ON THE PLATE
CARMELITA—Celebrate seasonal bounty at Greenwood’s gourmet vegetarian restaurant with truffled artichoke bisque swirled with nettle pur饠($5.50); asparagus agnolotti with grilled oyster mushrooms in mushroom broth ($9.50); and risotto laced with morels, fava beans, and rhubarb and a side of wild asparagus ($15.50). Finish with the frozen lemon parfait topped with strawberry-black pepper confit and white chocolate sabayon ($6). Call 706-7703.
LE GOURMAND—Among traditional appetizers for an early-spring menu, the nettle (hand-picked, or course) soup stands out; and your dinner salad may contain not just baby asparagus but lovage and cicely as well. Among main-dish choices, consider the roast duckling sauced with black currants and homemade cassis ($46, with full dinner) or venison chops with fresh morels ($52). If choosing among four starters and 11 entrees is too much for you, go for chef Naftaly’s new “tasting menu” ($75). Call 784-3463.
BANDOLEONE—The name, in case you were wondering, is how the Portuguese spell “tango accordion.” This helps explain a menu studded with such starters as sausage-and-jicama turnovers ($10) and fried oysters with a chilied aioli to dip them in ($7) and main dishes like veal medallions dressed with avocado, capers, and lime ($23) and Brazilian-style lobster stew with coconut-ginger jam ($32). Call 329-7559.
IN THE GLASS
THE WINES OF PENFOLD’S—One of the giants of Australia’s wine industry offers a sampling of its premium bottlings—among them a Koonunga Hills chardonnay, a shiraz-mourvedre-cabernet blend, and the top-rated Kalimna shiraz Bin 28. A Penfold’s rep will be on hand at Grand Central Wine Merchants to answer your questions. Saturday 5/5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Complimentary. Information: Call 340-5999.
CLOS PEGASE BANQUET—Trophy wines, chardonnay to port, from the Michael Graves-designed trophy winery in Calistoga, Calif. accompanied by suitable seasonal dainties from the kitchen of 96 Union: crispy fishlets, homemade gnocchi, quail and figs, spring lamb, chocolate torte. Pegase winemaker Steven Rogstad will be in attendance. $70 plus tax and tip. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8. Call 623-3783.
IN THE MARKET
One of the treasures of the Pike Place Market returns this week: Tovias Magana of Sunnyside will arrive Saturday with his first still-dewy cutting of asparagus. Fill up your market basket with the makings of a Cinco de Mayo party: Papitas, tamarind, tomatillos, jicama, plantain, and— above all—avocado and cilantro for a heady metate-full of guacamole.
COMING UP
MAY 15—Polish up the barbeque, break out the steamer: less than two weeks till the first Copper River king salmon hits the markets.
MAY 22—A banquet to celebrate the first anniversary of Christine Keff’s Latin-accented Fandango features the wines of Robert Mondavi Chilean affiliates Caliterra and Se�The feed’s six courses will include freshwater prawns in chipotle sauce, green chorizo sausage stewed with tomato and spinach, and rabbit braised in chocolate sauce. $70 plus tax and tip; seating extremely limited. Call 441-1188.
MAY 24—Premium wines of Spain from the holdings of Alejandro Pesquera accompany the “pan-Latin” fare in a special spring dinner at Tango. Two seatings, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. $65 plus tax and tip. “Elegant attire.” Reservations only. Call 583-0382.
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