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| Le Pichet |
Trust me on this: for much of the year, the weather in
Seattle is quite nice, and in October it’s much like our own northeast weather,
in other words, ideal. It warms to the 60’s during the day, before dipping into
the mid-40’s at night with deep blue skies and plenty of clean Puget
Sound-washed air.
For our latest trip to Seattle, we chose Columbus Day
Weekend, which actually took place a week before Columbus Day. Go figure. We
arrived at noon on Friday and departed Monday. This is how many clouds we
counted in the autumn blue sky there: zero. Couldn’t buy a cloud for all the
crumpets in The Crumpet Shop (Pike Place Market) or all the salami in Salumi Meats
(3rd Ave. S., near Pioneer Square).
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| Cafe Presse |
Getting There: When
flying to Seattle from the New York area, you will fly JetBlue. Readers of this
travel blog might remind me that I once wrote an amusing piece called JetBoo,
in which I may have cast aspersion on said carrier. That was then, this is now.
Departing, it’s best to book an early morning JB flight. Do
not, repeat, do not book the redeye returning. You book an early afternoon flight
home. You carry-on luggage, a sandwich, water, a cookie, and you sit back and
enjoy the seat made for human beings of regular human being size and not made
for those stick figures in Vogue or J.Crew catalogues. You book two aisle seats
in the same row, one for your companion.
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| Volvo wagon, Capitol Hill |
Eat! When I think
of Seattle, I do not think of rain, I think of food. A lot of really good food,
much of it made from local ingredients produced by Washington’s farms, vineyards,
and rivers. Not to mention the fairly nearby Pacific Ocean. Some things from
Oregon and Vancouver may sneak into this Northwest pudding. Note: every Seattle
neighborhood from Fremont to Ballard to upper/lower Queen Ann and Capitol Hill
has an astounding number of great places, which are very affordable.
Here are a few of them:
Belltown/Pike. Le
Pichet is at the southern tip of Belltown on 1st Avenue and also a
short walk to/from Pike Place Market. It’s conveniently located near many
downtown hotels ( a subject for another day) and a great place to have lunch or grab a quick bite at the
counter. Charcuterie rules here, but, if you’re smart, you’ll have the salade
vert too. This is not the skimpy thing you’re used to, but a bountiful stack of
Bibb lettuce covered in owner Jim Drohman’s mustard vinaigrette dressing with a
not so secret ingredient, crushed hazelnuts. Simple, memorable, refreshing.
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| Oddfellows |
On my first visit to PPM about fifteen years ago, I wore my
green “Apawamis Squash” cap. A friendly farmer at one of the many stands
inquired, “Apawamis squash? I don’t know that one. Is that a summer or winter
squash?” Didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a game played at certain organically
elite clubs and schools. PPM’s charm has never worn off.
On morning walks from your hotel, you might want to stop in
PPM and share a warm sweet or savory crepe or crumpet at Crepe de France or the
aforementioned Crumpet Shop. It’s not a bad idea to repeat the exercise in the
afternoon. Later, if you want one of Seattle’s finest dinners, try Matt’s In
The Market, but make sure to make a reservation.
Want a roomful of TV screens tuned to the Steelers, other
NFL games and Barcelone v. Madrd live? Go to Fado, a pub on lower 1ist Avenue
on Sunday mornings. Bring a taste for beer, ale, mead, or any other filling
bubbly drink.
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| View from Queen Ann |
Another day we lunched at Skillet Diner. Get the kale Caesar
with fried chicken or wild sockeye salmon.
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| Shopping in Ballard |
Even if you do not know anyone in Seattle to guide you, or
are too shy to ask the concierge, just take a ride to any of Seattle’s vibrant,
hip neighborhoods including those named above and Ballard and Fremont as well.
Close your eyes, spin once or twice, walk a block or two, you will find a very
good place to write about. Just like this.
Ed Notes:
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