First, yesterday evening I followed Bethany’s advice and ventured down to Union for the Seattle Cheese Festival-sponsored extravaganza of grilled-cheese sandwiches and beer. It was heavenly. The cheese came from the amazing Beecher’s, the beer came from Belgium and Ireland and the Czech Republic, and I have no idea where the bread came from but it was exquisite and played extremely well with both beer and cheese. The place was packed, the waitstaff was harried but charming, and did I mention the fucking amazing cheese? (Seattle Cheese Fest continues today through Sunday at Pike Place Market, with “cheese showcases” both Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-5 pm in the Market’s main thoroughfare. If you’re a friend of the bong, give it a kiss on Saturday or Sunday morning, then head to the market for some world-class munchie-quenching adventure, starring mold.)

In other Chow-related gossip: The day before yesterday I announced the addition of readers reviews to The Stranger’s Restaurant Listings. Already, the reader-supplied offerings provide invaluable info and rewarding reading.

Case in point: This couplet about Capitol Hill’s thrifty and delicious pan-Asian eatery Ballet, which sums up Ballet’s thrift-to-deliciousness ratio perfectly:

If it’s better, it’s three times as much
if it’s cheaper, it’s three times worse

To view more Reader Reviews and compose your own, go here.