I always find choosing a restaurant, or even a bar, a difficult task. It involves a lot of research, reading the menu, reading reviews, and usually knowing what I’m going to order before I go. I went to Seattle with a good idea of where I would be eating every meal but ended up only going to a couple of the places I had intended on checking out. I made an actual effort to be more spontaneous and it was stressful. So here were some of my favourite places to eat and drink in Seattle.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room
After getting up at four in the morning to catch my train, I decided my first stop in Seattle would be the Starbucks roastery. The Seattle roastery is a must see for any Starbucks barista or coffee lover and it was honestly such an overwhelming experience. You walk through the large wooden doors and it’s coffee and coffee bars everywhere. I really had no idea where to start. After walking around for about five minutes all wide eyed and probably looking like a lost puppy I finally spotted a menu and an empty seat at one of the bars and sat down. The barista greeted me and handed me a glass of sparkling water, fancy. I decided to order the sparkling citrus espresso, espresso shaken over ice, tonic water, bitters and lemon. When they brought it over it was all beautifully layered in a glass on a wooden tray and tasted so refreshing. Feeling a little more energized I decided to check out the rest of the roastery. You can watch coffee beans being roasted and learn all about the process here. They also have several different brewing methods for your coffee, you can even order a tasting flight of three different reserve coffees. You will also find the Princi bakery and kitchen on site. They have an amazing selection of pastries, cakes, fresh baked breads and savoury lunch items including pizza. I was checking out all the food when I noticed the cold brew bar. No one had told me about the cold brew bar and I couldn’t believe it, it was an actual bar with alcohol and everything. The bar had only been there a couple of months, as it turns out, so I had the honour of being the first from my store to try it out. I knew I probably shouldn’t have another coffee but everything sounded so good. Cascara whiskey sour, emerald city mule? How could I say no? These were all cocktails with cold brew in them. So I pulled up a chair and opted for the emerald city mule, without alcohol because it was barely noon and I hadn’t had lunch yet. This drink was incredible, the perfect combination of cold brew, ginger ale, burnt cinnamon syrup with an apple garnish, I haven’t stopped raving about it to everyone. After finishing my drink I spent a good twenty minutes choosing which half pound of coffee to buy. I decided on the 2018 Gravitas Vintage blend which combines three rare, small lot coffees from two different growing regions. By the time I made it out the combination of lack of sleep and too much coffee left me feeling like I might die. I don’t think my heart rate dropped below 100bpm until I fell asleep that night. I still can’t get over how good my second coffee was though.
Ellenos
The next morning I set out to find Ellenos at Pike Place Market. Someone had recommended it to me saying it was the most amazing Greek yogurt and I had to try it. I’m actually allergic to dairy but Greek yogurt is my weakness and apparently when I travel I get this “my allergies aren’t that bad” mindset. I actually had a bit of a hard time finding Ellenos, it’s not right inside the market like I had thought. It’s right across the street from the main entrance to the market between the fruit markets. I managed to walk past about five times before I noticed the cooler full of yogurt displayed gelato shop style. They have so many flavours I, of course, had a hard time deciding on a flavour so they let me do half and half. I chose mango and pomegranate with balsamic and they both were amazing. I mean this is real Greek yogurt made from an old family recipe that honestly has been perfected. It was rich, velvety and creamy with and excellent balance of sweet and tart. I honestly would have gone back for breakfast everyday and having my allergies flairing up would have been worth it. With so many flavours to choose from everyone can find something. I was really happy to find mango and pomegranate because those are two of my favourite fruits. They also have flavours like lemon curd, natural unsweetened, passion fruit and orange and turmeric. There is about twelve to choose from all together. For 4$ you can buy a walk around size, a small cup pilled high with delicious yogurt and perfect to eat while you wander the market.
Cycolps
This was one of the only restaurants that I’d planned to go to and did go to and I’m so happy I did. I read about Cyclops in one of those “Seattle in a Day” books and was intrigued by the menu. They had everything from tacos to hummus to burgers and soups. There were so many things that sounded good that this time I knew I would not be going in knowing exactly what I wanted. When I walked in I was greeted by bright colours and captivating artwork. Cyclops is definitely very funky and eclectic, you’ll never run out of things to look at while you are there. After taking everything in it was time to decide what I wanted to eat. I decided on the chicken cha cha sandwich, it had grilled marinated chicken breast, goat cheese, mango salsa, and sun dried tomato-ancho chili pesto on a ciabatta bun. It was definitely the mango salsa that sold me. I swear this was the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. So much flavour and it all worked so perfectly together. Everything complemented each other and the goat cheese was never over powering. The fries were crunchy, crisp and well seasoned and came in a generous portion on the side. I absolutely recommend Cyclops for the chill, funky atmosphere and great food.
For more photos check out my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/calli_eileen/