bits of seattle

1. Paper dangling at the Wing Luke Museum in Chinatown.
2. Waiting for my buttermilk pancakes at brunch. (David had a sandwich).
3. Pretty macarons at a French bakery by the waterfront.
4. The original Starbucks! Too bad I don't drink coffee.
5. My first Seattle clam chowder at the Crab Pot. Perfect.
6. Our haul from the gigantic Japanese market Uwajimaya. Lots of treats for friends back home.
7. Pioneer Square after Salumi/ The Police Museum and before Wing Luke.
8. Holidays lights at the Space Needle.
9. Our view at Salty's during our last night. David had his first lobster and I had my first cioppino; all while the beautiful Seattle skyline sparkled across the water.

salumi

It wasn't on my list, but I've wanted to go to Salumi ever since I did a presentation on Mario Batali for my Italian class last year (so basically it should have been on my list but I forgot to add it). Mario doesn't own it, but his parents founded the restaurant in the early 1900's using traditional Italian methods for curing meats. Since coming back from Europe, I've returned to my pescetarian diet so I was a little unsure of what I wanted to get once we finally got to Salumi. The thing is, though-- I live under the philosophy that dietary preferences should never hinder cultural/new experiences. I ate meat while I was in Europe (because really, how could I not in Italy?) and I decided to step outside the box again while traveling to Seattle. Anyway, the second I saw finocchiona on the menu board I knew I had have it because it was my favorite while I studied in Italy. It was a little different than what I remembered, but it still made me homesick for Florence. I think that's the mark of quality Italian food.

the space needle

My first trip to Seattle wouldn't have been complete without a trip up the Space Needle. Since it was the middle of winter, hardly any people were there so we didn't have to wait in any lines or fight crowds once we got to the top. The best part? Clear skies all around. (And the clam chowder in a bread bowl). Seattle has a really beautiful skyline and the Puget Sound is gorgeous. It wasn't even windy out on the observation deck (not like the Eiffel Tower!) so we spent some time enjoying the view and trying to find our parked car down below. The funniest thing about our trip was that the only time it rained in Seattle was when we went to Kerry Park take a Space-Needle-view photo-- but more on that later.

The best momento from the Space Needle? This photo: Before you go up, they take a "complimentary photo" of you with a green screen and once you're at the top you can choose your background and email the photo from up top. Naturally, David chose the most hilarious one. The Santa is kind of huge and creepy, but that's probably why he chose it. Oh, David. Happy Holidays!

pike place market

Our first day in Seattle was slow and relaxing- we slept in after being so tired from our 800+ mile drive in the past two days. Once we got to the city center, we headed to Pike's market to walk around and enjoy the farmers' market. Even though it was the beginning of December, the amount of produce and fresh food might have made me think it was spring if it hadn't been so cold. We tried chocolate pasta, apple chips, mini donuts and lots of fruit samples. The market was pretty empty since it was a winter Wednesday morning, but it was nice to stroll along without bumping into a million people. The market is so colorful-- I wish I could have packed up all of the delicious produce (and the little Italian specialty store!) to bring home.

bellevue garden d'lights

A few hours after we arrived in Seattle, my cousins (Ate Precious and her husband Peter) took us to see the Bellevue Botanical Gardens Light Show. They are amazing. It's like spring in the middle of cold, Washington winter. All I wanted for this holiday season was to see lots of pretty lights-- I never expected they'd be in flower form.