A few of my favorite things

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neon abounds

market wall art

Liz caffeinates pig

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Visiting Seattle is an exercise in prioritization.  Having lived there for six years I have a list of favorites, bars and restaurants I simply MUST hit up before I leave.  I spend weeks before each short visit dreaming of Vivace’s white velvet mocha and the Eggs Benedict at Glo’s.  I can’t leave without eating the No-Meato burrito at Bimbo’s Bitch’n Burrito Kitchen and I curse myself if I don’t chug at least one cheap cocktail from Linda’s.  And of course, there’s people too.  Many of my college friends have gone the way of New York, L.A, or Chicago, but I still have a few tried and trues. There’s Darren, a fabulous, balletically-built actor who works at a fancy baby clothes store, and Emily one of the funniest actresses I know (she’s currently playing a pirate in a Children’s Theatre show), and of course, Chris and Richard – my mentors/”theater parents”.  Oh and Liz!  My bestie since preschool.  A free spirited blonde who lives on a houseboat.

Since I’m spending the last three weeks of my trip in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to mix some old with some new.  After patronizing both Vivace and Glos, Liz and I headed down to the Pike Place Market.  I occasionally stopped by the Market when I lived in Seattle, though I went there often as a child on weekends I visited my Dad.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been away for so long, but the Market felt more charming and vibrant than I remember it being since that time. The signs seemed brighter, the crowds more bustling, the goods more colorful.  After visiting so many unfamiliar cities, I’m able to see more clearly what makes Seattle unique, and the market is one of its gems. It hosts stand after stand of fresh local produce and sea food.  There’s a huge bronze piggy bank that I was obsessed with as a child, and a petite candy shop that smells like caramel corn and happiness. The market is labyrinthine in its structure, a staircase here, a ramp going down there, oblong shaped shops and secret nooks with views of the Puget Sound.  Everything is wooden and creaky and… authentic.

The only way to properly celebrate my revived affection was to go to The DeLuxe, the best damn happy hour in town.  Cheap wells, tasty bar food, Bloody Mary’s. Yes And.

Okay, so new stuff.  Since every visit is about my old haunts, I rarely go to places that opened after I moved to Chicago.  But in true contemporary American fashion, I made a change.  My favorite Seattle nouveau:

Licorous – small plates and fancy cocktails in a swank atmosphere.  The idea is you order a signature cocktail and then order the food pairing.  Think ginger infused vodka with lemoncello, ginger and ginger ale paired with duck prosciutto, candied ginger and pistachio.  I did my own thing and drank champagne.  Bubbly. Then ate pretzel dots.

Caffe Presse – a little French bistro that serves really affordable wine by the glass, carafe, or bottle.  And good eatin’.

Stumptown Coffee – Seattleites resisted this Portland import for months, but the amazing product won them over.  I just got an Americano and it was AMAZING. Dark, rich, perfect.  It gave Vivace a run for its money…