Seattle Coffee of the North

Day 2 of Seattle’s Best Cafes:

Just now, as I sit down to write this among decaying sunflowers in the shade on this lovely September afternoon, to my delight a massive hawk has decided to settle in a tree above me. This can happen often in the Pacific Northwest—eagles and hawks abound in the skies above the many large, salmon-rich puddles we like to call lakes.

After this surprising intro, I think I could use another coffee, and I have just the one in mind…

4. Caffe Ladro – 2207 Queen Anne Ave

I started off Day 2 of my coffee extravaganza at the place Seattle Weekly readers voted “Seattle’s Best Café” in 2007, and presently it’s in the 2009 running to be voted Evening Magazine’s “Best of Western Washington.” The original Caffe Ladro in Upper Queen Anne opened in Seattle in the late 90’s, and has continued to flourish ever since. Now there are 13 locations throughout Seattle and a few of its neighboring cities. Friendly barista, Ryan, recommended that I try their signature drink, the Medici, and described it as an orange-flavored mocha. I had an enthusiastic go.

Yum! What a delicious drink. My favorite so far! The subtle orange balances very well with the chocolate and coffee; you’ll even find a genuine orange twist at the bottom of your cup once you’re through. I’ve heard some people recommend it as an after-dinner drink, yet it suited me just fine on a rainy fall afternoon after perusing the streets of Upper Queen Anne. Even on hot days you can enjoy it iced.

Like so many Seattle cafes, Caffe Ladro was ultra-artsy inside. A line of art ran along the hallway toward the backyard patio, and 3-pronged copper fans with a wing-span of about 9-feet circled below the ceiling.

5. Café Solstice at 4166 University Way NE

The fifth and final café I reviewed was voted Best University Café by urbanspoon.com. It’s Café Solstice, located in the University of Washington district of Seattle. The big, black-cratered moon above the door beckons you inside, to a dark and spacious lime-green and crimson-walled interior, sparked with colorful lights that hang above the large counter. I think that if I were a barista this bar would be the dream. It just looked like they chose to be there, and not at all like they were trapped. I was coffeed out for the day (yes, I’m a wimp), but all the better because I was able to try the white-chocolate banana bread recommended by another barista named John. He explained that everything here was actually made in Solstice’s very own bakery, and pointed to an adjoining door towards the back. Unfortunately, around 6:30 when I arrived, they had stopped serving hot food, but I hear they have a delicious grilled cheese and tomato soup combo.

The music was pumping in this café, as they have the kind of indie-gem mixes playing in the stereo that only college guys are able to make. They also have a raised couch section that doubles as a stage for bands and flamenco shows on special evenings. Wine, beer and loose-leaf tea are sold here. There’s also a miniature library stuffed with World Book encyclopedias, the annotative collection of Shakespeare, and cooking books; and a neighboring shelf is packed with board games ranging from Mousetrap to Chess, which the latter I’m sure UW graduate students enjoy while sipping a nice glass of Chardonnay. To be sure, this is a place you don’t want to leave. Especially if you’re some college kid looking for a date, excellent coffee, good music, or just plain friendly conversation with John the barista, while sitting on one of the counter’s comfy bar stools. To top it all off, there is also an excellent happy hour featuring $3 pints of Elysian ale from the local brewery on top of Capital Hill. John knew Solstice like the back of his hand, and had probably been “interviewed” before. Both the Seattle Weekly and the Stranger have given Café Solstice solid reviews and its an easy drive from most downtown Seattle hotels.

Coffee Art + Chocolate + Music = Happiness

Day 1 of Seattle’s 5 Best Caffes…

The most coffee I drink in a day is one cup. Aside from late-night, college paper-writing pounding sessions, and cappuccino blizzards, coffee just hasn’t been on my list of priorities. I often wonder why??? I’m from Seattle, everyone around me guzzles it, and yeah, aside from the slight perspiration it induces, I enjoy the smell, taste and energy of coffee. Its appeal is kind of like wine to me; I really appreciate coffee expertise. To make a long story short, I found myself examining the Seattle caffe scene, and I created a mission for myself—to visit 5 of Seattle’s best coffeehouses in 2 days. By doing this, not only would I get a chance to get to know Seattle’s prestigious coffee scene, I might also figure out just why coffee and I aren’t better friends.

1. Victrola – 411 15^th Avenue in Capital Hill.

I began my two-day coffee binge in Capital Hill at Victrola coffee house. I had read online about the in-house, coffee-art competition that Victrola had held in mid-August, and saw all of the great pictures of the latte art that baristas from around the area had created. So, when I got to the counter, I made sure to order something that would look pretty. As the time came for Marcie to embellish my hazelnut latte, nerves were up. I was waiting with a camera around my neck to snap a photo, but when the moment arrived for her to do her magic I had to look away…

“Okay. It’s ready,” I finally heard her say. When I turned around, there waiting for me in a big, white mug was a beautiful latte masterpiece.

For food I had The Dillinger sandwich, toasted with prosciutto, provolone, greens and tomato. It was pretty good, but I do always loathe paying more than the Subway $5 for a sandwich. In addition to a bunch of coffee drinks, Victrola also sells beer, featuring Hale’s Mongoose IPA and Pike’s Naughty Nellie Golden Ale, both of which are brewed locally.

2. Caffe Vita – 1005 E Pike St.

John helped me out at Caffé Vita and hooked me up with a Macchiato. A Macchiato is an Italian-inspired drink, and is a shot of espresso stopped a bit early so what you drink is the smoothest and sweetest of the brew. Then an ounce of steamed milk and foam is added and walla! The word Macchiato is Italian meaning “to mark.”

Although the Macchiato was great, the main reason I came to Caffe Vita was because, like so many others, I’d heard of a delicious new partnership that has emerged this year between two of Seattle’s best roasters: Chocolate + Coffee = Happiness. It’s the talk of the town—1^st Friday morning coffee and chocolate pairings sponsored by Caffé Vita and Theo’s Chocolate; even the NYTimes has mentioned it. This free cupping and tasting event is held at Caffe Vita and gives the public a chance to sample specialty coffees from around the globe, paired with the perfect chocolate liquors made from roasted exotic cacao seeds. You can read more about it at: www.taleoftworoasters.com.

Theo’s Chocolate has been featured in magazines all across the country for their delicious chocolate; however, I noticed that they were also mentioned in this week’s edition of The Stranger for hosting Jane Goodall as she promotes her new book about bringing animals back from extinction. That’s pretty amazing for a chocolate shop if you ask me!

3. The “Original” Starbucks at Pike Place Market.

My last stop of Day 1 was at the most popular Starbucks in the world–the Pike Place Market Starbucks. I didn’t go into this caffe because, c’mon, by now we all know that Starbucks is really cool. This Starbucks is well-known for being the original, numero uno Starbucks; however, recently I heard a rumor that this isn’t entirely true. The original is said to have been built across town in a different Seattle location, but then burnt down shortly after. So that means that this is actually Starbucks #2, and though is may be the oldest, it’s not the original.

Thankfully, there are more reasons to check this place out. One is because it’s the only spot that still uses the original two-tailed mermaid as its logo. And another is because of the great music found here. Whether it be a 5-part a capella group, or a 3-piece band, rain-or-shine there’s always one of the Market’s best musical acts drawing a crowd around this Starbucks’ front doorstep.    You can walk to the Original Starbuck’s from most Seattle boutique hotels. 

That’s it for day 1! Stay tuned next week when I review 2 more caffes in North Seattle!

Pike Place Market – Golden Rays

The Seattle sun blessed the worried Northwest with its presence again, but the forecast predicted heavy rain for Labor Day weekend. Since the weather wasn’t good my last trip, I decided to head over to Seattle (while I still had the chance) so I could write about what Pike Place Market really has to offer. Summer-time Pike Place is the greatest, even though colder days can always be warmed, literally and figuratively, with a visit. I drove this time, and when I parked a friendly man offered me his window ticket so I didn’t have to pay the meter, and so his hour and a half of extra minutes wouldn’t be wasted. I gladly accepted—how nice! As opposed to the first intake of my last visit (coffee in hand staring at frozen fish), this time my first sight was of a police-horse munching on some grass in Victor Steinbrueck Park. There were even some pigeons nesting in the warm grass nearby, which is unusual because they’re usually scavenging near the benches and picnic tables. This park is on the north end of the Market, and it’s so great to eat fresh produce here, read a book, or take a quick snooze. Many days there are musicians playing up front by the tables and water look-out. There’s also a friendly man selling Kettle Corn and lemonade.

Strolling down the outdoor sidewalk of vendors there were a few that caught my eye. One was a Chinese man who makes signs in 15 minutes, translating anything into beautiful Mandarin characters using black calligraphy ink. Sample signs hung on the chicken-wire wall that read, “Mike Loves Julie,” or simply, “Jessica.” One artist had compressed glass wine bottles, and turned them into kitchen ornaments. Each had a unique logo and was garnished with a hay bow around its neck. Other vendors were selling leather handbags, wooden garden signs, and unique jewelry.

I got to chatting with another artist who had watercolor prints and originals on display. He said he specialized in painting nude female figures, and also liked to challenge himself with water scenes. One vibrant print was of a crowd of rowboats floating atop the ocean at sunset; and his latest piece was a collection of colorful, Coy fish swimming underwater.

Inside there were a lot of delightful booths. The first stand I stopped at featured home-made, painted light-switch covers made of clay in all shapes and colors. Some had intricate designs carved into the borders, and others looked like Red Alder leaves, and were painted in rustic, fall colors. There was a professional spoonmaker, and Market penmaker. There was a table laden with inscripted stones. Some had funny sayings on them like, “YOU ROCK!” and “At least you’re not as old as this rock!” Others had inspirational quotes, and still there were larger rocks with more practical engravings like, “Please remove your shoes.”

Walking through the open-air promenade of Pike Place there’s a couple things you’ll always see—fresh produce and flowers. But farmers also bring their home-made spreads to sell, such as berry jams and honey; another vendor packages up dried snacks from his hazelnut orchard. I stopped by a Honey Farm booth and bought 4, 25-cent honey straws—one each in rootbeer, peach, pink lemonade and honey clover. There were also   whole jars of wild blackberry, rum spice, espresso, and spiced apple honey.

I spoke with a young flower arranger from Maika’s Garden about her family-owned flower farm in Carnation that has been selling flower bouquets at the Market for the past 19 years. She said that some of the senior flower arrangers had been there for more than 20 years.

Unlike my last trip, today was a great day for peach and nectarine samples from Sosio’s Fruit Produce. I also chatted with one of their produce experts and he explained that orange and red-crusted lobster mushrooms are on the harder side of mushrooms, so their rich, meaty flavor does well in soups. In addition to the great fruit samples and friendly staff, Sosio’s always has a wide assortment of unique produce, such as purple cauliflower and raspberry beans.

To refuel, I stopped by the Athenian Restaurant, famous for being the bar in Sleepless in Seattle where Tom Hanks and his construction friend sit and discuss current dating trends. You might remember the friend saying, “Hellooo, Diane! Take a look at these swatches!” Anyways, since they offer beer and food, and are one of the restaurants in the market to offer widespread views of the sound, I stepped on in. I tried the Athenian Gyro, which features lamb sausage from Uli’s Famous Sausage stand (which I sampled from on my previous trip), and washed it down with Manny’s Pale Ale—a delightful, hoppy and crisp micro-beer brewed in West Seattle.

For dessert I sucked on a clover honey straw and stared out the restaurant’s second-story window watching a parasailor in the sun. The faint silhouette of the chiseled and snow-capped Olympic mountain range served as a backdrop, and the boats left sparkling, saltwater wakes along the Sound.

Seattle Street Food: Mr Piggy – Skillet Aint All That.

If you have magazines like Seattle Magazine and Seattle Metropolitan on your coffee table, you’d think street food is an amazing new trend we’ve thought up in Seattle – just one step up from espresso and sturdy rain gear.  From “in” lists to various restaurant review sites – the StreetFoodThing seems to be everywhere.  We had some free time this week and used it to check out two of the most lauded street food vendors – Skillet and Maximus-Minimus.  What we found was a miximused bag of tricks:

Maximus-Minimus parks near the tourist melee that is the fish-throwing area at Pike Place Market - 2nd and Pike.  They have a variety of locations, but this corner near Deja Vu Showgirls seems to be their main location.  The first thing you’ll find out about this location is it one crappy place to park.  If you work downtown – it’s great – but we were on a mission to uncover the street food industry’s seamy underbelly (of pork).  It was easy to run up an $8+ parking bill although my partner noted that many people seemed to be quietly parking in the unattended lot and – perhaps – not paying…   The parking garage next door was not so generous and a Seattle taxi might be a better choice.

The service at Maximus-Minimus was very friendly and helpful – and the menu was simple, available, and easy to understand.  They offer pork sandwiches in two sauces; cole slaw in two sauces (thankfully most un-mayonaised); and fried variety of vegetables.  There are also two drinks.  The prices are reasonable and we ran around $10 each for sandwich, side dish, and drink.  Your order is taken with a wireless scanner – and the kitchen brings out food at a pretty good clip.

We really liked the food here – the sandwich was great, and non-greasy- the fries were unusually tasty, and the cole slaw was excellent.  The drinks were a lemonade and pomengranate juice – both were great too.  They also offfer a small table for a quick eat, as there was no seating nearby.

The truck’s design is unusual and eye catching – our kids loved it.  If you see Maximus-Minimus at an event, or nearby where you work – it’s a great thing to try for lunch.   Having endured the experience that is Paseo (great food, somewhat crazed location) – Maximus-Minimus was a different type of pork sandwich, but to us a great alternative for good food.

We visited Skillet’s Bellevue location as they slummed it on the Eastside.  They were parked in the older Underhill’s Furniture, next to a country music concert and a salon / gym complex.  Same deal on the parking – you work near here – it was great.  If you had to park – get out the wallet.  Downtown Bellevue isn’t exactly downtown Seattle – this was a bit of surprise but I suppose we should be taking the bus to help the environment anyways.

Skillet publishes their changing menu online.  The write the menu on the side of the truck in grease marker – which makes it easy to erase items as they run out (eventually they update the board).  And they run out of most of them.   We thought Skillet kinda sucked.

Skillet had intended to offer:  burgers, fries, chicken, dessert, pouline, and corn dogs.  They basically had burgers, and I think we got the last chicken.  There are drinks served without ice – that get warm fast.

Service was slow, and the kitchen was much slower.  The chicken took close to around 20+ minutes to bring out – you may want to plan a longer work break if you’re walking over.  The chicken was a thigh piece, with skin – and very burned, cut into pieces.  Different foods at Skillet can take wildly varying amounts of time – we seem to have made the wrong call on the chicken as many in the line who came after us, got served well before us.

The burger was pretty good – but no better than various upscale burger options around Seattle.  It was served with the fries (which were great), and homemade ketchup where you could taste the fresh tomatos.  The beef at Skillet is notably grass-fed and very fresh and the burger was tasty, yet nothing amazing.  Skillet’s trademark is the bacon jam which was pretty good although definitely not on my gym’s list of foods to seek out.  It also had some very fresh lettuce.  We would rate the burger a solid “B” on the “DeluxeBurgerScale”.

A third “intriguing” street food on our list, but not yet checked out is Tako Truk.  Their website is particularly intriguing and we hope to see it soon.   So – to sum up- Maximus-Minimus:  Pretty darn good; Skillet – it’s better than the hot dog vendors at the Mariner’s games, but wouldn’t seek it out.