I used to work at Manca’s Restaurant in Madison Park many years ago. Theirs was a family-owned and operated restaurant, and was an institution in Seattle history and culture. Manca’s was probably my favorite restaurant experience. I loved the food, my coworkers, the guests, and the family treated me like one of their own. I had just moved to Seattle from Gleason,Tennessee and didn’t know too much about food, except the fact that I loved it. I learned so much about ingredients, cooking methods and presentation while there, and many of my recipes today have been inspired by my experience with them. Manca’s served a Basil Vinaigrette dressing that blew me away. I wanted it on everything! It was sweet, garlicky goodness I tell you. So when developing recipes for Dinosaur Takeout, I decided to create a dressing that captured the essence of that dressing as a sort of tribute to the Mancas and my time with them. Our Pesto Vinaigrette was the result, a sweet blend of basil, parmesan cheese, garlic and spices, and it too makes my taste buds very happy. I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback on it from customers, and several have asked if it is available in bottles! That makes me feel good…and hopefully I can say “yes it is” one day soon.
And while I’m on the topic, I’d like to introduce my new Wild Mushroom Vinaigrette, made with dried Porcini and Shiitake mushrooms. I’ve been working on this one for awhile. I love mushrooms. In fact, I actually have to make an effort not to include mushrooms in every single dish I create because I know that everyone out there does not share my feelings. However, whether you love em or hate em, this dressing is wonderful. After several attempts, I finally got the balance of sweet and savory correct to suit my taste and compliment the intense flavor of the mushrooms. You can now find it included in several of our meal kits.
As always, thanks for your support. I hope you are enjoying the Dinosaur Takeout experience as much as I am, and if you haven’t tried us out yet, hit me up. I’ll hook you up with something delicious and maybe you will see how we can truly become an enjoyable and convenient part of your daily cooking routine. All the best to you.