry rot,” Ralph said.

The Lipes had both houses torn down, and have left one of the lots empty except for a garage, which they turned into a guest and storage area.

On the other lot, which is closer to town, they built their vacation home, hiring an architect and a designer.

The lots are visually connected with landscaping.

“A project we thought would be a little cabin snowballed and now it’s a 5,300-square-foot house and we can sleep 14 people in beds,” Ralph said.

The home features a large dining room with windows on three sides, a great room and a master bedroom — both with views of the lake — a large sleeping room with eight bunk beds, three bedrooms and five bathrooms.

It also features a large fireplace, which completes the lodge look the Lipes sought.

The Lipes, who live in Bellevue

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Clockwise from top, the kitchen features an island with seating for four. Light strokes of rustic decor can be found throughout the home.

Earth tones create a warm feel in this bathroom. The lakeside view.

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January / February 2014

much of the year, married in 1992 after meeting when both worked at Microsoft. He was a software designer and she was a program manager.

Ralph, 49, retired nine years ago.

Lynda, 53, quit when her children, now ages 17 and 19, were little.

Lake Chelan is a special place for Lynda, who grew up visiting her grandmother in Chelan. Darlene (Cushen) Dieffenbacher now lives in Wenatchee but visits the Lipes in Chelan whenever they’re there.

Darlene remembers growing up in Chelan when many residents liked living inland from the lake.

“We always felt sorry for the people on the lake,” she said. “We thought, ‘They’re so cold, just freezing in the winter.’ ” Later, as tourist dollars flowed into the up-and-coming resort community, property values along the lake skyrocketed, putting those lots and houses out of reach for most of the locals.

Darlene’s parents were Helen and

The dining room features fabulous views of the east end of Lake Chelan.

George Sawyer. Darlene remembers her mother’s reaction when Lynda and Ralph purchased their two lots.

“My mother said it was the

proudest moment of her life when her granddaughter bought this property,” Darlene said, “because we were ‘just folks,’ you know.” F

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good stuff

Tea Time Lots of local options for lovers of an ancient brew

L

ocal tea connoisseurs have a proper option for nibbling on crumpets and cucumber sandwiches with a spot of tea at Apple Country Inn in Wenatchee and Elevenses Tea Room in Leavenworth.

Tea may be the world’s most universal drink. Though it is still catching up to coffee’s popularity here in the U.S., tea is synonymous with England and is revered in most former British colonies around the world. Elaborate tea-making methods and traditions are followed across Europe. Though such European customs as afternoon tea or Russian samovars may spring to mind first for many, tea originally came from much further east.

According to the United Kingdom Tea Council, tea originated in China, perhaps as far back as 2737 B.C. If legend is correct, tea was discovered by accident when an emperor’s servant boiled a pot of water, some leaves accidentally blew into it, and the emperor decided to test it out.

By the 8th century, tea had become the Chinese national drink. It was introduced to Japan soon after. It

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January / February 2014

makes the 350 years or so that tea’s been customary in England seem like a blink of an eye.

Traditional Japanese tea ceremonies are rare in this part of the state, but a cup of authentic British custom can be had at Apple Country Inn in

Wenatchee. Owner Angie Lawrence is originally from northwestern England. She and her husband have lived in Wenatchee and operated “a typical English bed and breakfast in an American house” for the past four years. She started offering afternoon

Story By m.k. resk

Don Seabrook photo

The Wild Huckleberry restaurant in Wenatchee serves high tea on a reservation-only basis, one of several locations in North Central Washington to offer the service.

January / February 2014

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Don Seabrook photos

Dry tea and spices are placed in a strainer at The Wild Huckleberry restaurant in Wenatchee. Below, tea is served.

Tea tips at home For the perfect cup of tea at home, start with good-quality leaves if possible or high-quality bags. Visscher says temperature, timing, and high-quality tea are the keys. Water temperature and steeping time are critical in creating a good cup of tea. It’s better to pour boiling water over loose leaves or tea bags. Steep black tea for 3-5 minutes in boiling water. Green teas have to steep for three minutes or less and the water should be cooler than boiling, says Visscher. Herbal teas can steep a lot longer. Steeping for longer than recommended will result in bitter tea.

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Your family deserves the

Exquisite

A tea decanter steams. tea this past spring on demand from friends, and she’s finding the endeavor successful. She’s happy to serve parties of up to 12 people and offers afternoon tea (tea, cakes, cucumber sandwiches) and high tea (all of the above plus a light lunch). Please phone the inn in advance to book a table.

Anna Dougherty owns Elevenses Tea Room in Leavenworth. She says she loves tea, a great environment, and connecting people. Running a teahouse provides all of those together. Drawing on previous experience as a cook and bed and breakfast employee, Dougherty capitalized on starting the tea room when an opportunity presented itself earlier this year. She says it’s a good fit and gives a good opportunity to run a business with her family, including her four children and an exchange student.

Dougherty loves presenting food and making fun things. Besides traditional afternoon tea offerings, Dougherty bakes homemade cupcakes, bread pudding, coffee cake and other goodies, including glutenfree sandwiches and treats. Elevenses

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also offers salads and other lunch items. They even have their own Elevenses tea blend available this holiday season.

Located in The Wedding Haus in Leavenworth, Elevenses offers luncheons, events, birthday parties, and occasional events like weekend music and chess once or twice a month in the evening.

With trends like tea lattes, local cafes are finding tea gaining in popularity. Java Station owner Memory Visscher takes pride in the popular Market Spice tea blend of black, green and rooibos tea she serves her customers. “It’s fun to try to fix a cup according to people’s tastes.” Some of her customers want to infuse milk or sweetener into their teas while others, Visscher says, are purists.

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Ron Mason photos

Angie Lawrence bakes rosemary bread and other goodies to accompany the teas she serves at Apple Country Inn in Wenatchee.

Tea has been purported to help everything from insomnia and aging to stress and conception. While its health benefits are proven but sometimes controversial, drinking tea is an enjoyable treat and ritual for many. For some it promotes

introspection, for others camaraderie.

Hot tea can be especially warming, relaxing and calming on a wintry or stormy day.

If you want to try tea at home, there are several quality tea options to choose from in the area. Cup and Kettle in Leavenworth offers 121 varieties of tea and an extensive selection of tea accessories. In Wenatchee, Encouraging Words carries 85 varieties of loose-leaf tea and tea bags. Cha at Pybus Market offers Wenatchee tea sippers an extensive array of loose-leaf black, green, and oolong teas all originating from China, Japan, or South Africa. Though loose-leaf is generally considered best, quality and convenient tea bags can be found at Caffe Mela, The Gilded Lily and Lemongrass Natural Foods. F

You’d travel anywhere to heal his heart.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go far.

When a child has a heart ailment, parents want the best treatment available. Happily, the best is close by. Seattle Children’s Heart Center is internationally known for treating children and young adults—with top rankings in national surveys. Whether treating a minor heart murmur or performing a complicated heart transplant, skilled doctors, nurses and staff are dedicated to healing patients and comforting families. Our cardiologists can even identify heart defects in unborn babies and develop prenatal treatment plans. Our Heart Center provides care for patients in Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Montana—without having to come to Seattle.

To learn more, visit seattlechildrens.org/heart.

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Health & Fitness

Story By m.K. Resk photos By Ron mason

Think T 2014

Practical, healthy gardening and eating tips for busy people

he 2013 calendar year has come and gone, and with it another prolific growing season.

It’s not too early to think about lifestyle and diet changes that will make 2014 a prosperous year for you and your family.

North Central Washington is blessed with prime conditions for growing and producing a veritable cornucopia of produce, fish, meats, cheese, wine, coffee, and other food products. Local resources like Farmhouse Table, Pybus Market and Mike’s Meats help connect people to healthful eating options through vendors throughout the year.

If you’re ready to take the next step and take food matters into your own home, read on. Here, a pair of local experts provide some practical tips for growing and consuming healthy local foods.

Dr. Allegra Hart

Dr. Allegra Hart’s food philosophy is straightforward: Just eat real food. “If there’s something new you want to try, have it be an experimentation with friends.”

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Dr. Allegra Hart is a naturopath at Wenatchee’s Naturae Clinic. Her food philosophy is simple: Just eat real food.

“If you have a long ingredient list with acronyms and numbers and things it’s probably not going to be the best for you to consume,” she advises.

Her formal study has taken place primarily at Bastyr University, but Dr. Hart has a passion for nutrition and is a lifelong student. She says it didn’t resonate with her that researchers extract things from foods to test them.

She would rather focus on the benefits of the whole food.

Allegra offers the following healthy eating tips: 1. Stick to the outer parts of the grocery store. “That’s where fresh foods

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Dr. Allegra Hart, a naturopath, teaches grain-free baking and eating locally/ eating healthy traditional nutritional classes through Wenatchee Valley College’s Continuing Education department. are going to be found,” she says.

2. Take baby steps. “You don’t have to clean out your entire cupboard at once.

When you learn that a food isn’t healthy for you, replace it once it’s empty. Over time, your pantry will be a lot healthier.”

3. Prepare new foods with friends.

“If there’s something new you want to try, have it be an experimentation with friends.” If you mess up? “Put it in the compost pile. It’s not lost nutrients, just transferred nutrients.”

4. Prepare foods that can extend themselves to multiple meals. “If you’re going to make a roast chicken and veggies, you may not consume the whole chicken. Strip the bones and then you have chicken available for curry or salad, then use the bones for stock and you have an option for much more nutrientdense soups, gravies, sauces … Make sure you use every part of it to get the most out of what you’re purchasing,” she suggests.

Allegra offers nutritional counseling at her clinic. She also includes many healthy recipes and resource recommendations on her website: naturaeclinic.com.

Seasonally, Allegra offers grain-free baking and eating locally/eating healthy traditional nutritional classes through Wenatchee Valley College’s Continuing Education department. The classes are

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“about keeping things simple without spending a lot of money and a lot of time,” she says. “Creating healthy foods is not more time consuming, just a different use of your time.”

Esther Dalgas Esther Dalgas could be considered a modern-day pioneer woman. The librarian and her engineer husband, Gary, have been homesteading in Entiat for the past 30 years. The Dalgases see value in saving and restoring salvageable materials. Besides their impressive home projects (their hardwood floor is the former Entiat High School gym floor), many of their pursuits involve growing, cooking and eating their own food. Their home-built greenhouse even serves double-duty as a fruit dehydrator.

The Dalgases have been gardening together since before they were married, and their extensive garden has grown over time. They regularly grow sugarpod, snap peas, lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, onions, broccoli, cabbage, asian greens, tomatoes, basil, carrots, beans, potatoes, beets, eggplant, peppers, squash, strawberries, pumpkins, melons, herbs, garlic, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. They also have apple, apricot, plum and peach trees.

Esther offers the following healthy growing tips: 28

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Think local when it comes to consuming healthy food — and nothing is more local than what you grow in your own garden, says Esther Dalgas. She and husband Gary have homesteaded in the Entiat area for the past 30 years. She grows a wide variety of peppers in her garden, along with a laundry list of other vegetables and fruits. Her suggestion: Grow the kind of food you like to eat.

1. Learn to garden by asking a friend to share a garden. “Share tasks and learn from each other as you go. Or offer to help an older person with gardening experience but limited mobility.”

2. Grow the kind of food you like to eat. “If you especially like salsa, grow the ingredients for that, and discover how much more delicious the homegrown variety is.”

3. Be patient with the garden and yourself. “Don’t be discouraged by setbacks; use them as learning

experiences. If you love something, you will find the right way to take care of it so that it thrives.”

4. During the warmer months, eat outside often and with friends and family who share your love of food.

“The atmosphere of being surrounded by nature increases the pleasure of a meal. Share your harvest and you will be surprised at how it seems to just increase the bounty.”

Esther says that there is always more to learn with gardening. “I learn through

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trial and error, through reading and from others’ examples,” she says.

“Meet other local gardeners and ask a lot of questions along the way,” says the self-taught home cook, food canner, soymilk and tofu maker, pickler, sauerkraut maker, fish and pepper smoker, breadmaker, kombucha fermenter, and beer brewer. “ ... Become acquainted with the advantages and the needs of the microclimates that you have to work with. Each yard and even each area of each yard is individual.”

Esther and Allegra both urge people interested in improving their healthy eating to start small and take inspiration from what speaks to you.

“It’s not all or nothing,” Allegra says.

“The little changes you make can set the groundwork for the other major changes that can occur. ... Choose the things that are inspiring instead of the things you think you should be doing but you really don’t want to do.” F

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Health & Fitness

Playing Outside in Winter B

rrr… Dark days and cold nights dominate this time of year.

While the snow that blankets the foothills is pretty, the white stuff can make it hard to stay motivated to get out and play amidst the elements.

If you’re not a naturally inclined Abominable Snowman-type, here are a few fun, low-cost and healthy exercise options to help keep you moving in the out of doors during the dead of winter. To take the chill off a bit, we’ve included some warm and cozy cooldowns to try after your workout.

The Bundle-Up Run takes place Jan. 25 as part of the Wenatchee Valley Winterfest.

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Story By m.K. Resk photos By don seabrook

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Cross-Country Skiing Nordic skiing provides an excellent combination of cardiovascular exercise and nature viewing. Groomed trails in Leavenworth and Chelan provide beautiful and approachable opportunities for beginners to test their skills. Leavenworth Winter Sports Club’s Ski For Health Day on Jan. 5 is an ideal time for beginners, as they offer free Nordic rentals, mini lessons, and ski passes from noon to 3 that day.

Running

istockphoto.com/pojoslaw

Outdoor running in freezing conditions? Why, yes! Though many resort to treadmills for the cooler months, exercising outside all year provides many benefits, says Hillary Conner, director of health enhancement at Wenatchee Valley YMCA. She cites data from the New York Times and Science Daily that suggests a reported improvement in mental wellbeing compared to traditional indoor exercise of the same type in several

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Once you’ve acquired your ski legs, check out events like the fun fundraiser Chicks on Sticks (Feb. 2) and for the really ambitious, try the Hog Loppet (30 km ski from Mission Ridge to Blewett Pass) on Feb. 22.

WARM-UP CHASER — Curl up next to the fireplace at O’Grady’s Pantry, adjacent to the Icicle Ridge Trail at Sleeping Lady Resort, with a mug of hot cocoa, espresso or their special electrolyte-replenishing sport tea.

random and non-random control trials.

Conner says that in these studies, exercise was linked to greater feelings of revitalization and improved energy, along with decreased tension, confusion, anger and depression. On average, most participants also reported that they enjoyed the activity more and were more likely to repeat that same activity down the road.

RunWenatchee is savvy to these benefits and has organized the second annual Bundle-Up Run 5K, which will be held Jan. 25 as part of the Wenatchee Valley Winterfest. According to RunWenatchee, the race will start and finish on a closed-off First Street next to Stanley Civic Center Plaza. In addition to the run, kids’ activities, music and food will be served.

WARM-UP CHASER — Make s’mores as part of Winterfest or cool down with a special Beer Garden held at Saddle Rock Pub after the race for Bundle-Up Run participants.

Snowshoeing Mission Ridge is a stellar place for downhill skiing, but did you know they also offer a fantastic spot for snowshoeing? In January and February, guided snowshoe trips are held each of the nine nights the resort offers night skiing.

Check the Mission Ridge calendar (missionridge.com) for details. The guided treks start at 5 p.m., cost $10 per person and last 1 to X hours.

There are limited snowshoe rentals available so call ahead to reserve.

You may preregister for the treks by calling Mission Ridge or signing up online. According to the resort’s Jordan Lindstrom, the treks typically go to Midway but depend on the group’s ability. Headlamps are recommended.

WARM-UP CHASER — Head to Hampton Lodge at the base of Mission Ridge for a bowl of chili or poutine, a burger or Panini, and a glass of cider, local wine or a frosty beer.

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Clothing Tips SET (Specific Endurance Training) coach, triathlete (and former Arlberg salesman) Jason Jablonski offers these winter wear tips: Layering is No. 1. It allows you to go throughout a broad range of temperatures. Layering is huge especially for wicking moisture out and keeping you dry which is important in staying warm.

Keep your ancillaries warm. Invest in good socks, gloves and hats. Your head, your hands and your feet are where you’re going to lose heat first and if those get cold then it radiates into your core.

Breathability. The new fabrics that are on the market are amazing and are waterproof and breathe like crazy.

Once you get a nice breathable jacket the differences are extraordinary. You can really notice that you can wear the jacket throughout any conditions and be comfortable and not feel like you’re sweating to death or freezing to death.

Ask the salespeople. When I worked at Arlberg I used all the products. The salespeople are the ones who use everything. Company reps give them stuff so they know what works and what’s good. When the salesperson says they really love something because they’ve got one, you know it’s worth it. They are there to sell you stuff but there’s a reason they’re there to sell you stuff. F

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offbeat

By cal fitzsimmons

Texting...

Greg Taylor

S

ince 1974, Greg Taylor has been president of Liberty Orchards, a Cashmere company that makes the world famous Aplets & Cotlets, among many other candies and more. The company was founded by his grandfather, Armen Tertsagian, and great-uncle, Mark Balaban, both Armenians whom emigrated to the United States.

This entire interview was done by text message.

Let’s get straight to it. How often do yo u eat Aplets & Cotlets an d which do you prefe r?

Haven’t you heard, an Aplet a day keep s the doctor away! Most days of the week I taste som et hing we make.

I slightly prefer Aplet s.

Oh well. What kind of music do you listen to?

I enjoy all music genres, but R&B is my favorite.

Do you feel extra pressure being the third generation to run Liberty Orchards?

Cotlets will have ye ars of therapy after that answer. In your world travels, wher e’s the strangest place you’v e come across som e of your company’s produc ts?

I was in a hotel in Copenhagen and recognized the head of the Seattle Convention Bureau walking through th lobby. I waved hello e , and when he saw me, he laughed and took me into a banquet room of an event they were sponsoring, and th ere was a box of Ap lets at each place setting.

What’s the most co mmon question pe ople ask when touring your factory?

How do you make so much candy in such a small factory?

Magic elves, duh. As someone who runs a world-famous company in a small town, are you like a celebrity in Cashmere? The paparazzi must be relentless.

The paparazzi haven’t yet discovered Cashmere, so “celebrity” is too strong ... but it does seem a lot of people know me ... because they’re always waving to me from their cars.

Maybe don’t walk in the road. Anyway, with new laws in Washington, here’s an idea you can have for free: Aplets & Potlets.

Sorry, Cal. Potlets has already been suggested ... but our conservative values prevent us from going in that direction.

I certainly feel honored to continue the family tradition. My predecessors, Armen Tertsagian, Mark Balaban, John (Aplets & Cotlets founders Mark Balaban Chakirian and and Armen Tertsagian) Dick Odabashian were great stewards of our business. That wasn’t easy typing those Armenian names.

But you came up with the Orchard Bar. All natural, vegan and gluten free. How do you think Armen and Mark would react to that idea?

They’d love it. They were innovators and entrepreneurs. They would applaud our efforts to serve new markets and customers.

Once they figured out what vegan meant. You have been big on mail order for a long time. Has the Internet helped that or made it more competitive?

Online selling and mail order work together.

Our direct customers see our products in the catalogs we send them ... then they go to our website to shop some more and place their orders.

Before joining Liberty Orchards you worked for a chocolate company in Seattle.

What do you think you would have done if not the candy business? Dentist maybe?

Not dentist, I don’t like the sound of the drill.

I’ve always been interested in the food business, and had ideas for different types of restaurants, so I might have done that.

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Escargots de Bourgogne Sauvages by Cafe Mozart

Osso Bucco by Chateau Grill at Chateau Faire Le Pont

photos By kathryn Stevens

II Arugula and Beet Salad from Visconti’s in Wenatchee

Area’s top dishes are a flavor blast

W

Chocolate Mousse with Whipped Cream and Creme Anglaise by Pybus Bistro

e asked area restaurants in the greater Wenatchee area to nominate their top regular-menu dishes in any of four categories — appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. The result is Dream Meal II, a collection of culinary masterpieces served up by the region’s best chefs.

Over a 12-week span, judges Annette Pitts, Rick Steigmeyer and Kent Getzin visited the 14 participating restaurants to grade entries on a 50-point criteria — 20 points for overall taste, 20 points for creativity and uniqueness of ingredients, and 10 points for presentation/appearance.

What follows are their picks for the best dish in each category, as well as other dishes that scored high marks.

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Best Appetizer Escargots de Bourgogne Sauvages Cafe Mozart

T

here aren’t many places in North Central Washington where you’ll find items like smoked duck breast salad and escargot sauvages on the daily menu.

Those are two of Cafe Mozart’s house specialties, along with sauerbraten, schnitzel and spaetzle, and they are very special indeed.

Christina Forchemer-Zucktriegel and her husband Richard Zucktriegel have owned the famed Leavenworth restaurant for 17 years. Christina’s family also owns the Andreas Keller German restaurant in Leavenworth.

The Forchemer family has owned the building that houses both restaurants since 1978. The family recently added the Fresh Burger Cafe on Commercial Street.

Richard does the cooking and it’s clearly something he’s passionate about.

He grew up in a restaurant family, attended culinary and restaurant-andhotel-management schools and opened his first restaurant in Germany at the ripe age of 21, in competition with his parent’s restaurant nearby.

“A big mistake,” he said. But one that taught him a lot.

The restaurant is dedicated to the work of the family’s favorite classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Diners will often be treated to guest artists playing Mozart pieces at the restaurant’s new piano.

The menu is distinctly German and Austrian. But Richard has added French, Italian and Pacific Northwest dishes to appeal to a wider clientele. The 38

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829 Front St. Leavenworth (509) 548-0600, winter hours are 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Most menu items priced between $8 and $26. cafemozartrestaurant.com

restaurant has one of Leavenworth’s largest wine collections, with nicely selected vintages of Northwest, California and European wines. Dream Meal judges chose an excellent Oregon Pinot Noir to go with our meal.

The meal included the wonderful duck breast salad with generous slices of lightly smoked free-range-raised duck from Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana. The skin was crispy like bacon, the center still succulent. The bed of fresh baby garden greens and arugula was topped with cranberries, caramelized walnuts, red onion and a delicious raspberry-balsamic dressing. This is one $20 salad that’s worth every penny.

Another winning dish is the spectacular Escargots de Bourgogne Sauvages. It was, in fact, our favorite

appetizer of the competition.

Maple Leaf Farms boned duck breast was also our entrée, this time unsmoked, but seared and topped with sautéed Bing cherries in a ruby port reduction and served with pommes dauphine, russet mashed potatoes made with cream and egg yolk, then deep fried.

Our dessert was the Chocolate Noisette, as impressive and decadent as you might expect a dark chocolate pyramid of chocolate ganache and hazelnut mouseline to be.

Any one of these items is good reason to dine at Cafe Mozart. Eating them all in one evening, as we did, is an invitation to delicious danger. The restaurant was quite busy, but the service was top notch.

Best to make a reservation.

— Rick Steigmeyer

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Judges’ comments As the name implies, this classic French appetizer is made with wild snails picked from vineyards in the Bordeaux region of France.

Richard goes all out for European authenticity. He sautés them with wild mushrooms, truffle butter and cream and serves them in a hollowed tube of French baguette. This is truly an impressive and delicious dish.

Richard said many of his customers come from Seattle and farther just to order this appetizer.

“A beautiful presentation and fantastic flavor,” said Dream Meal judge Kent Getzin.

“This dish was absolutely delicious and I would have been happy to eat it as an entrée alone,” added fellow judge Annette Pitts.

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1737 N. Wenatchee Ave. (509) 662-5013, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Entree prices range from $13 to $38. viscontis.com

Judges’ comments The Beet and Arugula Salad is a menu favorite and was our favorite as well. Fresh, peppery arugula topped with red and yellow roasted beets, goat cheese and walnuts tossed with honey-lemon-thyme vinaigrette and a decorative balsamic vinegar underglaze.

It was our top choice among many great salads at 14 restaurants this year. We loved its wise choice of very fresh ingredients.

“The combination of perfectly cooked beets, peppery greens, goat cheese, walnuts and balsamic reduction was just impeccable. I could eat this salad for any meal, any time of day,” said Dream Meal judge Annette Pitts.

Best Salad Beet and Arugula Salad Visconti’s Italian Restaurant (Wenatchee)

V

isconti’s is one of Wenatchee’s finest and most reliable restaurants, of that there is little debate. Customers line up to get in to the small, family-style Italian restaurant each night, as they have for 25 years.

Partners Dan Carr and Candy Mecham have expanded over the years with a much larger Visconti’s restaurant in Leavenworth; its Cured meat shop, a gelato shop and sausage garden, all in Leavenworth, and now Fire and Ice, two

restaurants in the Pybus Center, serving wood-fired pizzas and gelato and crepes.

But the original restaurant on North Wenatchee Avenue is where Candy and Dan first perfected their recipes and Dan began collecting Italian and Washington wines in the building’s tiny cellar.

Visconti’s has been a perennial winner since 2001 of Washington Wine Commission’s Outstanding Wine List award. Last year, it won the commission’s prestigious Restaurant of the Year Award. Carr was also picked as guest chef to lead a culinary team in making a multi-course meal in February for more than 400 wine industry leaders at the Washington Association of Grape Growers convention in Kennewick.

The Wenatchee restaurant was packed on the mid-October Monday night when our Dream Meal team scheduled a visit.

Our appetizer could have been a meal in itself with two trays of sliced salami, dried Italian sausage, prosciutto, spicy capicola and an assortment of cheeses,

olives and tapenades. All of the meats were made by Visconti’s Cured meat and cheese shop.

The Beet and Arugula Salad followed and was superb. It topped the list of great salads in this year’s Dream Meal contest.

We were already stuffed before our entrée of lemon crab linguini arrived. It was unsympathetically delicious, forcing us to eat too much with its perfect balance of light cream and lemon and abundance of very fresh crab meat.

Dessert was an equally tempting apple bread pudding with restaurant-made fresh vanilla gelato.

Visconti’s wine list is really an education worthy of study and trial, however. The restaurant’s many awards aren’t given for nothing. The list features the best in Washington wines and servers are well trained to help you pick out an excellent Italian wine to go with your meal. We chose a Jones of Washington Sauvignon Blanc that was outstanding.

— Rick Steigmeyer

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Best Entrée Osso Bucco The Chateau Grill at Chateau Faire Le Pont

T

he Chateau Grill is far more than simply a sideline at the Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery in Olds Station. It’s also one of Wenatchee’s finest restaurants.

Winery managers Doug and Debé Brazil wanted to create a restaurant that would match the quality of the world-class wines Doug creates.

The wines have been top winners in Foothills Magazine’s North Central Washington Wine Awards every year.

Match the quality they have by offering a luxurious dining experience that is creative, delicious and beautifully presented in a cozy setting overlooking the wine production room.

Our appetizer showed off the restaurant’s flair for Cajun creations.

Spicy crab cakes were served with a celery and apple slaw and a tangy chipotle aioli sauce. I’d be happy to eat a couple of those crab cakes every day for the rest of my life.

Our salad was a spring green mix topped with apples, dried cranberries, pecans and a large slice of fried goat cheese. The creamy basil house dressing is a restaurant specialty.

Star of the show was definitely our Osso Bucco entrée. Dream Meal judges made it our top choice for an entrée this year among some really tough competition.

I confess I didn’t finish this massive hunk of meat. And I didn’t feel the least bit bad about taking leftovers home where I created a whole other meal around it.

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1 Vineyard Way, Wenatchee (509) 667-9463, hours: Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Most entrees priced from $18 to $38. fairelepont.com

Judge Annette Pitts called it a man’s dish in both heft and its statuesque presentation, but made no apologies about making soup from the meaty shank bone the next day.

This was a magnificent dish that I can’t wait to try making myself, although I’ll be back to order it again at the Chateau Grill.

The menu is rich with an exotic selection of steaks, fish and seafood, and out-of-the-ordinary poultry dishes perfect for a special occasion or just a night out for good food, good wine and often, good entertainment.

Desserts are always fit for a grand celebration at the grill. The Apple Pie Strudel Cheesecake topped with caramel sauce was like three desserts in one, a sure winner for anyone who has trouble choosing just one sweet.

We savored Chateau Faire Le Pont’s excellent 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, nicely priced at $23.

We like that you can purchase the winery’s award-winning wines at winery take-out prices. They also make a great after-dinner port available by the glass.

— Rick Steigmeyer

246 n mission | WenatcheePD.com | Like us!

Judges’ comments Osso Bucco is usually made from wine and vegetable braised veal shank. The Chateau Grill features pork shank for this rich, traditional Italian dish and we agreed it was an outstanding variation. The stately shank — easily enough for two if you choose — was served upright over a bed of mashed potatoes and cauliflower with sprinkling of gremolata (chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest).

“Wow ... Excellent! Very well prepared braised pork shank with rich demi-glace, just huge. This was one of my favorite meals,” said Dream Meal judge Kent Getzin.

“For folks who love a huge hunk of meat, this is your dream dish,” said fellow judge Annette Pitts.

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Best Dessert chocolate mousse with whipped cream and creme anglaise Pybus Bistro

A

profound and artistic attention to detail is what sets Pybus Bistro apart from most restaurants in the area.

Frank St. Dennis and Michele Lak, chefs and co-owners of the Frenchstyle bistro in the Pybus Center, know how to create dishes that are thoughtfully composed, beautiful to the eye and a sumptuous joy to the palate. The atmosphere is pure Parisian blue-collar, with indoor and outdoor seating, soft music and a small bar that serves several food items until late.

This came as no surprise to Annette Pitts and myself. We judged last year’s Dream Meal and were bowled over by the dishes the couple made for us when they headed up the kitchen at the Bistro at Vin du Lac. Their fresh gnocchi with Brussels sprouts and wild mushrooms won best entrée last year, but we loved everything they prepared for us and wanted to give them more than one award. We worried if they would be able to meet our high expectations for their new restaurant this year.

We needn’t have worried. Every item we had this year — appetizer, salad, entree and dessert — were among the best we found at 14 local restaurants reviewed this year. We had great food and service at many restaurants this year, but we all agreed that Pybus Bistro provided us with 44

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our best overall dining experience.

That said, the menu is very small, favoring pork and fresh vegetables, with all items all priced ala carte in a French bistro-style. It won’t suit everyone’s tastes. It suited ours perfectly.

“There is a sense of focus, finesse and balance present in everything we ate,” said Dream Meal judge Annette Pitts.

St. Dennis and Lak seem to have an ability to put simple contrasting ingredients together that always yield masterful, seamless results. Every ingredient contributed to the whole without losing its own character.

Nothing overpowered another. The creations offered great aromas, attractive presentations and subtle, balanced flavor combinations.

Our review dinner included the menu’s beautiful Beet Gratin salad.

Roasted and sliced red and yellow beets were layered with subtleflavored bleu cheese mousse, then

topped with arugula and walnuts. The appetizer was a large chunk of slowroasted pork belly (uncured bacon) that was deep fried crisp and served with an apple compote.

Our daily fish special was a filet of pan fried ling cod, topped with thick strips of locally cured bacon on a bed of cauliflower puree with roasted cauliflower.

Our dessert — a deconstructed Chocolate Mousse with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate in a pool of Creme Anglaise — was the best we had this year.

St. Dennis and Lak are both Wenatchee High School graduates. He’s a graduate of Portland Culinary School.

Both have had wide experience cooking in upscale hotels and restaurants in California and Seattle.

We enjoyed the inexpensive house wines, glasses of white and red Arrogant Frog blends from the Languedoc region of southern France.

— Rick Steigmeyer

The judges Annette Pitts

Day job: Executive director, Cascade Loop Association Foodie credentials: ICTP certification, International Culinary Tourism Association, blog author (groweatgrow. blogspot.com) Favorite food/wine pairing: My favorite food and wine pairing is any combination that is consumed in quantity, in the company of my best friend. If I had to choose though, it would be a bottle of Benson Vineyards Rhythm with homemade pasta and simple tomato sauce made from the tomatoes in my garden.

Finish this sentence: My favorite guilty-pleasure food is ... all of the cheeses, all of the time.

Kent Getzin

Judges’ comments

Pybus Public Market, 3 N. Worthen St. (509) 888-7007, open Tuesday through Sunday with lunch, dinner and all-day menus, open for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. brunch only on Sunday. Dinner entrée prices range from $16 to $20; salads and appetizers are $5 to $7.

The deconstructed chocolate mousse, composed of two large egg-shaped quenelles of decadent chocolate mousse and whipped cream swimming in a pool of Creme Anglaise custard, was rich with subtle intensity and yet amazingly light and delicate.

“Supremely delicious!” raved Dream Meal judge Annette Pitts.

“Everything was cooked perfectly with subtle flavors and presented beautifully,” added fellow judge Kent Getzin.

Day job: Director of food service, Wenatchee School District Foodie credentials: Culinary arts degrees from Spokane Community College and The Culinary Institute of America; 33 years experience in the industry, including working 20 years at restaurants and country clubs prior to escaping the restaurant industry. For the past 14 years, has been food service director for Wenatchee School District.

Favorite food/wine pairing: I appreciate local red wines gravitating toward Cabs and Syrahs. Specific food and wine pairings are over-rated; we should drink the wines we enjoy most with whatever food we are having.

Finish this sentence: My favorite guilty-pleasure food is … french fries and anything with bleu cheese!

Rick Steigmeyer Day job: Wenatchee World reporter, blogger, Foothills wine writer Foodie credentials: Writes the wine and food blog Winemaker’s Journal; former line cook, sous chef and restaurant manager; amateur winemaker Favorite food/wine pairing: Pasta with fresh garden tomatoes and fresh basil and red wine Finish this sentence: My favorite guilty-pleasure food is ... chocolate espresso brownies!

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High Marks T

hese dishes didn’t earn the highest score in their category, but were too darn good for judges to ignore during their debate of the best Dream Meal experiences.

Appetizers Salami and Cheese Platter, Visconti’s Italian Restaurant

Our appetizer could have been a meal in itself with two trays of sliced salami, dried Italian sausage, prosciutto, spicy capicola and an assortment of cheeses, olives and tapenades. All of the meats were made by Visconti’s Cured meat and cheese shop.

Ahi Street Tacos, Campbell’s Resort Pub & Veranda

Vegetable Cripes, India House

Generous slices of lightly smoked free range-raised duck from Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana, the skin was crispy like bacon, the center still succulent. The bed of fresh baby garden greens and arugula was topped with cranberries, caramelized walnuts, red onion and a delicious raspberry-balsamic dressing.

This is one $20 salad that’s worth every penny.

Beet Gratin, Pybus Bistro

Roasted and sliced red and yellow beets were layered with subtle-flavored bleu cheese mousse, then topped with arugula and walnuts. Beautiful and delicious.

One of chef/owner Tony Davis’s unique and healthy specialties featuring locally grown kale and carrots with a light miso dressing.

Entrées Cider Braised Pork, Eatery Park

An amazing appetizer of small chunks of carrots, corn and potato coated with spices and chickpea flour and then deep fried and served with a spicy and sweet sauce. This was like popcorn in Heaven.

Fried Pork Belly, Pybus Bistro

The exterior was remarkably devoid of greasiness, and was entirely crisp and light.

The interior could only be described as luscious. Very likely the best pork belly I’ve ever eaten, judge Annette Pitts wrote in her notes.

Foothills

Smoked Duck Breast Salad, Cafe Mozart

Asian Carrot and Kale Salad, Eatery Park

Thick slices of blackened but rare ahi tuna on cabbage slaw with sweet, spicy habanero salsa. Excellent!

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Salads

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Unique contrasts and flavors of warm sweet and sour braised pork over warm wheatberry grains and cool apple-currant compote. Fabulous!

Arrabiata Salmon, Inna’s Cuisine

Baked filet of very fresh wild king salmon seasoned with brown sugar, dry basil, paprika and cayenne pepper. The seasoning had just the right balance of spicy and sweet. A tartarlike topping of cool sour cream, mayonnaise, basil, garlic and lemon offered the perfect contrast of taste and texture. The fish was served over a bed of rich Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and a side of roasted vegetables. We loved every bite of this dish.

Biriani, India House

This famous dish is made up mainly of three layers of boiled corn, fresh paneer cheese and basmati rice, but it’s anything but simple. It combines more than a dozen spices, peppers and herbs layered into a beautiful, spicy and fragrant dish.

Ling Cod with Cauliflower Puree, Pybus Bistro

Pan-roasted ling cod, topped with thick strips of locally cured bacon on a bed of cauliflower puree with roasted cauliflower and cherry tomatoes. This dish is all that is needed to turn a non-fish eater into a dedicated pescetarian.

Desserts Baklava, Inna’s Cuisine

Perfectly prepared traditional Greek dessert of baked filo filled with walnuts and honey with a side slice of tangy Jonagold apple.

Rice Pudding, India House

A refreshing, thin creamy pudding spiced with pistachio, saffron and cardamom.

Simple but very good.

Apple Pie Strudel Cheesecake, The Chateau Grill

The Apple Pie Strudel Cheese Cake topped with caramel sauce was like three desserts in one, a sure winner for anyone who has trouble choosing just one. Delicious!

Bread Pudding, Visconti’s

This is the kind of rustic dessert you can imagine some grandmother making — lots of flavor and warmth, perfect for a chilly fall or winter dessert. Served with a scoop of restaurant-made gelato.

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Chocolate Raspberry Decadence Cake, Kingfisher Restaurant at Sleeping Lady Resort

This was smooth, buttery and light, rich but not overly so. Definitely a killer dessert.

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This newer trendy Cashmere restaurant has a whole menu of unique casual dishes, but has attracted a cult following for its French fries made with truffle oil and truffle salt. Addictively delicious!

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Watermelon-Jicama Salad, Milepost 111

Another great Mile Post 111 signature dish. Probably not available in winter, but this is a great, refreshing salad after a spring or summer bike ride, trail run or raft trip.

Salad and Dessert Bar, Kingfisher Restaurant

This gourmet buffet salad, soup and dessert bar offers dozens of mind-blowing items (sesame seaweed salad, heirloom tomatoes, Mexican-spiced chocolate mousse, etc.), any one of which will constitute a great reward after an Icicle Canyon hike or rock climb.

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ncw recreation

The Hole

Ice fishing in our winter

T

he icy landscape appears dormant, as winter’s freeze sets in, forming a hard surface on area lakes. But life bustles above and below the solid lake surface — depending on where you go.

Gearing up for a trek onto the ice to fish in winter’s coldest months has risen in popularity in recent years, and local fishing expert Don Talbot has the scoop on why. When he agreed to take me ice fishing, I set an early a.m. alarm 48

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and prepared to hear the story. And this story ­— as fishing stories go — is one full of holes.

Usually, by late January, subfreezing temperatures solidify a crystal layer on area lakes, thick enough to support the droves of winter anglers. And the ice fishermen are growing thick enough to support a winter fishery in North Central Washington.

“There are people who go perch

Story

Story and photos By Joe Pflueger

wonderland

Fish Lake in mid-January is quiet mid-week, but that can change if ice-fishing conditions are just right, sometimes drawing a small army of anglers. At left, a gas-powered auger can punch through even a foot of ice in seconds.

My first fish took the bait, I set the hook and started bringing it up. As it got close, we could tell it was a big one, and at the edge of the hole ...

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Cracks are common on frozen-lake surfaces. Cracks like this do not fully penetrate the ice. It’s thought to be safe if 4 inches or thicker. At left, a lone wind shelter is staged on Fish Lake during a quiet weekday last January. fishing every day,” said Talbot, fishing expert at Hooked On Toys. “It’s a chance to do something outdoors during the dead of winter. A lot of people do it. A lot of families.”

Talbot reminds folks that the primary concern when walking onto the ice is safety. But when it comes to the skill of landing fish, “Rigging is the No. 1 thing to know. It’s not so much the gear that makes the difference.

You can take any rod ice fishing, but it takes time to tie the right knots correctly, and without proper rigging, you’re not going to catch many fish.”

The life stirring below the surface entices a spectrum of people from diehard fishermen to curious newbies.

Remember diehards, the gobs of people have stopped trolling the lakes, but bait shops haven’t quit dealing the grubs.

“It’s always good to bring different baits,” Talbot said, with PowerBait usually being the most effective for landing trout.

For newbies, the strategy on ice

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Don Talbot, left, pulls a rainbow trout through the ice at Roses Lake last January. Top right, an angler pulls a fish through the ice among is simplified and the disadvantages equalized from the summertime counterpart. Instead of trying to maneuver a boat to fish the right spot for action, simply walk to the coveted spot and drill a hole.

Holes are the portal between game and angler, food and human, myth and me.

Any Joe Fisherman knows that cold-water species like trout and even warm-water species like perch, walleye and crappie live winter’s 52

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entirety in the ice-cold water. We are after the fish under the ice that, until recently, I described as myth. You know myths — fantastical stories that lead guys like me to rise early to sit on a frozen lake in anticipation of landing giant fish. My ice-fishing efforts, up to my meeting with Talbot, ended in failure.

My first trip out, I planned to meet a friend who had a power auger to drill holes. Arriving solo at the frozen Fish Lake that bright day, groups and lone

fishermen peppered the lake. Clearly I would never find him in the crowd, so I called his cell, which he left at home with his wife, because when she picked up, she told me so.

Already feeling a slight defeat, I borrowed an auger from a fishing party to the east of my location.

I didn’t want to borrow again, so punching three holes I gave myself three strikes to see what I couldn’t catch.

With high spirits that sunny day on

a busy Saturday crowd on Fish Lake. Lower right, a lone pair of anglers try their luck at Roses Lake. the lake, I felt cooler than the guy to the south who used a hatchet to punch holes, but not as cool as the guy to the north who used a chainsaw.

I settled in, kneeling after a while, because I didn’t bring anything to sit on. Chairs work well for this. The resourceful sportsman might bring a bucket or cooler to store the catch — these can also be sat upon. The complete sportsman knows that by taking that seat on the lake, he resolves to act responsibly and care

for his catch. But the only action I got that day was when my heart jumped with the inevitable popping the ice does as superficial cracks dart across the surface.

Later, on the trip with Talbot, he explained that should you fall through the ice, keeping two big nails in your coat pockets can aid in climbing out of the frigid water. Also, bring a buddy, a rope and floatation device. He explained a lot of things that day.

Talbot grew up in the valley and can

testify for a couple reasons why ice fishing has risen in popularity.

“What’s changed to bring more anglers out in the middle of winter is probably the know-how,” he said.

Also, perch and walleye migrated west and so did anglers with a taste for their flaky white meat. In the spiny rays’ native land — the Midwest — lakes can be frozen half the year, which breeds expert ice fishermen.

This explains the hordes of fishing parties ­on Fish Lake — dads pulling January / February 2014

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Don Talbot is joined by a fishing companion as he pulls a sled of gear to their spot on Roses Lake early one morning last January. sleds of gear and kids, dogs running alongside, young men and ladies chilling along in their winter duds, old fishing partners in lawn chairs with perch and Pabst Blue Ribbon cans shimmering in the sun.

So I met Talbot and his friend “from way back” in the dark of morning, and together the three of us rolled out to Roses Lake, a quieter lake by comparison.

We parked and walked out on the ice where Talbot used a power auger to punch three holes in style. Drilling, we were in business. Using the power auger takes seconds to punch through compared to the hand auger, which can take a few minutes.

He also brought the bait: marinated corn and shrimp in a friends’ Dippin’ Sauce recipe, which proved the myth was true. Fish live under the ice and they like the Dippin’ Sauce.

We moved from hole to hole trying a variety of tactics; we caught our limit of rainbows, and I gained some experience. My first fish took the bait, I set the hook and started bringing it up. As it got close, we could tell it was a big one, and at the edge of the hole, I lost the fish. Talbot and his friend looked at each other and then at me.

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The trout meat turns white as it cooks. The breading changes color also to a brownish gold.

Pan-fried Trout Recipe courtesy of Don Talbot 6 trout fillets Two eggs 1 cup, panko breading 2 tablespoons butter Scramble eggs in a large bowl and pour panko breading in a long, flat dish. Dip fillets completely in egg mix and immediately place in panko breading, coating both sides. Melt butter in a large skillet on medium-high. Place fillets in skillet and brown one side. Flip fillets after the meat has turned white half-way up the depth of the fillet. Brown on the opposite side until the flesh is completely white.

Yield: 6 servings

Rainbow trout are a popular fish in frozen lakes corn, PowerBait, shrimp and worms.

I stared at the hole reflecting on my mistake made during the excitement.

Here’s a tip: when bringing the fish near the surface, slow down. Make sure to bring it through the middle of the hole not allowing it’s wriggling to knock itself free on the edge of the ice. Talbot told me not to feel bad and I said OK. He also said the purpose of fishing was to learn from mistakes,

since they remain active through winter and are heavily stocked in some lakes in the fall. They feed on a variety of bait, including

make better decisions and be a total sportsman in the sense that you come prepared, follow the rules and care for your catch.

Fish stay fresh and frozen on the ice of the lake. Keep them cold for the trip home where you should clean and fillet immediately. Talbot used an electric fillet knife, and I learned that the complete sportsman has all the coolest toys.

Handle the meat well and cook it with care, is Talbot’s advice to a welldeserved delicacy after a day on the ice.

“Most people need to work on their cooking skills,” he said. “Make the fish exceptional. You’ll get the blessing from your wife and kids to go fishing more. Don’t wait to clean your catch.

I’m a strong advocate of making the meal the same day you catch it. And trout taste best in the winter.” F January / February 2014

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ncw getaways

Story By Marco Martinez photos By brad schmidt

Love Deluxe Leavenworth’s Mountain Home Lodge is ideal romantic getaway

I

t’s an immediate climb as you travel the stretch of narrow road that takes you from the outskirts of Leavenworth to Mountain Home Lodge.

The distance is short measured in miles — 2.5 miles to be exact — but it might as well be 250 miles if you

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make the trip during winter. Mountain Home Lodge is your spot if you’re looking to get away from it all.

If you’re making the trip in winter, you’re not doing it in your own vehicle. Once the snow accumulates, the only transportation to and from

Travel website TripAdvisor.com named Mountain Home Lodge one of the nation’s Top 10 Hotels for Romance in 2013. Brad and Kathy Schmidt bought the lodge in 1994, expanding the property by adding two rustic deluxe cabins a year later.

Here’s the view from the bed area in the Stuart’s Roost cabin. At 1,000 feet elevation above Leavenworth, the lodge receives a decent snowfall each winter.

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The cabins at Mountain Home Lodge are surrounded by trees, but sit high enough to maintain tremendous views. the lodge is via one of Mountain Home Lodge’s two snowcats. The lodge maintains a small parking lot at the edge of town where the snowcat makes daily trips to pick up new guests and drop off departing guests.

The lodge is a hidden gem in North Central Washington, offering the perfect privacy for couples looking to recharge their relationship. It is arguably the region’s most romantic spot. My wife and I came away impressed — and de-stressed — after a short stay at the lodge last February.

Need more convincing? Travel website TripAdvisor.com named Mountain Home Lodge one of the nation’s Top 10 Hotels for Romance.

The lodge was No. 8, the only hotel in the Pacific Northwest to earn a spot on the prestigious list.

Owners Brad and Kathy Schmidt and a small, but loyal and hardworking staff pull out all the stops to make sure guests feel special. It’s a strategy 58

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that has paid dividends over the years, says Brad, because about 70 percent to 80 percent of their winter business is repeat clientele. “Many book ‘Same time next year,’ when they check out,” he says.

Would my wife and I have liked to have brought our two young daughters along for the adventure?

Sure, but the lodge doesn’t allow children under 16 unless you rent the whole place. Darn the luck (wink, wink)!

The main lodge structure overlooks a large, open meadow with enough slope to make a killer sledding run during winter. The lodge features 10 rooms, including the Cascade Suite and the lodge’s dining area with a massive stone fireplace anchoring the room.

Meals are inclusive during the winter months because running into Leavenworth for a quick bite is not an option. The lodge feeds only its

The hill near the lodge makes for a natural sledding spot during winter. Afterward, the massive stone fireplace in the main lodge building makes for a cozy nesting spot.

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The two cabins have two-person jetted spas with view windows.

Mountain Home Lodge features a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and a year-round outdoor jacuzzi just below the lodge’s main porch area.

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overnight guests during the winter, but Brad says they keep two or three tables open to drop-in diners from late April through November.

They draw regular visitors from the Wenatchee area, he says.

The dinner during our stay was a four-course masterpiece highlighted by herb-cured beef tenderloin in a béarnaise sauce. The beef was served with nicely textured chile cheese potatoes and vegetables. The variety of flavors worked together perfectly.

The meal’s exclamation point was a fluffly chocolate mousse served with berries and shaved chocolate pieces.

The snowshoeing and sledding my wife and I got in prior to dinner made me feel less guilty for devouring the entire meal.

The outdoors are a big part of Mountain Home Lodge’s charm.

The property is surrounded by hills, which make for good hiking during the spring, summer and fall, and snowshoeing during the winter months. The lodge provides snowshoes and poles, as well as cross country skis, boots and poles at no extra cost. They also have a pile of tubes, toboggans and sleds for runs on the sledding hill.

The lodge property sits 1,000 feet above Leavenworth. The land was cleared in the late 1800s to grow hay for horses and mules used in the nearby logging and mining industries.

It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Bill and Emma Jean Bradshaw built a home on the property. The couple began construction of the lodge in the late 1970s as a private home.

The Bradshaws sold the home a few years later to multiple owners.

The new group completed interior construction of the lodge.

Mountain Home Lodge opened in mid-1984. The Schmidts bought the lodge in 1994, remodeliing and updating the property a year later.

The couple was living in Pasadena, Calif. — Brad was working as an advertising photographer and Kathy was a bank executive — when they decided it was time to do something different. They searched for two years for what Brad describes as a “unique property opportunity.” They considered 175 properties, including a llama farm, before agreeing to buy Mountain Home Lodge.

“Kathy and I wouldn’t have had the vision to start the lodge,” Brad says.

“The original ownership group did the formation of the lodge. They got it up and running. When we came in, we felt there was more refinement to the property to be made. As a couple, we felt we could focus on it more than a multiple ownership group.”

Five years after buying the property, the Schmidts expanded it by adding two cabins on a small hill near the main lodge.

The cabins are best described as rustic-deluxe — with fine wood features throughout. The deck seating

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Lodge mascot Millie is a willing snowshoe escort. The lodge sits at the edge of a large meadow cut out of the forest more than 100 years ago to grow hay for horses and mules used in the nearby logging and mining industries.

— complete with wooden rocking chairs and wool throws — looks out over the meadow, with a gorgeous view of Icicle Canyon in the distance.

The studio interior has another seating area in front of the gas fireplace, with a king-size bed tucked under a loft area outfitted with a couch, chair, small bookshelf stacked with books and games, and a TV. As another nod to the get-away-from-it-all atmosphere, the TV is not hooked up to a satellite receiver. Viewing is limited to a large library of DVDs that can be checked out at the lodge.

Perhaps the cabin’s best feature is a two-person hot tub nestled in the front corner, with a large window for nature viewing. My wife and I settled in for a long, luxurious soak after dinner while the stereo on the fireplace mantel (the surround-sound 62

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speakers were marvelous) blared Diana Krall’s velvety voice loudly over the sound of the hot tub jets. Did we worry about bothering the neighbors with the stereo? Not hardly. The other cabin sits farther up the hill at a great enough distance for sound bleed to be no concern.

We rose early the next morning to get in another short snowshoe trek. As we exited the cabin, a pack of coyotes greeted us in the distance with a chorus of howls. My wife and I looked at each other, hesitating briefly until lodge mascot Millie, a beautiful golden retriever, came out of nowhere and joined us for our snow adventure.

The air was crisp as we made our way up the hill and straight onto the wellmaintained paths that criss-crossed the surrounding forest.

Millie stayed with us the entire

Sample Flavors of the Region at Wenatchee

Wenatchee Valley Museum 127 S. Mission Wenatchee Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014 6pm to 9pm ❖ Sample wines by awardwinning vintners and tasty morsels by the best chefs in the area. time we were on the trail. We didn’t hear another peep from the coyotes until we were within 25 yards of the lodge, when they let loose with more howls. Millie, her security detail with us complete, set off after them at the far edge of the meadow, giving them a good barking of her own before retreating back to the lodge.

We made it back just in time for the 8:30 a.m. breakfast buffet that featured freshly made granola, yogurt, fresh fruit, muffins, perfectly executed eggs Benedict and roasted potatoes. The muffin smell filled the room, drawing guests back for a second and third helping.

As we ate our breakfast, the sun rose gradually over the treeline as snow fell in tiny flakes.

Heaven? Maybe not, but it’s definitely somewhere along the way. F

❖ Listen to live music while immersing yourself in the NCW Juried Art Show. ❖ Bottles of wine and raffle basket tickets available for purchase. ❖ Provide needed support– the event benefits Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center. ❖ All tastings just $40 for museum members / $45 for non-members.

Group pricing available. See store. wvmcc.org for tickets on-line. ❖ Contact 509-888-6240 or info@ wvmcc.org to reserve tickets or for more information.

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Upon Further review

Story By barb robertson

Value Bottles

Smaller price, but still big on taste

I

often get asked, “Does a $50 bottle of wine REALLY taste better than a $15 bottle?” The answer is, sometimes. There are so many factors that go into pricing a bottle of wine such as production and logistic costs and then supply and demand. Production costs can vary tremendously.

Major contributors to production costs include: ◆◆ The price of the grapes. Grape prices can vary due to low yields vs. high yields, with low yields typically being more expensive than massproduced grapes. Famous vineyards such as Champoux can charge more for their grapes. Single-vineyard wines can sometimes be more expensive … especially if all of the grapes come from a vineyard like Champoux

Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2012 Ryan’s Riesling, $10

Rieslings are a favorite with spicy foods, but their natural acidity and fruitiness pair with many different cuisines and this also makes them people friendly. This one is like a juicy Gala apple picked off the tree. It is both slightly sweet and crisp.

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south of Sunnyside. ◆◆ Facility and land costs. Different facilities obviously cost more to build than others. There are many great wines made in a garage and then there are fair wines being made in chateaus.

The facility itself doesn’t make a wonderful wine, but often the costs of the facility must be reflected in the cost of the wine bottle. Another piece of this puzzle is the land costs for the production facility. Land with a water view of Lake Chelan will usually cost more than a parcel in the middle of nowhere. ◆◆ Material costs. These could include stainless steel tanks, French oak barrels, packaging — such as corks, bottles, labels and foils — and the labor required to harvest and crush the grapes. ◆◆ Logistic and administrative costs can also be pretty spendy. Distribution, taxes and licensing fees are some of the costs that get passed on to the consumer.

Kyra 2012 Chenin Blanc, $12

Many people think of summertime when they think of Chenin Blanc. While it’s certainly true that seafood and lighter fare loves Chenin, it would also go well with fruit and cheese plates, mac and cheese, and some Asian dishes.

Acidity keeps the off-dry fruit flavors and viscosity in balance so the wine never feels heavy. The tang of pineapple, guava and tart apple do the happy dance in your mouth, while the background notes of honey and blossoms sashay around.

◆◆ Supply and Demand. How much of that particular type of wine was made? Small lots often cost more. Is it estate bottled? This doesn’t determine quality but wineries like to push it as a higher-quality bottling. Some vintages are better than others and create higher demand. Then, of course, there is perception.

In the end, value is often determined by the buyer’s perception. Everyone’s taste is different. If a person’s passion is in quality wines, then they may be willing to pay for the rarity and status of an expensive bottle; for someone who is just in search of a bottle to go with a meal, less expensive bottles may be better suited. It all comes down to individual taste.

In this review, we are focusing on local wines under $20 that will go with a variety of your meals and won’t break the bank. So go ahead, invite the neighbors over; these wines should please a variety of palates and you’ll be supporting a local business.

Cave B Estate Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, $19

This was a favorite among judges at the North Central Washington Wine Awards. It is a great expression of the Sauvignon Blanc grape with the classic flavors of grapefruit, key lime and prairie grass all tied up in a racy little package. We all need a little zip when the inversions last for days, right?

Kyra 2010 Dolcetto, $17

In the Piedmont area of Italy, there are two everyday drinking wines. One is Barbera and the other is Dolcetto.

There is a bit of acidity and a bit of tannin but not too much to alienate most foods.

Although the Italian translation is “dear sweet one,” Dolcetto is fermented dry.

Kyra’s version has fresh dark berries, rosemary and ever so slight floral notes.

Salude!

Fruit Stands • Wineries Tourist Attractions • Lodging Dining • Recreation & More

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Phone: 509.433.1054 • VisitWashingtonFarms.com • CascadeFarmlands.com

Integrity Piercing

Chelan Estate 2007 Pinot Noir, $20

Pinot is a challenging grape to grow and vinify, and one reason Pinotphiles are always on the hunt for the Pinot Noir Holy Grail.

The folks at Chelan Estate have been doing a good job at making Pinot Noir for around a decade and 2007 was a good year for grapes.

Bing cherry and pomegranate dominate the palate with hints of fennel, baking spice and caramel.

The wine is silky but also has an agility to rally around different kinds of food.

• Highest Quality Body Jewelry • Advanced Sterilization Standards • 10 Year Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. www.integritypiercing.com

1207 N. Wenatchee Ave. • 509-888-3902

Luxury Kitchen Appliances

Jenn-Air® appliances are known for their sophisticated styling, innovative technology and exceptional performance. All designed to help you create a beautiful kitchen and take your cooking and entertaining to impressive new levels.

Milbrandt Vineyards 2010 The Estates Syrah, $20

In case you’re wondering what to have with your meat, here is a red wine that can stand up to a slab of beef but has enough dexterity to complement many different meals. Boysenberry, Bing cherry, black pepper and toffee make up this smooth Syrah. The acids and tannins are well balanced and stay in the background. This would be a welcome change up from the more traditional Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. F

Open 8-8 WEEKDAYS 9-6 WEEKENDS

1729 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee • 509-663-1671 www.savmart.net January / February 2014

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The scene

Tori Tinker and Erica Tinker

photos By Frank Cone

Maria Holman, Tammy Stanger and Barb Coffin

T

he Little Black Dress Party at the Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee on Nov. 22 drew a large crowd of ladies for dancing, drinks, food and lots of fun.

The event is part of the Festival of Trees fundraiser that benefits the PAC.

(Below) Jenny Walker, Stasha Reed, Stephanie Chance, Cassandra Minnehan

Arianna Cozart, Billye Lester, Wendy Nelson, Kristin Maas, Nicole Zollman, Erica Moshe

Sonia Reyes and Roxanne Cates

(Above) Bev Squires, Wendy Skalisky, Tracy Kansky, Tami Mahoney, Glenna Valentine, Lisa Douglass

Danielle Marchant, Stephanie Sellers and Charissa Cruickshank

Geri Gutzwiler, Sara Maldonado, Wendy Martinez, Michelle Valentine and Kaycie Anderson (Right) Lynette Smith and Jeanie Spurbeck

(Left) Suzanne Austin, Hannah Schoepp, Kassie Wright

January / February 2014

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FOOTHILLS CATALOGUE

SHOPPING

A Book For All Seasons Palmer’s Shoes The Gilded Lily Home Collins Fashions Lucinda’s Artisan Gallery Mills Bros.

SHOPPING COLLINS FASHIONS Brighton Your Valentine!

Collins Fashions is your Brighton headquarters for the Wenatchee Valley. We carry the full line from handbags, wallets, jewelry, rings and watches to sunglasses and home accessories. Collectibles and embellished jewelry crafted with love. Perfect gifts for your friends and loved ones.

2 S. Wenatchee Ave. • 509-665-7600 www.collinsfashions.com Follow us on facebook!

A BOOK FOR ALL SEASONS Start the New Year off with a good book and attend one of our upcoming events!

• David Moskowitz, Wolves in the Land of Salmon: slideshow Jan 17, 7pm, Signing Jan 19 • Silent Sky: a new mystery from Cate Mighell at Leavenworth Library 7pm on Jan 24.

• Book Buzz! Inspiration, humor, mystery. authors Mighell,Teller, Anderson, Sat Jan 25 1pm.

• Febuary 8 fifteen fabulous local authors at Pybus Market, 11am to 1pm.

• A free man fights for his enslaved children - Gregory Nokes shares Breaking Chains Wenatchee Library 7pm Thurs, Feb 27, and D’Vinery, 7pm Fri Feb 28.

• Karen Spears Zacharias shares Mother of Rain, Leavenworth Library, Feb 28, 7pm.

• DON’T MISS OUR ANNIVERSAY PARTY MARCH 1ST: AUTHORS & MORE.

703 Hwy 2, Leavenworth • 509-548-1451 • www.abookforallseasons.com

LUCINDA’S ARTISAN GALLERY Don’t expect Fair Trade merchandise to be something you have seen before. Lucinda’s represents a number of Fair Trade groups who have, in their staff, some very talented designers. They are using traditional techniques to create new and spectacular products for our discerning tastes. The criteria for a Fair Trade product is that the workers make a fair wage for their economy. Many groups take it further and drill wells, educate their offspring and plant trees where needed.

Lucinda spends her time researching these fine products for your shopping needs.

PALMER SHOES Fresh and New from Alegria for Spring 2014!

Shown are Feathers and Daisy Chain, just two of the many fun and unique patterns. Less foot stress, better posture, room for your toes to stretch are a few of the benefits without sacrificing style.

6 S. Wenatchee Ave. 509-662-8080 www.palmershoes.com

GILDED LILY The Gilded Lily is downtown Wenatchee’s premier gift shop. Located in the historic 1908 Olympia Hotel building, our store carries a wide selection of gifts, gourmet foods, baby gifts, handbags, jewelry, accessories, furnishings and home decor items.

112 Cottage Ave., Cashmere • 509-782-0990 www.LucindasArtisanGallery.com

MILLS BROS Mills Bros. features the finest in gentlemen’s footwear for your dress and casual needs. Shown are two styles from ECCO. Providing better quality clothing, sportswear, shoes and tux rentals for North Central Washington gentlemen since 1906 at the same location.

10 S. Wenatchee Ave. • 509-662-2650 • www.millsbrosmenswear.com

We’re delighted to help you select a gift for a loved one’s birthday, as well as gifts and entertaining supplies for holidays (Easter, Memorial Day Weekend, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween and Christmas.)

The Gilded Lily offers a baby shower registry as well as a bridal shower/wedding registry.

509-663-1733 2 N. Wenatchee Ave. www.gildedlilyhome.com follow us on Facebook!

January / February 2014

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parting shot

photo By rick steigmeyer

Rick Steigmeyer shot this photo just east of Washington Pass during a November vacation to Mazama.

oothills

Wenatchee

u

LeavenwortH

u

ChelaN

and all of North Central Washington

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Our innovative and state-of-the-art rehab facility and skilled therapists will get you back on your feet and back to living life.

625 Okanogan Ave.

509-888-6127

www.VistaRehabTherapy.com

YOU GET Quality FOR LESS!

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RECEIVE a $200 Walker’s Gift Certificate RE with any icomfort Mattress Purchase.

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• 176 Grant Rd. 509.886.1187

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*The Walker’s credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial Bank or GE Money Bank. Special terms apply to purchases charged with approved credit. 36 to 48 equal payments are required for 36 to 48 months no interest promotion. Regular minimum monthly payments are required for 1 year or 6 months no interest terms. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date at the regular approved percentage rate if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late payment. For newly opened accounts the annual percentage rate is WFNB 27.99% or GMB 29.99%.The annual percentage rate may vary. Annual percentage rate is given as of 10/1/13. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. Offer expires 2/28/14.