to the good ol' boys down at the pier
WA! Washington! And your misty jewel SEATTLE, how I enjoyed you!
On Friday night a month ago, I boarded a plane for the Pacific Northwest to enjoy a girls' weekend with my friends Kick Ass Adrianne and Camera-Ready Jen, two amazing women whom I hadn't seen for far too long. I met Adrianne at the airport and cabbed it into the city. While we waited for Jenn to arrive, we had cheese and wine at The Purple Cafe which was recommended to us and coincidentally right next to our hotel. The cheeses we had was great as were the desserts, the most delicious being a syrah brownie which was dense and peppery, paired with a glass of Bonny Doon Framboise. On the house courtesy of our very friendly waiter.
That Saturday, three girls who couldn't sleep later than 7am rose and wandered out into the windy city and to the Pike Place Market. This is one of Seattle's more famous tourist traps. Our trip happened to coincide with the Seattle Cheese Festival which brought more people than usual to this fantastic fish, flower and knick knack market. Think farmer's market but with a lot more fish.
One of the best parts of the bounty of fish were the men who sling them. By that I mean the incredibly hot and charismatic fishmongers of the Pike Place Fish Market. I got a fish thrown at me. I got it all over me but eventually in my hands. Later, Shane Kimura would get my number without even asking. I'm a whore for a man with knife skills.
We had breakfast at a small French cafe and visited the original Starbucks which is just like the millions of other coffee factories across the world except older and the logo is different. As we walked amongst the throngs of cheese lovers, I caught a whiff of something magical and yeasty. A bakery of some sort and the girls followed me as I quite literally followed my nose to Le Panier. Inside, the cream colored walls were adorned with black and white photographs of Paris. Personally, I think there is no other way to photograph that city. It looks most amazing without color. We were stuffed with fantastic breakfast yet shoved the delights aside to make room for fresh croissants and coffee. Oh, to be a cow with four stomachs.
The afternoon was spent shopping at antique stores, clothing boutiques and even department stores. There was more snacking at a tiny Italian cafe just near the market. After dropping off our purchases at the hotel, we headed to Palace Kitchen where more cheese was consumed as well as a entire TROUT by Ms. Kick Ass Fish-Devourer herself, Adrianne. Jen had a burger and I had carrot ravioli. All were delightful. That night we headed back to the Purple Cafe for more desserts and more cheese (I had developed an addiction by then) and called it a night.
Sunday, a drizzle found the city yet, the girls and I packed our bags, printed our boarding passes with help from the exemplary concierge desk and headed out to brave the elements for more croissants from Le Panier. We stopped by the market and bought coppper river salmon smoked with alderwood and sweet spices. We met Jen's boyfriend Dan and visited the famous Space Needle and had a bit of lunch before strolling around a neighborhood of which I forget the name and back to the airport for the flight home.
To report, Mr. Shane Kimura has not called me and it's been almost a month. I like to think that he has lost my number or that perhaps the distance thing scared him off. I told him I'd buy him a beer in L.A. There are so many things I should have said. Like.. "I don't care that you're 24" and "This is the jacket I wore yesterday when the other hot fishmonger threw that salmon at me and I didn't catch it and it got all over the sleeve.. see right there? Hot." and "I look sexy in heels and not dumpy vacation walking shoes." But no, some things are best left unsaid with the winds of fate catching cupid's arrows and sending them straight into the Pacific. There are plenty of other fishmongers by the sea - that's what I tell myself.
On Friday night a month ago, I boarded a plane for the Pacific Northwest to enjoy a girls' weekend with my friends Kick Ass Adrianne and Camera-Ready Jen, two amazing women whom I hadn't seen for far too long. I met Adrianne at the airport and cabbed it into the city. While we waited for Jenn to arrive, we had cheese and wine at The Purple Cafe which was recommended to us and coincidentally right next to our hotel. The cheeses we had was great as were the desserts, the most delicious being a syrah brownie which was dense and peppery, paired with a glass of Bonny Doon Framboise. On the house courtesy of our very friendly waiter.
That Saturday, three girls who couldn't sleep later than 7am rose and wandered out into the windy city and to the Pike Place Market. This is one of Seattle's more famous tourist traps. Our trip happened to coincide with the Seattle Cheese Festival which brought more people than usual to this fantastic fish, flower and knick knack market. Think farmer's market but with a lot more fish.
One of the best parts of the bounty of fish were the men who sling them. By that I mean the incredibly hot and charismatic fishmongers of the Pike Place Fish Market. I got a fish thrown at me. I got it all over me but eventually in my hands. Later, Shane Kimura would get my number without even asking. I'm a whore for a man with knife skills.
We had breakfast at a small French cafe and visited the original Starbucks which is just like the millions of other coffee factories across the world except older and the logo is different. As we walked amongst the throngs of cheese lovers, I caught a whiff of something magical and yeasty. A bakery of some sort and the girls followed me as I quite literally followed my nose to Le Panier. Inside, the cream colored walls were adorned with black and white photographs of Paris. Personally, I think there is no other way to photograph that city. It looks most amazing without color. We were stuffed with fantastic breakfast yet shoved the delights aside to make room for fresh croissants and coffee. Oh, to be a cow with four stomachs.
The afternoon was spent shopping at antique stores, clothing boutiques and even department stores. There was more snacking at a tiny Italian cafe just near the market. After dropping off our purchases at the hotel, we headed to Palace Kitchen where more cheese was consumed as well as a entire TROUT by Ms. Kick Ass Fish-Devourer herself, Adrianne. Jen had a burger and I had carrot ravioli. All were delightful. That night we headed back to the Purple Cafe for more desserts and more cheese (I had developed an addiction by then) and called it a night.
Sunday, a drizzle found the city yet, the girls and I packed our bags, printed our boarding passes with help from the exemplary concierge desk and headed out to brave the elements for more croissants from Le Panier. We stopped by the market and bought coppper river salmon smoked with alderwood and sweet spices. We met Jen's boyfriend Dan and visited the famous Space Needle and had a bit of lunch before strolling around a neighborhood of which I forget the name and back to the airport for the flight home.
To report, Mr. Shane Kimura has not called me and it's been almost a month. I like to think that he has lost my number or that perhaps the distance thing scared him off. I told him I'd buy him a beer in L.A. There are so many things I should have said. Like.. "I don't care that you're 24" and "This is the jacket I wore yesterday when the other hot fishmonger threw that salmon at me and I didn't catch it and it got all over the sleeve.. see right there? Hot." and "I look sexy in heels and not dumpy vacation walking shoes." But no, some things are best left unsaid with the winds of fate catching cupid's arrows and sending them straight into the Pacific. There are plenty of other fishmongers by the sea - that's what I tell myself.
posted by Katie at 12:31 PM
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