Fun in Seattle

Seattle in less than 30 hours. That's how this past weekend went down. It truly is a bummer that the Austin airport doesn't offer very many direct flights. I really could've used those hours..those precious.precious hours that were wasted lounging around at multiple airports. Arghhh!! In any case, I arrived in the beloved Pacific Northwest city Friday evening and was reunited with my closest college buddies (Emory reunion!). The last time all 3 of us got together was..gosh, I don't know..2+ years? Well, it sure didn't feel like it had been that long as we hugged and chatted away, not missing a single beat. True friendship..it's a beautiful thing.

The girls had arrived earlier (P from Boston and J from Atlanta), and by the time I got there, it was already dinnertime. We headed straight to Local360, a restaurant whose passion for sustainability and support for local farmers and the environment exudes from the menu. Everything from produce to meat, alcoholic beverages to sodas (even the paper products!) is locally sourced. As the waitress was taking our drink orders and explaining how everything is local, J, who works for the Coca-Cola company, asked if they had any Coke products. Embarrassed was I? Yes. But I admire her tremendous loyalty to the company that pays her the big bucks ;).

Rather than ordering entrees, we decided to order small plates and share - the one word that the Hungyman cringes at when it comes to food. It's great to be with girlfriends who understand the beauty of variety ;). We ordered: deviled eggs (my personal fav), a cheese plate (once again brie reigned supreme for me), warm green beans with cherries and pepitas (the cherries really made this dish), and mussels cooked in white wine. A great, light and flavorful first meal in the city!

The time was around 9pm when we finished eating, and while we could have enjoyed a night out on the town, we, in complete unison, decided to head back to P's parents' house located about an hour outside the city. We are def not spring chickens anymore, but I'm thankful that we're all aging at similar paces ;).

The next morning, we got off to a slow start and enjoyed a lovely brunch prepared by P's parents. Then we headed out to Pike Place Market for a food tour, the perfect choice for indulging at only the most iconic and delicious eateries carefully chosen by local guides. In 2 ½ hours, we explored the back alleys, narrow corridors, and incredibly-easy-to-miss stores all while learning about the market's unique history. I'm so glad we decided to do this because while the market doesn't seem terribly large at first glance, there's no way we would've discovered some of the tiny places we visited had we wandered on our own.

I tried to take as many photos as I possibly could, but upon realizing that I was dragging the team down, I scaled it back a bit. Perhaps a bit too much. Although I don't have pictures of all the bite-sized foods we tasted, here's the rundown on some (not all) of the places we visited. If you're planning a trip to the Market for the first time and don't want to do the food tour, perhaps this may serve as a good resource for you:

-Daily Dozen Doughnuts: Warm cinnamon sugar doughnuts - light and fluffy!
-Bottega Italiana: Not only do they offer a wide assortment of gelato flavors, including salted caramel chocolate, our guide swears by their authentic Italian coffee.
-Market Spice: established in 1911! With a selection of 200+ teas, coffee, and spices from around the world, I have a slight inkling that frequent online purchases will be made.
-La Buona Tavola Truffle Cafe: All of us agreed that this place is a gem! If you're a truffle lover (I just may have been converted), you may want to bookmark this one. Their inventory includes truffle oils, pesto, salt, creams and spreads, honey, salami, sauce... It's not uncommon for people to purchase mac & cheese from Beecher's and make a beeline to this cafe to drizzle some truffle oil on top. Brilliant! The making of THE perfect mac & cheese for sure. Too bad we didn't get to try it out.
-The Crumpet Store: I had never heard of crumpets before, but now I know - traditional English griddle cakes. You can go sweet or savory depending on what toppings you choose (e.g. pesto, tomato, & parmesan or ricotta, almond butter, & marmalade). We had it simply with honey, and to be quite honest, I wasn't much of a fan. It was a bit too..buttery for my liking. Nonetheless, it's fun to try.
-DeLaurenti Special Food & Wine: They offer a great selection of cheeses & wine, and their shelves are stocked full of specialty ingredients like pasta, chocolate, oils, condiments, snacks, etc. We sampled their famous salami and toma cheese! P and J really adored the salami while I obsessed over the cheese. I'd never had it before, but I truly appreciated its rich, buttery flavor and delightfully creamy texture. It'd pair so well with figs, honey, and toasted nuts!

The Market is a seafood lover's dream come true. We stopped by 2 places:

-Pike Place Fish Market: This is the famous spot where the workers sling fish to one another. And if by some chance you weren't aware of its celebrity, the herd of visitors surrounding the place with cameras ready to fire oughta tip you off. We tried 2 different kinds of smoked salmon. Despite my dislike towards it (not a fan of cured anything), even I could appreciate the flavor of the salmon jerky. Their smoked salmon was less salty and much "meatier" than ones I'd had before.
-Pure Food Fish Market: Our guide expressed her preference for this spot over the more famous Pike Place Fish Market. I'd have to agree. They had the largest shrimp, scallops, and lobster tails I had ever seen! We also sampled smoked salmon here. At this point though, I'd had enough of it.

I shall forever associate Seattle with smoked salmon.

Of course we had to stop by the original Starbucks, which naturally had a line out the wazoo. We didn't feel the need to go inside. We also met Rachel the Piggy Bank, the Market's unofficial mascot. What we really appreciated was the bounty of stunning flower bouquets that were sold for practically nothing - $5! What?!!

Despite feeling stuffed (trying bits of food for an extended period of time can really add up), the last two stops were my personal highlights. Pike Place Chowder - Oh my gawd! Honestly, clam chowder is NOT my cup of tea. I've always found it to be overly rich and salty. However, this one..WOW! They sure know what they're doing. It had just the right amount of creaminess with generous chunks of clam and potato.

The food tour came to an end with the salmon burger from Rub with Love Shack. It was clear that our guide is a HUGE fan of chef Tom Douglas, who has 10+ restaurants all in Seattle. Despite having talked nonstop for over 2 hours, she was able to gush (with his cookbook in her hands) about what a wonderful and talented person he is. The salmon patty was thick & juicy and paired well with the slightly sweet bun. Again. Seattle - the land of salmon.

After the tour, we stopped by Kerry Park. What a gorgeous view it possesses...the city, Elliot Bay, and a glimpse of Mount Rainier! After snapping some photos, we headed back to the house. P's parents' place is exactly the kind of place I'd like to retire to. I shared this with one of my dearest professors, and he said, "How about you get a job first?" True true. But what can I say? I'm already looking forward to retiring ;).

The above pictures were shot from their deck. Breathtaking, no? I could practice yoga out there everyday. So serene…a place in which I could imagine my thoughts being completely still.

We said our goodbyes early the next morning, with hopes that it wouldn't take us another 2 years to reunite. I realize there's soo much of Seattle I didn't get to see this time around. However, this trip was not about being the perfect tourist. Spending quality time with my girls rather than running around with a strict agenda/itinerary was what I had hoped for and exactly what I got. Hopefully, P and J felt the same way. It just seemed like all 3 of us were really exhausted from life and needed a break from the everyday grind. I treasure this time-tried, unyielding friendship that we share..one of those things in life that makes me happy to be…me!