Quick report on our recent trip to Seattle
Restaurants
Attractions
Transport
Seattle Trip Report
Pikes Place Market – Seattle
Pikes Place Market, an essential tourist stop when in Seattle. Like the French Market in New Orleans, this is an actual functioning farmer’s market…..
….where you can buy the “oh my God”, softball sized peach from this guy…..
……or fresh seafood from a variety of vendors.
But most people come to the market and crowd around a single vendor to see flying fish, or more accurately fish made airborne by the Pike Place Fish Co. employees (like the guy in the picture above, part salesman, part showman). We did not happen to see a fish being thrown, so my guess is a customer has to make a purchase for that to happen.
Then you can take a walk down an alley off Pike Place Market, next to the Market Theater. Some time ago, some theater patrons had the bright idea of sticking coins onto the wall outside the Market Theater using gum. Theater employees scraped it off the first few times, but the tradition “stuck”, so they gave up on cleaning the mess. Today the layers built on countless amounts of saliva and thousands of hours of chewing is known as the Market Street Gum Wall. Citizen (and tourist) art at its finest.
When a coffee fix is needed, walk across the street to the first ever Starbucks….
and chase it with some fresh made cheese from Beecher’s.
Something for everyone here.
Lola – Seattle
We were looking to fuel up on brunch places before hitting Pikes Place Market in Seattle, and Lola’s seems to be highly rated on Yelp. Located in the Hotel Andra, off the right of the lobby, the restaurant was bustling when we got there and had to wait about 30 minutes before our table was ready. Unbeknownst to us before we sat down, Lola is also a Tom Douglas restaurant, which is located across the street from the Dahlia bakery, which supplies Lola and Palace Kitchen with baked good. Like Palace Kitchen, Lola provides elevated rustic food. Theresa went with the eggs benedict, and on the suggestion of the waiter, I chose the house made gravalax, since I am a fan of smoked/cured salmon. The house made to order doughnuts were also mentioned often on Yelp, so we decided to get an order of that as well.
Eggs Benedict
Lola’s Eggs Benedict came with small whole fried potatoes that were partially smashed, then deep fried with a sprinkling of salt and seasonings. Normally, I would chalk this up to gimmicky presentation to match the “elevated rustic” theme, but the potatoes were actually quite tasty in their own right, with the right degree of exterior crispness. The eggs had the proper “runniness” to them and the ham had a texture more like tenderloin and far less salt than a cured meat.
Lola’s Gravalax
The gravalax came with dry rye toast, chive cream cheese, capers, and sliced red onion. While tasty and well prepared, it did not stand out among the other cured salmon products I have had.
Fresh made doughnuts accompanied by homemade blueberry jam and vanilla marscapone cheese
The doughnuts were a bit of a disappointment, and perhaps caused by raised expectations based on the Yelp reviews. The bite size doughnuts reminded me a bit of New Orleans beignets, but on a smaller scale and topped with granulated rather than powdered sugar. The blueberry jam was actually the best thing on the plate, but I say that because it did stick out as something differentiated. The jam was not overly sweet (like the sugar bomb jams they sell in supermarkets), and had just the right consistency. I would buy a jar of it to spread on toast or mix in with my plain yogurt in the mornings. Yeah, it was that good.
Verdict:
Similar to Palace Kitchen, we were satisfied with our meal and glad we sampled it. While nothing stood out as being very differentiated or extremely noteworthy (except maybe the blueberry jam), the food was well prepared and was better than eating at an overpriced hotel restaurant or greasy spoon for brunch.
The Walrus and the Carpenter – Ballard, Seattle, Washington
The Walrus and the Carpenter located in Ballard neighborhood, is an oyster bar/restaurant, in the same vein as Hogg Island Oyster Company and Anchor Oyster Bar in San Francisco. We followed the directions from Google maps to their address and could not see or find any sign of the restaurant. In fact, Theresa had to call the restaurant to find out that it’s actually in the rear of the building, behind another restaurant that occupied the front of the building. The entrance from the street is only marked a small overhead sign.
The door then opens up into a long hallway leading to the back of the building
Where you see the main dining room and a small patio area
W&C does not take reservations, and it’s all on a first come, first serve basis. Seating is available at the bar or at about a dozen or so small tables. This is not a good place for large groups. I would say max number in your party should be 4 or else you will be waiting quite a while. When you arrive, you put your name on a waiting list. What is nice is you leave your phone number and they will call you when your table is ready. This allowed us to walk around the neighborhood to kill the anticipated 45 min to hour wait for our seats. I wish more restaurants did this.
We were seated at the bar and took a look at their menu. In addition to the oysters, the menu consists of several small plates which are good for sharing. This is a perfect place for anyone on a low carb/high protein diet, as most side dishes don’t include carbs. Yelpers seemed to mention the steak tartare a lot, so we ordered that along with the grilled sardines.
Oyster selection and pricing vary daily depending on availability and season. When we went, W&C had an all Washington lineup of oysters: Samish Sweets, Pickering Passage, Kushis, Sea Cow, and Treasure Cove. We decided to get 2 of each to sample. Our favorites were the Samish Sweets and the Treasure Coves, so ordered 4 more of each.
The tartare was topped with an egg yolk, seasoned well with a hint of lemon and paired will with the dry rye toast. If you are squeamish about consuming raw meat, I would say skip this. But for you more adventurous eaters, I would say this is one of the better tartares I have eaten. It’s inclusion on the menu surprised me a bit, but I guess it fits in with the whole cold, raw bar theme of the restaurant.
W&C has some other hot/cooked dishes include clams, fried oysters, a few soups and stews. The sardines came topped with walnuts, parsley, and shallots, with a hint of lemon as well. Nicely prepared and seasoned.
W&C has a full bar with several beers available on tap or in the can or bottle. In fact our waitress was also the bartender
Verdict:
W&C s is a great oyster bar to satisfy your oyster cravings. While the oysters are the center of the culinary show here, the accompanying players are no slouches either, so fret not if you don’t eat raw oysters, you will still get a good meal here, and well worth the wait. W&C is literally a hidden gem that you have to seek out, but you will be rewarded, but perhaps after a bit of a wait.
Umi Sake House – Belltown, Seattle
We had just flown into Seattle, and after settling into our hotel, researched on Yelp and found Umi Sake House located in the Belltown district. The restaurant is divided into several distinct sections, with the entryway/atrium/hallway close to the hostess stand have a few tables, the bar area in the middle of the restaurant space next to the bar, and a back room with more tables. The concierge recommended sitting in the back room if possible, and luckily we were led there.
The seating in the back room was an eclectic mix, with some traditional seats and tables and some coffee table with couch setups. The menu is pretty extensive, as is the sake list, and it will take some time to go through it. In addition to the traditional sushi and sashimi offerings, Umi offers an extensive list of specialty rolls incorporate ingredients, like cilantro, jalepeno, mango, spicy mayos, and aiolis. We opted to try a couple rolls, one that caught our eye and one recommended by the waitress. We also ordered the sashimi omakase, which is basically chef’s choice, with 14 pieces of sashimi.
Legends of the Rolls –shrimp tempura, avocado & cucumber w/ crab & creamy scallops on top then torched, served w/ teriyaki & tobiko
Bad Boy Roll – bbq eel, avocado, cream cheese & crab-mayo mix fried, served w/ spicy mayonnaise & teriyaki sauce
Sashimi Omakase
The rolls were fairly large, and a single roll can probably serve as your meal, if you are light to mid level eater. Larger eaters will probably be good with 1 1/2 rolls, which means you should share. The sashimi was very fresh, needing no additional soy sauce or wasabi. Umi also has an extensive sake list and their own list of specialty drinks which I did not have a chance to sample
Verdict:
Umi’s a good choice if you are in downtown Seattle and seems to be a goto place in Belltown. Prices are on the higher end of the spectrum compared with other restaurants, but in line with other Japanese restaurants, given the quality of the sashimi and the size of the rolls. If I ever return to Seattle, this would be a place I would consider returning to.
Palace Kitchen – Seattle
Part of the local Seattle chef Tom Douglas cluster of restaurants, Palace Kitchen is located in downtown Seattle, offering “rustic”, grilled fare. After extensive Yelp research, it seems the roasted chicken was a fan favorite, and we saw numerous references to the hamburger. We added mussels as an appetizer as well. Our server was super friendly and took the time to describe how many of the dishes were prepared and cooked.
Puget Sound black mussels steamed in the fire~extra virgin fish sauce, beer, lime, lemongrass aioli, cilantro
The key to any seafood dish was the freshness of the mussels themselves, and we were not disappointed. What was more amazing was the size of the mussels, which were about 2.5 inches in length. Normally mussels of that size become mealy or mushy, but these were perfectly steamed and not overly firm. Normally fish sauce can be a very overpowering flavor, but was balanced well against the other flavors, with the lemongrass aioli giving the dish a nice touch of fattiness.
Palace Kitchen rotisserie chicken – rhubarb-blood orange compot on a bed of mashed potatoes and greens
Admittedly, I was doubtful when we first decided to order this. I mean, how differentiated can rotisserie chicken be besides the spices and seasonings you rub on the outside. I can pick up one at Costco for $6. But, often, the simplest dishes are the hardest to pull off well. The waiter said the chicken was the most popular and most ordered dish, and the restaurant received a lot of grief and negative feedback when they took it off the menu (they normally rotate menu items on and off based on season and availability). The chicken is brined with salt and a bit of brown sugar for 24 hours before being roasted over applewood. This made the chicken moist throughout, including the breast, with subtle hints of the applewood and sweetness in the mouth. While not the most amazing chicken, I would rank it in the mid to high mid out of all the chicken dishes I have had.
Palace Burger Royal – 1/2 pound handground chuck, dahlia bakery onion bun, fries
The burger came on bun from Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Bakery (of course) and a pile of fresh cut french fries. While tasty, I expected a little more from what is touted as a “gourmet” burger. It would definitely rank below the ones we had at Holsteins in Vegas, but I appreciated the fact all the underlying ingredients were of high quality and super fresh. The fries tended to be a bit on the soft side to suit my tastes (on a similar level as In ‘n Out fries sometimes are), but again, appreciated that it was cut fresh (or at least tasted that way).
Verdict:
Palace Kitchen is a good place to stop in to sample the work of local celebrity chef Tom Douglas, who elevates your typical grill fare up a notch. We went for dinner, but the kitchen stays open til 1am and I think the bar goes on even after that, so if you need late night eats, this would be a good place to get it. PK slots nicely between the fast casual and the a more formal dining experience. We were satisfied with our meal and glad we sampled it. While nothing stood out as being very differentiated or extremely noteworthy from other restaurants we have sample, food was well prepared, satisfying and appropriate for the price point and location.
Boeing Plant Tour, Everett Washington
The Boeing company offers tours of its Everett factory to the general public. Our friend Albert suggested it half jokingly to us before our trip, and I jumped at the chance when Theresa proposed it as an activity we could do. The factory is about 25 miles north of downtown Seattle.
Jets engine on display
Collectors Edition die cast scale model of a 747 with ANA Snoopy livery
They have a small museum/exhibit space where you can wander before or after your tour called “The Future of Flight”, with showcases advances in aviation (jet engines, seating, etc). Of course there is the obligatory gift shop selling you Boeing related souvenirs. What was interesting was there is actually 2 stores attached to the museum : a privately run gift store selling general aviation and Seattle related stuff and the official Boeing Company Store, which sells all sorts of Boeing branded merchandise.
Picture I wish I could have taken if I were allowed to bring in a camera
(Credit: David Parker Brown, airlinereporter.com)
The tour lasts about 1.5 hours and you are taken by bus from the museum to a couple of the factory buildings with a tour guide that tells you about the facility. Boeing does not allow you to take anything on the tour with you, including cell phones, cameras, purses, etc, which is a bummer because it would have been great to snap a few pics of all those airliners up close on the factory line or the line of 787s parked along the taxiway waiting to be delivered to customers. Boeing produces 747, 777, and 787 Dreamliners here and lays claim to the largest building in the world by volume. You could fit all of Disneyland into the building with a few acres to space. In fact tourists are warned they have to walk more than a 1/3 of a mile during one part of the tour to reach the observation deck that overlooked the factory floor. During our tour we actually caught a glimpse of the first 787-9, which we were told is almost completely built out and will serve as a test plane.
View from the obervation deck, Boeing Future of Flight Museum
Payne Field, Everett, Washington
One of the most interesting things (for aviation geeks at least), is the observation deck on top of the museum. It overlooks the northern end of runway 16R/34L. From here you can watch all the planes take off and land. Most of Payne Field’s traffic is general aviation, but if you catch it at the right times, you can spot Boeing conducting flight tests on its jets. The control tower communications are piped to a set of speakers in the observation area, so observers know what aircraft is barreling down the runway or coming in for a landing. When we got there, we saw a 777 decked out in Thai Airways livery turning onto a taxiway, which means we must have just missed it landing. If you are into photographing aircraft, this would be a prime place to do so, especially if you are hoping to get a pic of the new 787 Dreamliner. Bring your telephoto lens if you want an up close shot though.
Chittenden Locks, aka Ballard Locks, Seattle, Washington
Rounding out our Seattle trip, we decided to go see the Chittenden Locks, known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to the north. The locks assist in keeping water levels in Lake Washington up while also keeping salt water from Puget Sound out.
Set of lock gates, with pedestrian walkway on top
There are actually 2 sets of locks, a small one and a large one, with a spillway spanning the rest of the channel. To cross the locks, you walk on top of whichever lock gate is closed at the time.
Fish ladder
Since Washington is salmon country, you would think they need some way to get past the locks so they can spawn upstream. Built into the the spillway is a “fish ladder” which bypasses the locks and allows them to bypass the locks. .
If you are in Seattle and have some time to spare, the locks are fairly interesting to watch, especially with the salmon are swimming upstream to spawn. I would combine it with some exploration of the nearby Ballard neighborhood, perhaps before dinner at The Walrus and the Carpenter.
VW Jetta Wagon – Seattle Trip
Got a VW Jetta Wagon on our recent trip to Seattle via Hertz. Had enough seat time to get a good feel for the car. The ride was typical German, which is to say it had a solid feel to it. Did not really get a chance to do a lot of highway speed driving, but when driving over 60, road noise was very noticeable. I am not sure if this was because of the condition of the roads, the car’s tires, or both. Acceleration was never an issue and brakes were linear and grippy when needed, which was appreciated because of all the in city and stop and go driving we did because of Seattle’s horrendous traffic. Steering was spot on with the right amount of boost at low speeds , which was appreciated because we had to park the car in some tight spaces at the hotel garage.
Seats were supportive and appropriate for longer distance driving, although it might be too firm for some. Was easy to find a good driving position, even for a taller guy like me. A curious design choice with this car. The seat’s tilt control was power, but you had to pull a lever under the seat to adjust how far back the seat went. Why power for one and manual for the other? Storage space was ample and easily fit 2 roll-aboard bags under the cover with plenty of room to spare.
Bottom line, the Jetta was a competent transport that fit our needs and much better than the normal “fleet” cars doled out by car rental agencies.
First Experience/Impressions of Alaska Airlines
Traveled on Alaska Airlines for the first time on our trip to Seattle. Things I think are great about Alaska and that other carriers should implement:
1) They actually actively enforce the 1 carry-on and 1 personal item rule, with the gate agent visually checking to make sure your bag fits, making any violators check any over sized or extra carry on’s. How many times have you boarded a flight with passengers that have roll-a-board luggage plus one honkingly massive backpack, purse, laptop bag, or shopping bag thereby robbing you of overhead bin space?
2) If the flight is expected to be full, they ask for volunteers to gate check their carry on luggage without collecting a bag fee
3) They allow people who don’t intend to use overhead bin space to board before general boarding, including the volunteers mentioned in #2
4) At your destination, they roll out a set of stairs giving you the option to exit the plane via the rear door.
5) If your luggage is not at baggage claim within 20 minutes of your plane parking, you get a $20 discount on your next Alaska flight (essentially giving you a refund on your bag fee if they are late with your bags) or 2500 bonus miles
All these little details are probably marginally more costly to Alaska Airlines, but it leads to a better, more enjoyable and faster boarding and deplaning process compared to the other airlines (although it could be argued Southwest’s process can be even speedier). Alaska probably realizes that speeding up the process also allows them to turn their planes around much quicker, which leads to leads to better utilization of planes and therefore higher revenue.