My Favorite Things…Seattle
As we get ready to depart for Seattle and the 2023 SRAI Annual Meeting, Catalyst Committee Member Heather Brown, who recently moved cross-country from the Emerald City, shares some of her favorite locations to visit!
Pike Place Market
Michou Deli - They have the best sandwiches, though they also have great sweets, soups and other hot foods. The lunch line can get long between 12:30 and 1:30, but I used to do my best to get down there before noon for my pick of sandwiches.
Confectional - These mini cheesecakes are amazing! The flavors change (I think daily) - I would extend my lunchtime walks to include the crazy hills of downtown Seattle to burn off these cheesecakes.
BLMF Literary Saloon - One of my favorite used bookstores in the country. Most people don't realize that Pike Place Market is actually six stories and that where they throw fish is the top floor. This used bookstore is down in the belly of the market on the third floor tucked away from daylight and rain alike. J.B., the proprietor, is wonderful and the shop just makes my heart happy. I used to go buy books once a month to support his business and add to my overflowing bookshelves.
On Capitol Hill
Hot Cakes - Another dessert spot, they do some of the best small lava cakes I've ever had.
Dick's Drive-In - I won't say it's the best burger you'll ever eat, but it's kind of a Seattle legend. And the Capital Hill location comes with some great people watching.
West Seattle/Alki
Sunfish - There are tons of great places to get fish and chips in Seattle, but my absolute favorite doesn't even have a website. It's called Sunfish and it's over on Alki Point in West Seattle. It's run by two Greek brothers, and it's been there forever. They mix their own flavored malt vinegars, and the fish and batter are just perfect. It's always our first stop after we get in the rental car and leave the airport. If I ever walk in there without my mom, the brother behind the register just smiles at me and asks how my mom is doing. He knows if I'm not taking fish home to her she'll be mad I'm there without her.
Coffee
So yes, there is a high concentration of Starbucks in Seattle, and the first location at Pike Place is a definite photo op. But there are a ton of other coffee shops worth checking out in Seattle. Cafe Ladro and Victrola Coffee Roasters have coffee shop locations downtown and up on Capitol Hill. And if you have a car and are driving around the area, Bigfoot Java and Dutch Bros are drive-through coffee chains based in the PNW that have my heart and I MISS DAILY!
Pioneer Square & the International District
Flatstick Pub - Minigolf in a bar...do I really need to say more? Well, one thing more, I highly recommend making a reservation for that round of minigolf, they get busy. Okay, two things more apparently, there’s a minigolf Space Needle and it’s quite fun.
Seattle Pinball Museum - You pay an admission fee and then you can play for as long as you’d like on an extensive variety of pinball machines. The last time I was there, they were arranged by the age of the machines. They don’t allow outside food and drink, but they sell an assortment of bottled beverages and snacks.
Seattle Center
I love sitting by the International Fountain and going up the Space Needle to watch the sunset. But there’s also the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, IMAX at the Pacific Science Center and the Museum of Pop Culture. And so much more a monorail ride away from WestLake Center!
Authored by Heather Brown, Grants and Contracts Administrator
Duke Human Vaccine Institute