Since I was hauling myself over to the west coast for a Tuesday night concert, I figured I might as well make a week of it, so after my trip to the Bay Area I hopped on a short flight to Seattle and met my sister who had flown in from FL. It was our first time in the city, but I think we did it pretty well. In today’s post I rank our eats, drinks, and activities from my fave to least fave (but honestly, we pretty much loved everything).

 

FOOD:

Harvest Beat: Honestly, Harvet Beat gets the first spot mainly because of the experience. I love how the whole restauraunt eats at the same time (7pm) and before beginning the chef rings a gong and explains the ingredients that go into each vegan dish, many of which are locally sourced. The meal is pre-fixe style with the choice of a wine pairing–they let my sister and me split the wine pairing, which saved money and they gave super generous pours. It reminded me of eating dinner family style at Moosilauke Lodge when I was in college. It’s the sort of cozy, home cooked meal feeling that instantly makes you feel at home. On top of that, we were seated at the bar right in front of where the chefs were plating all of the food.  It was just my sister, me, and one other lady and by the end of the dinner we said goodbye with a hug. That’s the sort of warm, cozy vibe Harvest Beat leaves you with.

The Pink Door: Make a res ahead of time on Opentable if you plan on coming here. This was the perfect place for our first night in Seattle. After settling into our airbnb in Capitol Hill (Capitol Hill is deifnitely a fun, conveniently located place to stay) we walked down to a alleyway right by Pike Place Market. The restaurant is marked by its signature pink door and no signage. The decor is eclectic and the entire restaurant has a buzzing, yet comphy vibe that is complemented by the rich Italian food. We went for a cheese board, a bottle of red, and squid ink pasta with a side of veg. I was so bummed we missed the tarot readings which take place from 5-7pm, Sunday-Thursday, but check the website because they are also known for their live entertainment and cabaret. That being said, even if you miss the entertainment, you won’ t be disappointed.

Il Corvo: Ah Il Corvo, From what I’ve seen, it’s basically a Seattle Institution and the line outside each weekday during lunch speaks to that. We got there around 10:50 am for its 11 am opening and the line was already almost at the corner of the block. Honestly though, it moves fast and efficiently. Each day Il Corvo offers 3 different pastas. Then the foccacia and salads are mainstays. The focaccia is MUST–it’s warm, soft, herb-y. The bread of dreams, really and the pastas are honestly just perfect. We had one with lobster mushrooms that I still think about. I didn’t try the salad, but seriously why would you come here and fill up on salad? CRIMINAL.

Beecher’s at Pike Place Market: They claim they have the “World’s Best Mac & Cheese,” and usually I’m skeptical when anything self-labels as “best,” but this was some daaaaank mac. I tend to like my M & C with a classic elbow pasta and baked with extra cheese on top and this was not that sort of mac, but its creamy, perfectly spiced, and the penne pasta captures all of that flowy cheese. Plus, its fun to share a large container of it while watching them make cheese curds in the huge vat right in front of you.

Taco Chukis: I waited a long-ass time for my tacos chukis, and obviously couldn’t eat the pork/chicken tacos they are known for. instead I went for 2 Taco Chukis, one with beans and one with cactus. I preferred the beans to the vinegary cactus, but both were good and the fresh grilled pineapple on top was the best part.

Taylor Shellfish Farms: So we just ordered a dozen raw oysters here as a pre-dinner snack. They are served simply with a mignonette and lemon, but I was kind of underwhelmed. They are fresh, but I felt they were sort of overpriced and I think I’ve just come to realize I prefer something like an oysters Rockefeller over raw oysters. And if they are raw I like them with cocktail sauce on saltines, and that’s just not how Taylor Shellfish rolls with theirs.

No Anchor: We went here for lunch so we didn’t experience the full vibe, as the small restaurant was mostly empty (which from what I’ve read is a rarity at dinner time). My sister went with a brunch dish (mushroom hash) and I had a butter crab roll on a pretzel bun serve with a side of homemade ketchup chips. This place was good and the sour beer I had was excellent (they have a really great beer selection), but I found the vibe to be a little uptight–this could be because the chef is a James Beard awardee, but I just felt that vibe did not fit with the food and again everything was somewhat pricey for what you get.

*honestly, everywhere we ate in Seattle was good, so ranking these is sort of like splitting hairs but I stand by these rankings.

SWEETS:

Molly Moo’s: This was my favorite of the bunch. There are multiple locations in Seattle, so no matter where you are there is probably a Molly’s nearby. The smell of fresh waffle cones hits you in the face and the ice cream is bursting with fun,creative add-ins. Go for one of the seasonal flavors!

General Porpoise: These donuts were like big, fluffy malasadas filled with interesting flavors. We went with the matcha and lemon. The matcha was subtle and earthy just how I like it, and the lemon was bright and perfect. The inside of the shop is adorable, and owned by Renee Erickson, who is basically the queen of Seattle cuisine. Bummed we didn’t make it to any of her other places.

Bakery Nouveau: This bakery is known for their double baked almond croissant. it’s delicious, but its a doozy–super sweet, big, crunchy, buttery and we honestly may have preferred the butternut squash pastry we got. But if you are in Capitol Hill a trip to this place just feels right and very Parisian.

Frankie and Jo’s: This place is completely plant-based, and the ice cream is texturely a little different than most, but it’s hard to believe it contains no dairy based on how creamy it is. The store is adorable and the flavors are the most unique out of the ones we tried in Seattle. You can definitely get daring with your choices here.

Kurt Farm: I rarely describe an ice cream shop as bougie, and it’s unfair to really call this a shop It’s more of a stall in a romantic, hipster alleyway. but it is Bougie, capital B. The flavors are refined and restrained and for a gal who likes her ice cream with swirls and chunk and chew, these were a little plain, but the craftsmanship of the flavors is clear. I went with a coffee flavor that packed a punch. Am I embarrassed that we ate three different ice creams while in Seattle over the course of 2 days? NOPE.

DRINKS:

Canon: We waited outside in the freezing cold forever to get into this place. But it has a really obnoxious reservation policy, so I didn’t really regret the decision to walk in. The drinks here are kitsch as hell–we got one in a gnome, one in a smoking pipe, one in a skull…you get the picture. I had one infused with froot loops that probably ranks in one of my top ten cocktails ever. It’s just a cool place and if you like hitting up slightly over the top, pseudo-pretentious cocktail bars (i do! no shame!) make a trip here because the drinks are worth the $20ish price tag.

Fremont Brewery: This is a perfect place to drink a flight outside, play board games, nibble on the free pretzels and green apples before heading to the nearby Fremont Troll/Gas Works Park. But be warned, the beers are HOPPY which is not really my style, but the chill vibes make up for it.

Unicorn: OK, I just don’t get this place. I was so hype when I saw the circus/unicorn-themed decorations online and basically every lyft/uber driver we encountered steered us to this bar, but what a letdown. I honestly felt like the oldest person there at 28 and was convinced 75% of the people were underage. The  bartender was rude as hell and I got pushed no less than 10 times. Honestly, maybe go for happy hour but avoid on a Friday night.

CUTE SHOPS:

I won’t go through each of these stores,  but just know they are great for unique, locally sourced Seattle items. Each store has that classic Pacific Northwest Vibe.

Retail Therapy, 905 E. Pike Street. (fun pins, local seattle pottery, etc)

Standard Goods, 701 E. Pike Street. (fun t-shirts. I got my friend a shirt with Drake on it as a merman-“you used to call me on my shell phone”)

Rove, 1507 11th Ave. (expensive, but incredible vintage stuff)

Glasswing, 1525 Melrose Ave. (right by Taylor Shellfish and the Starbucks Reserve, tons of plants, crystals, leather goods. a really beautiful store)

Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, 1124 Pike St. (lots of Seattle themed souvenirs and Starbucks items that are exlcusive to the store. we didn’t buy anything but it was fun to watch the coffee being processed. Sort of felt like a brewery for coffee.)

THINGS TO DO & SEE:

Museum of Pop Culture: We loved it here. The Music Experience portion is the best. You can go in a soundproof room and play a guitar, sing, and bang on drums and have the resulting atrocity *ahem song*  sent to your phone! There’s also tons of props from favorites like Lord of the Rings, Startrek, Harry Potter, and the list goes on. It’s a little spensy, but its super fun if you are trying to kill a couple hours and love pop culture.

Fremont Troll: Pretty self explanatory and pretty impressive in person. Sort of a must-see just for the weirdness of it.

Gas Works Park: A really pretty park with a steampunk feel thanks to the deserted gas works in the background. Tons of geese and when the weather is nice its a perfect place to get some nice views and take a rest.

The Great Wheel: [pictured above] Super touristy, and probably not worth it if the line is long, but we like the views especially on a clear day!

Next time I want to explore more of the PNW outside of the city, but until then I’ll treasure the few days we spent in Seattle.

Curiously yours,

bailey evin