Whole Roasted Duck

Beacon BBQ, $26

I have yet to experience a roasted duck that's better than Beacon BBQ's, a blue and easily missed to-go grocery and deli on Beacon Hill. (The joint, which is all function and little beauty, also sells superb dim sum dishes.) What makes the duck here so good is, unlike so many places, that it's not that salty nor sweet. Instead, it is prepared with a focus on what's best about a duck, the almost gamy mix of juicy fat and soft dark- and light-brown meat. I also love eating the tangy bones of this bird, but I will not bring up that pleasure here. CHARLES MUDEDE

In Turkey and Syria: More than 5,100 have been reported dead and tens of thousands more injured after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria. The race is on to rescue people still trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings, as cold temperatures and aftershocks hamper those efforts. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency in the 10 regions most impacted by the quake as humanitarian workers struggle to access northwestern Syria, which depends heavily on aid after 12 years of civil war. Seattleites, here's how to help. 

Thousands of rescuers in Turkey and Syria are digging through debris in freezing conditions in a desperate search for survivors after an earthquake that has left at least 5,100 people dead, a devastating toll that is expected to rise.https://t.co/QWH3pz03C4 pic.twitter.com/hvqkngB6ny

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 7, 2023

I’m a woman who married young (21) and I’ve been with my husband for seven years. Within the last year, I’ve realized that my falling libido probably comes from the fact that I am not turned-on by our boring vanilla sex routine. I get so little fulfillment that I’d rather not even do it. I’ve tried talking to him, but he says he prefers sex without foreplay or a lot of “complicated stuff.” I had some great casual sex before we met but it turns out I’m into BDSM, which I found out when I recently had a short affair. I’ve kept the secret and guilt to myself, but I have told my husband I’m into BDSM. He wants to make me happy, but I can tell he isn’t turned on doing these things. He denies it, because he’s just happy to have sex at all, but a butt plug and a slap on the ass does not a Dom make. I’ve tried to ask him if we can open up our relationship so that I can live out my fantasies. I would like to go to a BDSM club and he isn’t interested at all. He was very upset and said he’s afraid of losing me if we go. He also felt like I was giving him an ultimatum. But I told him he was allowed to say no, and that I wouldn’t leave if he did.

When I was younger, I thought there was something wrong with me because everyone else wanted monogamy, but it never seemed important to me. I’m not a jealous person and I wouldn’t mind if he had sex with other people. In fact, the thought of it turns me on but he says he isn’t interested. I know he loves me, and I love him. At this point my only solution has been to suppress this urge to have BDSM sex, but I don’t know if it is a good long-term solution. What should I do? Keep my fantasies to myself? Have another affair or ask him to have an open relationship again? We have a 3-year-old daughter, so I have to make our relationship work.

Want The Hard Truth

Two quick points before I bring out the big guns...

Click here to read the rest of this week's Mini Savage Love (free-to-all).

You probably know John Early from his role as Elliott Goss on Search Party, as Logan from multiple Wet Hot American Summer adventures, or from any one of dozens of “Oh hey, look, it’s John Early” pop-ups on a dizzying array of talk shows, variety shows, cartoons, and comedy specials.

John’s one of the hardest-working comedians on screen and stage, and his memorable characters tend to be volatile weirdos teetering on the brink of a breakdown. Often working with his brilliant comedy partner Kate Berlant, Early’s characters grin through agonies of their own creation, a sort of modern-day Nichols and May. 

But at his upcoming live appearances—including a Valentine's Day performance at Neptune Theatre—audiences will get to see a different side to him: One that’s a bit more personal, honest, and, dare we say, wholesome, with a mixture of songs and stand-up that gets as close to the real John Early as you’ve ever seen him (though with any of Early’s performances, like Peter Sellers, there is always the lingering suspicion that reality is an illusion).

Salmon Sando

Local Tide, $16

Sweet, sweet salmon. What can we say of her wonder? Songs have been written of this divine creature, as have poems, prayers, and spiritualisms. There is no question of the Indigenous cultures that have flourished in close friendship with salmon, and the marvel of frothing river tops in seasons of migration. From the Tulalip to the Chinook, the tribes along the Pacific Coast have over millennia echoed in resplendent communion with their natural collaborators.

There's a number of great events on deck this week to keep you busy and entertained, and we've rounded them up here, from Steve Lacy: Give You The World Tour to Into the Woods and from Field To Table to Noir City.

MONDAY

FILM

Radical Films: 15 Movies That Shook the World
This is not your standard-issue "radical films" class—you won't hear a peep from film bros about Citizen Kane or The Godfather. Instead, SIFF is taking a globetrotter's approach, with deep dives into Japanese horror, Mexican realism, Bollywood Westerns, and more. The series of hybrid talks at SIFF Film Center will be presented in conjunction with screenings of each film at SIFF Uptown, so do your homework by catching flicks like Enter the Dragon, La Haine, and City of God throughout the five-week series.
(SIFF Film Center, Uptown)

Nobody should worry about how they’re going to pay rent, much less frontline health care workers who are expected to respond immediately to medical emergencies.

This is why Initiative 135, the social housing bill currently being considered in Seattle, is of paramount importance to resident doctors in the Resident and Fellow Physician Union (RFPU), recently affiliated with the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), at the University of Washington.

It's going to happen to us: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey and Syria, killing at least 2,300. The quake hit during a freezing winter's night, catching many asleep. Videos and photos from the Associated Press show rescue workers in puffy coats carrying people out of rubble. The Seattle Times has a list of places to send donations. 

TV reporter runs as second quake hits Turkey while he's live on air.

Latest updates: https://t.co/1RsQtzGLG2 pic.twitter.com/bcXhANk97B

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 6, 2023

Harold Hollingsworth creates rich surfaces and textures with layers of graphic forms and lyrical line work that evolves in an almost geological methodology. Working primarily in acrylic, his medium- to very large-scale paintings capture a sense of urban decay that is both celebratory and even playful. In our interview, we talk about his process, the Seattle history that inspires him, and the music that gets him painting.

You’re totally old-school Seattle, and I know your history with punk rock, skateboarding, and scooter culture have all been represented in your art. What changes have you observed, and how have those changes shown up in your art?

NEW OPENINGS AND RETURNS

Asian Kitchen
This restaurant opened in the Broadview neighborhood in late January, serving up pan-Asian staples like kung pao chicken, honey walnut prawns, salt and pepper wings, chow mein, and more.
Broadview
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

I'm convinced that MadArt Studio's practice of allowing visitors to check out the art fabrication process during their Open Studio time has made my brain, like, 20 times bigger. Because the gallery challenges each artist to make an installation specific to their space, there's a beauty in seeing an established artist translate their interests and modes of expression to fit the concrete site.

Currently, Seattle-based artist Henry Jackson-Spieker is tinkering away at Interstitial Volume, an exhibition that "explores visitors’ physical and philosophical perceptions of space" via three installations. In an interview, Jackson-Spieker said he's specifically curious about the interplay between "tension, perception, and environment." The show officially opens on Thursday, February 9, but visitors have a chance to take a gander now. 

When I visited MadArt last week, I nearly walked into one of Jackson-Spieker's pieces. In the front half of the gallery, he and his crew installed an intricate sculpture composed of tensed string suspended from the ceiling and anchored into parabolic wooden slats on the floor. Though the string is black, it's virtually invisible, blending into its surroundings. I suddenly became deeply aware of how my body and movements figured into the space. And to Jackson-Spieker, that sense of tension is kinda the whole point. 

Folks, a sincere and hearty Happy Black History Month to you. I’ve got a ton this week to catch you up on, from more layoffs to strikes to some factory workers coming into serious cash. Let’s get into it.

Layoffs will continue until worker morale improves: Let’s get it over with. REI, the Washington-based outfitter, reported $3.7 billion in revenue and $97.7 million in profits in 2021 (the most recent year available), but they laid off 167 workers from their Seattle, Issaquah, and Sumner offices. According to WARN data, Compass in Redmond laid off 110 workers, Bittrex laid off 83, and NC Interactive laid off 23. Highspot laid off 100 workers as well.

The Bandcamp Fridays of 2023 are looking selective; there are only nine of them: Feb 3, March 3, April 7, May 5, Aug 4, Sept 1, Oct 6, Nov 3, and Dec 1. And while Bandcamp HQ is always pretty quick to point out that the celebrated day—where the audio platform waives its revenue share so more money goes to the musicians—only adds a little more scrill to your favorite artists' bank statements, Bandcamp Friday is still an occasion.

In that spirit, the Mercury and The Stranger teamed up to recommend some picks today. Maybe they released something recently, maybe they're playing Portland or Seattle soon. In the grand tradition of Portland and Seattle pretending we're the only cities in the Pacific Northwest, we give you TEN picks for Bandcamp Friday: