SEATTLE

Capitol Hill

The Pike/Pine area is very trendy. There are many mid to high end boutiques and all the restaurant decor is modern and inviting. People are dressed hipster-chic and the bars are chill. This is not a touristy area.
Very inclusive neighborhood. Many businesses have signs supporting LGBTQ rights and there are rainbow crosswalks.
I felt safe walking alone in this neighborhood, but my mom did not
After noon, the sidewalks are bustling with pedestrians. It felt lively without being too loud.

MUCH larger than the SF Ferry Building + NYC Chelsea Market combined! There are so many vendors.
Lines for some vendors may seem long, but they move quickly

Biscuit Bitch 🍳	Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich was a buttery dream, but the side of gravy was the real hero. It was so thick and creamy, with huge chunks of meat tucked inside. I will definitely be back.
Daily Dozen	Crispy little donuts! I loved how fluffy the inside was while the outside had a nice crisp, like funnel cake
Piroshky Piroshky	The salmon piroshky is seriously out of this world. The crust is flaky, and the salmon pate was fresh and flavorful :drool:
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese	I thought the famous mac & cheese was overhyped. The noodles were beyond al dente, and the cheese sauce had a grainy texture. I’d recommend simply trying one of their plain ol’ cheeses.
Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt 🍦	Flavored Greek yogurt?? But I like my yogurt plain and not sweet, Jiann. WAIT. These flavors are bomb. I got lemon cheesecake and brambleberry pie yogurts. They’re thick and creamy, while also tasting light and fresh. This is a yogurt I’ll never forget.
Indi Chocolates	Lovely, no-fuss chocolate. I love dark chocolate and their bars had a nice bitter taste and well-rounded flavor.
Fran’s Chocolates	The truffles are so good. Their chocolate flavor overall is simple, and likely to be a crowd-pleaser. Also, I’m obsessed with the chocolate-caramel filling they put in the truffles.

Waiter service

SUIKA 🍣	Japanese-American fusion. I’m always wary of “fusion” but SUIKA did a good job. The unagi bibimbap had so much crispy rice, and the unagi was fresh and flavorful. I would stay away from their popular ramen though-- while the noodles were pleasantly chewy, the broth tasted like watered-down soy sauce.
Sitka & Spruce	“Hipster”, but nevertheless tasty, brunch. We loved the charcuterie plate and the porchetta was juicy with crispy skin.
8oz Burger & Co	Very good pork belly sandwich.

Counter service

HoneyHole	Bar with sandwiches. I enjoyed the sandwich bread, but the meat was ok and not abundant.
Homegrown	Simple sandwiches inside the Melrose “food court”. We got some for the plane ride home.

Franklin Falls Trail	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/franklin-falls-trail
Boulder River Trail	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/boulder-river-trail
Silver Falls Loop Trail	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/silver-falls-trail

I expected more out of the Seattle coffee scene. I think I’ve been spoiled by San Francisco’s.

Victrola	Fairly good latte. Tied as favorite with Storyville
Storyville	Also a solid latte. The shop can get overheated though, because it’s on the 2nd floor.
Kaladi Brothers	Very average latte-- weak coffee flavor.
Honor Society	STRONG latte. The coffee flavor was very loud and acidic. Their specialty is cashew milk, which was actually very creamy.
Starbucks Reserve	Truly awful. I got the basic flight, which consisted of the “Gravitas”, “Sumatra”, and “Peru”, brewed with a Clover machine. All were weak and watery, but only the “Peru” was drinkable. The “Gravitas” and “Sumatra” tasted stale. My mom ordered a Whisky barrel-aged hot coffee with crema on top, and that was surprisingly flavorful. The hot-cold contrast was also enjoyable.

General Porpoise 🍩	Light fluffy donuts, with a delicate yet crispy crust. The fillings are smooth and flavorful without overwhelming the donut. This was probably my favorite thing I ate all weekend.
Sweet Iron Waffle Bar	Surprisingly good Liege waffle. They actually use a brioche dough, which makes the waffles fairly dense. This is a nice, spacious cafe to have an afternoon snack in.
Top Pot	I think I was served a not-fresh donut, comparable to the donuts at your local Safeway/Ralph’s 🙊
Molly Moon’s	Ice cream with loud and bold flavors. The texture is fairly creamy, but I’d choose Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous (SF) any day
Frankie & Jo’s	Vegan ice cream!! Their scoops were surprisingly creamy, despite the missing animal dairy. Recommendation: licking this ice cream makes it taste creamier than nibbling it.
Kurt Farm Shop	“Hipster” ice cream with crazy flavors. While the flavors were creative, I thought the texture was a bit gritty.
Bluebird Ice Cream	VERY dense, custardy ice cream. This was my sister’s favorite. They have simple flavors, but they taste bold.
Cupcake Royale	The carrot cake cupcake was moist and tasty. They get their ice cream and donuts from another vendor.

Next time

Hot Cakes	Youny highly recommended these molten lava cakes. I hope to go next time.
Old School Frozen Custard	More ice cream
Trove	More ice cream

Drinks are large and reasonably priced (or am I just jaded by SF). Cocktails are served in pint glasses and cost about $10

Rachel’s Ginger Beer	I love ginger beer!!! I especially enjoyed the frozen guava mule. At this “bar”, you order at the counter, and there is a lot of seating.
Unicorn	The popular carnival-themed bar. The drinks are sweet and fruity. The bartenders are quick, and there’s plenty of seating. This seems like a good place for a birthday party.
Capitol Cider	I feel like cider bars in general are fairly pricey. However, they do have many flight options. The bar-only part is downstairs, and there isn’t a crazy amount of seating.