Quick! What do Phil Freeman and Smokey the Bear have in common?
Yes, they both love the forest and they pay attention to the “forest fire
danger “ sign on the way to Mount Rainier. But, apparently according to a local
radio station, they share the same birthday. Who knew?
Phil's birthday started in Seattle in
Columbia City at a very cool jazz club called The Royal Room. Live music,
wonderful food, a very nice bottle of wine. Convivial. Friendly. Excellent.
As the week progressed, I wanted to
continue his celebrations with a dinner party at my house. When I got in touch
with Catharine, she said, "Rats! No can do. Have to be at the Beach House
to finalize the installation of the solar panels. Why don't you bundle
everything up, come here and stay overnight."
Yes! What a grand idea!
So, loading up the wild salmon filet
marinating in its special mixture, the cedar shingle, a baggie of large slices of
potatoes drizzled with olive oil and a nice mix of spices. a lovely bottle of
French wine, some fresh Belgian feta from PFI, a couple of quarts of my famous
homemade pickles in vintage farm-style bale wired jars (a present for Phil),
and my pillow, my friend Kim and I headed to the Beach House on the Puget
Sound, one of the lovely properties owned by Catharine and Phil.
On the way down there, we were listening
to the radio and the announcer intoned, "Smokey the Bear's birthday was
this week."
"Wow," I thought. "Nice to
have a shared birthday! Phil will get a kick out of that. I must tell him."
Even though we unpacked the car when we
arrived, we still cruised along on Easy Street. Never liking to rush into
things, first, we opened a bottle of wine, noshed on an assortment of cheese, opened a jar of pickles,
grabbed a handful of wasabi roasted almonds and put our feet up while the cedar
plank soaked in the sink. Nice!
Now, here's the thing about Catharine and
Phil: they are gourmands. They have sophisticated palates without being snobs.
From American diner classics to French and Italian cuisine, they know good food
and wine and appreciate a beautiful presentation. And, I have it on good authority, they are, in fact, the
Washington state sultans of BBQ. They BBQ two to three times a week. So, it was
a surprise to me that Phil had not had cedar planked wild salmon at home. In a
restaurant, sure, but never at home.
He started the BBQ out on the back deck. I
took the cedar plank out of the sink and laid the filet on it. "Don't we
need a spatula to turn it over?" said Phil.
"Nope. We don't turn it over. We just
put the whole shootin' match on the grill, close the top and wait for the
deliciousness." While the salmon was on the grill, Catharine made a
classic Caesar salad complete with anchovies and egg yolk. We popped a baguette in the oven to warm after the
potatoes finished roasting.
And, oh, the deliciousness! Many yummy
noises around the table. Catharine said, “this is the best salmon I've ever
eaten.”
We ended the evening in the living room, with our feet propped up
on the table, eating an utterly divine classic cheese cake from Gotti Sweets.
And, what a wonderful slumber party! The next morning, fresh
ground coffee, an amazing frittata, and cold, smoked wild salmon still on its
plank! Much laughing. Much talking. Much
about Smokey and Phil sharing a birthday!
A perfect birthday getaway! Sooo, here’s my recommendation: if you
have a birthday coming up, grab your family or a group of friends and stay in
one of Catharine and Phil’s cabins. The perfect combination: Not only the
perfect birthday but the perfect getaway, as well.
Connect with those you love.
Enjoy a celebration vacation.
Oh, Phil and Smokey’s birthday? Shhhh! Apparently,
you can’t believe everything you hear on the radio.
