I have a secret identity. You all know me as Luke, the mild-mannered Retail Associate at The Chopping Block. What you might not know is that, during the spring and summer, I am also Luke, the traveling arm of a printing company that specializes in comic books. My second job may only be seasonal, but it lets me travel to comic cons all over the US meeting artists, seeing new cities and most importantly, trying new foods.
Last month, I traveled to Seattle for Emerald City Comic Con. I had never been to Seattle before, but I'd heard great things about the city and the seafood, so I was stoked when I found out we were going. As always, I used my mornings and evenings to explore the city and try some of the food I'd had recommended by the chefs back home.
I started off at the famous Pike's Place Market by Seattle's downtown waterfront. Anyone who knows about Seattle will tell you this is the place for tourists to visit, with its lush farmers' market, quirky shops and fish throwing stalls. Technically, the people who work there throw fish to each other rather than at the crowd, which was a little disappointing, but it's still quite the show.
While I was there, I hit up Lowell's for some of Seattle's famous seafood. This place has been in operation since 1957, so even if they were a little touristy I figured they'd know what they were doing. I mean, check out their sign.
Doesn't that look legit to you? They lived up to it, too, with the best crab cakes and clam chowder that this Midwest kid could ask for, as well as a really stunning view.
For dinner, on my dad's recommendation, I dragged my coworkers back down to the waterfront to Post Alley. While it's not exactly a part of the market, a lot of the best restaurants are down this scenic, cobblestoned street.
My favorite, by far, was Kells. I found out later that Kells has locations in San Francisco and Portland, as well, but my dad had discovered it on his last trip to Seattle, and had nothing but good to say. Happily, it lived up to the hype.
I lived down the street from McGurk's in St. Louis for a while, and I have a real weakness for Irish food, but Kells is the first place I've found that serves real steak and kidney pie. I've always wanted to try it, and theirs was flaky, savory and exactly what I wanted after a long day of travel.
Not terribly photogenic, though.
While I was there, I also got to catch a set by Liam Gallagher. I'd never heard of him before, but he's easily the best musician I've heard live in a long time. With perks like that, Kells is definitely not a place to miss.
For breakfast the next day, I decided to take a hike down to see the famous Space Needle. It was worth seeing, but the really exciting thing I found on my way was the 5 Point Cafe. It's intimidating, what with their proudly displayed sign proclaiming "We Cheat Tourists-N-Drunks Since 1929", but it's also one of the best greasy spoon diners/all night bars I've ever found. They're a dive bar, and they're proud of it- plus they serve filling breakfast food at a good price. If I lived anywhere nearby, I'd be a regular.
Finally, on my way to work, I stopped by Top Pot Donuts to pick up some snacks for my coworkers. I'd heard good things, and they didn't disappoint. I hadn't been that excited about breakfast food since Voodoo Donuts in Denver, last year.
After some trials, I'm happy to report that they're just as good as they look.
I'm happy to be home, but sad to leave such excellent places behind. I'll have to find places in Chicago to visit instead, so if any of you know some good Irish pubs, seafood places, or greasy spoons, you should hook me up in the comments. I'm going to be working at C2E2 in April, which will give me an excuse to explore a little more of Chicago's downtown, and I always love recommendations. In the meantime, I'll have to make do on my own for cooking inspiration, maybe The Chopping Block's Donut Boot Camp and Seafood 101 can put me on the right track! Or we just added Eggcellent Cooking, which should get me started on the breakfast food of my dreams. It's trips like this that get me inspired to cook for myself. What gets you going?
