Seattle Mag
Soaring Over Seattle in a Seaplane: Why You Should Do It, Too
I have discovered the perfect gift for any native Seattleite who thinks he/she has done everything in this city. Two words: Seaplane tour ($87.50 per person for a 20-minute flight departing from Lake Union; seattleseaplanes.com). Even the smuggest local can’t remain aloof at this height, taking in gorgeous views, sweeping around the Space Needle and…
What’s the Future of the Seattle Center?
Arguing over the Center has become Seattle’s version of the movie Groundhog Day.
Seattle Center is a 74-acre Rorschach test in which everyone sees what they want to see. It is Lincoln Center to some; Central Park, Tivoli Gardens or Disneyland to others. It is about Bumbershoot, skateboards, the opera, New Year’s fireworks, the Space Needle, the EMP blob, IMAX shows, the fountain and Folklife. It is public,…
Seattle’s “Smart” Meter Switch
As Seattle City Light switches to new “smart” meters, privacy and health advocates get charged up.
Coming soon to a house near yours—well, actually it’s coming to your house, if you live within the purview of Seattle City Light—an advanced electricity metering system that will make you very happy (according to City Light) and very sad (according to privacy and health activists in other areas where this technology has been deployed)….
Take a Cotton to Nontoxic Mattresses
Seattle stores offer an array of chemical-free natural bedding.
Decades ago, our parents and grandparents slept on mattresses stuffed with natural materials, such as feathers, natural latex from rubber trees, straw and wool. While modern polyurethane foam may add a certain bounce to our beds, it comes with trade-offs. Specifically, the chemicals used to improve foam performance or to make it flame retardant. Jackie…
Ramayana, An Epic Hero’s Tale, Unfurls at ACT
It took a village to produce Ramayana, a vast hero tale with a simple moral core.
Boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy loses girl after evil shape-shifter assumes form of golden deer to distract girl, leading to girl’s abduction by demon king and boy’s subsequent battle against said demon king. If this sounds familiar, you either have a spectacular love life or you’ve heard of the ancient epic poem Ramayana….
Ballard Pizza Company Worthy of Applause
Stand and scarf giant pizza slices at a butcher-block table in Ballard.
Ethan Stowell is trying to go downscale with The Ballard Pizza Company, but a star chef can only go so low. He’s got the slice-and-a-soda thing going at the rustically chic shop, but the soda ($4, gourmet) costs more than the slice ($3–$3.50, huge). And the knockout star of our meal had nothing to do…
What’s New at Matt’s in the Market
This crackerjack culinary crew has found a way to make even headcheese taste good.
At press time, we got word from Dan Bugge, owner of this brilliant Pike Place Market eatery, of his plans to open a brand-new whiskey bar, Radiator, in an adjacent space. Construction was set to begin early last month. The crackerjack crew at Matt’s is on fire, cranking out some of the best food in…
Cha:n Strives for Approachable Korean Food
But have they dimmed the flavors too much at this Pike Place hideaway?
The concept behind Cha:n is approachable and modern Korean food, and whether it works for you depends on whether you think the funky, fiery cuisine needs more approachability or modernization. Owner Heong Soon Park, who remodeled what used to be part of Bacco (he still owns both) to create this downstairs hideaway, has gentled authentic…
Ending a 20-Year Run, Scott Carsberg’s Bisato to Shutter
My first meal at Lampreia, Scott Carsberg’s epic, nationally praised fine dining restaurant which lived in the space that Carsberg’s Bisato now calls home, well, it must’ve been in 1999 or 2000. Back then–as now, though perhaps less-so–Carsberg’s reputation for perfectionism–along with a firey temper–preceded him. Oh man, the stories were legend. And remember, this…
Best Seasonal Beers for Fall
Seattle beer expert Kendall Jones offers a few of his fave, locally-brewed fall beers.
Autumn is a season of unmistakable change, as the days grow shorter and the sun moves south. It’s time to set aside the refreshing, playful beers of summer and explore more contemplative beers with greater character and substance. Our local brewers provide plenty of options to help you prepare for the longer nights and colder…
Washington Wine’s New Guard
Shannon Borg visits a few of the most innovative members of the new guard in Washington vineyards.
The Washington wine story is just beginning to be told. After 30 years of experimentation and steady growth, the last decade has brought growth that has been nothing short of exponential. Wineries now number more than 740, up from 101 in 1997. But where do all those wineries get their grapes? In past months, we’ve…
Vessel: Class Without Pretension
The reopening of beloved bar Vessel downtown makes this writer so happy he could sing.
O happy day (sing it with me, Seattle cocktail lovers), O happy day, when Vessel came back.…It’s rare that the opening of a bar inspires spontaneous singing, but the reopened Vessel, now on the corner of Seventh and Olive, is causing the cocktail choir to come out. Elegantly WelcomingLike the original, which closed in December…