Food & Wine Magazine's Travel Tips Today Includes Seattle's Tavern Law in Their "24 Best Cocktail Bars in the US to Visit" List

The story is online here. Thanks Food & Wine and congratulations to the McCracken Tough team.

Seattle Times Showcases A Crowded Coop (from Star Trek to Elvis and Brands in Between) in Article

Thank you to the Seattle Times' Coral Garnick for the feature story on Pacific Northwest company, A Crowded Coop.  "Elvis, ‘Star Trek’ pet projects inspire marketing duo. When they started A Crowded Coop in 2010, Mary Olson and Brandy Tanner resolved to work only on brand marketing projects they would enjoy. The outcome has been whopping growth for their Monroe business...

Olson, 51, and Brandy Tanner, 31, went into business together in 2010, forming A Crowded Coop, a company that creates consumer products, such as backpacks, phone cases and dog leashes, with licensed brand names, photos and characters.

They resolved to work only on projects they enjoy — animals, cartoons, video games, “Star Trek” and the king of rock ’n’ roll. The team has been successful, with quadruple-digit growth over three years, most of which can be attributed to their work in pet products. They declined to disclose the company’s current revenue...

Once their noncompete agreements with BDA expired in 2011, they started snatching up licenses to make and sell branded products, starting with the rapidly growing Kirkland gaming company Valve Software.

The pet line for Dickies, a U.S. company that historically made uniforms and workwear, came next and was followed quickly by pet lines for “Star Trek” and Elvis.

After the “Star Trek” pet line came out, the women had decided not to accept any other licenses and to focus on the ones they already had.

“But when Elvis calls, you better listen,” Olson said.

The creative team is finalizing the Elvis line, which will be launched in early summer.

The designs include a blue-suede-shoe chew toy, a “Jailhouse Rock” ball-and-chain knotted rope, and classic Elvis outfits from “Viva Las Vegas” and “Blue Hawaii.” There is, of course, a poop-bag dispenser for the Elvis line. It is in the shape of an old microphone and says “TCB,” for Takin’ Care of Business — a catchphrase Elvis took on shortly before he died.

“Anytime you can weave in a poop joke, I consider it a win,” Tanner said laughing.

The company also holds pet-product licenses for Justin Boots and “Adventure Time,” as well as other nonpet pop-culture licenses for “Halo 4” and “Bravest Warriors.”"

Thank you to Cooking Light Magazine's Darcy Lenz for Writing About "Bonavita's Winning Combo": The Electric Gooseneck Kettle and Porcelain Immersion Dripper

"The sleek and chic kettle allows for pinpoint precision with ease," she writes.

"What's hot at Cooking Light right now?"  Thanks to the team at Cooking Light magazine and especially to Darcy for putting these Bonavita kitchen products to the test.  After brewing coffee using the kettle and dripper, "All unanimously agreed that the coffee we shared that day was some of the best we’d ever had the joy of sipping."  Fabulous!

Read the article here to learn how Cooking Light brewed and sipped. 

"Full flavor and simple to prepare… you get the best of both worlds. "

Parade Magazine- Star Trek Pet Collection, the Latest from A Crowded Coop, Covered in Parade

Thank you to Michele C. Hollow, pet columnist for Parade Magazine, for the "DOES YOUR PET HAVE SUPER POWERS" story on A Crowded Coop's new Star Trek The Original Series pet collection. 

Hollow wrote, "Beam him up Scotty! Star Trek fans can dress their dogs in this new collection from A Crowded Coop. Their Star Trek line includes uniform shirts, USS Enterprise warp speed chew toys, and uniform collars and leashes. There's also a captain’s chair bed and a dog-bag dispenser disguised as a communicator."


Photo of A Crowded Coop's Star Trek pet collection in Parade magazine. 
Hollow also authors the Pet News and Views website here.

Instagram Co-Founder Picks Seattle's Bonavita Gooseneck Kettle as One of His Tech Essentials in This Week's Wall Street Journal

Talk about an incredible surprise!  Love it when the Wall Street Journal's photo editor gets in touch seeking a photo of your product because Mike Krieger of Instagram's included it in his must-have list of Tech Essentials. 

This was a case of unsolicited love from a loyal, creative customer who just so happens to have the ear of the editors of the WSJ Off Duty Section.  Check out how he uses the kettle beyond just coffee.  The article read:

"My Tech Essentials.  Instagram's Co-Founder Mike Krieger's Favorite Gadgets.  Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram, shares his favorite gadgets and apps for setting goals, brainstorming and keeping his house plants healthy.

"For my morning coffee-making ritual, I used to wait until the temperature of my water was exactly 192 degrees before doing my single-pour—yes, bordering on OCD. But this Bonavita lets you set a precise temperature and then holds the water at that temperature while you go about your morning. Someone told me that the neck is also great for watering plants, so I've tried that, too. Apparently plants like water that's slightly above room temperature. Anything to help keep them alive!""

The entire list of Krieger's essentials may be read here.  Congratulations to Espresso Supply, Bonavita and a big thanks to Mr. Krieger.   

 

The TODAY Show. The Editor of Epicurious, Nilou Motamed, Picks a Coffee Brewer from Seattle's Bonavita as One of the Best

Congratulations to Espresso Supply's Bonavita team for the outstanding press coverage yesterday.  Bonavita was on the TODAY show on Thursday in a segment on best kitchen appliances.  Epicurious.com editor Nilou Motamed showed the 8-cup Bonavita brewer with thermal carafe and, duly noted, that it brews "the perfect cup".  (A fact to which I can attest.)  

The category? "Splurge vs. Steal".  Bonavita's brewer was cited as a "Great Buy"-- an honor Cook's Illustrated bestowed on them as well as the Specialty Coffee Association.

Next up? We'd love to see Bonavita's own Roger Wittmann show folks how to brew.  TODAY Show in his future? Now that would be fun!

Congrats Bonavita and thank you to Nilou and the TODAY Show.  Watch the segment here.

Gordon and Gretchen Raine and the Things They Love: 425 Magazine Taps the Designers and Owners of Gordon James Fine Diamonds about What Inspires Them

 

This jewelry box of a boutique in Bellevue, Gordon James Fine Diamonds, offers the Pacific Northwest's most rare, vast and gorgeous collection of diamonds anywhere in the region. Naturally the editors of 425 Magazine turned to the owners/designers to hear what they love, what they rely on and what inspires them.  A gorgeous golf divot tool to mark that hole-in-one perhaps?  Online link to the entire article coming soon.