S.eat.tle
The Pacific Northwest was the last region of the US for me to visit before I could officially say I’d been to all 50 states. A few years ago, two of my friends and I made a marathon long weekend trip to hit Washington, Oregon, and Vancouver so we could cross new things off for all of us. We hit a lot of rapid fire sights, but there was a lot left to see (and eat) on my list. I also had a quick bonus day in Seattle before catching a flight home from Alaska. Both times I came, I wanted to visit Salumi Salami, but they weren’t open on weekends and I couldn’t seem to catch it. Salumi was started by Mario Batali’s dad, Armandino, though it has since been sold twice. Anthony Bourdain called it one of the ten places you had to eat before you died. There is a great episode where he goes and eats with the family and adopts a salami. I used to be able to get my hands on this pure pork magic from a now defunct Italian grocery store in Nashville (RIP Lazzaroli,) but I have been wanting to try their famous sandwiches for well over a decade.
Most of the time, I plan my trips around monuments, museums, and landmarks that I want to visit, and I seek out great food around the sightseeing. Some cities you want to plan your sightseeing around you meals (New York City, Chicago, Charleston, San Francisco, and Seattle.) Some cities make you wish for a second stomach, Seattle is one of them, and I was bummed to not participate. But not this time! This time I did SOME sightseeing and a LOT of eating.
Let’s dance with the one that brought you. Salumi had a wildly popular cult following and crazy long lines for many years. I populated an online order of almost $100 my first day in Seattle and decided I was going to have to go in and talk it out with the experts. They were busy, and a steady stream of folks picked up their pork with hungry smiles- but I never had a crazy line. The staff is so friendly and excited to help guide you through cured meats, artisan spreads, local breads, and flavor magic. Thank goodness they let you order half sandwiches, because between my three visits I tried 5, a lasagna soup, and a pancetta chocolate chip cookie that I will think about for many years to come. I wish I could say these were pretty sandwiches, but they are not. They taste like art, but look like a child made them. I’m sorry photos were a struggle, but the flavors were not. In order of favorites I’d say: Leonetta’s Meatball, Cuban, Grindhouse, Mole & Mozz. I absolutely loved the lasagna soup, and I would never ever order the unbalanced Banh Mi again… and that’s not just because I’m Vietnamese. The bread was wrong, the pickled veg were way too aggressive and the Magi in the mayo just made it so salty and briney it wasn’t a fun experience. I actually made it back to Salumi for a fourth visit with my family on our pre-airport food marathon in Seattle day. We wanted to eat here AND Pike Place Market so badly we actually had TWO lunches that day. We got another round of 1/2 subs: Meatball, Mole and Mozz, and discovered that the Porchetta is a real winner. I finally crossed the salami salad and the Pozole off my wishlist- but they weren’t really worth the stomach space. Without a doubt, pick a sandwich instead. Now the only thing left on my wishlist here is to order one of their big artisan charcuterie boards for a game night. :) Fun fact- they call them button bags, but for $4 you can grab a little ziplock of odds and ends of their salami right at the register. It’s like a meat grab bag, and if you see one you need to add it to your order. It is the cheapest/easiest way to sample their amazing products. I only caught them on one of my four trips, so go earlier in the day for your best chance at snagging one.
Just before Salumi, you’ll walk right by a magical spot called The London Plane.
It’s a flower shop, bakery, foodie retail store, and boasts a brunch menu that vaguely reminds me of Marche. So basically, all of my favorite things combined. I have popped in and looked around on every one of my trips to Seattle, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. This kale/spinach/ artichoke Croissant brought serious smiles to my stomach too.
I probably had 6 people suggest that I go to The Pink Door since Italian food is my absolute favorite food. It was on my mental list but I didn’t prioritize it until my sweet foodie friend Mindy told me she used to work there and it was her favorite food. She’s the reservations director for Eleven Madison Park which is one of the most famous restaurants in America. Mindy has great taste and if she says go and order the Lasagna- I’m going to do it. I don’t think I’ve ordered lasagna at a restaurant since I graduated from the kids menu. Lasagna was always something mom made to freeze and reheat when she didnt want to cook. I didn’t think it was the entree to order at a bougie place known for their seafood, but who am I to argue? I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful spring risotto with fresh peas and shrimp, so after a spirited debate with my server and Mindy via text- I ordered both knowing I’d have an excellent lunch while working from my house sit. If anything, Mindy undersold it. If ever carbs and cheese were orgasmic, it is this lasagna. They use spinach pasta and a nice layer of pesto. It is so light and tender, it took everything I had to not order a second piece and lick both plates clean. The risotto was perfectly prepared, well balanced, and you could tell how incredibly fresh all of the local ingredients were. I wanted to take a bath in the olive oil and I could have eaten a whole loaf of their table bread. The food was so good, I walked off the Bainbridge Island Ferry and decided I had to try to go again before leaving Seattle. The second time I wasnt even that hungry, I was just in proximity and had to try more. The Everything Green salad is without question the best vegetarian dish I’ve ever been served, and I’m fairly positive their arancini are the best ever served on US soil. This place has ambience in spades. It feels like a french antique display, and while they no longer offer evening burlesque shows, the aesthetic still reflects it. Honestly, if I had to pick between Salumi and Pink Door for a must eat, I’d say Pink Door. The service is top notch, the food/space/view are delightful. Don’t miss this one. MAKE A RESERVATION. I went at weird/off peak hours for both visits and both times they were telling parties of 4 it would be a 2 hour wait. Sometimes it pays to be a spoiled spinster solo traveler, because I got a great table with a view immediately.
Pike Place Market may be touristy and ridiculous, but if you love food- you have to wander the stalls. Sure you can watch them toss a fish around, wait in line for the original Starbucks and get the exact same drink you can get all around the world, wait in a 5 hour line for some tiny donuts… or… you can hit these gems.
Joe Chocolate Co is heavenly magic. Skip that god awful Starbucks line and get a mocha made with artisan chocolate. I got an iced Mocha Arancia that made my eyes roll back into my head and moan like an adult film star. They offer some really inventive cocktails, a few frozen concoctions that would have seriously taken the edge off the historic heatwave we experienced. I’d have gotten the Orange Blossom Cold Brew on my second trip, but they are closed on Tuesdays. Seattle is a food town with a coffee problem, and Joe is truly special in a sea of over-caffeinated craziness.
Jack’s Fish Spot was good enough for 2 visits. I got a crab cocktail and ordered their Poutine (with North West Chowder on fries) but asked that they make it with their famous garlic fries as the base. It is completely worth the upcharge- no matter what they arbitrarily charge you. He said no one had ever asked for that before, so he didn’t know what to charge me and it’s a crying shame. Just hand them your money and DO IT. On our second trip we got an incredible fish taco, some oysters, and their famous grilled salmon plate. The “famous sauce” on the salmon is delicious but completely overwhelms that poor fish. I suggest pulling a Sally Albright and ordering it on the side, it’s excellent on the fries. And honestly, there was too much cocktail sauce on the crab, so get that on the side too. We tried to order a whole Dungeness crab, but apparently there is a shortage and they are a whopping $60 each at the market, and we couldnt’t find them anywhere else. So hopefully that’s not a Seattle Bucketlist thing for you because- oof.
Photo via History Link.
Beecher’s usually has an incredibly long line for their famous mac and cheese. My fourth trip to the market was the first time I caught it with a light line. My sister got a small and my family of 4 could barely finish it, it was so rich- but insanely delicious. Even if the line is long, it’s worth a peek. The giant vats of cheese are not to be missed.
I’m not really a pastry person- but Pirosky Pirosky smells heavenly. I finally saved stomach room to get it and it had the longest line I’d ever seen. It’s definitely on my next time wish-list.
Last but not least- Truffle Queen. I cannot say enough about this magical little shop. Rei, the sweet and sassy owner, married into an Italian truffle hunting family. She had the absolute best prices and selections on everything from fresh truffles to white truffle hot sauce, custom truffle salami or the almond truffle brittle that I will dream about for the rest of my days. She does wine tastings and is happy to let you sample just about anything in the store. She’s passionate about her products and it is an absolute joy spending time with her and learning about the famously fancy funghi.
Since Nashville isn’t exactly known for its quality Asian food, I usually make a point to seek it out when I’m on the road. It proved trickier than we expected despite the multitude of options. We tried Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights and had a really hard time finding a place that was open. We had some decent dumplings at Dough Zone, but the noodle dishes and the buns were the real stars of that show.
Din Tai Fung blew our minds.
On the top floor of a random mall beside the flagship Nordstrom was a super glossy chain we’d never heard of. Come to find out their Hong Kong location has earned 5 Michelin stars, and it is a world famous dumpling mecca.
We were the last table they sat for the night, so they handed us a menu while we waited and told us we’d only get one shot at ordering everything we wanted. My mom and brother had loaded up on raw fish at Seattle Fish Guys, and though my sister and I thoroughly enjoyed the crab cakes we sampled waiting for them- we were STARVING and ordered a solid portion of this impressive menu. The pork and crab xiao long bao are the very best I’ve ever had. The shrimp and pork pot stickers were so good we were cursing the ban on re-orders. My first experience with Shangai rice cakes were divine. They had molten lava chocolate dumplings and mango slushies with boba. Shut up. It was a dim sum fantasy come true.
We talked about going back to Din Tai Fung on the way to the airport but wound up exploring Fremont more than we expected. There is a bizarre ratio of Thai restaurants in this cute little “Center of the Universe” section of Seattle, and we wound up at Kwanjai Thai when our other selection had a crazy long wait. The Universe works in funny ways. The chef was belligerently drunk, fighting with her husband and screaming at the patrons- but we had a mighty fine time. The crab fried rice, chicken larb, and lad nah talay were just as fantastic as the floor show.
When asking my siblings what their favorite parts of the trip were, I had to specify “besides the food.” Seriously, their slogan should be “Seattle… come hungry.”
