Seattle Weekend Getaway and Food Tour
Last month, we spontaneously met our friends in Seattle for a weekend getaway. We basically had one full day to explore, so we did our best to hit all of the highlights. Our foodie friends also ensured we were very well fed.
On our first night we ate down by the pier at Elliott's Oyster House. There you can pick from various fresh local oysters! We let our waitress pick out a few for us, and we were so impressed with her selection. Raw oysters can definitely be intimidating to try for the first time, but even under peer pressure we could not convince Dan how good they are. In addition to the oysters, we also enjoyed the fresh Alaskan crab legs and cedar plank salmon.
Afterwards we met another friend at a bar in Ballard, called Shelter Lounge. The bar is cozy (and busy) with an open fire pit for keeping warm and roasting marshmallows. Ballard is great trendy neighborhood with plenty of restaurants, boutique shopping, and bars all within walking distance.
On Saturday, we walked over to Pike Place Market to browse the fresh fish, flowers, and produce. There are plenty of fun shops and restaurants around the market. You have to stop by Beecher's Handmade Cheese! The mac and cheese is so good, I literally made a special stop on our way to the airport on Sunday. You'll also notice a serious line for the Original Starbucks, which is hilarious because there is a normal Starbucks on every block. We skipped the gum wall, but if you really need that Instagram picture you can find that here, as well.
We also stopped by the Seattle Public Library, where book lovers and architect junkies can find common ground. Seriously, if my public library looked like this, I would come here all the time.
For lunch, we took an Uber to a popular restaurant in Fremont called Westward. This waterfront hotspot is so dreamy, decorated in endless nautical decor. We loved their brunch menu and ordered the Dutch baby pancakes, braised lamb hash, and the two fried eggs with salsa verde. Everything we ordered was amazing. I was obsessed with the jasmine green tea here, as well as, my pretty glass of Lillet.
I can't wait to come back in the summer. We were really lucky because Saturday turned out to be a perfectly sunny day warming up to about 60 degrees. Conveniently, Westward also offers an open fire pit where you can enjoy your drinks with a view of the marina, city and of course the Space Needle.
As you can see, we ate pretty much all morning so clearly we required some exercise. We had planned to make the 2:05pm ferry to Bainbridge Island, but our Uber got stuck on the wrong side of the amazing turnout for the Women's march. With ten minutes until the ferry left, we jumped out of the car and sprinted through Seattle traffic, up and down hills and stairs, and still totally missed the ferry. We decided to wait for the 3:00pm ferry, which we learned the hard way starts boarding thirty minutes before departure.
The major incentive for taking the ferry is the amazing views of Seattle and the surrounding mountains (if it's a clear day). Dress warmly and/or sit downstairs in the interior as it can be very chilly out on the water. My hands were freezing but I couldn't pass up the chance to capture these gorgeous views.
Once we got to Bainbridge, we weren't really sure what to do, so of course we asked a local. He recommended walking over to Harbour Public House. It was a really cozy pub, with an outdoor patio and view of the local marina. Our waitress swore by the fish tacos, and I'm so glad I tried them.
Bainbridge Island looked really pretty, with plenty of walking/biking trails and fun local wine tasting and boutique shopping. When we come back in the summer, we will have to get here earlier to explore.
The ferry returned after dark, so we were able to see the Seattle skyline all lit up. We went back to our hotel for a nap, and then met another friend at Stoneburner in Ballard for dinner. The place is great for ordering several platters to share with the table. We ordered several servings of the garlic ciabatta bread, loved the spicy pasta Ragu, of course all of the pizzas were amazing. We ended the night at a nearby bar, called Macleod's Scottish pub.
This was a great city to hang out with friends, offering plenty of great food, views and entertainment. Hopefully, this summer we can get back for more of the surrounding outdoor activities. Let me know which hiking spots are best!
Outfit Details: BB Dakota Sweater (similar version here or available here in black), Paige Jeans, Kate Spade Boots (old, similar below), Barbour Jacket (sold out, similar below)