Heavens

Good places to eat, intersting shops to check out, tips, faves, etc...

suze

The Pike Place Market, Seattle

...just celebrated its 100th anniversary. It's not so much to shop/shop for visitors, more for locals buying fresh fish, fruit & vegetables, etc.

But it is fun to poke around. There are certainly lots of local artists crafts booths selling things like watercolors, stained glass, hand-made jewelry, t-shirts, weaving, sewing, pottery, like that. And down under within the Market going down several levels, antiques, candy, various funky shops.

If you like to cook Sur La Table is a fantastic store on the main street.

My favorite restaurants include: Etta's Seafood, the Pink Door, Cafe Campagne, Kells, Emmett Watsons Oyster Bar, and El Porco Lloron.

suze

Oh and how could I forget! Lots of great street performers and musicians. And the pig statue, and the guys throwing the fish around over your head at the fish stand behind the pig.

dmlove

And across the street, the original Starbuck's.

AnnMarie_C

One of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen was from the back of the market, behind the vendors, where the windows (and I believe a door that leads outside) face Puget Sound. Absolutely beautiful.

Haven't been to Seattle for several years now but we loved to meander through the shops--there was a fantastic out of print / used bookstore there that we liked to peruse. Also, I picked up some pretty unique and beautiful things from the vendors / artisans there. My favorite being a scarf and some hand carved serving pieces.

Lucky you--enjoy a great trip!

TahitiTams

At Pikes, there is a classic old school counter dining with fresh seafood sandwiches, chowder, that was so good and cheap..
There is a great pub in the alley a half a block from Pike's that is a blast.. a block down is the best place for seafood chowder, I have ever had...dang, I can't remember either name but its in the alley across the street and its so good!

Fodorite018

Go early and sit at a window stool at Le Panier. Watch the vendors in the market set up while you sip your coffee and have a delicious croissant.

mumser

The flowers they sell are beautiful, and reasonably priced

suze

re Tams suggestions: I don't know the name of that counter restaurant either but it's right on the main aisleway of the Market proper, not too far north from the Pig.

Kells is the pub, and Pike Place Chowder for the well.. chowder(!) both on Post Alley.

Sound right?

DebitNM

There is tiny little place that makes delish crepes, has about counter and 3 or 4 stools. Great for breakfast.

our absolute best lunch in Seattle: We went to the market, got some wonderful fresh tomatoes and peaches from a vendor. Then we went out to the street [the actual Pike Place]. We bought a lovely bagguette from the bakery shop [Three Girls Bakery?]; a chunk of triple creme cheese from the cheese store [Quality Cheese?]; a huge fresh bunch of basil from a vendor that was set up on the street on Pike and finally we bought some gourmet jerky made with tenderloin beef {Sorry, cannot remember name it was a small shop and I am pretty sure it was all they sold. They handed out samples and a lot of different flavors] I had never had jerky before and always thought of it in disdain and in those "slim jim" things. I magine my surprise - it was wonderful - tasty, not to salty and not tough.

We put all that stuff in a backpack and had the most delish picnic.

Debi

TahitiTams

Thanks Suze...sounds right!
I love your town..

Heavens

Suze, you live in Seattle? No wonder you can stay on WW with all of that wonderful fresh low on the food chain food.

I love your city too.

Any tips on cheap eats in downtown or other not to miss spots downtown? My brother is going there to housesit for a week next week and I told him I would get some scoop for him...

thanks all.

1JAR

HUGELY POPULAR WITH VISITORS and LOCALS for shopping of all kinds as well as eating, sightseeing...

www.pikeplace.org
for shopping,dining etc

Yov've gotten some good tips from others:
here are some of my favorites:

Sotto Voce custom made olive oil and vinegars
Three Girls Bakery
La Pannier
Chukar Cheeries
DeLaurenti Cafe and Deli
Totem Smokehouse
La Buona Tavola trufle products
Pure Food Fish Market (you can mail order & they ship from the stall)

check out www.tourmap.com for Seattle tourism sites including Pike Place MArket

suze

Hi there Heavens~

Yup I live in Seattle, on Capitol Hill. And work in Belltown just a few blocks from the Market. Moved here about 20 years ago and never left!

Do you know what part of town the house-sit is in (a neighborhood name like Queen Anne, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Central District, Ravenna, Wallingford or the address)? We can maybe give some directions or more specific recommendations knowing where he'll be staying.

DebitNM~ Unfortunately that wonderful crepe stand isn't there anymore... don't know what happened to it.

DebitNM

travelinfool4u

You can get some really good seafood from pikes place!

happytrailstoyou

It is a colorful place for tourists to visit; however, it is not the market of my youth with rickety floors, vegetables picked the morning of sale, and old ladies selling eggs with straw stuck to them by chicken poop.

Skeeebo

Pike PLace Mrket is the true heart and soul of Seattle. A must !! Plan to spend at least 4 hours exploring. Maybe even the whole day.

P.S. Pike PLace chowder in Post Alley has won national awards for their chowders. Try the seafood bisque- stunningly good !!

Heavens

Not sure of the area, but he did say they were about 11 blocks from Pike Place...that is all I know. I told them to go to Pikes Place for breakfast each morning and coffee and watch the place set up for the day. I bet that is fun to see.

HKP

Why does an "s" appear and disappear at the end of "Pike"? I thought it was pretty much set that there's no "s" but so many keep putting it back in that maybe I'm wrong.

What's the "S" scoop?