By Amy Musser
E A T & D R I N K:
Le Grand Aïoli
There’s a fun, relaxed way to throw a dinner party. You put some delicious dips in small bowls, steam and/or slice some veggies, maybe toss in some seafood or whatever else you want, and put it all on a big platter (oh, and eat with your fingers). The French perfected this ritual with The Grand Aioli, commonly found around the terraces of Provence after an early-spring or late-summer garlic harvest. You can recreate the same ritual at home on your own terrace/patio/deck (if you have one), or, even better, you can go feast to your heart’s delight at Bar Ferdinand’s Le Grand Aioli, happening on June 1st. Go for the aïoli and the 30+ rosés they’ll be pouring and the laid-back dinner party vibes. Not in the mood for a party? Make yourself a big solo salad, like Alison Roman’s latest novel take on a Shrimp Louie (also served with a small bowl of aïoli), and pour yourself some mineraly Bandol rosé (my personal favorite special-occasion rose is the Domaine Tempier). If you can’t find Bandol, look for a rosé with a paler hue, and preferably one from a coastal vineyard.
W A T C H:
Seattle International Film Festival
It’s time for the famed annual Seattle International Film Festival. It’s the 45th iteration, and there are literally hundreds of films (that you will probably never be able to see again) playing at every theater near you in Seattle. On my list is House of Hummingbird, an autobiographical film about a loansome adolescent who flits about in a harsh world, and then manages to glean a sense of shared understanding from a new teacher, playing June 7th and 8th, but there are so many options! Check out the full roster here, or consult The Stranger for their top selections (and an easier perusal).
W I T N E S S:
Victorian Radicals
The notion of being a radical artist might not, at least at first blush, conjure up the works of the Victorian era, those pretty Romantic portraits and foggy ocean paysages, but this Seattle Art Museum exhibit will show you otherwise. This show features the works of a group of British artists, from the Pre-Raphaelites through the Arts + Crafts movement, who addressed the rise of industrialization and the many changes it brought about, including extreme class and wealth disparity, in their often-subversive artwork. Ready for a little sense of history repeating? There may be some echoes to how many artists are responding to the tidal shifts happening here in Seattle with rise of technology and inequality. The show features 150 works, all from the Museum of Birmingham, many of which have never been shown outside of the United Kingdom. Victorian Radicals opens June 13 and will be on display through early September.