EAT/DRINK
Favorite high-end restaurant
Canlis, 2576 Aurora Avenue North.
Excellent cuisine, amazing telepathic staff. For special occasions, rent Cache, their private dining room with a breath-taking view of the Puget Sound.
Best deal restaurant:
Than Brothers Restaurant, 7714 Aurora Ave North.
Where else can you get a steaming bowl of noodles (pho) plus dessert (cream puff) for under $5?
Best street food:
Jack’s Fish Spot, 1514 Pike Place.
Eat at the counter or take it to go, Jack’s fish and chips are crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside.
Favorite Cafe:
Cafe Allegro, 1408 NE 42nd Street.
Seattle’s oldest coffee shop serves up the best foam-topped lattes with attitude.
Best bar:
Sambar, 425 NW Market Street.
Inventive cocktails (Shiso Julep!) and a hip crowd merge at this intimate lounge.
READ
Best bookstore:
Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 South Main Street.
Seattle’s favorite independent bookstore is crammed with thousands of books.
Best magazine stand:
First and Pike News, 93 Pike Street.
Phenomenal selection of national and international pubs. Can’t locate that Croatian women’s magazine you read while on vacation? Find it here.
SHOP
Best boutique:
Les Amis, 3420 Evanston Avenue North.
Rustic little shop in Fremont is the Seattle home for unique clothing and accessories by up and coming designers. (featuring brands such as Nili Lotan and Inhabit, don’t miss this French influenced boutique).
SIGHTSEE
Favorite art space/gallery/museum:
Henry Art Gallery, 15th Ave NE & NE 41st St.
Avant-garde exhibits in an intriguing space. Don’t miss James Turrell’s Skyspace.
Favorite outdoor space:
Olympic Sculpture Park, 2901 Western Avenue.
Mammoth sculptures from the likes of Richard Serra and Alexander Calder set against the Elliott Bay. And it’s free!
Best touristy thing to do:
Hiram M. Chittenden Ballard Locks, 3015 NW 54th Street.
Nothing like watching the boats rise and fall as they move from salt to fresh water; watching salmon swim up the fish ladder is therapeutic too.
Best place to people watch:
Westlake Center Square, 400 Pine Street.
Feast your eyes on a cornucopia of suits (office workers), T-shirts and Tevas (tourists), and skateboards and Converse (teens run wild).
Only locals does or knows about:
Alki Beach, 1702 Alki Avenue SW.
Picture perfect view of downtown Seattle from West Seattle.
The must-see thing in your city:
Pike Place Market, Pike Street and 1st Avenue.
A Seattle icon since 1907, the market — chockfull of local produce, arts and crafts and
street performers — is the place
for local color.
EVENTS
Best events in each season?
Bite of Seattle, Seattle Center.
(Summer) The Northwest’s premiere food festival, it’s a gathering of Seattle’s best restaurants and eateries in one spot!
Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, Seattle Center.
(Fall) An urban arts festival showcasing a gargantuan assortment of visual and performing arts.
Seattle International Film Festival, Various locations throughout the city.
(Spring) A week-long film fest that brings together extraordinary films from around the world.
TIPS
Given only 24-hours in your city what would you recommend?
Croissant and coffee at Cafe Allegro, visit the Henry Art Gallery, visit Pike Place Market and pick up a picnic lunch of cheese, bread, and fruit then stroll through the Olympic Sculpture Park (nibbling in between of course), and end the day with a sunset dinner at Canlis.
Anything else you want to mention?
Seattle has fascinating neighborhoods with a vibe of its own to explore: Capitol Hill, Fremont (artsy-independent) and the University District (academic grunge) are some of my favorites. You don’t need an itinerary, just take a walk through the neighborhoods with an open mind and open eyes and there will be plenty to discover.
Issue 24 Apprentices
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