Buskers in the Park

Looking down from the rooftop deck of our apartment building we can see Victor Steinbrueck Park, a little oasis of green grass near Pike Place Market that overlooks Elliot Bay. Since it was sunny and in the 70's today, there were lots and lots of people sitting around in the grass enjoying the day. I decided to walk through the park on my way to pick up some home brewing supplies at Market Cellar Winery. I stopped to listen to the buskers of the hour, a 4-piece old-timey rootsy, bluesy band out of St. Louis: Pokey LaFarge. I broke down and bought a $3 bag of caramel kettle corn from the street vendor and sat on the ledge and enjoyed some sweet tunes.

Rachel the Pig

Rachel the Pig is the Pike Place Market Mascot. She is actually an oversized bronze piggy bank standing under the famous market sign and clock at the corner of Pike St. and Pike Place. All proceeds collected from Rachel go to The Market Foundation and its charitable programs.

Pike Place Market uses the pig theme in other ways too. At Christmas, plastic pigs are strung with lights and displayed along the rooftop. Currently, on Western Avenue, the road that runs along the west edge of the market, there is construction blocking one of the entrances. Signage intructs one to "follow the pink piggies" to a useable entrance. In typical Seattle style, one of the pigs has already been decorated with an amusing (yet sobering) sticker.



That's one of the neatest things about living in Seattle. Everywhere you go, people have added their creative touch to normal, everyday surroundings. There's a surprise around every corner!








The construction fence at the market was even decorated Rachel-style! How cool is that?

Le Pichet

I've eaten some delicious meals at numerous restaurants since moving to Seattle last August, but only two so far that are in the Seattle Weekly 2009 Dining Guide. Here's one:

My other half and I have dined twice at
Le Pichet and both times were heavenly. The first time we went was because this place is on our block and we were trying to eat at each of our block's restaurants (7) before venturing further. The second time we went to entertain an out of town guest. It's been awhile so my other half and I need to make reservations again so we can do a proper review but we've tried the cheese plate, charcuterie, mussels, quail, pork belly and more and have enjoyed each. The Chef de Cuisine Brent Harding changes the main courses often. The salade verte with hazelnut vinaigrette is to die for- so simple, clean and nutty, each leaf of butter lettuce dressed perfectly.

This is a definite must-do restaurant for visitors. Great atmosphere, menu and wine list. Good-looking, attentive staff. Typical French Cafe: small and cozy, noisy in the evening and fun! The prices can't be beat for a restaurant of this caliber. Two can dine with three courses and wine for around $100! If you don't make a reservation for dinner, you probably won't get a table after 6:30 on most nights.

Skillet Street Food

I've eaten some delicious meals at numerous restaurants since moving to Seattle, but only two so far that are in the Seattle Weekly 2009 Dining Guide. Here's one:

Skillet Street Food on a Friday at its Lower Queen Anne location. At 12:30, the line was about 15 people long and I waited about 20 minutes total. The airstream trailer is definitely a fun concept and the fresh, local food was delicious...but it was a bit pricey for a non sit-down lunch and the portions were modest. I had Penn Cove Mussels ($7) and a Watermelon Fresca ($3) that was so fresh and light it almost made me forget it was 48 degrees and raining outside. $10 isn't too bad for a good lunch in the city. Problem was, I was still hungry. A friend had the burger: grass fed beef, cambazola, arugula & bacon jam on brioche with handcut fries ($9). He was much more satisfied with the portion size.

Permanent Vacation/ Caffe' Lieto

I haven't quite gotten over the feeling I'm on holiday since moving downtown. There are such a wide variety of things to do within a four block radius of my apartment that it is sometimes overwhelming! Today, I decided to create this blog and consolidate all my networking sites and links into my google account. No need to get showered or dressed up for that. I threw on some wrinkled pants, a shirt and scarf, smoothed down my bedhead and grabbed a clean coffee cup out of the cupboard. Took the stairs down to my favorite coffee shop, Caffe' Lieto*, ordered the best Cafe Americano in Seattle from the proprietess, Rena, and stepped outside to light up a smoke.

The sidewalk had a steady stream of commuters and my crazy appearance didn't rate a second look from any of them. Saw a guy with 1960's polyester Beatle's-style pants, a striped cable knit sweater and a hipster briefcase (a manpurse that holds your laptop); the homeless dude that stands in the phone booth across the street all day was at his post; a man was observing his unleashed pitbull pee on the corner of the building; a pair of tourists were looking confusedly at the "pay to park" machine. Good morning, Seattle.
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*Caffe' Lieto is near the corner of 1st and Stewart. Local art is displayed (and for sale) on the walls and there is a comfy sofa and window seats with pillows so you can sit and people watch onto 1st Avenue. Outdoor seating is available on the 1st Ave. sidewalk. There are several computers with internet access available for 15 minutes free with purchase and a small fee thereafter, or you can use the wi-fi. Espresso is the specialty, I don't believe I've ever seen a drip coffee sold here although I'm sure it's delicious also. Rena offers all the traditional espresso drinks at more affordable prices (12 oz Americano- $1.80) than the chain coffee shops and with a more personal touch. Introduce yourself and she'll greet you by name next time you stop in. Bakery items from a local bakery are delivered daily- try the humongous Banana Blueberry Vegan Cookie- a meal in itself that tastes like dense banana bread with fresh blueberries baked on top. Yummy! Rena offers a variety of ready-made sandwiches: Turkey, Tuna Melt, Club, Caprese, Reuben, etc.($6.90) that can be grilled on the panini press for a quick lunch option. Salads are a winner too; fresh, generously sized and priced right at $5 or less.