Seattle, Washington

I've decided to use Seattle as one of my first blogs, because it is both one of my favorite cities and one of my most frequent stops, therefore I will probably feel the need to revisit the subject of Seattle in subsequent blogs. But I've always loved my visits to the Emerald City. I love the city's culture, it's music, and it's weather. . . yes, it's weather. Seattle's mild winters and temperate summers have always been a welcome change from 90-100+ degree summer days or equally harsh winters.


THE SITES

Sooner or later, everybody who visits Seattle needs to go to Seattle Center, home of the iconic Space Needle, and the Experience Music Project (EMP). The EMP is an amazing rock museum dedicated to the music of the Pacific Northwest. The Frank Gehry designed building hosts a wonderful collection of rock memorabilia including their Jimmi Hendrix collection and their new exhibition, Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses.

I love to visit farmers markets in any city that I travel to, but Pike Place Market is easily my favorite. The fish market is a must, but be sure to check out the produce and the flowers. And one might as well stop for a cup of joe at the original Starbucks location while you're in the neighborhood.

Whenever I find myself in the Seattle area, I never miss a chance to pop over to Woodinville, and have a day of wine tasting. Chateau St Michelle is the best stop, but there are over 80 wineries here, and tasting rooms galore. After a long day of wine tasting, it's time to head over to Redhook Brewery to finish the day off. Remember to take a designated driver folks.

It's also well worth the time to take a tour downtown. Try either the Underground Tour from Pioneer Square, or if you're near Seattle Center, take one of the Duck Boat Tours which will take you out to Lake Union for a lovely view of the city.


THE FOOD


Every trip to Seattle for me features one of my mornings having breakfast at The Shanty Cafe, followed by record shopping at Easy Street Records. To say that The Shanty is "no frills" would be an understatement. It's not the high point of modern cuisine, it's just a good, solid, hangover curing breakfast.

For lunch, take a walk down to the waterfront and get some fish and chips from Ivar's, sit down, try the chowder, and toss a couple fries to the seagulls. Or, if you need some food on the go, don't miss out on Dick's Drive In for a good burger.
Seattle has some outstanding sushi as well. Rain is probably my favorite, but there are plenty of others to choose from.
One of the best evenings out in Seattle is at Teatro ZinZanni. A wonderful show of comedy, music and cirque interwoven around a 5 course meal that is heavenly. I can't recommend it enough, it is sure to be the high point of any trip.

Whenever I go to Seattle, a trip to Pike's Place Market for some fish is a sure stop. I love to get a nice big piece of halibut and fix this dish.

Poached Halibut with Bacon Vinaigrette
1/2 lb bacon (finely chopped)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup shallots (minced)
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Cups whole milk
6 Cups water
4 6oz pieces of halibut

Cook bacon and oil in saucepan at medium/low heat until all fat has been rendered from the bacon (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until bacon begins to brown (about another 5 minutes).
Add shallots and cook, stirring often until they have softened and are starting to take on a little color. Add vinegar and lime juice and remove immediately from heat. Scrape vinaigrette into a small bowl and set aside.
Pour milk and water into large pot and bring to an active simmer over medium heat.
Season halibut pieces with salt, then slip fish into the pot and reduce heat to low. Poach fish for 3.5 minutes then carefully turn the fish over and poach for another 2 minutes. Remove fish, and blot dry with a paper towel. Cover fish with vinegrette and serve.

THE TUNES

Some of the better touring acts traveling through Seattle will be found performing at the Paramount Theatre. The last time we were there, was Christmas of 2010, when we saw Michael Franti and Spearhead. But one of my favorite trips to the Paramount, involved a spur of the moment road trip from Boise, Idaho, to see Eddy Izzard live.
Another great venue to see live music is the Showbox at Pike Place Market. Great venue, good bands.
But if you really want to get a taste of Seattle's music scene it's time to visit Belltown's living room, the legendary Crocodile. The Croc has had it's stage graced by the likes of Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and REM amongst others. It's the CBGB's of the left coast.