Sunday night, I entered Seattle's trendy underbelly. I was one of 12 carefully screened guests to visit Cache. An unlicensed restaurant, it's a small architect's office by day, and shows it with blueprints all over the front room. Open only one night a week, seating books out two months in advance; but it's so secretive you can't know where it is until you confirm your reservation. They take only cash, but $40 of your $60 "donation" goes to the ingredients.
And, God, does it show. We opened with "Cache's signature cocktail" - a delicious blend of grapefruit, gin, orange liqueur, an exclusive, specialty bitters and a dash of fresh pepper - and rolled into the appetizer from there. It was an orecchiette with lamb ragu. The lamb was rich - a bit of zing, a little tart - and the pasta was plump and meaty, hand-pressed and air-dried for 56 hours. The wine - a smooth, light red - was an excellent counter-balance.
The entree came next - leg of lamb, sweet squash & butter puree ala salsa verde; a great contrast with the early appetizer. This was creamy and sweet, and the lamb was so tender it fell apart just touching your tongue. Again, the wine was red and countered the dish with a fruity flavor and rich tannins.
Dessert was a double-header, home-made pineapple sorbet and coconut whipped cream, with fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, and the two blended perfectly together. Wine this time was a slightly sparkling white - only a little dry, and not at all sweet; a good thing, given the sorbet's strong flavor. It was the first white wine that I've ever really liked, and I'll pick up a bottle or two when the weather turns sunny again.
So that was dinner, made by two people with no training, just a passion for good cuisine and an active hobby. Go, if you can. There's not much I can think of that's more... "Seattle."