Last updated on May 21st, 2018 at 03:17 am
Seattle has an amazing food scene – from upscale eateries to cozy coffee shops, you can find it all here. So obviously a foodie like myself was thrilled to explore this city!
These were the best bites from my weekend trip to the Emerald City.
Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop
Located in Pike Place Market, The Crumpet Shop was a spontaneous stop. I had never had a crumpet and assumed that it was just another sort of English muffin – how wrong I was! These crumpets were soft and buttery on the inside, crispy on the outside, and the toppings made a simple treat even more enticing. We ordered The Walrus, which was topped with ricotta, honey, and walnuts. They also make a mean chai latte. Watch the process of crumpet making through the window in the dining room.
Pike Place Market
While we are on the subject, all foodies need to put Pike Place Market on their bucket list. To be honest, before going I wasn’t sure if I was going to be interested in the market. It sounded touristy, busy, and heavily based around shopping, which I don’t usually enjoy. While this is all true, none of it captures the energy and splendor of this market. Check out the amazing assortment of seafood to purchase at the market while waiting for the fishmongers to start flinging fish around. Gaze at the rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables, taste the tantalizing cherries at Chukar Cherries, and take in the smells of spices and teas at Market Spice.
Coffee
Everyone knows that Seattle is famous for its coffee. With a different coffee shop on every corner, I was desperate to try them all. Unfortunately, I can only consume so much coffee before I become a jittery mess. The first coffee shop we tried was Storyville Coffee, which was a good resting point on our way to Pike Place Market. Stumptown Coffee had friendly baristas, a nice atmosphere and served up a good cup of coffee. The best coffee I had in Seattle, however, came from Caffe Fiore near Kerry Park.
If you are a fan of Starbucks, check out the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. It is really impressive! I enjoyed walking around and looking at everything they had to offer – gifts, accessories for the bar and the coffee lover, a cold brew bar where they were serving up mixed drinks, an extravagant bakery with a huge line, and several coffee bars.
Craft Cocktails
If you’re looking for a great place to drink, talk to a local. We heard from several waiters about bars that were serving great craft cocktails. We didn’t have time to check out all of them, but there were a couple that I loved and will be returning to in the future. Needle & Thread, a speakeasy hidden behind a huge metal door and rotary phone, was amazing. They have no menu. The bartenders talk you through flavors, liquors, and style of cocktail that you prefer and then craft a cocktail that is very likely unique. The atmosphere is great too – dark corners, mismatched chairs, and red hues make it easy to imagine it being a real speakeasy.
Another place we visited was Canon, which required waiting thirty minutes in the cold to get in (although they did provide hot chocolate). They had an extensive cocktail list, including drinks that were served in a soup can, a pipe, a golden gnome… the list just gets weirder. They also have some cocktails ranging from $400 to $600 dollars, which are interesting to peruse (don’t worry, the average cocktail was between $14 and $20).
Other places to check out include, Foreign National, Sun Liquor Lounge, Knee High Stocking Company, and Bathtub Gin and Company.
Craft Beer
Seattle is home to many breweries! We only had time to check out a couple, but Fremont Brewery was my favorite. I got a flight, featuring the Wandering Wheat, the Czech Pilsner, the Proletariat Porter, and two seasonal winter beers – the Imperial Winter Ale and an Infusion Winter Ale, with cocoa nibs and cinnamon. They were all good, but the Infusion really impressed me! The atmosphere was fun with board games, free pretzels, and a large outdoor patio.
Pike Brewing Company is located right in Pike Place Market if you are looking for something closer to the main attractions. We tried several IPAs here, which are generally not my thing, but everything else was good!
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
If you’re visiting Seattle, a trip to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is an absolute must. Cheese lovers form a line outside to watch the process through the windows and then shuffle inside for their big helping of noodles drenched in the cheesey goodness.
Molly Moon’s
I am always on the lookout for great ice cream. Molly Moon’s came up several times when I was researching Seattle and also by word of mouth. Well, it did not disappoint. I ordered earl grey tea and Stumptown coffee, each which had the equivalent of one cup worth of caffeine. With locations all over Seattle, there’s no excuse for not checking out this Seattle staple. Another stop worth making is Hello Robin, where they put Molly Moon’s ice cream in between your choice of cookies. The chocolate chip is amazing, but I also enjoyed the Flourless Mexican Chocolate.
Theo Chocolate
I hadn’t been planning on stopping in at Theo Chocolate for one of their tours, but I’m glad we did. The tour of Theo Chocolate was informative, fun, and tasty! We learned about the process of making chocolate from picking the fruit to decorating ganache. Theo Chocolate works directly with the farms that pick the fruit to ensure that the workers get fair pay. While you learn, they feed you squares of chocolate. Definitely worth the ten bucks.
Upscale Eateries and Just Plain Yummy
Seattle has a great assortment of restaurants to try. While I only grazed the surface, here were some of my favorites. Pablo y Pablo is in the Fremont district, severing upscale Spanish food. We stopped at this gem for brunch and were pleasantly surprised. We ordered breakfast tacos and chips and guacamole as well as some great cocktails. Purple Cafe + Wine Bar was also enjoyable. They had an extensive wine list, as expected, flat breads, sandwiches, and pastas.
8 oz Burger & Co. was another great find that serves up burgers, fries, and shakes. If you go during happy hour, you can get a burger and fries for 12 bucks with the purchase of a drink – the perfect excuse to get one of their awesome shakes. The 8 oz. was amazing, complete with Beecher’s Flagship cheddar.
Everyone was raving about Serious Pie and they were not wrong. This was the best pizza crust I’ve ever had and they used unique toppings like clams and soft eggs. Head over here for happy hour and get a half size pizza for six bucks.
If that’s not reason enough to visit Seattle, what is?
What was the best thing you ate in Seattle?
Check out my Weekend Guide to Seattle for more tips!
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