seattle 2012

Wednesday
-mental soundtrack ---> Imperial Teen
-enjoying the brief bit of sun glimpsed from my airplane seat above the clouds, especially because I know it might be the last I see for days
-Pearl Jam piped into the bathroom at SEA-TAC
-my 16th-floor room at the snazzy Hyatt at Olive 8
-lunch at Il Corvo: an Aranciata + garganelli with mushrooms, black olives, tomato
-two hours in town and I just gave correct directions to someone on the street
-Susie J. Lee at Lawrimore Project: contact prints floating in water and a machine that only wants contact
-a wonderfully expansive and inclusive collection at the Seattle Art Museum, with the added bonus of the spectacular Gauguin Polynesia show I saw in Copenhagen
-happy hour in the museum restaurant: a Four Roses Sazerac + rosemary frites
-emergency boot purchase at Romax Shoes when the pair I took along sprang a leak
-dinner at Travelers Thali House: a Mongoose I.P.A. + a full thali
-ORCA...anagram for One Card to Rule them All?
-everyone I've met so far is either a Bay Area transplant or planning a move there

Thursday
-mental soundtrack ---> Piney Gir
-breakfast at Le Panier: a cafe mocha + pain au chocolat
-light reigns in James Turrell's Skyscape at the Henry Art Gallery
-lunch at Shultzy's Sausage: a Köstritzer + mushroom Swiss veggie burger
-a ramble around Volunteer Park including a stop in the Conservatory
-acres of amazing ikat at the Seattle Asian Art Museum
-the views of the city from the top of the Water Tower observation deck
-lemon pound cake and a chai at Volunteer Park Cafe while the soundtracks to every single Wes Anderson movie ever rotate in the background
-chilling out in Elliott Bay Book Company for a couple hours, reading Trinie Dalton short stories and planning my next vacation
-happy hour at Oddfellows with a Patrick and two Laurens: an Amaro cooler + their fruit, nut, and cheese plate
-dinner at Sitka & Spruce: a bottle of Valdecampana + soudough and butter + fava bean falafel with orange, radish, and warm date salad + ful, avocado, and carrot meze with coffee-soaked egg and dukkah + braised parsnip with hazelnut gremolata and red sauerkraut + spinach borani with whole roasted beets and pomegranate + a date tartlet

Friday
-mental soundtrack ---> Darkness Falls
-breakfast at Lowell's: orange juice + cheesy eggs/spinach/tomato sandwich
-Richard Serra's Wake in the Olympic Sculpture Park making my entire trip worth it right there
-a walk along the waterfront in Myrtle Edwards Park
-Morris Graves and other northwestern masters at Woodside/Braseth Gallery
-sniffing Kusmi Tea and sampling the chocolatey wares at Marie & Frères
-a longing look into Honeychurch Antiques, currently in the process of relocating
-canoes, kayaks, skiffs, and lots more at the Center for Wooden Boats
-lunch at Tilikum Place Cafe: a Maritime Islander pale ale + a savory cauliflower, carrot, and feta tart
-tramping over bridges and through marshlands on the Arboretum Waterfront Trail
-splitting a Marie & Frères macaron at the Arboretum visitor center
-dinner at Barolo: a glass of Sangiovese + porcini tortelloni in a truffle-leek sauce + sauteed spinach + cannoli
-the pure unadulterated inspiration that is the Raincoats live at their first-ever show in Seattle (at Chop Suey) with Grass Widow opening to boot

Saturday
-mental soundtrack ---> Sadao China
-snow!
-breakfast at Toulouse Petit: a creole Bloody Mary + beignets + avocado/tomato eggs Benedict
-the magnificent vista from Kerry Park
-finally getting to meet Boomba, certifiably one of the best cats ever
-a tour of charming Ballard courtesy of Lauren
-dinner at Elemental: a Sazerac + truffled popcorn + endive and avocado salad + Indian-spiced soup + ravioli in a caper sauce + panko-crusted eggplant with potatoes three ways + portabello Irish stew + sweet potato tart + chocolate cake tier with fresh cream and cocoa nibs + pecan cookie and caramel ice cream.  There were wine pairings for each course too so I might not have gotten that all exactly right.  And next time I'm leaving room for the cheese course.

Sunday
-mental soundtrack ---> First Aid Kit
-breakfast at Le Pichet: orange juice + brioche with butter and marmalade + yogurt with honey and walnuts
-I'll be back soon, Seattle!