Wrapping up this trip to Seattle at Pike Place Market

The morning of Day 3 started off really slowly, as I hydrated to offset the overindulgence of last night's restaurant and bar selection. Originally, Monday morning was slated for relaxation before heading to the airport. That of course changed when I opted to spend Saturday morning watching Michigan State football, forcing me to delay my visit of Pike Place Market to this trip's final morning.

Pike Place at dusk where Pike Street meets 1st Avenue
2017 Pike Place Market. Seattle, WA

Pike Place Market (not to be confused with Pike's Place roast from Starbucks) is located at the intersection of Pike Street and First Avenue in downtown Seattle. First opened in 1907, the market is one of the oldest public markets still in use today. With its trademark sign (pictured above), it also happens to be one of Seattle's most visited attractions, with millions of tourists annually.

Dinner at Cascina Spinasse (followed by drinks at Cannon)

When planning the average 'Bartcation,' restaurant selection usually requires the most effort. First there is standard research on what restaurants are good, leveraging typical web sources. Of course there is consultation with the Holy Bible of haute cuisine at early stages of preparation in order to make reservations feasible. If I am lucky, I may have like-minded foodies who live or have visited at the target locale that I may reach out to (for either suggestions, or verification of such).

Once I have narrowed it down to a short list, my criteria usually focuses on highlighting local ingredients, or places that represent the apex of a region's gastronomic specialty. Examples include visiting: Tadich Grill in San Francisco for their legendary cioppino; Vancouver's Blue Water Cafe for incredible Pacific Northwest seafood; or someplace as simple as Katz's Deli in New York for classic corned beef.

And yet, there are times when I pick a place that resonates with me because of other factors. Case in point was selecting tonight's dinner at Cascina Spinasse. Led by Chef Stuart Lane; "his team creates simple, refined dishes grounded in authentic techniques from Piedmont, while incorporating the products of artisans and small farmers from the Pacific Northwest." As it turns out, I was just getting geared up for a trip to Italy in the end of September, with a week in Piedmont. Whether it was coincidence, or divine providence that dropped a restaurant offering both a glimpse of my future travels along with highlighting local ingredients; I made the reservation and that was it.

Geeking out at the Museum of Flight (in between meals of course!)

The morning of Day 2 started off very slowly, as I hydrated in an effort to offset the indulgences at the previous evening's dinner at Canlis. The plan for Day 2 in Seattle consists of spending the morning at the Museum of Flight, followed by lunch at Lola, and an afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum. The evening's dinner venue - Italian restaurant Spinasse - will be featured in an upcoming post.

Dinner at Canlis

Few restaurants have a monopoly on their city's top echelon dining like Seattle's Canlis. That's not to say Seattle is devoid of really good restaurants; far from it. Seattle dining is fabulous, with an abundance of fresh seafood that restaurants in many other cities would kill for. Nevertheless, when people think of haute cuisine in Seattle, they think of Canlis. And as I would soon come to find out, for very good reasons.

'Almost perfect cocktail' - Canlis' take on a Manhattan
2017 Canlis. Seattle, WA

Opened in 1950 by Peter Canlis - the patriarch of the family - the restaurant has been family run ever since. In that time, additional restaurants were opened in Honolulu, Portland and Seattle, but none survive to this day. Meanwhile, the original and flagship restaurant in Seattle has continued to inspire ever since, with Twenty one consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards, along with a Michelin star, as its bona fides.

A Seattle afternoon through rose-colored Chihuly glasses

In the days leading up to this trip to Seattle, the original plan for Day 1 was checking off some of the Emerald City's more touristy offerings. More specifically, Pike Place market in the morning, Chihuly Garden and Glass in the afternoon, and a killer lunch/brunch in between. This all changed when I finally got connected with the Michigan State alumni group in Seattle, and found out there was a football game-watch at LTD Bar and Grill at 9AM. Being the good MSU football fan that I am, Pike Place market got bumped to Monday morning, and I made the trek up to the Fremont neighborhood to cheer on my Green and White. On the way North on Aurora Avenue, I caught a glimpse of Canlis: the subject for tonight's dinner post.

Thankfully MSU won, and I was able to depart for lunch in a good mood. Today's lunch location is a small bistro located just on the outer fringes of Seattle Center (think Space Needle, Chihuly museum, etc.) called Tilikum Place Cafe (TPC). Best known for brunch, including their famous Dutch baby pancakes that are made to order, patrons are treated to a light and airy space sporting huge windows that offers a bit of a reprieve from the nearby tourist mayhem. TPC offers reservations, and I suggest you make them, as the place fills up fast.

Dinner at Matt's in the Market (and first night in Seattle)

This post not only reviews a delightful restaurant in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, but also kicks off a series of posts centering on my second solo excursion to the Pacific Northwest. The first was last year's trip to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. This year I opted to stay south of the 49th parallel, and visit lovely Seattle, Washington. Speaking with a few college friends, I was directed to visit in late summer for optimal weather. Labor Day was free, so I booked a flight and an AirBnB, and the rest is history.

View from Matt's: dusk over the sound and Bainbridge Island
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA 

Dinner at Californios

Growing up in Holland (MI), the idea of gourmet cuisine was pretty much relegated to whatever one could prepare at home. Even then, the menu was limited to what one could find at the local grocer. Upscale markets in nearby Grand Rapids, while offering the vast majority of missing ingredients for whatever Thomas Keller or Mario Batali cookbook one was using; asking for oxtail and other such ingredients was still a tall ask.

That's not to say Holland was devoid of good food. Local Dutch bakeries still churn out an incredible breakfast (Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch sausage rolls - for the win!), and the local butchers offer some incredible meats that perfectly embrace the long summer outings by the grill. The sizable Hispanic population has also led to some excellent Mexican restaurants, with Taco Fiesta holding a special place in my heart growing up. 

Prior to dining at Californios, my experience with Mexican food was consistent with my upbringing. Platters of home made tacos, chile rellenos, asado de puerco con salsa verde and tamales. All accompanied with refried beans and yellow hued rice. I wouldn't call it greasy spoon food, but it certainly stuck to one's ribs, and it was/is darn good. 

The idea of a Mexican restaurant offering a tasting menu was completely foreign to me. Rick Bayless' Topolobampo offers a Mexican tasting menu, but over the years the family could never seem to get reservations when we would visit Chicago. After dining at Californios, I now know why it's so popular still to this day!

The slate gray exterior of Californios on 22nd Street in
San Francisco's Mission neighborhood