Downtown Seattle

[sfcohen]

I will be in Seattle this weekend for an"urban weekend" and staying downtown at Hotel Monaco. I will be wondering in and out of museums and the Pike Place Market. I want to eat at one Tom Douglas restaurant. What other food places should I try? I'd like to walk to them if possible.

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Pike Place Market
1501 Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101

[momski]

I just returned from 5 days in Seattle, and after a lot of Chowhound research ended up with a fabulous dining experience, which doesn't seem hard to do in this great city. My favorite restaurant was Boat Street Cafe in Belltown- astonishing food, great ambiance and great service. The food was truly exceptional. Had an amazing weekend brunch at Terra Plata on Capitol Hill which features Iberian influenced food in a trendy and appealing neighborhood and is right next to Melrose Market. Spinasse, an old favorite on Capitol Hill, lived up to my memories of serving up the best pasta I've eaten with everything else matching the mark. Service is great and ambiance lively with a great view into the kitchen of rolling and hanging pasta. Matt's on the Pier is a great way to be in the market but away from crowds and get great seafood. Elliot's on the pier is wonderful for oysters, especially if you get there for happy hour (but the crowds are intense). Recommend the Whisky Bar in Belltown for an amazing selection of beers (I counted 18 on tap) and whiskey, and had a great late afternoon snack at Salumi near Pioneer Square when the crowds died down. Had a magnificent dinner at Rover's with impeccable service and food, but the wine pairing with the degustation menu wasn't up to par. I walked nearly everywhere from where we were staying in Belltown, so don't be afraid to explore!

[knowspicker]

Since you will be around Pike Place Market you might want to try Le Pichet. I've only been once but I really liked the food there. It's a great place to get a light lunch or breakfast and coffee.

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Le Pichet
Seattle, WA, Seattle, WA

[momski]

I had dinner at Le Pichet and ordered the roast chicken which takes an hour, but was worth it! Started with a green salad which was actually delicious. A lovely way to spend a relaxed and cozy evening.

[maybelle]

Since you'll be wandering around Pike's Market, you can always stop into Seatown, Tom D's new place. I was there for brunch the other day and loved it. Hubby and I split a smoked fish plate (loved the lox and cod) and then I had the porchetta sandwich which was terrific, and a lot more filling than I thought it would be. The total bill was more than I would have liked, but I thought all the ingredients were top-notch.

[handlertaper]

I am from L.A, and I just spent 2 days in Seattle and really enjoyed Etta's and Serious Pie. At Etta's, the salmon served over the corn bread with asparagus was fabulous. I also enjoyed the clam chowder which was super creamy and very buttery. And although VERY expensive for pizza (at 18.00 per pizza for one person) loved Serious Pie. My husband thought the the KALE salad was one of the best he ever ate.

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Serious Pie
316 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101

[grangie angie]

....Pike Place Market...not "Pike's Market".

[Thiebaud]

Restaurant Zoe & Lecosho

[bourbongal]

For the Tom Douglas choice, I always prefer Etta'sover Palace Kitchen, although I seem to be in the minority on this. I second Restaurant Zoe - one of my favs downtown.

[savvy savorer]

For a Tom D. Serious Pie is great or Seatown or Palace Kitchen. I second Spur, I sent some friends from out of town and they were blown away. In the Market, I like Matt's in the Market especially for lunch on the bar and Elliot's is a landmark that you won't want to miss.

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Palace Kitchen
2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Serious Pie
316 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101

[sfcohen]

Does anyone have any opinions about Wild Ginger?

[Brunhilde]

I used to go there after work for drinks and satays with co-workers. I wouldn't consider it bad just going off the satays. I thought a few of them were pretty tasty. I also wouldn't consider it anything special, and there are much better restaurants nearby that I would rather go to.

[equinoise]

This is probably a superior and more fair asessment of Wild Ginger than the across-the-board dismissals I have been likely to provide. I also like the calamari all right.

[roolala]

"pretty tasty" and "nothing special" perfectly describe wild ginger with the addition of "way overpriced"

[knowspicker]

Yes, it's kind of pricey for what you get and some of the dishes are kind of meh... like the green beans you see on just about every table.

But there are a few things the WG does really well. The laksa soup and the squash stew are both really good. I also enjoyed the fragrant duck. The satays are pretty good but pretty pricey for what you get.

If you want to a cheap taste of Wild Ginger you can go to Happy Hour at Triple Door and sample a few items.

[cocktailhour]

For local and urban, Spur Gastropub--short walk from the Market. ZigZag at the Market for cocktails. I agree with Palace. The donout holes at the Market,and fish n chips and Jack's Fish Spot. Emmett Watson's or Elliott's for oysters. Tavolata for small dishes and pasta.

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Jack's Fish Spot
1514 Pike Pl Ste 2, Seattle, WA 98101

Tavolata
2323 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

[mrnelso]

A little more on the rough-and ready side, Two Bells serves a pretty good burger, cooked as rare as you like, and has plenty of local taps and character.

[mrnelso]

Did I say "pretty good?"
Last night, we had the Tavern Burger again, and it was the best burger of all time.
What was I thinking?

[Bax]

Two Bells is indeed really good. But I had a burger at Local 360 recently that I think beats the one from Two Bells. I'm looking forward to having another, as well as to trying other offerings. Mmmmm....

[Leper]

I second Sazarac especially for their breakfasts and their excellent Bloody Mary's. I also suggest the Palace Kitchen for your Tom Douglas fix. For an unusual Asian experience, try Long's Provincial. (Just randomly order things you've never heard of; you can't go wrong.) All are within walking distance.

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Palace Kitchen
2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

[grangie angie]

Walk right on down to your hotel lobby and treat yourself to Sazarac!!

[GreenYoshi]

Really?
I've didn't think much of Sazerac either of the times I visited.
Once was during a Restaurant week thing, though so maybe that's part of it.