I had the distinct honor today of being the first person ever to order spam musubi from Marination Mobile. The most recent addition to the slew of food trucks opening around Seattle, Marination Mobile offers Hawaiian and Korean street food (think kalbi beef tacos, kimchi fried rice, and spam sliders.) Spam musubi is an extremely popular snack in Hawaii. It consists of a slice of spam – usually fried or grilled – atop a rectangle of rice with a strip of nori seaweed holding it all together. Sometimes seasonings such as teriyaki sauce are included. Everything on Marination Mobile’s menu sounded great, but the spam musubi intrigued me the most (perhaps because President Obama famously ate one during a recent trip to Hawaii.) They were really excited when I ordered it and asked me to sign my name on the order slip (I thought this was some sort of waiver for spam musubi newbies at first but they actually just wanted to keep it as a memento.) Having never eaten spam musubi before, I was pleasantly surprised. It is very simple yet quite tasty – salty, sweet and a bit briny thanks to the nori. This humble snack is priced right at just $2 each. In fact, all of the prices at Marination Mobile are reasonable – the fried rice bowl is $5 and the tacos (which are awesome by the way) are $2 each. Marination Mobile is planning to be parked at different spots around the city. You can track their whereabouts on their website and also on twitter: curb_cuisine.

It was my birthday last Friday, and Robert and I celebrated with cocktails at Knee High Stocking Co. This secretive, speakeasy-themed bar has only been open for a few months but has already gained some pretty serious buzz. Knee High can be tricky to find – it is in an odd location and doesn’t have much in the way of a sign (the name is written in tiny lettering above the doorbell.) In true speakeasy style, you must ring the bell in order to be let in. This was somewhat intimidating for us, but our fears quickly subsided as Jack, the owner, greeted us warmly at the door and led us through the dark, intimate space to two lovely seats at the bar.

Upon entering Knee High, I was immediately struck with the impression that they are going for something different here. Dim lighting, a curtained entryway, chandeliers and candles and an ornate absinthe fountain all contribute to the elegant and seductive atmosphere. Greg, the bartender, was dressed up in a vest and tie – you certainly don’t see that every day in Seattle. House rules (discreetly listed on the back of the menu) are meant to keep the experience special for everyone: no cell phones, no hovering at the bar and – our personal favorite – to please use a quiet tone.

Interspersed throughout the cocktail and food menu are interesting tidbits on the history of various spirits (the current menu features background information on Pimm and Absinthe; look for a piece on Galliano on a future menu.) Not surprisingly, the cocktail specials are either classics from the prohibition era or new concoctions inspired by old-fashioned ingredients. As is the current trend, you won’t find much vodka on the list. Instead, the focus is on lesser known spirits such as Lillet Blanc, Liquore Strega and St. Germain. Knee High also makes a daily punch bowl (not to be confused with the kool-aid laden punches we all experienced as kids, true punch has a long history and is actually a precursor to the modern cocktail.)

Robert started off with the St. James Cooler, a refreshing blend of bourbon, St. Germain, soda, mint and lemon. I had the Hemingway Cocktail which features Bacardi rum, grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur and lime. After discussing our likes and dislikes with Greg, we felt comfortable letting him choose our next drink for us. For Robert, he mixed up a variation on the Corpse Reviver Cocktail using gin, St. Germain, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice. Upon tasting samples of Liquore Strega, Campari and Cynar, I decided I wanted a drink based on Cynar if only because it is made from artichokes and I find that rather fascinating. Greg proceeded to make me a twist on the classic Negroni using gin, sweet vermouth and Cynar in place of Campari. Knowing that I enjoy citrus flavors, he swirled some orange bitters in the glass before filling it – a nice touch.

Our visit to Knee High Stocking Co. was one of the best bar experiences I’ve had in a long time. I’m convinced that Greg is the friendliest bartender in Seattle. We chatted with him the entire time, and I learned a lot about cocktails and spirits I’d never heard of before. Personal service, a cozy atmosphere, shockingly reasonable prices (cocktails start at $5) and an education – what more could one ask for? The only downside is that this place makes you want to keep drinking and never stop. Knee High – you made me one happy birthday girl!

Knee High Stocking Co. is located at 1356 E Olive Way (between Bellevue & Melrose) and is open every day, except Monday, starting at 6:00 PM.

Food trucks have started popping up all over Seattle thanks to recent efforts by the mayor and local health officials to relax some of the city’s strict regulations on street food. The latest – and certainly the most elaborate – addition to the group is Maximus Minimus (a.k.a. “the mobile pig.”) Owned by the same people behind Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, the focus at Maximus Minimus is on pork. Specifically, they are boasting “the best pulled-pork sandwich you’ve ever had.” Current plans are to keep the “pigstream” parked at 2nd & Pike downtown during lunchtime. At night, it will be roaming the streets of Seattle looking for the hottest spot in town. If you want to track where it will be next, you can follow their updates on twitter: http://twitter.com/somepigseattle.

The other day, my friend and I snuck away from work and headed down to Maximus Minimus for lunch. The line was long but moved pretty quickly – things seemed fairly well-organized considering that they had only been in business for three days. The menu is limited: sandwiches, chips, slaw and drinks. You can add Beecher’s Flagship cheese to any sandwich. Sandwiches and slaw can each be ordered “maximus” (spicy) or “minimus” (sweet and tangy.) Between the two of us, my friend and I managed to order everything on the menu. I opted for a maximus vegetarian sandwich, chips and hibiscus nectar, and my friend had the pulled pork sandwich, slaw and ginger lemonade.

The vegetarian sandwich consists of barley, roasted mixed vegetables and currants bathed in maximus or minimus barbecue sauce. It was flavorful and the barley had a nice texture, but I was disappointed that the bun wasn’t toasted. The maximus sauce was not especially spicy. I later learned that you can order your maximus sauce with extra “hurt” if you like things really spicy. The sandwich was very messy which I don’t mind too much if I’m sitting at a table with plenty of napkins and a sink nearby – when you are hunkered down on the steps of Benaroya Hall, trying to eat your lunch while simultaneously keeping your napkin from blowing away in the wind, a messy sandwich might not be for everyone. The chips are a mix of potatoes, carrots, beets and green beans topped with fried chilies. They were an excellent surprise. The crisp and herb-rich slaw was equally tasty. I am a sucker for unusual drinks so I particularly liked the hibiscus nectar. My friend enjoyed his pork sandwich, but agreed with me that the bun should have been toasted.

My total for lunch came to $12.50; the sandwich alone was a hefty $7.50. This may not seem like much for a downtown lunch, but this is street food! To my mind, the whole point of street food is that you get really yummy food for really cheap. Without the additional overhead of tables and a waitstaff, street food should be cheaper than restaurant food. Or, if you are going to charge higher prices, the food had better be mind-blowingly good (my lunch was merely decent.) I think it’s great that Seattle is starting to get a street food scene, and I love that Maximus Minimus has, for now at least, transformed this sketchy corner into a jovial community scene at lunch time (patrons in line were downright giddy at the prospect of ordering food from a big, shiny pig.) I just hope that some of the upcoming food vendors plan on offering better deals (I’m looking at you, Marination Mobile!)