Jay Friedman

Jay Friedman is a freelance food writer and gastronaut — global explorer of things gourmet and, well, not-so-gourmet. Born and raised in New York (and missing those back-east bagels), Jay says he came to Seattle in 1999 because “there’s great produce here.” He’s dabbled in classes at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, taken cooking classes around the world, cooked as a Vermont inn-sitter, worked as a waiter, and evolved into an omnivoracious eater. Jay writes about the dining scene for Seattlest (he’s one of the food editors), is the Seattle Restaurant Examiner, and was the restaurant reviewer for Seattle’s Sound magazine — judging the monthly “Dish-Off” competition, which now appears in City Arts. When he’s not in his kitchen playing with a takoyaki grill pan, or one of his three woks and four waffle irons, Jay’s likely out searching for everything from chu-toro to chocolate — though most likely in a Chinese restaurant trying to order organ meats off the Chinese menu, or getting ideas on how to make better xiao long bao.