I Ate Seattle

To say that my time in Seattle was mostly filled with eating food and taking pictures is kind of an understatement.  It is pretty much all I did from the time I landed until then time we hit the road for Portland.  Sure, we did a little packing and a little too much staying up past our bed times but in general, it was the food and the pictures. Seattle made a huge impression on me.  Maybe it was the ever-changing weather (I lucked out and mostly experienced sunny days), maybe it was the stylish folks that I saw at every corner.  Whatever it was, Seattle left its mark, and I really think it is just a fantastic city.  Imagine San Francisco, throw in some mountains and big forest trees like in the Twilight films and there you have it. Magic. 

Let me start at the beginning. I landed in Seattle late Thursday night.  Michaela picked me up and immediately took me to a local eatery called the 5 Spot (food on arrival? Girl after my own heart).   I had my first "Washington" experience here when the bartender came out and asked for our ID's.  I answered "no, we are just having water, thanks" and he said "I need your ID'S!"  which sounded more like "IFE nerrwd yonsns ayredeers!"  because apparently he was missing his vocal chords or something. Either way, I had to learn the hard way that in the state of Washington you can't even sat near a bar without proving you are 21. I guess I should mention the inspiration behind the name "the 5 spot"--- this local hot spot changes menus and theme 5 times a year. So, if you go in the spring you may find yourself in a mexican place, but go again in the fall and it might be a BBQ paradise. Pretty cool!  Michaela ordered a hearty breakfast for dinner and I opted for a yummy quesadilla.  I loved my food and thought it was such a cool place.  

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The next morning we headed out early to Macrina Bakery. Macrina is the quaintest, cutest little bakery and cafe.  The morning was crisp, in perfect Seattle style so walking into the smells of the bakery was nothing short of perfection.  I chose a ham & cheddar roll and Michaela got a breakfast roll-- both were dreamy.  I mean, really.  We also got fresh pots of tea, and I got one of my favorite shots of the entire trip when Michaela poured her tea out.  It captures the very essence of Macrina. I would definitely say stop by this little backery if you get a chance!  While we were there we also got a treat and got to see Taylor (that would be miss Raven's cousin for those of you who don't know her).  She was in town to see her dad and got the chance to stop by and have a quick breakfast with us!  Tay is such a beauty, just look below--- although her perfectly tan skin made me feel so pale!  Ahhh, the trials of not being able to go without sunscreen.  At any rate, we had a great time! 

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The rest of our first day included graduation ceremonies, driving the city and taking lots of pictures of the space needle! One thing Michaela and I had in common was our need for food every two hours.  You think I am kidding?  My waistline only wishes I was kidding...  so it should come as no surprise to you that we stopped again at Cupcake Royale to stuff our faces again.  Out of all the cupcakeries and bakeshops I have visited (Sprinkles, Crumbs and Kara's) I think Cupcake Royale takes the top spot as my favorite.  The selection was tremendous, including gluten free options. The huge coffee menu is what cemented this place as the winner for me though, what is better than a cupcake and cappuccino?

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After a quick engagement session.......okay, I am lying.  My first engagement session was almost two hours long.  I couldn't help it, they were such a beautiful couple and we were getting great shots so I just kept going.  After going through their shots I narrowed it down to 200.  That is right, two hundred that were awesome.  But that is for another post, on another day.  The point is, we were hungry STARVED.  We headed downtown to Serious Pie.  Don't be confused, this is a pizza place, not a pie place (although, we probably would have eaten anything as the hour was nearing 9pm and we needed sustenance stat).  Serious pie's pizzas are wood-fired. 

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We also stopped by home grown, a local cafe in the Queen Anne district for lunch.  Homegrown uses all and ONLY local, sustainable ingredients.  If it is in season, you can get it.  If it is out of season? You are out of luck.  But that means that you are only eating the freshest and best ingredients available.  They also boost the local economy by working with farmers and growers in the area. All products are recyclable or re-usable.  All of that is great, but how did the food taste?  In short, amazing.  I had the best turkey/bacon/avocado sandwich of my life.  The bread was from Macrina Bakery which made it that much better.  I swiped some of Michaela's kettle chips and they were quite possibly the best salt and pepper kettle chips in the world.  The. World.  Would I lie to you?

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Basically, Seattle is doing it right when it comes to the food scene.  I know Michaela took me to her favorites but I didn't have one meal that I didn't completely love.  Since I have started doing food/restaurant reviews I have found that it is harder to impress me so when I am saying words like "amazing! the best ever!" and so on, please know that I mean it.  Seattle, you might win the award for the best food city I have been to yet!  I hope I am not the only one that judges whether a "vacation" was a success based on food quantity and quality.  I mean really, isn't life kind of about food?  It is to me at least...  so next time you are in Seattle make your way to these places and let me know what you think!

Tomorrow I will be re-capping Pikes Place Market, the first Starbucks and share some silly pictures of us jumping around with balloons and Seattle Pacific University!

Over & Out,

A

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