When writing up this week's review of How to Cook a Wolf, I was reminded of a piece about restaurant names my predecessor, Laura Cassidy, wrote in December 2005. Turns out, her predictions were right.

Image: http://www.mdhb.com/index.php?cPath=11_17

Peeking at CHOW's Pacific Northwest board, those posting about Il Giardino, also mentioned another new place:

"going in right next to Tiger Tail is apparently a "growler bar"..."

Anyone know more?

Hannah Levin just clued me in that Seattle's Chowhounders are abuzz with the January 22 opening of a tapas restaurant in Ballard:

Ocho
2325 NW Market St.

Apparently, it's open 7 days a week, serving food until midnight and strong liquor until 2. The phone directory hasn't registered the business and I can't find a website yet, so let me know if you have any more information or comments.

Remember last week, when we wrote that garnering mention in Bottomfeeder might be a curse on your restaurant? Well, we wrote about this place. Then this happened.

There's a new Italian joint coming to Ballard, called Il Giardino. Sign's up, and now there's a big "coming soon" announcement in the window. Anyone know when it's opening?

Image: www.epa.gov/Region7/water/cafo/images/cattle2.jpg

But not (only) in the way you think.

New York Times food columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman explores the environmental effects of meat in this Sunday's Week in Review section.

A few of the most compelling quotes from the article:

"livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world's greenhouse gases - more than transportation."

"if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan - a Camry, say - to the ultra-efficient Prius. Similarly, a study last year by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days."

"Americans eat about the same amount of meat as we have for some time, about eight ounces a day, roughly twice the global average. At about 5 percent of the world's population, we "process" (that is, grow and kill) nearly 10 billion animals a year, more than 15 percent of the world's total."

Read the full article here:

Reading Malcolm Gay's column about canned silkworm pupae this week, I had to grimace: When people ask me what the worst thing I've ever eaten was, that's always at the top of my list.

I tried silkworm pupae at a little Korean restaurant in Oakland that specialized in fruity soju cocktails and plates of fresh pork belly and intestines to grill at the table. I was there with a few friends, one of whom was Korean, and when we asked her to translate the Korean-only menu items it took her a while to get this one right. "It's a kids' snack in Korea," she explained. "Butterflies? No. Caterpillars? No." After 20 questions we got the picture, and everyone pretended to be nonchalant and gung-ho about trying some (the soju cocktails turned out to be a little more powerful than we had anticipated).

The pupae arrived in a hot stone bowl, and each of us plucked out one grey, rubbery pod. It tasted like mud and decaying mushrooms, and required a heavy swig of soju to chase down, then another shot to sweep away the shivers of nausea. In fact, the bowl smelled so strong that we had to put a plate over it.

But before our waitress slipped the bowl off the table, Yumi kept lifting up the lid to pluck out pods, which she'd chew meditatively. "It reminds me of childhood," she finally announced.

I have the same feeling about frozen Twinkies.

I'd like to dedicate this week's food-news roundup to the U District Farmers Market, where I will be on Saturday to recover from this week's food news:

Mercury Content in Sushi? Here�s the Local Reaction by Nancy Leson (Seattle Times): Leson responds to all the reports about astronomical mercury levels in tuna by hitting the sushi bars. What she finds: Sushi makers care more about the topic than diners.

Harmful Pesticides Found in Everyday Food by Andrew Schneider (Seattle P-I): Local scientist finds that Mercer Island kids who eat regular produce have disturbing levels of pesticides in their saliva and urine. The chart of most-contaminated fruits and veggies at the bottom is great for priority setting. Bonus link: I'm going to plug this sensible book one more time.

Food Markets Getting Greener, More Sensual by Stacy Finz (SF Chronicle): Hey, you know that Whole Foods on Denny, the one you never go to because it's cavernous and expensive? Well, it's becoming a model for "lifestyle stores." Someday you, too, may head to Safeway for wine tasting.

Dip Once or Dip Twice by Harold McGee (NY Times): This quote sums it all up: �The way I would put it is, before you have some dip at a party, look around and ask yourself, would I be willing to kiss everyone here?� (I don't know about you, McGee, but sometimes the answer is yes.)

The Prime Minister With a Kitchen Cabinet by Leo Lewis (Times Online, thanks to Chow): Thailand�s new prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, has no plans to give up his television show, on which he dispenses cooking tips and right-wing ideology. Update: We hear Rachel Ray has just set up a meeting with Karl Rove.

Lastly, mark your calendars: Tuesday, February 5, is World Nutella Day.

Image: http://departments.oxy.edu/career/studentinfo/etique4.jpg

If too many forks make your belly go queasy with anxiety, perhaps a lesson from the Maitre d' at The Georgian will help restore your appetite for fine dining. The small class (limited to ten students) offers the perfect opportunity to pose those etiquette questions you'd rather not have to ask. Which fork? How to properly butter your bread? Which of those little plates is yours? The fee includes a three-course meal with wine --It's a practical test, you see-- in The Petite, The Georgian's private dining room.

Thursday, January 31 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 6 at 6 p.m.

$69 (includes valet parking but does not include tax and tip).

The Petite Georgian
The Georgian, Olympic Fairmont Hotel
411 University Street
Seattle, WA 98101
Reservations required: (206) 287-4059

The brew blog says we should keep our eyes open for Kirkland's own amber ale, pale ale, and hefeweizen.

Has anyone tried Kirkland wine?

I haven't, but it's certainly not the cheapest bottle they carry. I'm guessing this beer's not gonna be too ugly, aside from the packaging.