A Visitor's Guide to the Seattle area


PaizoCon General Discussion

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Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

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Greetings to everyone attending PaizoCon this year!

If you have never been to Seattle before, you may be wondering what there is to do outside of the Coast Hotel in Bellevue (well, I did say "may be"). Here is a brief collection of links that will start you thinking:

One site to start you out
Plus here's a great virtual tour to launch

Since it's the ocean that draws a lot of people, I'd start by focusing on Seattle near the waterfront. The waterfront is a nice walk, lots of restaurants, including Ivar's Acres of Clams and the Crab Pot. Also, you've got the Seattle Aquarium there, and Pike Place Market right nearby. Piers 55/56 is where you can catch a cruise to Tillicum Village on Blake Island and have a smoked salmon dinner...very cool. Or just take a ferry ride over to Bainsbridge Island and back.....

Pike Place Market: Everyone sees the upper level, with the guys throwing fish, but the lower level is pretty cool too. And go across the street and go through all the shops there, including Post Alley. My favorite place to eat there? Piroshky Piroshky, across the street from the main market.

Pioneer Square:
Lots of nightclubs here, but of special interest I HIGHLY recommend the Underground Tour, This is one of the neatest things I've ever done in Seattle.
Plus, one of my favorite restaurants, the New Orleans Cafe, is down in Pioneer Square. Oh, and down near Safeco Field, go across the street to the Pyramid Brewery and Alehouse.

Lake Union:
Two great restaurants here, Ivar's Salmon House and Siam on Lake Union.

Seattle Center: The Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, The Experience Music Project and SciFi Museum. Lots to do here.

Fremont:
The little hippie side of Seattle. Lots of public art (People waiting for the bus, the Fremont Troll), lots of weird little shops, coffee houses galore. And nearby is the Woodland Park Zoo.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks:
By June, the sockeye salmon are starting their run, but it's a cool place to see regardless. Ballard is a neat district....Scandinavian in nature.

The international district in Seattle is also a fun place to go and eat, and shop. Especially going into Uwajimaya!!

Lastly, further south is the Boeing Museum of Flight.

Well, that'll get you started!
I invite others to add to the list!

Liberty's Edge

WOW that is a load of stuff. THanks so much for doing this Tim.


Thanks Tim.. But the real question is... Establishments where the ladies are; where and when do all the women with substance frequent in Seattle?? : P

I just looked at that sentence and I do believe that is one of the most horrible pieces of grammar I've ever written! Could somebody translate that for me please?

And if you mention exotic dancers as part of the translation-
A) That's not what I meant

and

B) Be prepared to get a sack of potatoes in the face at PaizoCon! : P

Liberty's Edge Contributor

GreenGrunt wrote:
Thanks Tim.. But the real question is... Establishments where the ladies are; where and when do all the women with substance frequent in Seattle?? : P

Oh, you're definitely looking for the Wild Rose then :D

As for Seattle, Tim is dead-on about Pike's Place and the Underground Tour. If you have an extra day or two here in the Pacific Northwest, you can't leave until you've done both 9easy enough, as they're within walking distance, and all the buses around downtown are free during the day anyway). Definitely try Piroshky Piroshky if you're there for lunch, but be prepared to wait in line. If you're in more of a breakfast mood, stop by "The Crumpet Shop" for an awesome light breakfast. And don't leave without tracking down Rose's Chocolates in Post Alley or having a drink at the White Horse Pub (they're next door to each other).

If you're only going to be in the Bellevue area, then at least make time to go to Kidd Valley or Burgermaster to sample some of the area's finest hamburgers. You can also wander by the Microsoft campus to shake your fist in impotent rage. That's always fun. Or you can just get some picinic supplies together and enjoy an afternoon along one of the two breathtaking glacial lakes that sandwich Bellevue: Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. There are some amazing hiking trails if you're willing and/or able to drive over to Cougar Mountain as well.


Immora wrote:
GreenGrunt wrote:
Thanks Tim.. But the real question is... Establishments where the ladies are; where and when do all the women with substance frequent in Seattle?? : P

Oh, you're definitely looking for the Wild Rose then :D

As for Seattle, Tim is dead-on about Pike's Place and the Underground Tour. If you have an extra day or two here in the Pacific Northwest, you can't leave until you've done both 9easy enough, as they're within walking distance, and all the buses around downtown are free during the day anyway). Definitely try Piroshky Piroshky if you're there for lunch, but be prepared to wait in line. If you're in more of a breakfast mood, stop by "The Crumpet Shop" for an awesome light breakfast. And don't leave without tracking down Rose's Chocolates in Post Alley or having a drink at the White Horse Pub (they're next door to each other).

If you're only going to be in the Bellevue area, then at least make time to go to Kidd Valley or Burgermaster to sample some of the area's finest hamburgers. You can also wander by the Microsoft campus to shake your fist in impotent rage. That's always fun. Or you can just get some picinic supplies together and enjoy an afternoon along one of the two breathtaking glacial lakes that sandwich Bellevue: Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. There are some amazing hiking trails if you're willing and/or able to drive over to Cougar Mountain as well.

Thank ye lass... Alas I don't have the time to do many of the recommended activities as I'll be flying in Thurs night and then Leaving early Mon afternoon... Although, I would LOVE to go hiking.

Regardless, I'll keep the other info in mind. Thanks again.

Silver Crusade

If your from the midwest, I would say avoid the pizza. Also, bring some salt with you. I'll add a few restaurants from the area that are really good that you won't have to cross the water for. So I'll keep it in Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland.

First of all, Szechuan Chef on 1st and 148th is amazing. The curried lamb is amazing but if you have a group, go for the hot pot. If you get it hot, realize it is VERY hot, so take it with a grain of salt. If you have the means, I can't recommend the Szechuan Crab enough. They don't always have it though.

In that same vein, in Redmond is Watercress. It's a fusion asian restaurant and while not terribly expensive, it isn't cheap either. However the food is amazingly clean and fresh and if you go during happy hour, you get half off appetizers which can make a meal. I recommend the duck, the green onion pancakes, and the salt and pepper chicken. Also, say hi to Lily if she's there. She's the head chef and just a wonderful hostess.

If you must have pizza, get Pagliaci. They've got great quality toppings and have some unique and interesting pizzas. I personally can't stand their crust and I feel their sauce is kinda meh, but the toppings are really nice. I highly recommend the spicy pepperoni. It's made here in Seattle by Salumi who have been featured all over for their amazing salumi.

While we're back in Bellevue, let's talk about sushi. Now I have three places for sushi in the area: cheap, delicious, and omakase. The really good cheap place is Marineopolis. A tasty conveyor belt sushi joint. The smallest plates are only a dollar and you can get a tuna and a cucumber rolled for 350 and walk out satisfied. SushiMe just opened and they are like a little more upscale version of marinopolis. If I have the means I prefer to go there. I usually walk out with $10-12 bill but I could scale up or down. Last but certainly not least is Flo. It will cost you but is really amazing. Do Omakase if you can afford it and add on the sake pairings. Unbelievably good sushi and a great atmosphere but you pay for it.

Next is one I haven't been to yet. I usually won't recommend them, but the fact is, I've never heard a bad thing and only incredible praises. It's a nice evening out if you want to reward your signficant other for having the grace to put up with you and your hobby. Cafe Jaunita is a special place and has some of the best food in Seattle if everything is to be believed and you don't even have to cross the water to get there. If you want a little more down-to-earth Italian, Angelo's is really great a little cheaper than most of the others. If you go into the lounge you can order from the full menu and there is never a wait, even on fridays and saturdays. It's a great place to hang and I've considered D&D games there if gaming weren't a big issue with bars in general. The food is quite tasty. They usually have a nice crisp calamari appetizer which is perfectly cooked and seasoned and Immora swears by their whiskey sour with crushed ice. Their pasta is cooked well and not overdone and while their sauces are a little light they are quite good. It's pretty much all good, but I can never get them to do my chicken marsala ON a bed of plain fettuccine. I will try it spell it out exactly as I want it next time. ^_^ That said, they have a well stocked bar with a lot of really great and odd cordials and liqueurs.

If you decide to go downtown to have a nice dinner, I always go to Cremant. It's a bus ride from downtown, but it's got the best door in Seattle and the food is amazing. Very french and fairly seasonal. That said a few things are almost always on the menu. The Duck Confit is brilliant and delicious as is, well, I've never had anything bad there. Oh! And their creme brulee is the best I've ever had. Seriously. That alone makes it worth the drive/bus ride.

For tacos, we go to Taqueria el Rinconsito. It's tasty, it's cheap, and it's a fairly good chain. Tacos are great as are the burritos and on Sunday's Menudo. Daily specials as well.

There are plenty of other tasty places around but I think these are the best of the best. If you just want fast food, subways, jack in the boxes, mcdonalds and the rest abound. There is also a mall or two that have some ok take away.

Lest I forget the beer side of Seattle. On this side, it's worth a day trip to the Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville. The food isn't amazing but the beer is, especially the nitro porter. If they have it on tap, ask for a float. The vanilla mixes pretty well and it's the personal goal of one of the tour guides to get it on the menu. I'm trying to keep that dream alive. Pikes Place downtown is a pretty good place, decent food, but I'm not hops person and their brews are hoppy. Last time I was there, I had the nitro tap and it was an IPA and was barely able to get it down. Others would love it. Hop heads should check it out. In Redmond, Malt and Vine has an incredible selection of beers, lambics, and meads as well as a few wines. All to go, though you can drink on the premises as well. 3 or 4 taps and always something of interest. Lizzy's favorites are usually mine. Ask Doug and Lizzy what their drinking these days and they'll usually have a great recommendation.

Plenty of other places but these are the eating and drinking establishments I can think of off the top of my head.

Silver Crusade

Also I would add some links for those "looking for the lady's".

The Wild Rose - umm... mostly for the women looking for other women... But if you behave yourself, their probably won't be a problem. Everyone tends to be pretty inclusive in the Seattle area in general.

For the guys looking for a strip club, try The Lusty Lady. It's an institution in the area and the girls have variety; tall, short, thin, thick, red haired, dark skinned, whatever. It will be downtown though. I'm not sure there are any strip clubs at all in bellevue. I once had a friend who worked there for awhile and it's exactly the kinda thing you'd expect from Seattle. That said, it's more private I think. More of a peep show than stage dancing so it may not be the perfect place to take your paizo friend to get a lap dance. Or maybe it is, depending on what you're into.

Otherwise, seriously, pick a bar. We'll be pretty close to downtown Bellevue which means there will be plenty of high end bars with whatever you're looking for. Bring some dress clothes and you'll be set.

For a more casual setting, well, there is the mustard seed and sideline but neither are really geared to attract a lot of women. That said, Rock Band after 9 on sundays at sideline, and tasty fried stuff at the mustard seed. I'm not really a big bar hopper.


Thanks for all this information. It should help me out when I attend the PaizoCon 2010. ~cue movie theme music~


SunshineGrrrl, you spoke to my heart with your food recommendations. Win! I've never been to one of the conveyer-belt-style sushi places, so I may have to check that one out. :D

Silver Crusade

Lilith wrote:
SunshineGrrrl, you spoke to my heart with your food recommendations. Win! I've never been to one of the conveyer-belt-style sushi places, so I may have to check that one out. :D

It's delish! Marinopolis is decent enough and the price is right. But SushiMe has captured me(and it's also much easier to find). Not the absolute best sushi in the world, but it's still awesome enough and the price is good and the fish always seems to be on par or better than 90% of the places in the area. Plus they always have a few weird and unique modern type rolls floating about. Oh! And weenie octopi... OK. Not everythings a winner but they are cute if not tasty. ^_^

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Lilith wrote:
SunshineGrrrl, you spoke to my heart with your food recommendations. Win! I've never been to one of the conveyer-belt-style sushi places, so I may have to check that one out. :D

We've got one right next door to Genesis Games and Gizmos here in Redmond....Marineopolis owns it too...but they call it Sushi Land.

I agree, though...it's a lot of fun!

If we are talking Redmond....

Celtic Bayou
Golden Chopsticks
Kanishka

And I am making the call right now...Dim Sum run on Sunday...10:30 AM.
We will be going to Top Gun Seafood


Timitius wrote:

And I am making the call right now...Dim Sum run on Sunday...10:30 AM.

We will be going to Top Gun Seafood

I'm down.


OMG I'm soooooooooo excited!!!

Silver Crusade

Timitius wrote:

We've got one right next door to Genesis Games and Gizmos here in Redmond....Marineopolis owns it too...but they call it Sushi Land.

I agree, though...it's a lot of fun!

If we are talking Redmond....

Celtic Bayou
Golden Chopsticks
Kanishka

And I am making the call right now...Dim Sum run on Sunday...10:30 AM.
We will be going to Top Gun Seafood

You know we used to LOOOVE Celtic Bayou. Great beer selection but their cajun food was never that great. More fire than flavor. And they used to have the best bread pudding in town but they changed that up too, so we've mostly avoided it lately sadly. If you go, the bangers and mash are pretty good and definitely get the hushpuppies with the honey butter. Totally awesome and almost worth the trip accompanied by a great beer selection.

The Sushi Land in Redmond is way easier to find but a much longer drive though I think it's a better one as it's newer. Though usually insanely busy on the weekends. We've waited an hour on friday nights so be warned that sushiland is best served either early or in the mid afternoon.

If I can afford it, me and mine are probably up for dim sum. I've never been to kanishka. What do you like there?

Silver Crusade

Gah. I'm an idiot. I have been to Kanishka. It's still my favorite Indian place, I just never remember the name. Unfortunately the one by Oroboros, may it rest in peace, was always more easily available and I rarely got to get my fix at Kanishka. The Sheek Kabob is one of my most favoritist things ever and it reheats very well. Put it with a little naan and it is amazingly delicious.

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

SunshineGrrrl wrote:
Gah. I'm an idiot. I have been to Kanishka. It's still my favorite Indian place, I just never remember the name. Unfortunately the one by Oroboros, may it rest in peace, was always more easily available and I rarely got to get my fix at Kanishka. The Sheek Kabob is one of my most favoritist things ever and it reheats very well. Put it with a little naan and it is amazingly delicious.

Kanishka is literally right down the street from me. What I get there? The buffet. Just about anything you could want, and all you can eat, too! Actually, Kanishka holds the honor of being the first place I ever ate goat....tastes like lamb, but chewier.

I agree with the cajun food assessment at Celtic Bayou. Change in management. And they no longer brew their own beer there. :(
Still, they have a pretty good beer selection. As for the heat, the last time I went, I told them to NOT sprinkle the cayenne over the dish as a garnish...it was much better that way.


Thanks for the recommendations Sunshine, I'm totally down with the sushi.

As for the erotic dancers, I'll pass on that.... Twas a bad jest on my part. I've had enough of the bar scene in NY so I certainly won't be in bar hopping mode during the 'Con. But that is another story which I will not delve into here. Thanks for the huge input on recommended food establishments. Much appreciated!

Cheers-
GG

Contributor

If you like Indian or Mediterranean food, you MUST come to the north part of Seattle and visit Saffron Grille. If you hear Seattlites raving about "Cedars on Brooklyn," this is actually the place you want to go to (the owner of Saffron used to run Cedars, then moved to his current location, but the owner of the old building owned the name, so now it's Saffron Grill).

Best. Food. Ever.
As in, "when I didn't live in Washington any more, and I'd come back to visit people, I'd make sure we went here at least once."
As in, "when I was living off my Wizards severance and packing up to move to California for my new job, and had no other responsibilities, for a while I ate lunch here every day."

Try the vegetable nan. Try the chai. Try the pakoras. Order any entree. Heck, you might even see me there one night. The owner, Mohammed, is a very friendly and generous host.

And it's really easy to get to from Bellevue: interstate 90 west, to interstate 5 north, Northgate exit (exit 173), left onto 1st Avenue NE (the street the offramp takes you to), left on Northgate (the very first light), it'll be across the freeway overpass and on your right.

Liberty's Edge Contributor

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

If you like Indian or Mediterranean food, you MUST come to the north part of Seattle and visit Saffron Grille. If you hear Seattlites raving about "Cedars on Brooklyn," this is actually the place you want to go to (the owner of Saffron used to run Cedars, then moved to his current location, but the owner of the old building owned the name, so now it's Saffron Grill).

Best. Food. Ever.
As in, "when I didn't live in Washington any more, and I'd come back to visit people, I'd make sure we went here at least once."
As in, "when I was living off my Wizards severance and packing up to move to California for my new job, and had no other responsibilities, for a while I ate lunch here every day."

THAT's what happened to Cedars! We used to go once a month, and then it disappeared on us and nobody we knew seemed to know why. Thanks Sean!

Contributor

Oddly, the old building is still a restaurant, and it's still called Cedar's, but I hear the landlord is kind of a slumlord and the place has an infestation problem. To two more reasons to go to Saffron Grill instead! :)

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Oddly, the old building is still a restaurant, and it's still called Cedar's, but I hear the landlord is kind of a slumlord and the place has an infestation problem. To two more reasons to go to Saffron Grill instead! :)

When did the original Cedar's owner make this move to Saffron? I haven't eaten at Cedar's in maybe a year or possibly two. It seemed fine then....

Contributor

I'm not sure of the exact date, as I wasn't in WA at the time. I believe the new restaurant opened up summerish last year, with them leaving the Cedar's location a bit before that.

Anyway, Saffron is the place to go. Or the owner's son's place (Taste of India) in the U-District on Roosevelt.


We're visiting Seattle for the first time and bringing our three daughters (11, 13, 16). We are flying in Wednesday night so that we will have Thursday for sight-seeing. I'm looking for suggestions for say the "top 3" things you would want to see with children of that age. Space needle I'm guessing would be one...any other suggestions???

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

bettytr wrote:
We're visiting Seattle for the first time and bringing our three daughters (11, 13, 16). We are flying in Wednesday night so that we will have Thursday for sight-seeing. I'm looking for suggestions for say the "top 3" things you would want to see with children of that age. Space needle I'm guessing would be one...any other suggestions???

You should go on the Underground Tour. I haven't been myself, but its supposed to be really fun.

Contributor

Underground tour = fun.

Space Needle = fine to look at from the outside, not really worth the $18 to ride the elevator to the top, certainly not worth the overpriced-with-bad-service restaurant.

There's a Game Center (restaurant and video games) in Capital Hill, just a few blocks from the Pike Place Market. Many other restaurants in that area, too, plus shopping. And while you're there you should check out the Legendary "Seattle Police is Communist" homeless guy who hangs out on Pike and 6th with his cardboard sign, he's a hoot!

Lemme check with my friends with kids for other kid-friendly Seattle things.

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Mental Note to Self: Sean K Reynolds is not to be trusted to plan my child's birthday party....EVER!

(Go check out the crazy homeless guy????) ;-)

Having two boys myself (ages 8 and 3), here are MY suggestions for kid-friendly must-dos:

1. Woodland Park Zoo. While you are in the area, afterwards go to the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder...the salmon may be running in June.

2. Seattle Center (includes Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Children's Museum, SciFi Museum/EMP...which is showing a Muppets exhibit now). Note that these are all separate things, each with their own entrance fees.

3. Pikes Place Market and the Waterfront. Go to the market, see them throw fish, etc., and then head down the waterfront stairs to the waterfront, and go to the Seattle Aquarium, eat at Ivar's or the Crab Pot, and so on......

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

Timitius wrote:
which is showing a Muppets exhibit now

That exhibit is currently in Orlando. I saw it last month. It's great.

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Oops. Well it WILL be in Seattle by PaizoCon-time:

May 23 to August 16, 2009.

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

Immora wrote:
GreenGrunt wrote:
Thanks Tim.. But the real question is... Establishments where the ladies are; where and when do all the women with substance frequent in Seattle?? : P

Oh, you're definitely looking for the Wild Rose then :D

As for Seattle, Tim is dead-on about Pike's Place and the Underground Tour. If you have an extra day or two here in the Pacific Northwest, you can't leave until you've done both 9easy enough, as they're within walking distance, and all the buses around downtown are free during the day anyway). Definitely try Piroshky Piroshky if you're there for lunch, but be prepared to wait in line. If you're in more of a breakfast mood, stop by "The Crumpet Shop" for an awesome light breakfast. And don't leave without tracking down Rose's Chocolates in Post Alley or having a drink at the White Horse Pub (they're next door to each other).

Part of the beauty of the Market is that there are a jillion micro-restaurants serving a wide variety of chow, from walk-ups to sit-downs. I like the Mee Sum Pastry baked curry beef humbow, but Piroshky Piroshky is good, as is Turkish Delight, and there are dozens of little places I haven't been and I live here! I also like the fresh-fried mini-donuts in the Market Arcade (go past the bronze pig into the market, past Pike Place Fish, and hang a left).

Immora wrote:
If you're only going to be in the Bellevue area, then at least make time to go to Kidd Valley or Burgermaster to sample some of the area's finest hamburgers.

While I am a fan of both places (and KV makes great fresh fruit shakes and Burgermaster great onion rings), if you have a car and are really craving a fabulous burger, I can highly recommend Burger Madness and the Lunchbox Laboratory. You'll need a car cuz they're both in Seattle. Burger Madness is not bad on price, the LL is more expensive, but oh... my... goodness...

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

Timitius wrote:
Lilith wrote:
SunshineGrrrl, you spoke to my heart with your food recommendations. Win! I've never been to one of the conveyer-belt-style sushi places, so I may have to check that one out. :D

We've got one right next door to Genesis Games and Gizmos here in Redmond....Marineopolis owns it too...but they call it Sushi Land.

I agree, though...it's a lot of fun!

If we are talking Redmond....

Celtic Bayou
Golden Chopsticks
Kanishka

And I am making the call right now...Dim Sum run on Sunday...10:30 AM.
We will be going to Top Gun Seafood

If you feel like Dim Sum on the Seattle side, in my book Jade Garden is the best hands-down.

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

SunshineGrrrl wrote:
If you must have pizza, get Pagliaci. They've got great quality toppings and have some unique and interesting pizzas. I personally can't stand their crust and I feel their sauce is kinda meh, but the toppings are really nice. I highly recommend the spicy pepperoni. It's made here in Seattle by Salumi who have been featured all over for their amazing salumi.

Eccch, spare the visitors the paper-thin crust and sweet ketchup passing for sauce - how Pagliacci still has such a following I just don't get.

If you like your pizza with a little more substance, a little Chicago style (and I've been to Chi enough to know) look up Delfino's. Not true Chicago but close and still very good, great crust, cheese, sauce, and meats, try Pegasus Pizza, which also has an outlet in Kirkland that would be closer for visitors.

Contributor

Cmon, Tim, you know which homeless guy I'm talking about, he's a hoot!

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16

This is Kick ass! I won't be in town for Paizocon, but I will be in town in mid July! The fiancee and her sister "twisted my arm" to come with them for their Twilight vacation... Lemme think, visit Paizo, see some kick ass trees, take a dip in the Pacific for the first time. Done and Done.

And Now I have a residents guide to where to go and see and most especially eat and drink!!!

-I Vrock the party that Vrocks the body...

Sovereign Court

bettytr wrote:

We're visiting Seattle for the first time and bringing our three daughters (11, 13, 16). We are flying in Wednesday night so that we will have Thursday for sight-seeing. I'm looking for suggestions for say the "top 3" things you would want to see with children of that age. Space needle I'm guessing would be one...any other suggestions???

The Underground is an excellent suggestion. There are some nice shops around there as well.

Depending upon their interest in such at this point, there's the Doll Museum in Bellevue. http://www.dollart.com/

If they're more into nature you can head out to the falls - fun to hike down to the bottom. http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/

Sovereign Court

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Cmon, Tim, you know which homeless guy I'm talking about, he's a hoot!

Oh my gosh, is he still there???

Speaking of street people... Went to a Mariner's game. I miss Tuba Man. Sigh.

Sovereign Court

Timitius wrote:

Oops. Well it WILL be in Seattle by PaizoCon-time:

May 23 to August 16, 2009.

You mean the Paizo crew aren't bringing their puppets like last year?


Darn... I hope that GMing the PFS events don't get in the way on hanging out with these planned events... :(

Liberty's Edge

What places to eat fish would be good? no sushi, like salmon

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Paul Hedges wrote:
What places to eat fish would be good? no sushi, like salmon

The last time I was there, there was a little place on the bottom floor of Pike's Place that had the best salmon chowder I've had in a long time. I don't know many cool low-key local places, but Ivar's is quite delicious, and well known.

Oh, one fun little tourist trap is the Curiosity Shoppe, I think. It's down on one of the wharfs, next to Ivar's. They've got mummies and shrunken heads and an assortment of other oddities.

I've got family in Seattle, so I've been there a few times, but I'm no local. Hope that helps!

The Exchange

I am definitely hitting Taste of India and Saffron Grille. I am an Indian Food fanatic. Say no more!


The Underground is an excellent suggestion. There are some nice shops around there as well.

Depending upon their interest in such at this point, there's the Doll Museum in Bellevue. http://www.dollart.com/

If they're more into nature you can head out to the falls - fun to hike down to the bottom. http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/

These sound like great suggestions...how far is Seattle from the falls?


Transportation...do I need to rent a car? Or is there a lot of public transportation to be had at a decent rate?

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

The Falls that Pete speaks of are Snoqualmie Falls, off to the east of Seattle. VERY cool, but a bit of a distance from Seattle. Since you will be in Bellevue for PaizoCon, it's a bit closer, but still, it is a drive to get there.

The other question: So, should you bus or rent a car? It solely depends on what you are planning on doing.

Metro is pretty good, actually. Does it get you everywhere? Sort of. I recommend it if 1) you are going to popular destinations that have the routes to easily get you there (i.e., downtown) and 2) if you have the time at your disposal. If you are on a relatively tight schedule to see stuff all over, the bus schedules and routes may hamper your plans.


Paul Hedges wrote:
What places to eat fish would be good? no sushi, like salmon

Downtown Seattle has McCormick & Schmick's and Cutters -- both serve excellent fish. There is also Ivar's along the waterfront.

Bellevue has some fish places I'm sure...but I can't recall them off the top of my head.

Coho down in Redmond is also pretty good.

CJ


bettytr wrote:
Transportation...do I need to rent a car? Or is there a lot of public transportation to be had at a decent rate?

Beyond buses...the Seattle-MetroPlex sucks for mass transit. We are only now just figuring that out. The buses can take you places, but they are pretty much limited to tooling around Seattle. Sure you can get to and from Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond on the bus -- but it does require quite a bit of patience.

If you want to visit anywhere the best bet is to rent a car. Someday this might not be the only viable option in Seattle...but sadly today it still is.

CJ

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Paul Hedges wrote:
What places to eat fish would be good? no sushi, like salmon

For me, the best place to get salmon is Ivar's Salmon House, on Lake Union. It's kind of a PNW Native American Lodnghouse motif..."complete with an open-pit Native American-style barbecue for preparing succulent alder-smoked dishes."

Yummy. Alder-smoked salmon is THE BEST.

I take friends and family here when I want to treat them to something "Seattle"-ish.


Timitius wrote:

For me, the best place to get salmon is Ivar's Salmon House, on Lake Union. It's kind of a PNW Native American Lodnghouse motif..."complete with an open-pit Native American-style barbecue for preparing succulent alder-smoked dishes."

Yummy. Alder-smoked salmon is THE BEST.

I take friends and family here when I want to treat them to something "Seattle"-ish.

That sounds really awesome Timitius. If you aren't a native of the PacNW, definitely try the salmon - we're rightfully proud of the stuff up thisaway. :D

The Exchange

Hmm, not a fish guy, but I am rather curious about specialty fish houses. I will partake.

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

Timitius wrote:
Paul Hedges wrote:
What places to eat fish would be good? no sushi, like salmon

For me, the best place to get salmon is Ivar's Salmon House, on Lake Union. It's kind of a PNW Native American Lodnghouse motif..."complete with an open-pit Native American-style barbecue for preparing succulent alder-smoked dishes."

Yummy. Alder-smoked salmon is THE BEST.

I take friends and family here when I want to treat them to something "Seattle"-ish.

I'd agree with the Salmon House, though I also like Chinook's out at Fisherman's Terminal - a little bit harder to find if you're an out-of-towner, though.

Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder

Jason Nelson wrote:


I'd agree with the Salmon House, though I also like Chinook's out at Fisherman's Terminal - a little bit harder to find if you're an out-of-towner, though.

Oh, yes, Chinook's is mighty tasty as well. I like the Salmon House because of the view of Lake Union, and the motif of the restaurant. Plus, Ivar's is part of Seattle's history. I think my visitors get a big kick out of it.

Then, after dinner, I take them up to the Fremont Troll nearby. :D

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