Luncheon with the Alliance Française at a favorite spot, the Art Institute of Seattle's Portfolio Dining Room.
This being "French Week," Chef David Wynne and his brigade of trainees prepared a menu that appealed to francophiles: moules mariniere, crepe au ratatouille and a dish I've always loved, plats de cote: beef short ribs braised in a rich wine sauce with chanterelles.
This quarter, the room is open for both lunch (11:30 to 1) and dinner (6 to 7:30) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those delectable short ribs are on the menu for an unbelievable $8.75, by the way. And Maitre d'Hotel Dieter Schafer will pour you excellent wines, too, for risible prices ($14 for a bottle of Erath Vineyards pinot noir).
Dieter also runs a series of Wednesday afternoon wine classes at the school; one upcoming class is titled "Italian Grapes--Washington Soil" ($12 per session). On Tuesday nights, he offers a series of more extensive tastings, matched with food, called smartFUN Viticulture ($65).
Portfolio Restaurant, 2600 Alaskan Way, Seattle, 206-239-2363
