Seattle Brew in Cans, 550 NW 49th Street Seattle WAHilliard’s modern design and small price tag stand out in the sea of fancy beers at the local grocery. The local brewery is making very good beer though, not just pretty cans, with their refreshing Saison tops my list.
They also have a taproom not far that claims to be all ages.. Maybe a visit is in store.
6501 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WAThere’s lots of talk about seattle’s Red Mill Burgers. They are featured in GQ’s “The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die“, Oprah is a fan and locals wait on long lines for them.
But for my money, if you had one burger to eat in the city, I’d direct you to the far less known Rain City Burger.
Don’t get me wrong, Red Mill was very good but it all comes down to personal preference. I don’t like my burgers too substantial. I like them squishy and salty (two things new York’s Shake Shack always got right) and Rain City delivers.
I tried their Rough Rider which has a hint of teriyaki sauce and couldn’t resist the garlic Parmesan fries I saw all the customers eating. Excellent. I will be back.
They also boast all natural beef without added hormones and added antibiotics – a claim that in the past I probably would have not noticed but as our food is becoming increasingly alarming (see the wealth of terrifying Monsanto info out there), it’s nice to feel less like your destroying your body when you indulge in fast food burgers and fries.
5821 Phinney Ave NWhile it’s hard to make a bad pie, it’s not everyday you encounter one as unique as A La Mode‘s Blue Hawaiian. With blueberries, coconut, pineapple and sweet crumble; it’s quite awesome.
The small shop, right near the Zoo, is friendly and also serves lollipop pies and a variety of other flavors that I can’t wait to try.
1001 Fairview Ave. N, Seattle, WAHow very lucky we are. While I thought good food delivery was a thing in our NYC past, we found that Seattle has a service called Eat24 that delivers from restaurants in the area all through an online system. Even better? We found some incredible sushi our first order out from I Love Sushi. It is the kind of sushi people always brag about on the Pacific Coast, the kind of sushi I have been aching for since we got here, the kind I want to take photos of each and every piece.
While I can’t tell you anything about the actual restaurant, I can say that I Love Sushi is excellent. Not only are the basics covered and amazing (tuna rolls? fantastic. California rolls? a step above the usual) but the specials are always impressive. Take the Sushi Train Roll (pictured): pressed sushi w/ scallop, crab, flying fish roe, topped w/ seared salmon, sprinkled w/ sea salt, squeeze of lemon or the Northwest Samplers that feature nigiri made of fresh local fish.
2901 NE Blakeley Street, Seattle, WA (as well as other locations)While there are many, many local roasters and shops to try in the coffee Capitol, so far we’ve been quite happy with Zoka. Whether using their beans (I like their darkest roast, Tuscan Blend) to make at home or having a latte at their large, comfy, and welcoming shop in the University District, it’s consistently good stuff.
1514 Pike Place in Pike Place MarketThe Pike Place Market, arguably Seattle’s most famous destination, is too vast with too much to offer to write one entry based on one visit, so I will just start with the most life changing.
It’s called Salmon Candy and you can find it at Jack’s Fish Spot. Located across from the one where they toss the fish featured on every travel channel show out there, it’s a friendly place that has fresh fish, a bar around back where you can chow on oysters, fish and chips, and clam chowder (to name a few), and bins of smoked fish.
Salmon Candy was recommended by the man on duty and he certainly didn’t steer me wrong. The best smoked salmon I’ve ever had. So good that I opted to send a pound to my mother in lieu of flowers for mother’s day.
601 N 59th St Seattle, WADespite long lines to pay for parking and enter, Woodland Park Zoo was a wonderful way to spend a perfect weather Sunday.
With two young kids, you just can’t see it all in one visit, but we made sure to see “real monkeys playing in the trees” at Van’s request, huge elephants, some otters that took a liking to Mimi, and a of couple napping joeys. We rode the beautiful vintage carousel and took time to feed the colorful birds (a highlight for the kids).
The zoo is as green as you would expect from a lush city like Seattle with lots of shady trees, quiet pathways and a big green yard to just run around.
210 NE 45th St, Seattle, WAWe are excited for Seattle’s food and Pinky’s Kitchen was one of the first places we wanted to try even if BBQ isn’t the first thing you might associate with the Pacific Northwest.
A truck set up in a gas station parking garage, it dishes out comfort food of all kinds: brisket, beans, fried chicken, pork and ribs. We tried the pulled pork sandwiches – one with original sauce and one with the vinegar sauce we’ve grown to love thanks to “The Pitmaster” Ed Mitchell. Both were great, but I lean a little toward their sauce. Other options include a tamarin and spicy – for another visit (when I will also indulge in some pecan pie).
It was a brisk day to wait outside for sandwiches and, honestly, I was a little worried it wouldn’t be worth it when I spied the ciabatta. Inappropriate bread can ruin good BBQ like nothing else and it looked a little too sturdy and bulky. My fears were abated at the first bite, though. It was a perfect buttery vehicle for tender, sloppy pulled pork.
5520 Ravenna Ave NEWhen I catch a glimpse of the mountains in the distance I realize we’ve barely begun to understand and experience the beauty of this part of the world.
Ravenna Park, just one of many parks in the city, for example, not only has a playground where Van has made his first mud cakes but trails leading into old growth forest. Within a couple minutes you feel like you are in the woods because, well, you are. We’ve only delved in briefly but felt transported.
The half mile of greenery is all that remains of a large forest that was almost logged into non existence. Thankfully it was saved and is now a welcome quiet spot for hiking, picnicking and playing.
6855 35th Ave NEUbiquitous and delicious, Top Pot Doughnuts are an iconic Seattle treat. We visited the Wedgwood location with its huge donut sculpture and comfy library dining area (there’s also nice outdoor seating under the shade of a surprising palm tree).
Cute decor is great, but a sweet donut and good latte makes this place a must visit. I indulged in a raspberry glaze and stole bites from a giant apple fritter.
Lucky for us, but maybe not our health, Top Pot is available even closer at the local grocery store and there are several cafes scattered across the city.