Thai happy hour takes on a whole new spin. Take the efforts at Racha Noodles on Mercer in Seattle. Sure the drinks are in a nice comfort zone - $1.99 for Domestic bottled beer/$2.99 for the imports and draft. $2.99 for wine...than $3.99 for crazy cocktails! Pomegranate Margarita, Acai Berry Mojito, Cocotine.

The food is really happy. Good and again...reasonable.Salted & Pepper Prawn ($5) a King Crab Tumeric Soup ($5) that is a good chill chaser...and comes with a crab leg to pull the meat from and dunk it into to soup crowned by fresh tumeric...Soft Shell Crab Tempura ($7.50) brings me back to Baltimore with that soulful sea briney flavor of Eastern seafood.

Tucked up in the north east corner of Washington State is a gem of artisan producers...Bluebird Grain Farms. This certified organic heirloom grain group, lead by Sam & Brooke Lucy who grow, mill and own the company, entertained a fistful of writers at Ethan Stowell's Tavolata and introducing Farro, sometimes called emmer.

From farro croistini and bruschetta to farro salad blending the grain with butternut squash and mint served with Buffalo Mozzarella to oxtail and farro soup with carrots and kale to the crown dessert - Farro Zeppole - Chef and crew proved to skeptical writers how versatile and delish the ancient grain is.

So there may be no free lunch....but dinner can be arranged.

Bellevue's Grand Cru Wine Bar is offering a free two-course menu. Choose a sarter form two offerings and an entree from among three...there is a vegetarian option....from 5 p.m. every Wednesday and the bill will only reflect an 18% charge for the hard working kids bringing you your meal.

Keeping with the resession buster direction Grand Cru offers a special menu of wines by the glass that ranges from values to the pricing parings.

Brand Cru Wine Bar, 1020 - 108th Ave NE, Bellevue. 425.455.4278

Sure surf and turf is always a crowd pleaser....at a recent media dinner the cuisine team at Salish Lodge kicked it up a notch with American Kobe Ribeye Steak with a butter-braised lobster tail on fry bread with a green and yellow bean salad. But the pairing I refer to is the wine selections. With this course it was Betz Family "Be Soleil" Rhone-Style Red, Columbia Valley '06.

The other noted pairing with the Salt Cured Foie Gras Torchon with gooseberries, golden raspberries and a lavender marshmallow....long Shadows, "Poets Leap" Riesling, Columbia Valley '06.

Both knock-out in my book....and the view wasn't bad either. A firy sun setting over the Olympics as the falls crashed.

Another great pairing was my dining partner, Lenny Zilz, general manager. Coming up through the Ritz Carlton system and now with Columbia Hospitality, managers of Salish, he is just the guy to lead the upcoming room renovation and spur the restaurant to greater things....just don't mess with that Hunt Breakfast, Lenny!

We CAN all get along....when great local lamb is involved. Five chefs - (L to R) Russell Lowell, Russell's; Thierry Rautureau, Rover's; John Sarich, Chateau Ste. Michelle; (not pictured) Adam Stevenson, Earth + Ocean and Eric Banh, Monsoon came together with local farmer (center) Linda Neunzig of Ninety Farms, who raises lamb in Arlington, to demystify the meat and the animal - its position on your plate, the way it is raised and how chefs can get a hold of fresh, local lamb.

Of course the dishes were delish...Adam's lamb ham and Lambcetta, Thierry's Lamb Shoulder Salad with Farro, Capers, Arugula and Citrus-argan Vinaigrette; John's Mediterranean take with Carpaccio and Lamb Sliders; Eric's Asian twist of a Lemongrass grilled Rack of Lamb with Tamarind Sauce plus a Vietnamese stew with shank; and Russell's spit-roasted baby lamb.

Each demonstrated the versatility of lamb to the assembled media representatives. But the most interesting was the approachable way each of these chefs de-boned, butterflied, cut and handled the various portions.

Over the years I have learned much from Thierry and Russell who both pointed out that the loin portion of a lamb is pricey and precious...and there is a whole lot more to a full carcass than simply the loin. "Use it all. Don't waste a thing," said Thierry. Shoulder, leg, miscellaneous bits that can be ground or used for stew. There is a whole lamb world out there that relies on the "other cuts" that with a little care in handling are just as flavorful and succulent as the prized loin cuts.

One great thing about being a member of the media is that you get all the recipes and materials you can possibly use....I'm sure if you ask, the American Lamb Board will send you some too.

Kamala Saxton and her band of merry maids and gents are proving that if you roll your kitchen up and pop the window...they will come.

Marination, the latest mobile restaurant, is on the must-see list of value-oriented diners in Seattle. They come for the Tacos (2/$2). They come for the Kalbi soy marinated short ribs. They come for the Bulgogi and span sliders ($2). they come for the Kimchi Rice bowl topped with a fried egg ($5). They just come to revel in the eating scene of hipsters cheek to jowl with suburban couples. But, it is the Hawaiian/Korean fusion blend that keeps 'em coming back.

Mariantion's menu board also gives Kamala the ability to match the menu line-up to the 'hood. What flys on Capitol Hill may not beckon customers on Beacon Hill. When your kitchen is on wheels you gotta stay flexible.

As with most meals on wheels, Marination's website lists parking lot locations. Twitter tweets are another good way to get location information.

During last month's Foodportunity industry networking sample and sip event Ron Holden @ cornichon.org - on the New Media panel discussion - shook his finger and wagged his tongue in general at the mobile restaurant trucks. His beef is that these operators do not have the staggering overhead costs associated with a bricks-and-mortar location. No electricity bills (but they have fuel costs associated with driving to and from locations and for generator generation); no lease (arbitrary parking lot owners who can throw them out on a moments notice - the down side of no lease), etc. Care to weigh in, readers?

Take 41 Rhone-centric wineries, put them in one room and you have a stampede....of the Rhone Rangers. Seattle was blessed with this charge of French vines and American winemakers last month. Each presented vintages from the 22 permitted grape varieties, including the best known Syrah and Viognier, the up and coming Mourvedre, Grenache and Roussanne and the way out there Counoise, Bourboulene and Piepoul.

The grapes, wine makers and winery representatives all play so nicely together.

The standouts: (photo above) Jason Haas pours Tablas Creek Vineyard's (Paso Robles) Esprit de Beaucastel '06. The wineries signature red is a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Counoise. Other presentations included Rose '08, Cotes de Tablas '07 and Cotes de Tablas Blanc '08.

Christina Hug of Dayton, Oregon's Domaine Serene offered up Rockblock Syrah '05.

A relative new comer, Maison Bleue Winery in Prosser, Wash. opened in 2008, presented a Rhone-centric line up worth coming back for more - Viognier and Roussanne.

Bryan Cass of Cass Vineyard & Winery showcased a beautiful '08 Oasis Rose plus a remarkable '08 Viognier and a '08 Roussanne.

Another Paso Robles winery, Katin, presented quite palatable offerings of Viognier and Grenache.

Last month's Chocolate Salon in Seattle was inspiring. Of course Art Pollard's Salt Lake City-based Amano Artisan Chocolate was a winning hit. And it was great to see what he is offering up for ingredients that chefs need...a full line up of single origin cocoa nibs, for example. Plus the truffles crafted at Jason Wilson's Crush Restaurant using Seattle's Claudio Corallo Chocolate were over the top with intriguing flavor combinations.

But tucked into a back corner was Missoula, Mont.-based Posh Chocolate. This chance meeting, and tasting, led me to drive a couple of hours out of my way on vacation to visit with Ana and Jason Willenbrock at their jewel box of a store close to the river front.

Outstanding confections, single origin bars, coated nuts, sipping chocolate and exotic caramels were all expected. At the Salon, you simply see individual delights. In the store you can see how they pair confections and sort the line up into collections. The best part of my visit was being able to see the whole Posh line up. After all Ana and Jason can only transport so much product from Montana!

Headed toward Missoula? Posh's store front serves light fare perfect for a lazy breakfast or lunch. French press coffee, too.