It’s a great time of year to catch a hotel deal in Seattle. The Canadian dollar is strong, the wine is cheap and Nordstrom, Anthroplogie and J.Crew offer refuge in inclement weather.
Kenmore Air is the way to go this time of year when the Clipper times are unhelpful and there’s no time for ferries and I-5. There is a new spiffy streetcar that takes you from Union Bay right up Westlake Ave (past Whole Foods), a $2.25 pass lasts a couple hours.
Check out the unbeatable sandwiches and apple fritters at Pike Place Market’s Three Girls Bakery, the chowder at the seafood joint across from Three Girls and the coconut buns at Mee Sum Pastries.
Chosen for it’s tasting menu, Purple Cafe and Wine Bar on 4th was a pleasant surprise. It was packed so we sat at the bar and ordered one item at a time from the tasting menu. Each small plate is offered with an optional 3oz. wine pairing. Along with a full dinner menu and massive wine list, they have the most extensive collection of champagne cocktails I’ve ever seen – 16 in total.
Hotel Max has daily deals at the sushi bar and interesting decor. The dj in the lobby at the W Hotel is an entertaining stop after an evening at Purple. Stop in at Cafe Campagne for a croque madame and glass of bordeaux.
Watson Kennedy is full of goodies for the home, many of which I’ve read about or seen online but haven’t seen in Canada. Everything is sorted by vignette, based on colour or theme. Designer-dreamy.
The topic of last week’s contest was the Downtown Public Library on 4th. Near the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) if you want to have a peek. We have Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and former Seattleite Joshua Ramus to thank as principal designers on the project. An amazing 362,987 square feet, capacity for 1.45 million books and materials and a high-tech book-handling system that you can see in operation when you walk in. There are 400 computers and lots of GREEN. Too bad.
