Seattle, WA

I went to Seattle last May to meet up with my parents and brother. My dad was in town for a business conference, and the rest of us just tagged along to check out the city.

Seattle is a charming city (when it’s not raining). It lacks the hustle and bustle of other cities, but that’s part of its appeal. It has the accessibility and availability of a city without the chaos that is usually tied it.

Pike Place Market
I had never been to Seattle before and didn’t know what to expect. Within my first hour of wandering (I love to wander), I found Pike Place Market – home of the flying fish. (The fish are only sort of flying. Guys in orange jumpsuits throw whole fish from one side of the stand to the other.) Anyways, the market was packed with stands selling everything from seafood to handmade crafts. It was wonderful walking around and checking out everything there is to offer.

I apologize in advance for not recalling the company name, but on the street level near the flying fish stand, there is a donut stand worth visiting. Their donuts are simple, but good. Look for the long line of people, and you will find the donut stand. It’s that good.

While you’re at the market, check out the Athenian Inn a diner in the market. Peer in the windows and you can see where a part of Sleepless in Seattle (great movie) was filmed.

Pike Place Market is a fun place to visit, but be forewarned, the market gets packed with tourists and locals.

Piroshky Piroshky
1908 Pike Place
Seattle, WA
Right across the market, there is a small eatery called Piroshky Piroshky that specializes in, you guessed it…piroshkies. Piroshkies are Russian meat/veggie pies, similar to the Italian calzone. The outer bread is similar in consistency of a bagel and there are many options for the filling inside.

I stumbled upon this place while looking for the original Starbucks, which turned out to be a few stores down from Piroshky Piroshky. I saw a line of 10 people waiting to get into a small bakery and hopped right in line. The food was so good that for brunch the next day, I went right back to Piroshky Piroshky.

The traditional Piroshky is beef and onion, but while you’re in Seattle, seafood is king. Therefore, I recommend the smoked salmon pate piroshky. The piroshky comes shaped like a fish and is filled with smoked salmon and cheese. So good.

If you’re craving for something sweet, try the whole baked apple. Pretty much you can’t go wrong in ordering here since everything tastes so good.

There is not much room to eat at Piroshky Piroshky, so if it’s a clear day, grab your piroshky and head across the street to the open space where you’ll find others just hanging around and relaxing.

Pike Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley, Suite 11
Seattle, WA
Up an alley off of Pike Place, you will find Pike Place Chowder. They offer various types of chowders and are best known for their award-winning New England style clam chowder. I tried some of their other chowders, but I recommend sticking to the clam chowder. It's what they're best at.

Ivar's
Pier 54
Seattle, WA
For some more seafood, my family and I went to Ivar's down on Pier 54. The indoor dining served some great seafood and a meal on the parents was always right in my price range. For some cheap seafood eats, though, there's Ivar's take-out right next to the restaurant. Still in the mood to try some more of Seattle's seafood, we split an order of fish-n-chips from Ivar's take-out. I personally recommend trying some malt vinegar with the fries.