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Seattle Isn't Just 'Frazier' Country
by Leon Schwarzbaum
Literally millions of TV viewers, following the foibles of fictional Frazier Crane and his brother Niles, think of Seattle's inhabitants as mid-30's to mid-40's pompous singles living in elegant apartments and passing the time of day in upscale coffee houses. (Same as Monica, Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and Ross in that other neck of the woods - New York).
Well, maybe some of them do, but most of Seattle's residents live somewhat different lives.
Seattle sits on a strip of land between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with Mount Rainier looming overhead through the frequent fog. The wilderness is less than an hour away, so hikers, bikers, kayakers, canoers, climbers and other outdoors types find Seattle a convenient place in which to settle. The University of Washington adds to the youthful population.
Although Seattle is the region's financial, commercial and industrial center, with Boeing and Nordstrom stores based in the city, the atmosphere is "street" instead of "institution." Some attribute the vibes to the crisp Northwest air, some to the drive-through coffee houses and some to the high humidity that frequently washes the streets, but visitors can feel the vitality.
Instead of taking you to Dr. Crane's Seattle, come along and take a look at mine, when I visit.
Almost surrounded by water, Seattle has the highest boats per capita ratio of any city in the U.S. Nearby islands and hundreds of marinas provide destinations for the marine nomads. River rafting in the Columbia River gorge, windsurfing in the same area and fishing are all available. In the short but sweet summer season, festivals boggle the mind and fill the calendar. Starting in May, with the Pike Place Market Street Festival (at the Pike Place Market, of course) through the summer, there are at least seven major festivals each year and nine or 10 community fairs. If you're a parade fan, there's the Solstice Parade in June and the Torchlight Parade downtown at the end of July.
Coffeehouses abound, as any stroller will discover. The chains are there, as are local and individually-owned caffeine dispensaries, but it's beer that rules the roost. In downtown Seattle, such institutions as Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (600 Pine Street) and The Pike Brewing Company (1415 First Avenue) compete with McMenamins Pub and Brewery, a West Coast chain. On Capitol Hill, Elysian Brewing Co. (1221 E. Pike St.) draws a crowd, as does Tir na nOg (801 First Avenue) in the Pioneer Square area. Tourists can sign up for a Brew Hops Tour (283-8460) or take the regularly scheduled tour at the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville throughout the week.
I'm an eater, and I hope you are, too. I also like to save a buck where I can, so here are some of the best cheap eats in town:
Savvy locals can be found at Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen at 500 E. Pine St, Capitol Hill. A five-dollar bill buys an over-stuffed, bursting-at-the-seams burrito;
At McSorley's at 300 Madison St., downtown, fantastic sandwiches (try the meatloaf) for $2.50 and a meal-in-a-cup soup for $1.50 fill you up and leave a great taste in your mouth;
Sporting types can get a panini sandwich, a drink, and a half hour of pool at lunch at Temple Billiards, at 126 S. Jackson St., Pioneer Square;
And, the ultimate bargain, a buffet for $5.95 is served at India Express, 510 Broadway E., Capitol Hill. The Indian food is good, the place is small but clean and you'll get more than your money's worth here.
Still on the subject of food, let me recommend some brunch locations, patronized by the "in" crowd on weekends.
Credenzia's Oven, at 10 Mercer Street, serves unusual foods from the Caspian and Black Sea areas. Baked pancakes with Armagnac-soaked prunes and an asparagus-leek frittata might strike your fancy. Other tasty dishes are also served, Saturdays and Sundays, 9 am to 3 pm.
Etta's Seafood at 2020 Western Avenue suggests reservations. If off-beat is your thing, try carrot-laced corned beef hash with Habanero ketchup, rosemary-chicken sausage or smoked salmon/goat cheese omelets.
Stars Bar & Dining at 600 Pine Street offers what is not my current favorite, but perhaps it requires an acquired taste - potatoes slow-cooked in duck fat and then browned. However, the locals report the crab-and-shrimp Benedict, the poached eggs with goat cheese and pesto butter and the ricotta-and-lemon-souffl pancakes with berries and cherry syrup are to die for.
Any of the hotel dining rooms offer more formal and upscale dining, but as a long-time New Yorker I must chuckle when I see "New York," "Manhattan" or even "Brooklyn" used to designate superlative food. (As in "New York bagels" or "New York sirloin"). So when I discovered The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak & Oyster House at 1212 2nd Avenue downtown, I knew I had found a good restaurant. There are lots of other good restaurants - any local dining guide will steer you to them.
If you are my kind of tourist, you'll get a ferry schedule and take one of the 25 ferries operated by the Washington State Ferries to any of the 20 different ports of call, across Puget Sound and its inland waterways. Visit Tacoma, Washington or Sidney, British Columbia on a day trip. Maybe you'd like to take an escorted Chinatown tour, go to the 73rd floor of Columbia Seafirst Center (701 5th Avenue), watch the street performers at the International Fountain (Seattle Center), ride the monorail between Seattle Center and Westlake Center, ride up into the Space Needle (5th Ave. N. and Broad Street) or gawk at the Walker Rock Garden with its decor of rocks, pebbles, seashells and glass (5407 37th SW).
I recommend one more unconventional stop - at Archie McPhee's, 3510 Stone Way N. Self-described "outfitters of popular culture," the shop is the source of haute couture for an alternate lifestyle. Hey, man, if it fits, wear it.
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