Seattle’s Best

Not long ago, we found ourselves on the verge of booking yet another flight to Portland for a weekend of indulgence. It’s a city we find so comforting that we’ve dubbed it our second home. But all this time, we never considered looking further north toward Seattle until a few of our epicurean friends promised an abundance of fresh seafood and a solid cocktail scene. Sold.

We arrived in Seattle in the morning, happy that the sun had come out to say hello. We checked into the optimally located Inn at the Market — the market being the famous Pike Place Market. Touristy? Yes. Busy? Yes. But delicious? Oh yes! There’s no better gateway to Seattle’s food scene than this multi-leveled marketplace. We even slept with the windows open because we enjoyed hearing the morning foot traffic and chatter around the market. And while our room was quite comfortable, we especially loved spending time on the Inn’s rooftop terrace, taking in even more views of the market and the Puget Sound.

There’s of course more to Seattle than just its fine food (the Rem Koolhaas–designed Central Library is a must-visit), but here are the places we enjoyed most:

FOR EATING

Uli’s Sausages
Within Pike Place Market is what we discover to be the “United Nations of Sausages.” At Uli’s one can find over 25 masterfully made varieties by German native Uli Lengenberg: from kielbasa to Portuguese linguiça and a number of American-style sausages. This guy doesn’t mess around. He’s even got shops in Taiwan! Order a few links on a roll or on a cutting board, and grab a beer.
1511 Pike Place

Serious Pie
We stopped by this Tom Douglas restaurant for some tasty Seattle beers and fresh $6 happy hour pizzas. Although sauceless, these pizzas are a favorite in this city. Our favorite was one topped with guanciale and fried egg.
316 Virginia Street

Salumi
This is Mario Batali’s father’s famed charcuterie shop, where you’ll find yourself in a 25-deep line no matter what time of day, and with good reason. Sandwiches that would ordinarily bore me are absolutely tasty here. Have you ever eaten a sandwich so juicy it dribbles down your arms?  If not, throw on a short sleeve shirt and order the Porchetta.
309 3^rd Avenue (between Main St. & South 2^nd Ave. Extended)

Paseo
At this rather humble Caribbean sandwich shop in the Fremont neighborhood, you can enjoy a savory Cuban Roast sandwich for just $8.50. Like that Salumi, it will also be a beautiful, dripping disaster. Make it a happy meal with corn lathered in spicy garlic sauce. We loved the seared scallop sandwich as well.
4225 Fremont Avenue North

Pike Street Fish Fry
If you’re in the super-chill area of Capitol Hill and in need of a snack, fill up on some delicious hunks of fish and chips. Choose from catfish, cod and halibut.
925 E. Pike Street

Anchovies & Olives
New York has David Chang. New Orleans has John Besh. Seattle has Ethan Stowell. This chef/restaurateur has a barrage of Italian-inspired restaurants that will suit almost everyone — particularly those who don’t mind $1 oysters. Every Sunday through Thursday from 5–6 pm, you’ll find other ostraphiles ordering oysters by the dozens. Also recommended are geoduck and raw scallop crudi dishes. We hated this restaurant so much we came here two days in a row (and ate once at Stowell’s How to Cook a Wolf, for good measure).
1550 15^th Avenue (Capitol Hill)

The Walrus & The Carpenter
And our favorite restaurant of the trip was this current Seattle darling. The setup is just gorgeous. We enjoyed raw scallops, oysters, smoked trout and some of the tastiest olive oil-marinated tomatoes ever. Our only regret? Not coming here three more times.
4743 Ballard Avenue NW

FOR DRINKING

Needle & Thread
Fans of speakeasies like The Varnish in LA and P.D.T. (Please Don’t Tell) in New York will be charmed by this bar above the popular Tavern Law restaurant. We didn’t have a reservation but were lucky enough to have our waiter at Tavern Law make a call from their phone booth (it connects directly to the Needle & Thread). We soon found ourselves walking up dark stairs into a very elegantly designed space. There are no menus, so you are at the mercy of your bartender — an incentive to tip well.
1406 12^th Avenue

Zig Zag Café
One of Seattle’s most classic bars can be found in the “dungeons” of the Pike Place Market. This former Japanese restaurant still has its red-leather booths but the cocktails here are just done right. The rule here is that if you don’t like the drink, send it back. We got very zig-zaggy at the Zig Zag Room.
1501 Western Avenue

The Rob Roy
In this low-key bar, you get all the attention you want from the great bartenders. Try the Dark & Fernety  (a Dark & Stormy with Fernet-Branca).
2332 2^nd Avenue