My trip to Seattle for 4th of July weekend was amazing! The weather was gorgeous and a three-day weekend was not nearly long enough. These were the food and drink highlights of my adventure.
1.) Espresso Vivace – Alley 24
Espresso Vivace was a good size and had a line of about 7-8 people when we arrived. I admired the simple layout and it had beautiful, tiled murals on the ground that portrayed latte art. I ordered a café caramel latte for that very reason. I love the pretty designs the skilled baristas form out of the foam.
On top of being beautiful, the coffee was delectable, not needing anything added to it. The caramel sweetened it just right and it was so smooth and creamy you’d think it was heated ice cream.
2.) Red Mill Burgers
Red Mill Burgers reminded me of old fashioned burger joint. It had a side room with a diner feel and a few tables out front. Almost every seat was filled. Clearly this was a popular place.
The burger was phenomenal. Fresh ingredients and the perfect ratio of meat, vegetables, condiments and bun, and seasoned to perfection! It was juicy with flavor and the bacon had a nice crisp crunch. The fries were equally as good, with a hint of salt and pepper and fried to golden perfection. There was a familiar flavor to the batter used for the onion rings. It was as if they were coated with hushpuppy batter, which was a new and pleasant twist on traditional onion rings.
3.) Reuben’s Brews
This brewery was in quite a hot spot for craft beer in Ballard. There were at least 3-4 other breweries within blocks of the establishment, but with a food truck out front, a banner boasting “2015 Washington Beer Awards Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year” hanging out front, and a honorable mention in a Savored Journeys article, we choose this one to indulge in a variety of tasty brews.
We ordered, not one, but two flights of beer, consisting of twelve 4oz. tasters. They were mostly light Belgium beers with a handful of IPAs. Many had hints of citrus and spices and one even had banana. I enjoyed the more hoppy ones while my friend drank more of the wheat beers, While these twelve may seem like enough, I could not leave without trying the stout they had on tap.
4.) Cupcake Royale
To satisfy our sweet tooth, we made our way to Cupcake Royale. They had an array of beautiful cupcakes and ice cream to compliment. I ordered a Hot Salty Mess, mostly because of the name, but also because it sounded delicious. It was burnt caramel ice cream with espresso, hot fudge and whipped topping. Perfect! I also got a good laugh from what looked like rainbow sprinkled ice cream called The Gay Ice Cream.
5.) Sunset Tavern
It was time to hit the night life! A short walk from Cupcake Royal is the Sunset Tavern. It was a fairly small bar that regularly featured live music (with a paid stamp) in the back room. That night we were there to see The Hoot Hoots. There was some time before they went on stage, so I ordered a Tito’s and tonic and hung out at a table until show time. I also made sure to try a local beer on tap, the Citra IPA by Stoup Brewing, to top off the evening.
The Hoot Hoots were great! They were lively and got everyone dancing and jumping around. It was a very electric sound, but you could feel the beat in your chest in that small space. A few people had earplugs because the space echoed dramatically, but I enjoyed the music that will most likely make me hard of hearing in the future.
6.) Sister’s European Sandwiches
Sister’s European Sandwiches was nestled in an alley near the Pike’s Place Market. I had gotten pictures of the “original” Starbucks but there was no way I was waiting in the line that was nearly 50 people deep. It was still not quite mid-day so we weren’t sure whether to grab breakfast or lunch, so this place worked perfectly offering sandwiches that had eggs as well as other meats and cheeses.
The sandwiches were delicious, a little lacking in the meats, cheeses and other toppings, but the bread was grilled to perfection and had a nice blend of herbs sprinkled throughout.
7.) Garlic Crush
Garlic Crush, a Mediterranean place just outside of Issaquah, was tucked away in the corner of a shopping outlet and not very big or busy. I was overjoyed when I saw the portion size of my gyro plate and the lamb was awesome! Topped with tzatziki sauce upon a bed of rice, it was everything I could have asked. Under normal circumstances, I would have grabbed a to-go box for the portion I couldn’t finish, but it would not have lasted through the days adventures.
8.) Via Tribunali – Queen Anne
Via Tribunali was a dim lit, little pizza place with tiny candles placed around the restaurant. They made specialty thin crust pizza that, while it was 12 in. across, was sufficient for one person to consume alone. The food was great, but the service was a little lacking. I feel like we waited forever for someone to take our order, but that may have been just because I was hungry. When they brought the pizza out, they actually give you an over-sized pair of scissors to cut it up versus having it pre-cut or using the typical rolling slicer.
9.) Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que
I was particularly excited about this location. The friend I was visiting actually drove the delivery truck to bring the meat to the Pecos Pit locations and we went to the newest location to open in West Seattle.
I ordered a chopped beef brisket sandwich with bacon and cheese and spicy barbecue sauce or in their menu terms “Pecos chopped beef sandwich, say cheese, make it squeal, and topped with DAMN HOT” You could watch the meat carvers chop up each order and every 15 minutes or so they let out a catchy chant while working. My sandwich was dripping with sauce and there was no way to eat it with dignity, so I just dove right in.There was definitely a different taste than Texas barbecue, but it was tender and smoked to perfection. It was also a good thing I ordered a Rainier beer with my meal as well, because it was Damn Hot! For sides, my friend ordered us some Cowboy Caviar and Best Potato Salad Ever. It would seem like a bold statement to make about potato salad, but I may have to agree, it WAS the best potato salad ever. It was not in the terms of a normal potato salad though. This potato salad resembled the flavors of a baked potato, but with all the seasonings and consistency to be perfect chilled, with bits of bacon, chives, and a sour cream/mayo base. I was in love! If you haven’t tried out Pecos Pit in Seattle, I would highly recommend it, and that’s saying something coming from a Texan.
10.) Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room
This was the coup de gras of this coffee lover’s trip to Seattle. It was bustling with people and energy. You could buy specialty crafted beverages, coffee beans, merchandise, even a bike with the Reserve logo if you so wished. There were pipes overhead where you could watch coffee beans travel from the storage silos to the main bar in the center of the room when they needed restocking. It felt like the Wall Street of coffee. It even had a flip board that changed every so often with a new feature of the day and information about the beans.
The baristas were showcasing all kinds of techniques I had never seen in a coffee shop before. It was a beautiful dance of gathering and mixing the ingredients and utilizing the skill and finesse required to get just the right consistency and flavor from each beverage. Parts of the bar looked like something out of a chemistry lab with Erlenmeyer flasks being heated and cooled and a cold brew coffee drip tower steadily making quality cold coffee.You were lucky if you found a seat, so when a couple became free I grabbed them while trying to decide what to order. I settled on an iced sparkling espresso with mint because I figured it was something I was not likely to find anywhere else. When I tried it, it was definitely interesting. I would have never thought to combine espresso with effervescence to create a coffee-like beverage that resembled a refreshing soda. My friend’s cold brew malt was heavenly. Creamy and sweet with a nice little kick of bourbon from the bourbon barrel aged bitters at the end.
Between all of the amazing food, coffee, beer and atmosphere, Seattle is a location that I will definitely have to revisit and explore more.
Cheers!
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