DukeTales

Bill Ranniger of Duke's Seafood by Oysters

Oh Shucks . . . Oysters Aren’t that Tough

By Bill Ranniger | August 5, 2019

Selecting and shucking oyster can be tough but not if you join us at Duke’s in Bellevue (the only location where we feature fresh oysters). Fresh right now a Kumamoto from Humoldt Bay, CA, Shinsei from Willapa Bay, WA, Olympia from South Puget Sound plus the Takara, West Coast Stout and Royal Miyagi. All delicious…

Stop Serving Kids Lousy Food; Your Kids Demand Healthy Meals

By Duke Moscrip | February 26, 2019

Why do we parents seek out sustainable and organic food at home, then take our children to fast food restaurants where sourcing is, well, questionable at best? Who knows what’s really in nuggets and pressed fish sandwiches anyway? That’s why I did yet one more thing to make the kid’s meals he serves even better;…

Saint Valentine has a legacy that dates back centuries. Old traditions have morphed throughout the decades, but we still focus our attention on our loved one on this special day. No matter if you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, its history and traditions offer some fun facts to share with friends. Where did the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” come from? Well, if you were a woman in the Middle Ages, you would wear the name of your Valentine pinned to your sleeve; hence the phrase. What do people in the U.S. do 1 billion times in Feb? Give someone a Valentine’s Card. Want to dream of your future husband? Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on St. Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future husband. Who knew? When was the first known Valentine’s Card created? 100 years ago? 200 years ago? 350 years ago? 600 years ago? It was 600 years ago. The British Library possesses the oldest known valentine in the English language, a poem composed in 1477 by a woman named Margery Brews to her fickle fiancé. What’s with lace used on V-Day cards? The word “lace” comes from the Latin “laques,” meaning “to snare or net,” as in to catch a person’s heart. When should you get engaged? Well, 43% of millennials – some 220,000 -- propose on Valentine's Day each year. Who created the first box of chocolates? Cadbury Hersey Dove Godiva In 1822, John Cadbury opened a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England. He soon expanded into chocolate manufacturing, and in 1861 his son Richard greatly increased sales by packaging Cadbury chocolates in the world's first heart shaped candy box for Valentine’s Day. Iconic candy hearts started as medicine Whether or not you like those pastel hearts with “Be Mine” on it, they were invented in 1847 by a pharmacist who made lozenges. He switched to making them into candy turning those funny little heart candies part of Valentine’s Day ever since. 110 million of what is sold for V-Day? Cards Roses Candy boxes Dinners at Duke’s Roses, the majority of which are red. So, what’s with Cupid's bow and arrow? This cute little character from Roman mythology, Cupid, is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. A flying baby with a bow and arrow is weird enough but his goal is to pierce hearts and cast a spell of love. Check out our 12 Days of Valentines menu by clicking HERE!

Valentine’s Day Fun Facts

By Steve Raymond | February 5, 2019

Saint Valentine has a legacy that dates back centuries. Old traditions have morphed throughout the decades, but we still focus our attention on our loved one on this special day. No matter if you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, its history and traditions offer some fun facts to share with friends. Where did the phrase…

Talking Turkey with Executive Chef “Wild” Bill Ranniger

By Amy Waeschle | November 21, 2018

Forget fancy, let go of perfect for the holidays. Our executive chef “Wild” Bill has the best advice. Take it away, Bill! By Bill Ranniger First things first: my advice to having a great holiday turkey dinner is to go to Duke’s for several days before Thanksgiving or Christmas, eat good food and mentally prepare…

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Wild Bill Ranniger

is the heart of the kitchen at Duke’s Seafood and makes food ideas come to life. Wild Bill has been part of Duke’s team for 22 years, adding his spicy and wild style to everything he creates. Bill’s boundless creativity gives our company its saucy personality. Watch for Bill’s take on cooking and preparing seafood and other dishes on this blog, and don’t forget to watch his YouTube videos that really show how it’s done. Wild Bill is the corporate executive chef, but everyone calls him “The Food Dude.”

Duke Moscrip

is the founder and chief innovator of Duke’s Seafood. He is passionate about sustainably sourced food and searches the country for the best of the best for the restaurant. Duke is known for his outrageous “Capers,” wild ideas that never fail to shake things up. Look for Duke when you visit—he’s almost always hungry!

Amy (Moscrip) Waeschle

is a writer and the author of Going Over the Falls and Chasing Waves, A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering. Her passions start with surfing. Never slowing down, Amy also runs mountain trails, hikes, and seems to have a knack for finding hidden foodie gems when she travels. She lives in Poulsbo, Washington with her family. Amy is an expert regarding all things gluten-free and was the inspiration behind many of Duke’s Seafood gluten-free recipes. For the blog, she shares her insights into “growing up with Duke” and tells stories of her food and drink discoveries around the