Seattle, Washington

• More about your oliver guide: Courtney Gerlich
• Trip type: Adult, City
• Activity level: easy
• Ideal length of trip: 4 Days

to & from

• Seeing that Alaska Airlines is the West Coast’s premier airline (they acquired Virgin America in 2016), there are lots of flights each day from most major airports.
• From Sea-Tac Airport it’s easy to get an Uber or there’s the Link Light Rail that runs from a platform past the parking garage to downtown, dropping you off under Nordstrom or you can go all the way to the University of Washington (more stops to come!).
• If you’re wanting to make some day trips to the mountains, then a car is a good idea…otherwise being on foot or by Uber is very doable. It’s even easy to ride the ferry to Bainbridge as a walk on.

Where to Stay

• Four Seasons – Downtown with a beautfiul view. The spa and restaurant are the best. Extra bonus – there’s Fran’s chocolate store in the lobby. (Fun Fact: President Obama had a Fran’s custom caramel sea salt chocolate with the presidential seal for every dinner guest at the white house!)
• Inn at the Market – Right above Pike Place – a classic Seattle stay
• The Thompson Hotel – New and super hip/trendy – the most LA Seattle will ever get- the Nest cocktail bar on the top is stunning – incredible views
• The Palladian – A Kimpton hotel
• Hotel Andra – Boutique hotel. Has the most amazing beds – Hastens – handmade in Sweden – best night sleep ever.

Where to Eat and Drink

BREAKFAST:

• Lowell’s (Pike Place Market)
• The Crumpet Shop (Pike Place) – You guessed it, all crumpets…so good.
• Lola  (Downtown) – Tom Douglas restaurant (famous Northwest chef). My husband and I used to go here every weekend before we had kids – order the donuts!
• The Hi Spot (Madrona) –  Adorable neighborhood spot
• Westward – Brunch on the weekend with gorgeous views of the lake & downtown.
• General Porpoise – Yes – stuffed donuts! (custard and marshmallow fluff, greek yogurt and honey)…I got this the morning I was induced with my second son – it is the best!!
• Wandering Goose (Capitol Hill on 15th) – Southern cuisine – the biscuit breakfast sandwich – ahhmazing

LUNCH:

• Joeys (U Village) – Order the hummus plate & glass of sancerre…and you are good to go (shopping at the U Village is so good too…make sure to go to Fireworks – great for gifts, The Confectionary – the most picturesque candy shop that has been there for 30+ yrs, Amazon Bookstore – the first!)
• Madison Kitchen – Salmon cake with a side of sweet potato wedges (chimchurri sauce) – in Madison Park, one of Seattle’s most charming neighborhoods – take a drive after lunch and gawk at the houses
• Serious Pie – Pizza right about Pike Place market – order the truffle pizza with mushroom – murray river sea salt on the crust…yum!
• Evergreens – great salads, multiple locations– El Sombrero salad is my favorite…mmm, that’s a good one
• Great State Burger – locations all over the city – get the chocolate malt shake
• Il Corvo – Pasta spot across from the court house downtown – only open for lunch during the weekdays – menu changes everyday with only a couple things on the menu- usually a line around the block…go!
• Tats Delicatessen – Tatsrami…mmm, oh my god that’s good
• Ivars – Classic Seattle thing to do – Get the fish and chips

DINNER:

• Pre-dinner cocktails – Nest on top of the Thompson Hotel
• Bateau (Capitol Hill): Renee Erickson’s steak house. Renee raises her own cattle from different farms that she sources from Whidbey Island – it’s excellent. There’s a special board everyday of different cuts of meat – get the preserved lemon brown butter to top the steak and the frites with aioli. Insider tip…after dinner, walk next door for dessert to Frankie and Jo’s – it’s vegan, but trust me – it’s delish…there’s a rosewater beet sorbet that’s out of this world.
• Lark (Capitol Hill) – Such a beautiful restaurant with Northwest cuisine – for a special evening
• Canlis (Queen Anne) – Crème de la Crème of Seattle
• Pink Door (Pike Place) – Classic italian Seattle
• Sushi Kashiba (Pike Place) – Chef Shiro Kashiba’s new venture…his mentor was Jiro from Tokyo, Japan – get the omakase – Check out the Good Eater, my blog, with more about Sushi Kashiba
• Spinassse (Capitol Hill) – The best Italian in Seattle – get the tajarin al ragu or butter & sage – you can’t go wrong.
• Stateside (Capitol Hill): Vietnamese- French…reference the Good Eater for my inside tips for Stateside
• M Bar (South Lake Union): On top of the tommy Bahama HQ – great view of the city…modern northwest food
• Westward (North Lake Union): Sit outside with bubbly and eat oysters looking at the Seattle skyline
• Joule (Fremont/Wallingford): Korean Fusion Steakhouse – Short Rib burger, white stuffed kimchi, the spicy rice cake with chorizo, the kalbi burger…and anything else that catches your eye…yum!
• The Whale Wins (next door to Joule – Fremont/Wallingford): Whatever you do, don’t pass up the zucchini bread for dessert….and sardines on toast (just trust me, they are so good!)
• Walrus & The Carpenter (Ballard) – Renee Erickson – definitely get oysters.
• Junebaby – recently written up in the NYT – southern food. My husband and I just went for a date night. Located in a residentially dominated neighborhood, they don’t take reservations and it’s always packed. In my opinion, the best seat is at the bar. It’s southern food that won’t leave you feeling heavy…get the antebellum wheat buns to start.
• Cactus – Upscale Southwestern/Mexican. Order the chimichanga & house margarita.

What to Do

• Savor Seattle Food Tour – Really fun, that’s how we found out about Serious Pie (see above)
• Chihuly Garden & Glass – One of the most beautiful things you will ever see – right below the space needle
• Take the Ferry to Bainbridge & walk around Winslow. If you stay for dinner – try out Hitchcock.
• MoPOP – Paul Allen’s Museum of Pop Culture – immerse yourself in Seattle’s music scene both past and present, get onstage and pretend you’re a rockstar or experience the Holodome, a reality experience unlike no other!
• Pike Place Market – locals go there!
• The Seattle Great Wheel down at Pier 57 – Good for all ages!
• Woodinville Wine Tasting – a 30-40 min drive from Seattle proper, so many delicious wineries to choose from (DeLille, Matthews, aMAURICE, and Novelty Hill are some of our favs!). Have lunch at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar.
• Totokaelo – Uniquely curated high end clothing
• Salt House Mercantile – Whether you want to find a special little home good for yourself or someone else, this is the store for you. You won’t want to leave it’s so beautiful (and always smells great from the candles they burn).

inside scoop

• Make reservations if you care about where to eat while in town. Seattle is finally on the map in the food world and is a destination for a lot of people now.
• Kenmore Air is a fantastic way to get away to the islands (or just go for a tour) if you’re cramped on time or don’t have a car. It’s also one of the best views you’ll get of the city and surrounding areas. On a great day the Olympics and Cascades will be showing off for you.

skip it

Honestly I don’t really find much to be overrated in Seattle: The Space Needle…great view and fun to go up, Pike Place Market – not just for tourists, Ride the Duck – I’ve heard great things and it’s a great way to see a lot, visiting the first Starbucks? – Why not?! Go wild and have fun!