'Found' a few laughs and traveling minstrels

On the last day of June I found myself in a crowd of assorted biblio- and zine-ophiles at the University Bookstore on The Ave awaiting the arrival of FOUND Magazine's Cavalcade of Thrills Tour "2006." In other words, Davy Rothbart, the magazine's founder, and his singing brother, Peter, were on the 32nd leg of a 33-city tour since the debut of FOUND II, the second anthology of the magazine's cataloguing of bits and pieces of peoples' lives. At the end of the evening's performance, I couldn't get out of my head one of the most famous phrases out of the FOUND miscellania, THE BOOTY DON'T STOP!

Between swigs from a bottle of Corona beer, Davy regaled the crowd with his performance of his favorite notes, letters, lists and flyers found on streets and alleys around the country and sent to him at his Ann Arbor office. Despite all the hi-tech tools and toys, often the most effective method of getting your particular message across to others is the invective note stuck beneath the windshield wiper blade or perhaps a note-to-self checklist to cross off and actually accomplish something. A journalist, short-story writer, and frequent contributor to public radio's "This American Life" show, Davy also threw in a couple of his true stories about life on the road as an itinerant observer.

As a bonus, Davy introduced his brother Peter who picked up an acoustic guitar and performed three songs he had written based on letters published in FOUND. It's amazing how a really good voice can make a song about a guy wanting to buy beer without being late for the last bus home sound like an indie-pop hit. His original song, "The Booty Don't Stop," is based on what was found on a cassette tape abandoned on a sidewalk. The tape contained homemade hardcore raps that paid homage to the booty. Try to imagine taking a rap from Fifty Cent and tweaking it so that Damien Jurado or Five for Fighting would sing it. Or, listen to a live recording at The Poem Adept site.

Cuckoo for cacao nibs and other choco-delicacies

As one who considers a daily serving of chocolate essential to life, you can imagine my anticipation of attending a tasting presented by Scharffen Berger Chocolate's co-founder Robert Steinberg. Sponsored by the Slow Food Seattle chapter, a small group of chocophiles gathered at Cook's World to listen in rapt attention as Steinberg discussed the process of going from bean to bar. Along the way we sampled cacao nibs from Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago and Madagascar to discover how incredibly varied the taste of cacao can be. Then, to kick it up another notch, (okay, bad food tv reference!) he said, "Before we get to the variety of bars, I want you to know that cacao can also be a great savory food." Out came slices of crusty baguette topped with a smooth spread that combined crushed cacao nibs and a fruity olive oil paired with paper-thin slices of proscuitto. It was hog heaven.

Next, we sampled the various percentages, going from the earthy extra dark 82% to the winey bittersweet 70%, to the caramelly 41% milk chocolate. Also added for comparison was a sample of Lindt 70%. I do like Lindt but the Scharffen Berger is much more complex and it's no wonder since the SB 70% is a blend of eight different varieties.

The exquisite end of the tasting came as Steinberg whipped up a quick ganache using SB bittersweet and dark chocolate and cream served over vanilla ice cream topped with a sprinkling of Madagascar nibs. A chocolate sundae never tasted so good.

Choi=Chai + Soy

The Other Coast Cafe opened its downtown Seattle location in the Two Union Square tower lobby on Monday, June 19. All gawkers, passers-by and sundry cubicle denizens were enticed that morning to come on in for a free cuppa Caffe Vita coffee. I was going for the free coffee but then spied on the menu board that they also serve Morning Glory chai. "You said free coffee, could I get the chai free?" I asked the cute counter girl. "Sure!" she replied. "What kinda milk would you like?" "Soy, please," I said. "Oh, I call that a choi! One choi coming up!"

Velella Velella rocks High Dive for Fare Start

KEXP Audioasis goes live the first Saturday of the month for a good cause. Each month features a cool showcase of local bands in a benefit for a non-profit of the month. June's spotlight focused on the good folks at Fare Start. Pint in hand at the High Dive, I enjoyed the high energy and musical multi-tasking of the three guys and a girl band Velella Velella. Props for playing all original stuff and especially for their playing a dozen different instruments between the four of them along with vocals that delivered hip-swaying hooks. Definitely worth seeing live around town including Bumbershoot.