Nice to be noticed

Always satisfying to get recognition, isn't it? National recognition at that, for two Seattle companies.

For Belltown's Flying Fish, it's the "Restaurant of the Year Grand Award" from a respected trade mag, Santé. And for Seattle-based InTouch Travel, it's having one of only six "World's Great Wine Tours" in the October issue of Food & Wine.

Kitchen crew and grilled scallops appetizer at Flying Fish.

Santé (which reaches a quarter-million hospitality professionals) cites Flying Fish for its commitment to sustainable food and its professional achievement. It's the only peer-judged restaurant-and-hospitality awards program in North America; Flying Fish was the only northwest restaurant even mentioned. (The Fish, we just want to point out, was our choice for Belltown restaurant of the year (see our 2005 Belltown Bravo! Awa@rds). Last year, Canlis and its sommelier Shayne Bjornholm won the Santé Grand Award for Wine Hospitality.

Speaking of wine: the tour cited by Food & Wine, designed and marketed by InTouch, is led by an English Master of Wine who lives in Bordeaux, James Lawther. (InTouch was also mentioned in the New York Times recently for its innovative cultural programs.) Before she started InTouch, founder Andrea Nims was VP/GM at my previous company, the now-moribund France In Your Glass.

The only other French wine tour on the list, in Burgundy, is run by Lauriann Greene, another erstwhile Seattle resident who had her own classical music show on KUOW for several years before she moved to France. Yes, she also worked for me, all-too-briefly. Sent her off to get some real-world experience. Did she ever.