seattle, washington

top row from left: shopping in ballard; pike's market (downtown); gelato at d'ambrosia gelato (ballard);
space needle on a rainy day; macrina bakery (belltown);
 bottom row from left: red velvet cupcake from trophy cupcakes (u village); produce at pike's market;
hot chocolate creme brulee at etta's (downtown)

a few weeks ago, i took a quick weekend trip to visit friends in seattle. it rained almost the entire time i was there. despite the weather, i enjoyed the company of great people and ate some tasty food.
oh how i miss this city! a weekend was too short to see everyone and everything i wanted to see and eat everywhere i wanted to eat. i must plan a return trip soon!


eat
brunch

• dahlia lounge (downtown): we were starving when we went to brunch, so we ordered the a full breakfast of eggs, smashed potatoes, a buttermilk buscuit, and smoked pork loin. the food was satisfying, especially the buttermilk biscuit served with a house-made jam. it was fluffy and buttery. yum. had i been a little less famished, i would have happily eaten an order of doughnuts for breakfast. i love those doughnuts. i dream about those doughnuts with marscapone and jam; however, the last thing i needed was a sugar high in addition to my jet-lag.
• rosebud restaurant & bar (capitol hill): this is a great neighborhood restaurant with tasty food and friendly service. we had the huevos rancheros and goat cheese scramble. both were delicious.

lunch

• etta's (near pike's market): we needed a little mid-day snack to tide us over until dinner, so after perusing the shops around pike's public market, we stopped in for a bite. i ordered the dungeness crab salad with grapefruit and avacado. it was the perfect mid-day meal, substantial but not overly filling. i had planned to just have the salad, but after looking at the dessert menu, i just *had* to have the hot chocolate creme brulee with jalapeño marshmellow...and i'm so glad i did. 

sweets & snacks

• trophy cupcakes (university village, wallingford & bellevue): how can you not love a cupcake? especially a gourmet cupcake? (even if they're $3 each!). by the time we stopped in, they only had a few flavors to choose from; luckily, red velvet was one of them. the flavors vary by day, so check the website for the schedule. 
• d'ambrocia gelato (ballard): i want to live in seattle just so that i can eat here regularly. okay, there are other reasons to move here, but this is definitely one of my top ten. i had the bewitched ricotta and caramel & fig...both were fantastic. i also snuck a spoonful of my friend's biscotti, also delicious. i love, love, love this place. *sigh* if you're in the mood for a gourmet cupcake, cupcake royale is just a block away. i didn't have a chance to go there this trip, but next time i'm in seattle, i really want to do a taste test with cupcakes from the different cupcake bakeries. :)
• macrina bakery (belltown): we stopped here for a quick afternoon snack (and to get out of the rain). it's a cozy bakery and cafe. the oatmeal raisin cookie i had was gigantic and the pumpkin tart was tasty.

dinner

• boom noodles (bellevue square): when the weather is dreary, a steamy bowl of noodle soup is extra delicious. i had the tokyo ramen. it was the heartiest ramen i've ever eaten. rather than a thin slice of roast pork, this ramen had three hearty slices of braised pork. the broth was a little richer (and oilier) than traditional ramen broth, but it was still tasty and satisfying.
• ristorane machiavelli (capitol hill): although i technically didn't eat here, i did have take-out from here...and it was divine! at the end of a long day of shopping and chatting and walking, we picked up the spinach lasagna with chicken livers, penne with roasted red pepper, linguine with garlic and clams (linguini ala vongole), and the house salad. i am not a liver fan, but my dinner companion has impeccable taste, so when she says the lasagna with chicken livers is delicious, i throw my liver-aversion out the window. of course, she was right...it was absolutely delicious, as was everything else. she's also a smarty-pants and thought to buy a bottle of the house-made balsamic vinaigrette so we'd have a dip for our bread. yay!

shop

• fireworks gallery (university village and bellevue square): quirky and unique gifts for kids and adults.
• made in washington (downtown and bellevue square): huge selection of regional gifts such as jams, baking mixes, smoked salmon, dishes, and more.
• fran's chocolate (university village, downtown and bellevue): their gold bars and bites make great gifts for folks back home, as do their chocolates and truffles. i especially love their caramels with gray or smoked salt.
• dilettante chocolate (downtown and capitol hill): happily, you can now get the chocolate covered fruit in trader joe's; however, if you're near a store, stop by for a bottle of the ephemere sauce. hot chocolates or mochas made with this stuff are beyond decadent. the caramel sauce is lovely too.
• various shops in and around pike's public market like la buona tavola (where i bought a small jar of truffle salt which i will treasure and use sparingly) and market spice (home of the unforgettable market spice cinnamon-orange tea)
• various shops on and around market street in ballard