My first trip to Seattle was a short one, a mere 2 1/2 days. But I managed to make the most of my time and eat at some truly incredible places. And as luck would have it, the sun was shining the entire time. As soon as I landed, I headed straight to Pike Place Market. It’s such a lovely open air market with fruits, vegetables and flowers galore.
Gorgeous bouquets of flowers…
Oranges, apples, pears, avocados, yams…
Lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers and beets…
Garlic, leeks, tomatoes, peppers…and on and on and on, truly the most amazing market I’ve seen.
There are also several restaurants inside of Pike Place. My husband and I stopped at The Athenian Inn for a quick lunch. As soon as we walked in, it was strangely familiar to me. Then I noticed the red plaques on the counter…this is where Rob Reiner and Tom Hanks filmed part of Sleepless in Seattle, one of my favorite cheesy, oh so sappy movies.
We started with the Roasted Garlic Hummus with fresh vegetables and pita.
And I ordered a vegan version of the Greek salad , perfect fuel for walking around a new city.
On a side note, a short walk from Pike Place is a sweet little boutique called Watson Kennedy. The entire store is arranged by color, a perfect marriage of aesthetics and functionality. They sell vintage letterpress blocks, fleur de sel, local artwork and Savon de Marseille, among so many other unique and charming indulgences.
That evening, we had dinner outside at Japonessa. They have several kinds of vegetable nigiri, including Sweet Roasted Red Pepper and beautifully presented Avocado Cucumber.
I also ordered the Spicy Tomato Tofu. The sauce is spicy, filled with tomatoes and onions and just plain delicious. I did ask them to make sure there was no fish sauce in the dish, just to be on the safe side. Fish and eel sauces commonly sneak into many vegetable and tofu dishes.
The next morning, I rode a bus about 45 minutes from my hotel just to taste the legendary all vegan/ organic donut shop, Mighty-O Donuts.
The space is really charming and they have so many flavor options.
I decided on the Chocolate Raspberry + the Vanilla Strawberry with a soy latte. Is there anything better than that? The answer is no.
These donuts were full of flavor, fluffy yet substantial and completely worth the trip.
For lunch I took a recommendation from a friend and headed to Cyber Dogs.
They have several kinds of veggie hot dogs with various toppings. They offer both vegetarian and vegan options. I went with the El Bandito, complete with chili, homemade vegan cheese sauce, avocado, salsa and fresh green onions. Everything about this hot dog was incredible – the flavors, the texture, the combination’s. Above all, the cheese sauce was out of this world. If you’re ever in Seattle, it’s a must try.
Later that day, we stopped in Table 219 for a mid afternoon snack. The weather was beautiful and the restaurant had their enormous doors open. On the menu that day was an Heirloom Tomato special with olive oil, sea salt and basil. It had such a beautiful presentation and great flavor.
For our last dinner in the city, it had to be Plum Bistro. I’d heard so much about this restaurant and couldn’t wait to partake.
We started with the Avocado Roll – brown rice & nori roll with avocado, carrots, asparagus, lettuce, vegan cheese, chipotle mayo & sesame seeds. A lovely way to start, much more complexity and depth than any other Avocado Roll I’ve encountered.
We also shared a Romaine salad filled with crispy tempeh, freshly baked croutons, lemon, red onion and vegan caesar dressing. I absolutely cannot resist a vegan creamy dressing.
And you can’t visit Plum Bistro without experiencing their Spicy Cajun Mac ‘N’ Yease. Spicy, creamy and extremely comforting. Vegan awesomeness.
My time in Seattle was short lived, but a huge foodie success. The city completely lived up to my expectations. I’m still dreaming about those donuts. A walkable city, with amazing scenery and vegan Mac and Cheese. I’m sold.