How does it compare to LA? Anything sorely lacking?
what’s lacking? i haven’t lived there in a while, but i get back at least once a year. there are very few delis. my favorite was george’s polish deli on first hill, whose singular and significant drawback is no seating. but a sit down delicatessen a la brent’s or langer’s? never found one worth recommending.
mexican food isn’t really worth pursuing. there was one good taco spot that closed. (and LA is lousy with great mexican)
on the positive side, i think spinasse/artusi have held up well over the last ten years, as major talent there has came and went. i gravitate more towards artusi, the more approachable little sibling. sit at the bar, drink a ton of amari, eat two or three pasta dishes and a tiramisu. prices have gone up a lot over the years, so if you’re pressed for time you may be better off at spinasse.
on the finer side, i went to canlis once and really enjoyed it. but not enough to ever consider going back. mostly because of hiccups/miscommunication around wine pairings. a former head chef from canlis opened a restaurant in White Center (south of West Seattle) that I want to try, even though their copy makes me cringe. i would avoid beast & cleaver and communion based on reports from friends.
it’s a fun town with some good restaurants. un bien makes a good sandwich. there are a lot of good vietnamese options. great japanese (though we have a lot of that here, too). Ben’s Bread in Phinney Ridge is amazing. I worked with Ben at Lark a lot of years back and he was just getting into his craft then. definitely worth trying. there’s also a herkimer coffee up the block from Ben’s. or floating leaves tea about two miles away for something more refined.
coffee/tea could be it’s own discussion.
and loretta’s northwesterner remains a top 5 burger for me (their ‘tavern’ burger).
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Thanks - that’s helpful! I may end up there…
It’s a lovely place all year long (don’t believe the hype about rain). And everyone dresses for the weather, so life never stops. The natural beauty is really beyond compare. Like, my walk to work would often include a stunning view of Mt. Rainier, epic vistas of the Olympic mountain range, and often both.
I found the overall vibe a little provincial compared to other cities I’ve lived in. Despite Portland being a smaller town, I thought it was more cosmopolitan. The coffee scene is fantastic. The wine scene was great when I lived there (and I think it’s only gotten better).
Their University District (the area around UW) is a blast and has a lot of affordable/everyday kind of restaurants putting out good food. My favorite is Chili’s South Indian.
Anyway, that’s an exciting possible change!
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Thanks for the positive words! I’m definitely excited by the nature opportunities.
Taylor Shellfish. Absolutely wonderful fresh seafood. Beautifully well shucked oysters. Geoduck is too expensive these days. The geoduck chowder was thinner than most chowders but delicious.
One of the first Seattle restaurants I ate at decades ago was Serious Pie. Still open and still packed. Light doughy airy crust. Clam pie was a winner. They don’t skimp on the parm.
Dough Zone Chinese. Down the street from DTF. Very crowded. Portions are on the small side. Everybody thought the XLB were comparable. Nice thin dumplings with a good amount of broth. Excellent Dan Dan noodles. Artfully plated cucumbers with balanced vinegar sweet dressing.
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The Ballard Sunday farmers market is one of the largest and most impressive FM we’ve ever been to. Great variety and selection of produce and food vendors. The stone fruit, berries, tomatoes and flowers were so bright and vibrant. The prices were on par with Santa Monica and Irvine. If you are in Seattle at an Air BnB and cooking meals at home I would highly recommend.
Nana’s Green Tea was a few blocks from our hotel. Our resident matcha expert says this is the best matcha ice cream and matcha latte she has had outside of Japan. She is also 13 so there’s that. One of the best things I’ve eaten in a very long time was the strawberry daifuku. Perfect chewy mochi partnered with red bean and sweet delicious strawberry. We had one there then bought the rest to eat at the hotel.
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