Seattle Area

Seattle

  • in/near central Seattle:

    • Sitka & Spruce - nice spot in Melrose Market on Capitol Hill, we had a great lunch there

      • Calf & Kid, also in Melrose Market, has local cheeses

    • Boat Street Kitchen/Cafe - cozy place not far from Space Needle/Seattle Center, especially popular for breakfast (run by Renee Erickson)

    • Lark - somewhat expensive but awesome place near Capitol Hill

  • north of Lake Washington Ship Canal:

    • (Le Petit) Cochon - great food including the eponymous pig, in Fremont

    • The Whale Wins - northwest cuisine, great stuff (e.g. carrots are amazing), also run by Renee Erickson, in Fremont

    • Ballard:

      • Honoré Bakery - good macarons in Ballard (Luke wasn't impressed with their kouign amann though)

      • The Fat Hen - nice spot for breakfast/brunch across from Honoré

  • other neighborhoods:

    • Rainier BBQ restaurant - very authentic Vietnamese restaurant in a southern neighborhood of Seattle, featured on Anthony Bourdain, no-frills but great food

  • places we didn't go but are supposed to be good:

    • The Walrus and the Carpenter - Renee Erickson's most famous spot, known for its seafood (especially oysters)

    • MKT - one of several restaurants run by Ethan Stowell, near Green Lake

Bainbridge Island

  • On Winslow Way:

    • Bainbridge Bakers

    • Blackbird bakery

    • Bainbridge crepes

  • Beach House at Pleasant Beach

  • Harbor Public House

  • Sawatdy Thai

Day Hikes

The Seattle area has 2 mountain ranges—Cascades and Olympics—that are easy to reach.

  • Cascades

    • Mount Ranier - major national park, it's relatively easy to get to the "base camp" for a nice view

  • Olympics

    • Mount Townsend - one of the northernmost peaks, beautiful views of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca

    • Mount Ellinor - one of the southernmost peaks, in late summer there's almost no snow

    • Hurricane Ridge - you can drive here, for a low-effort view...there are also a bunch of hikes from here