summertime in seattle.

I recently traveled to Seattle for a long weekend to attend a food blogger conference. Although I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to explore this fabulous city, I did get to check out a few great spots … and I also learned a lot by way of recommendations (many from some of you, who gave me lots of rad ideas via Facebook - thank you!) and a little of my own research.

{Check out more photos from the trip here}

Here, I share my experiences with you, for your own future travels … or in case you simply want to learn a little about a place you’ve never been. Happy pseudo-traveling!

{weather}

It’s true that it rains a lot in Seattle, though I got pretty lucky in that I didn’t get touched by a drop of rain during the few days I was there. (I’m actually obsessed with the rain, but not so much when it comes to traveling/exploring, so this worked out well for me.) Something you may not know is that summer’s in Seattle aren’t very summery at all – we’re talking 40s in June! Crazy, right? During the day, it was more like 50s/60s, and it really wasn’t bad … you know, other than the fact that I’m used to bikinis and flip-flops year-round. I was told from a few Seattle locals that this is a little cooler than average for this time of year, but I was surprised at how much different the weather is in general from most of the country. In most areas, the weather tends to warm up as the sun comes out by noon or so, and that’s not the case in Seattle. Maybe because the sun doesn’t come out very often? It usually doesn’t warm up for the day until later in the afternoon. And you know what else? It doesn’t get dark until late – around 9:45 or 10pm. Kinda cool, kinda Icelandic-creepy.

{dress}

If you can afford the room to pack your rainboots, do it! Even though I got lucky with the rain, I heard a lot of complaints about soaking wet shoes/feet from those who were out and about during the day and got caught in the rain. Besides, when else do we get the excuse to wear rainboots? Also – peeps are a bit more casual in Seattle than us East-coasters. (I learned the same thing in Denver, which is even more casual than Seattle). Spoken from a local: “Seattle polar fleece and REI gear in restaurants.” Ha! Jeans and a pair of flats will do you just fine. And definitely think layers!

{hotel}

I stayed at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, which is where the conference I attended was happening. It’s a beautiful hotel, very old-school and elegant. It’s located downtown, and I like the area because you’re a 5-minute walk to Pike Place Market, which is a must-see in Seattle. I was surprised to see that there are a few luxury stores scattered right outside of the hotel, like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. There is also a W right across the street, which is by far my favorite hotel chain, so that would be another good choice. Down the street a bit further, you’ll find a Four Seasons known to have a great wine bar.

{eat + drink}

From what I can tell, Seattle is a city of fresh produce, artisanal ingredients … and fabulous wine bars.

First I checked out Sitka + Spruce, recommended by a number of people and articles describing it as a place where you can find Pacific NW cuisine, and it did not disappoint. I fell in love with the layout and decor immediately. When you walk in, it’s almost like a butcher shop with meats in a counter on display, and then you walk through a flower shop/wine bar. The restaurant is all the way in the back, where you’re greeted with an open kitchen and fireplace, and lots of spacious, high ceilings. Everything is very woodsy and rustic. LOVE. The menu is relatively small and constantly changing. Alejandra and I deeply enjoyed our meal, including raw olives with sea salt, lentils and harissa, the most incredible sourdough bread and butter, a salami from Portland with hints of allspice, morels and poached egg, lusciously fat mussels… and plenty of local red wine.

We also attended an event at the Purple Café and Wine Bar, which was a beautiful spot with brick walls, floor-to- ceiling glass windows, and an amazing spiral staircase showcasing thousands of wine bottles. The wine, cheese, and service were perfect.

A lot of salmon is eaten in Seattle, and so we weren’t surprised to learn that the place we lunched at Pike Place Market offered their own in-house smoked salmon. Matt’s in the Market is where you really want to go, or so we were told – but they were closed for a private event, so we headed downstairs to the next best option in the same building.

More places either recommended to me or that I read about, to try next time: Top Pot Doughnuts, the Walrus and the Carpenter for oysters and martinis, Paseo for their famous Cuban roast sandwich, and Spinasse for artisanal pasta.

{do + see}

Pike Place Market is an old-school farmer’s market located downtown and on the water – a Seattle staple for many years. This is the place famous for the fishmongers who throw the fish and sing, so fun. You’ll find everything you’d expect to find at a farmers’ market – beautiful flowers and produce in every color of the rainbow, local meats and products … along with tons of little shops, cafés, restaurants, and artists and peddlers in the streets. And the first-ever Starbucks, of course!

Next time, I look forward to checking the Space Needle, the area of Ballard for cozy wandering (recommended by Kathryne, and how can I resist this description?), Seattle Art Museum, hot dogs from Po Dog (where there is talk of accessorizing your wiener, I mean … c’mon) and loads of bake shops including Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcakes Royale.

“Is there something you want to add to the list? Let me know in the comments – because I’m totally going back at some point. ”