ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
There seems to be general agreement that Café Besalu in the Ballard neighborhood is the best croissant bakery in town. James Miller consistently has been a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for outstanding pastry chef. There have also been some claims that Besalu ranks right up there with France's finest. I'm not in a... Continue Reading →
This week's excursion was to the International District in Seattle, a residential and commercial area of Asian Americans which is roughly bounded by 5th Avenue to the west, Yesler to the north, 8th Avenue to the east and Dearborn to the south. And, like many other Seattle neighborhoods, my wife and I had never taken... Continue Reading →
Mon Hei Chinese Bakery is the oldest in the International District, having started business in 1979, the same year that I moved to the Seattle area from Southern California. We had never been customers here until we came with friends only a few years ago. I have to admit that I don't remember much from... Continue Reading →
Not many realize that the Panama Hotel in the International District has a tea and coffee shop. Though it was set up to serve its clientele, it is open to the public. The space is not very large but is nicely decorated with old historic black-and-white photos on the walls and memorabilia of the Japanese... Continue Reading →
My experiences with Hawaiian shave ice have been dismal in the Northwest. (Hawaiians do not use a "d" at the end of "shave.") As recently as two weeks ago at Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle, the ice has always been crushed into pellets, tiny to be sure, but pellets nonetheless, crunchy rather than snowy... Continue Reading →
The popularity of kaiten-zushi has revolutionized the eating of sushi since its inception in Japan in the late 1950s. No longer do customers have to sit at a bar with limited seating and order from the sushi chef who promptly and expertly makes it while you wait. Instead, a conveyor belt with ready-made sushi snakes... Continue Reading →
After the high-calorie dim sum meal at Jade Garden this morning, we weren't very hungry even in mid-afternoon. We walked up and down Pacific Avenue during a respite from the Washington State History Museum to find a place to have a quick bite. Nothing appealed to us until we came across Harmon Brewery that was... Continue Reading →
Tacoma don't get no respect. At least, not from its big sibling to the north. Even if it's the third most populous city in Washington, and only a half hour away by car, Tacoma has been playing second fiddle to Seattle for, what, forever? This situation is not helped by Tacoma's public relations problem—the sulfur-like,... Continue Reading →
I enjoy chiropractic adjustments not only because I feel better afterward but because my chiropractor is a good friend and fellow foodie. At our sessions, my wife and I wind up talking to him more about food than our spinal health. So, it was with great surprise and excitement that today we were given the... Continue Reading →
It was on many homes as we walked through West Seattle, the banner proudly hung from roofs and windows. No doubt this is true all over the region. The Seattle Seahawks' 12th Man flag. Pete Carroll has managed to assemble a young, scrappy, talented team that fans are hoping will take them all the way... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 