Nomadic pop-up dinners from bin on the lake

Pop-ups are usually relatively routine affairs, unless they occur during a day/night/really any game involving Milton Bradley. For a popup dinner series that has a lot more reason to be considered major league, check out bin on the move.

This new series of one-off winemaker dinners from Kirkland's intentionally uncapped lakeside eatery takes place the third Sunday of every month, are limited to a dozen people, and're each held at a unique/unusual location they keep secret until 24hrs before chow time; the only thing the meals have in common is five courses of extravagant vittles served on a communal table constructed from wine barrels and recovered doors, a description that pretty much rules out Jim Morrison. The always-different larder line-ups are built around mains ranging from a caramelized grape/ yellowfoot mushroom Roasted Alaskan Halibut; to Crispy Porchetta from a slow-smoked whole hog served w/ cauliflower puree & beehive cheddar, to a Kurobuta Berkshire Pork Cheek Crespelle (Italian-style crepe) abetted by apple choucroute, truffle chestnut puree & saba, but not Shabba, as that's usually kind of Rank(s). They also do desserts (Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake w/ mascarpone & candied orange) and starters like a hazelnut/ cocoa nibs Artisan Sonoma Foie Gras Mousse, and rolled duck in smoked duck broth that's stuffed w/ goose confit, topped w/ shaved foie gras and called Duck, Duck, Goose, also what Tom Cruise tells Anthony Edwards in that deleted Top Gun scene where a cop arrives at the spot in the woods where they were "parking".

Two of botm's early pop-up experiments were staged at Woodinville's EFESTE Winery (where they served vino straight from the barrel), and during a live glassblowing session at Madrona's Glassybaby production facility, while future locations will likely include a downtown Bellevue rooftop, and a green on one of Seattle's sweetest golf courses, plus one on Qwest Field's 50yd line, which is about 48yds more than you can expect Milton to cover. Good hitter, though!

Photo by Jeremy Quant