First Full Day in Seattle: I'm So Full.

We started the day at Pike’s Place Market. Got a jump start at the first Starbuck’s ever, and managed to find Piroshky, Piroshky a couple doors down.

They sell pastries, and we decided on perogies, which are turnovers, both savory and sweet. They were flaky and flavorful. Aaron got sausage, and I got rosemary chicken, mushroom and rice. It was a little too much rosemary for my taste, but otherwise delicious.

We watched the guys throwing fish for a while, but there wasn’t much action, so we walked on. We passed many amazing fresh fruit and vegetable stands, but couldn’t pass up the blueberry grapes. They taste like grapes, but the look and texture is that of a blueberry. They were super sweet, crisp, and refreshing.

Moving on, we came upon Beecher’s Cheese. They make their own cheese on site, and sell many varieties of cheese and have a little lunch menu. We had to try the “world’s best” macaroni and cheese. It was decadent and uber cheesy. It was similar to Aaron’s mac and cheese (which is my true favorite), but not quite the same. It was bursting with garlic and rich salty cheese flavors melding and coating the palate. Small doses are a must for this rich cheesy treat. Aaron, however, could probably eat a bucketful.

I really wanted to go back to the fish market to get a picture of the guys throwing fish. We started talking to the guy handing out smoked salmon samples, and he let us try every single style of they had. We bought collars, which were only $9.99 a pound as opposed to $30/lb for the regular stuff. (An amazing breakfast for the next 3 days, in combination with a baguette and cream cheese, I must say!) We asked him how we could get a picture of fish being thrown, and he said he would hook us up; indeed he did. They guided Aaron behind the counter, and told me to stand out front with my camera ready. Not only did I get my picture of the guys throwing fish, I got to capture my husband catching the perfect toss! It was great. He managed to hold on to it like a pro.

We then went to the Olympic Sculpture Park. The park was great, and the day was perfect for strolling through. I was really excited to see the troll under the bridge, but turns out it wasn’t actually at the park. So we left and were on the hunt for the famed troll. It was great. It lives on Troll St. under a bridge, and it’s a little creepy and sad, but a spectacle all the same.

Pike’s Place was a good appetizer, but after all the walking we did, it was time for a real meal: The Seafeast for Two. We decided to start by sharing a bowl of clam chowder, and had “The Westport” seafeast which really is a feast, and includes Dungeness crab, snow crab, shrimp in the shell, steamed clams, Pacific mussels, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes. They throw out the seafood onto the table, and the only logical way to begin is to dig in with your bare hands. The seafood is seasoned well and the corn and potatoes are cooked just right. It comes with little thimblefuls of butter for dipping. It was all wonderful and messy, but it’s ok because they provide you with a bib and even tie it on for you. They give you lots of wet-naps to tidy up afterwards, as well.

We left Crab Pot and ended up at the Space Needle. A 41 second elevator ride up to the top, and we were looking out at all of Seattle. We got the day :night pass, so we’ll be going back. Going to the top took me back to when we got engaged at the top of the empire state building. *sigh*

We were pretty excited to try the next restaurant, Txori, which is a pinxtos restaurant. Everything is a small couple bites of food and only a few dollars. Aaron started with a red wine/coke combo drink, with citrus slices to top it off. Everything we ate here was a wonderful explosion on our palates. Every texture and flavor was perfection.

Chorizo con chocolate: Spanish cured chorizo with shaved chocolate

Chorizo Cocido: Spanish chorizo and white wine

Calamares en su tinta: stuffed squid in ink on fried bread

Rabbit confit on white beans and salsa verde

(left) Tortilla Espanola: potato and onion omlette in aioi

(right) Cerano ham and garlic

Piquillo con morcilla: blood sausage stuffed piquillo pepper

Final stop of the night was Spur, right down the street. It has a feeling of casual fanciness. I wanted a drink called plum dandy, with champagne, pineapple juice, and plum brandy, but they were out of the plum brandy, so the waitress said she’d tell the bartender to make something similar. The drink she brought back tasted like herbs, which she said was most likely bitters. She asked if I honestly liked it, and I said not really, so she took it off the bill which I thought was very nice. We tipped her accordingly. We ordered the veal sweetbreads which were calling Aaron’s name since we glanced at the menu outside. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland and pancreas of an animal. They were served with creamy corn, cherries, bacon, and a mildly spicy sauce which were great. There were tiny sprigs of what we took to be micro-basil, which I thought was pretty fun.

A great night of great food and fun Seattle sightseeing! I can’t believe we did all that in one day. Can’t wait for tomorrow.

totals:
bacon: 1
coffee: 2

Pike’s Place Market: Pike St. in Seattle-there’s lots of shops and restaurants there

Crabpot: 2 Lake Bellvue Dr. Bellvue, WA 98005 (also pier 57 or Long Beach)
Txori: 2207 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
Spur: 113 Blanchard St. Seattle, WA 98121