Chef Erik Bruner-Yang's Toki Underground has received Eater Awards and features in Food & Wine Magazine, The Washington Post, and Cooking Channel's Unique Eats. He recently expanded his footprint to include Maketto, a communal marketplace and lifestyle brand.
Read MoreMIKE SCHORR
Michael Schorr has played drums on records by Death Cab For Cutie, Stephen Malkmus, and The Long Winters. He is currently working as a video game designer
What was the music highlight of your year?
In May, my wife and I vacationed in Barcelona and were lucky to spend some time with our friend Carlos, a booker at Apolo. One night he invited us to see Efterklang, a band neither of us had heard. Efterklang played a captivating set filled with texture, nuance, and atmosphere. For a pair of music lovers, it’s rare for us to stumble across a strange band and be so riveted by their sound! Everything about that evening was perfect — the band, the company, the booze, and the wonderful energy of foreign travel.
What was the food highlight of your year?
Traveling abroad as a vegetarian isn’t always easy, but it definitely has come along way. Case in point, Sesamo. Tucked away in the back of normal looking Spanish bar in El Raval (it took us a few passes to even find it!), this organic, vegetarian restaurant served us one of the best meals of our life. I had an amazing salad concoction to start, tortellini with truffle oil for the main, and a pumpkin spice cake to finish, all accompanied by regional wine. And for once, the incredibly slow pace and service of a restaurant was welcomed — we savored every bite and didn’t want it to end!
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
For the past two summers, a small group of us from Seattle hop on motorcycles and take the scenic route down to La Pine, Oregon. There we rent out a cabin in the middle of nowhere to decompress, catch up, feed our faces, and ride some incredible roads! This year we curated a series of vegan meals and managed to find enough space on the motorcycles to bring boozy mixers! We also took turns playing DJ with our phones, which always sparked good music conversations. Sitting in the sun on the porch with drinks and good music was sublime!