All about Seattle.

I've gotten several requests recently from friends who are planning a visit to Seattle, so I spent some time this morning creating a Google Map of Seattle.  Wow - this was really time-consuming but fun to assemble, and makes me realize how much I really miss life there (and how much I need a job).  There are so many wonderful, unique, local places in Seattle for eating, drinking, sleeping, outdoor adventures, and most importantly, getting your cup of joe.  So, here is my exhaustive "list" of Seattle musts accompanied by my super-dorky, but-hopefully-helpful Google Map.


View Seattle Favorites, According to Keenan in a larger map

HOTELS:
- Inn at the Market: very small, probably are full, but worth a shot.  It's right in Pikes Market and very very cute.
- Edgewater: Love this place.  My mom got a room here on Priceline for $100 a night, and it's right on the water....we woke up to boats coming into port.  I love the atmosphere here - very lodgy and campy, but sophisticated too.  If you go, make sure to get a waterfront room.  This is a little removed from downtown, but they do have a free shuttle that will take you around.  It's not a bad walk at all, and it's right next to the olympic sculpture park.  Also, the beatles stayed here when they toured thru seattle and apparently fished out the window.
- Four Seasons: They just opened about 1.5 years ago, and they too are right on the water.  Gorgeous lobby and cool restaurant.  Rick gave me a day at the spa here for my bday when we were there, and it was nice.  THey also used to host Bernstein events there....random tidbit.  Not sure if Michael has any hotel points or anything, but this could be an option.
- Fairmont Olympic: Probably the oldest hotel in Seattle, and right downtown.  This was the site of the original University of Washington, and is definitely a great place to stay.  We stayed here before we ever lived here and it was nice.  Very luxurious, nice, old school hotel.  They serve great holiday cocktails, including an Egg Nog Martini that we make every year.
- Sheraton: Recently renovated and very nice and clean.  My parents got a cheap cheap room ($70/night) here on Priceline when they came to stay with us at Thanksgiving, and they got an awesome corner room.  RIght downtown.
- Arctic Hotel: They finished this huge renovation a few months before we left, and it's supposed to be nice.  A few blocks down from the heart of downtown, but also close to Pioneer Square.
- Westin - this is a huge hotel and pretty nice, consistent.  Conveniently located near Flagship Nordstrom & downtown.
- Hotel Max: Never stayed here, but I met a guy on a plane once who always stayed here for work.  It's very modern, new and clean.  He told me that they have "personal appliances" available for rent, in case, you know...you are so inclined.  Ha!
- Hotel Andra: in Belltown.  New, small, modern and supposed to be nice.
BOTTOM LINE: There are plenty of nice places to stay in Seattle, so if you are willing to use Priceline, you'll probably get a nice place!!  If you find someplace else, let me know and I can give you my two cents if I have any!

RESTAURANTS:
Where to start?  WAY too many to cover in just one trip, but here are some favorites:
- Flying Fish: apparently they have recently moved, or are int he process of moving, but they have great seafood, and plenty of it. In Belltown.
- Steelhead Diner: Near Pikes Market/Belltown.  Very eclectic menu with lots of different types of preparation of seafood.  They have sandwiches as well as sophisticated entress, a great cocktail menu, and always good specials.  You can walk in and usually get a table, but you might have to wait at the bar a bit.  They have good views of the bay too.
- Matts in the Market: Small restaurant with very carefully prepared food.  I think the owner is the chef, and he's a young guy....i think his wife is the hostess, and she was pregnant last time we went.  It's upstairs in Pikes Market, and they always have fresh seafood and very well prepared.  Probably need a reservation here, and it might be a bit fancy. 
- Cafe Campagne: IN the market, french food, good for brunch or some kind of light meal.
- Quinns: Gastropub, don't go here if you want seafood, but DO go here if you want deliciously prepared, hearty, meaty meals.  They serve interesting cuts of meat (tongue, bone marrow, cool stuff). This is Rick's favorite place.  Casual atmosphere, you will probably have to wait if you don't get a reservation.  They also have great cocktails and great beer.
- Chinooks: Probably the best seafood selection you'll find in Seattle.  It's over in Fishermans' Terminal (where all the Deadliest Catch boats and other fishing boats come in), so this would be a fun spot to go to watch sunset.  Tons of different types of fish, all caught fresh, and heavenly crusty bread.  This was always a go-to for visitors as it wasn't quite as "touristy" as some of the other downtown restuarants.  In fact, this is where I went for my last meal in Seattle.  They have a sister restaurant called Anthony's down on the water (near the Edgewater), but I think that one is too touristy.
- Lola: This is one of Tom Douglas's restaurants.  He is arguably the most well-known chef in Seattle, and he has a few restaurants in downtown Seattle (Dahlia, Serious Pie, Palace Kitchen), but Lola is our favorite. 
- Ettas: Another Tom Douglas restaurant, this one is down in the market and was a brunch favorite.  Wicked bloody mary's and great food.  Would recommend this if you are walking around during the market during the day.  You don't really need a res.
- Restaurant Zoe: Good, classic, comforting American Food.  Run by the same people who run Quinns.
- Pesos: Our favorite for brunch, this one was a few blocks from our house up in Queen Anne.  Quite the brunch scene, they serve mexican/american food, good breakfast cocktails, and they have a bustling nightlife scene here too (I think all the waitresses are required to bare skin...it's a little ridiculous, but the food is good and it was really convenient for us)
- Canlis: If you are celebrating an anniversary or any big life event, this is a meal you will never forget.  Exceptional service, they know your names when you walk in, and this is probably the best restaurant in Seattle.  It's been around forever, and is perched on the edge of Lake Union.  We went here for my birthday dinner our first year here, and again using a gift certificate from the man who designed my engagement ring.  Very special spot, and a delicious wine list.
- Rays: Tis is where we took Putney & Bill and my parents, and it's over in Ballard on the edge of the water.  Downstairs is fancy, upstairs is more casual.  Great views of the water and another great sunset spot.
- 5-Spot: Great for brunch, up in Queen Anne.  If you have to wait for a table, you can walk up to Cafe Fiore and grab a Sevillano Mocha (my fave....with dark chocolate and orange, but not too sweet....they use organic chocolate).
- Belltown Pizza: Decent pizza & beer, we liked sitting at the bar.  They have trivia on Monday.

Other Food Notables:
- Macrina Bakery: IN Belltown, good for a cookie or pastry in the afternoon.  They make all of their stuff fresh same day, and they have good easy salads and sandwiches if you want a quick meal.
- Top Pot Donuts.  Best donuts you'll ever eat I promise you.  They sold out to starbucks and now sell them in all of their locations, but the original is in downtown seattle and is quite an experience.  My favorite was the Blueberry Cinnamon.  For my first birthday in Seattle, I had two top pot donuts instead of a cake.  For my second birthday, I took a box of donuts to work for everyone....that's love.  They also have great coffee if you need some to take home.

Speaking of Coffee:
- Cafe Fiore, Cafe Lladro, Cafe Vita, Stumptown & Vivace are all favorites.  YOu will find more local coffee shops than Starbucks locations, which is so nice.  Most of these are up in different neighborhoods as opposed to downtown, but you can still find plenty of local spots.

Bars:
- Vessel: favorite place for a fancy drink.  They have a definite NYC feel, and their bartenders are nationally acclaimed...they will create a cocktail of your choice if you tell them what type of ingredients and flavors you like.  They have a very extensive and creative cocktail menu.  Don't order anything with vodka b/c they don't like to serve it.  This place made me like Tequila.
- Alibi Room: In the market, a cult favorite in Seattle.  Very dark and dim, and they have a great Seattle feel. 
- Zig Zag: In the market, Creative cocktails, sort of similar to Vessel.  Never went there, but heard it's great.
- Post: Also in the Market, they have live music every night and a nice laid back feel.
- Black Bottle: Wine bar/Gastro tavern on 1st Avenue in Belltown, this is a great spot if you want to avoid the more packed BellTown bars.  Great food and great wine & cocktails.  They have exposed candles on the tables, which I think is cool.  I really liked this place.
- Lava Lounge: Fun Hawaiian/Tiki Bar in Belltown that has shuffleboard, and more of a dive-bar feel.
- Rob Roy: Also in Belltown, cool bar with a lodgy/Alaska feel.
- Kings Hardware: Definitely a "hipster" spot, this one was a favorite of ours (hard to believe since we are incredibly far from being "hipsters".  This is in Ballard - they have great cocktails that they serve in Mason jars, they have amazingly good burgers (one topped w/ Peanut Butter & Bacon), and they even have skeeball.  How fun is that.  We used to go here after kickball games.
- Buckleys: good food for a bar, lots of TVs if there is something you like to watch.  We used to go here on the way to catch redeyes back to the east coast. 

Other stuff to do/see:
- Olympic Sculpture Park.  Right down by the water, this is fun to walk through on a pretty day.  Full of cool sculptures, and it was completed in 2007 (I think).  It's part of the Seattle Art Museum.  Interesting Tidbit: In Seattle, there is a mandate that any new business or development must allocate a certain percentage of their budget to public art, so you'll see a lot of art throughout the city.
- Public LIbrary: Designed by Rem Koolhas, it's incredibly modern and has become a landmark in the city.  You must go in and ride to the top and look down into the main lobby.  Definitely worth a spin through the library if you like architecture.
- Kerry Park in Queen Anne: This is where you'll see the best view of the city.  You can drive up here, or if you are up for a long walk, it's about 2 miles from downtown.
- Skip the Space Needle, overrated and expensive.
- Skip the Duck Tour, they don't give you much info on Seattle at all, and I found it to be annoying.
- If you want great views, go up to the top of the Columbia Tower (this is my old work building).  They have an observation deck up on the 73rd floor, and you can get great views of the whole city, Bellevue, Cascade & Olympic mountains....but only on a clear day.  There is also a Starbucks on the 40th floor with great views.
- Discovery Park: A bit of a drive from downtown, but great outdoor park and you can walk around and see more great views of the sound.  We used to go walking/running around here.
- Pike Place Market: You must go see this amazing place, lots of fresh fish (which they throw), great organic produce, lots and lots of cheap flowers (although I never really understood why visitors bought flowers here....how do they get them home?).  There are great street performers & musicians, and word is that within the market, the musicians can only play in a one place for a limited amount of time...this encourages lots of performers!
- First Starbucks: It's in Pikes Market, and it's worth just a quick "drive-by" on foot.  They have musicians that play in front of here, and there is always a crowd.
- Pioneer Square Underground Tour:  It's a bit cheesy and touristy, but definitely fun to do, particularly if it's rainy and you don't feel like lugging around in the rain.  Great history of the city, and cool to see the underground city.
- Ferry ride to Bainbridge.  If you are tired of walking around downtown, it's kind of fun to take a Ferry Ride to Bainbridge Island, though there isn't a whole lot to do on foot once you get there.
- If you have a car, head over to Alki Beach in West Seattle for a great walk along the water.  There are great views back over to downtown Seattle.
- Showbox: great music venue, check to see if there is anyone playing while you are there.
- If you are up for yoga, my absolute FAVORITE yoga spot is Yogalife in Queen Anne.  Best. Place. On. Earth. For. Yoga.
- Walk around Greenlake.  It's a man-made lake, but good for people watching and for fresh air.