Hidden Gems – Anita’s Crepes

Every neighborhood has its favorite haunts, local bars and secret eateries.  Anita’s Crepes may have just hit all three in a single visit. We arrived early on a Friday evening without a reservation not realizing how busy they would be.  The host (who also happened to be our server) was apologetic that there weren’t any available tables but was quick to locate seats at the “bar” for us.  Anita’s menu changes periodically based on seasonal availability of the ingredients, so each visit has the potential to bring new creations to your palate.  We started the evening with two amazing drinks: a hand-squeezed lemonade that was just the right balance of sweet and tart and a banana soda, which is comprised of banana and cream muddled in a tall glass and topped with a spritz of soda water.  We followed that up with a smoked salmon and spinach crepe that came with a homemade tzatziki sauce on the side.  To follow up the savory crepe we tried two of the desert crepes: The tried and true Banana/Nutella and one that combined two of our favorite things, the Crème Brulee .  Although the Banana/Nutella delivered as promised with a nice balance between the subtle sweetness of the fruit and the stronger chocolate hazelnut, the Crème Brulee was the stand out.  The warm, soft crepe was the ideal backdrop for the slightly salty, crunchy caramel and rich custard.  The food and atmosphere make Anita’s worth revisiting….Perhaps with a reservation next time. http://www.anitascrepes.com/

Explore Nature - Discovery Park

To fully experience the grandeur of Seattle’s commitment to green spaces, a visit to Discovery Park is in order.  The park’s 534 acres transition through a broad spectrum of habitats and environments ranging from heavily forested areas and large grassy fields to paths that wind through the beachfront woods to the expansive beach itself.  We began our hiking and exploring from the south parking lot, first heading to the amazing overlook with its magnificent views of Mt. Anderson and the rest of the Olympic and Cascade Ranges.   Once you arrive at the park, it’s easy to spend the entire day meandering through the area’s nearly 12 miles of trails. The large sandy patch at the head of several of the trails is the perfect meeting place, allowing you to head off in several directions each leading to its own unique locale.  We headed down the Loop Trail, taking time to explore the hollows in trees and keep an eye out for the Bald Eagles that are sometimes sighted along the tree line. One of the things that always strikes me about the park is the lack of intruding city sounds. Shortly after you leave the parking areas, the sound of traffic fades away leaving you with your thoughts.  Discovery Park has yet to fail us as an excellent place to visit amid the bustling city. http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkindex.htm

                                 

Get Inked – artCore Studios

What better way to enjoy a city than to permanently mark yourself while there. On a night when we had just planned to have a nice dinner, we found ourselves sitting down in a parlor and letting a fantastic artist permanently mark us. Georgetown, once a largely industrial fueled area, has metamorphed into a burgeoning artist community complete with a Vegan Bar and Tattoo/Art Gallery.  When we visited the former only to be told their stove died, we found ourselves at the latter talking to Chris about possible artwork.  Chris is an easy-to-talk-to, laidback professional who eschews the standard "too cool" attitude so prevalent among most tattoo artists.  He listened to our semi-vague ideas about what we wanted and came back with great art that we’ll be proud to show off.  The shop also doubles as an art gallery with the current artist, Sullivan Giles, displaying her amazingly detailed hand-cut stencil spray paint artwork.  All in all, artCore delivers more than your average parlor, both in personnel and personality.  http://www.artcoreseattle.com/

Heart Healthy/Healthy Heart - Theo's Chocolate

Chocolate is meant to be decadent.  It’s a simple fact of life.  However, decadent can also be good Karma.  Take Theo’s Chocolate for example.  Theo’s makes their chocolate from organic, free-trade ingredients that are sourced locally when possible, which is then wrapped in sustainable packaging all while using green-sourced energy.  The Chocolate factory in Fremont provides the neighborhood with an amazing aroma and is available to tour, but my favorite part is the showroom.  Arranged on a variety of tables and surfaces, samples of every variety of their chocolate is available to try.  Ranging from artesian staples such as Dark Chocolate/Orange (just the right balance of bitter and sweet) and Dark/Mint (simply amazing) to the more unique Coconut Curry (Sweet and savory, well worth trying) and Bread and Chocolate (Sweet, salty, with crunchy bits of toasted bread) Theo’s packs classic and distinctive flavors into one amazing room.  With the assortment of tastes available, Theo's has something sweet for every occasion.   http://www.theochocolate.com/

Eat Like a King (or Queen) – Cupcake Royale

Sometimes when our sweet tooth rears its head we crave classic tastes and sometimes we crave decadent and rich.  Cupcake Royale gives us the best of both with handcrafted cakes generously topped with delicious butter-cream frosting all made from locally sourced ingredients.  The cakes themselves are fantastically moist, almost melting in your mouth.  The frosting is perfectly balanced between a smooth, creamy texture and an amazing flavor that leaves you wanting another.  With a selection of cupcakes  ranging from red velvet(my personal favorite), lavender, salted caramel and orange to a special monthly cupcake (this month is the Velvet Elvis, banana cake topped with a peanut butter, chocolate fudge icing) Cupcake Royale appeals to the kid in all of us.  http://www.cupcakeroyale.com/

Rock Out - The Crocodile Cafe

The Crocodile, previously known as the Crocodile Café and sometimes referred to as The Croc, is one of the oldest music venues in Seattle.  For the last 19 years the Crocodile has played host to an amazing array of musicians including Nirvana, R.E.M., Death Cab for Cutie and the Beastie Boys.  The club received a major renovation in 2008 after changing owners, but I’m happy to say the new layout opened up the stage area and made for a more enjoyable show.  I was lucky enough to catch the School of Rock: Smiths Vs. The Cure show as my first show at the renovated Croc and was impressed with the new digs.  The viewing area in front of the stage is huge and the addition of the loft area w/bar gives an incredible view of the bands. I didn’t get a chance to grab pizza at the Back Bar, but there’s always next time.  http://thecrocodile.com/index.html

Be A Tourist - Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is alive.  Just standing on the edge of the pathways you can feel the ebb and flow of the people around you moving like a pulse.  The quantity and quality of merchandise is what draws both local and tourist alike.  From the legendary flying fish and the unique shops and stalls on the main floor to the boutique stores in the Down Under area, the market is a shopping oasis in an urban desert.  With the press of humanity all around you, people watching is an ideal way to take a break between browsing. The best part is that, after you peruse the multitude of venders’ goods and exhaust your people watching urges, you can grab some fresh fruit, cheese and sweets for an impromptu picnic.   http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Organic Goodness – Mighty O Donuts

When you have a craving for something sweet, one way to silence that little voice demanding healthy is to head to Mighty O.  The donuts are amazing, moist on the inside with just enough crunchy crust to create texture, and created with organically certified, vegan ingredients.  My personal favorites are the lemon poppy, A fantastic poppy-seed donut with a real lemon juice glaze, and the devil’s playground,  a chocolate donut with a chocolate glaze that’s topped with chocolate sprinkles (there may be a theme there).  Whether you’re buying the donuts one at a time or by the dozen, just know they won’t last long enough. http://www.mightyo.com/

Be A Kid Again - Sky High Sports

Trampolines! This entire space is loaded with them. Stepping off of the walkways onto the trampoline floor launches you back to childhood.  After getting accustomed to bouncing with every step, I started to test my lowered gravity abilities.  While I wasn't willing to try my hand at the multiple flips our friends were doing into the foam pit, I did launch myself into, and off of, the walls to the chagrin of those bouncing around me.  This place was too much fun for the price.  I can't wait to give it another try.  http://sea.jumpskyhigh.com/

Food - Than Brothers Pho

Pho has become ubiquitous with Seattle.  There isn't a neighborhood in the city that doesn't have at least one sign proclaiming the sale of this rice noodle delight....It's just that Than Brothers does it better.  This nondescript location on Aurora Ave may be passed by casual walker, but the people that stop in for lunch are treated to one of the most affordable, tasty lunches in the city.  Before you even order, the server has brought you amazing cream puffs that come complimentary with your meal.  Being a vegetarian, I can't vouch for the meat phos; however, the veggie\tofu pho is wonderfully full of vegetables and slices of fried tofu.  All in all, not a bad place to start this trek. http://www.thanbrothers.com/