Chef Edouardo Jordan’s Soul of Seattle Event Will Go All Online for 2021

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Chef Edouardo Jordan’s Soul of Seattle Event Will Go All Online

For 2021, the Soul of Seattle — a fundraising event created by chef Edouardo Jordan that celebrates Black History Month and highlights local Black-owned businesses — will go online-only due to the ongoing pandemic. Starting Monday, February 1, and occurring each Friday, those attending can find custom menus from participating restaurants, which will be paired with panels, cooking demonstrations, and a virtual dance party, a switch from 2020’s inaugural event, which was held at the Central District’s Northwest African American Museum. Other chefs involved with this year’s Soul of Seattle festivities are Matthew Lewis of Where Ya At Matt, Sabrina Tinsley of La Spiga, Dre Neeley of Gravy, Wayne Johnson of FareStart, Trey Lamont of Jerk Shack, Kristi Brown of Communion, Donna Moodie of Marjorie, and Daisley Gordon of Café Campagne. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 22.

PBS Airs Story About Trying to Save U District’s Blue Moon Tavern

On Tuesday night, January 19, PBS will air an episode of its docuseries “American Portrait” that highlights the fight to save U District’s historic Blue Moon Tavern. The show features co-owner Emma Hellthaler, whose family has owned the 87-year-old bar and music venue since the 1980s. In an intimate glimpse into Hellthaler’s family life, she details the struggles to raise young children during the pandemic and caring for her husband, who is recovering from two brain hemorrhages. To keep the classic dive afloat, she set up a GoFundMe, stretched some government loans, and has attempted efforts such as a walkup coffee window, which may open back up in the spring (the bar is temporarily closed right now). Hellthaler has also fielded offers to sell, but she’s still determined to hold onto the business, celebrated by writers, musicians, academics, and artists for decades. The episode airs at 9 p.m. PT and should be available to stream online after.

Chef Renee Erickson to Release a New Cookbook in April

In April 2021, famed Seattle chef Renee Erickson — whose Sea Creatures restaurant group includes the Walrus and the Carpenter, Bateau, and Bistro Shirlee — will release her second cookbook, Getaway. According to Erickson’s website, the tome will feature 120 recipes and 60 cocktails influenced by some of the chef’s travels around the world, including Rome, Paris, and London, with an emphasis on simple dishes. This follows the chef’s successful 2014 effort, A Boat, a Whale and a Walrus, which was focused mainly on Pacific Northwest ingredients and included some personal anecdotes from Erickson’s culinary past. Preorders are available.