Forget images of Lassie devotedly tugging Timmy out of an abandoned well. The iconic Seattle dog lover is a single lass who loves her pooches so much they share lattes at Starbucks. I stumbled upon this ritual a few years ago at Alki Beach, where I first watched a dog owner share her warm coffee…

Don’t go to a Harold Pinter play hoping for a happy ending. The British playwright, who produced work throughout the second half of the 20th century and won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, wasn’t much interested in tidy resolutions. “Elegant bows are not tied up around the gift box of a Pinter play,” writes…

Mark Ryan 2009 Long Haul, $48This wine shows what Klipsun Vineyard fruit can do in a blend. All the fruit comes from Red Mountain, with 68 percent from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, 24 percent from Klipsun and 8 percent from Kiona Vineyards. A Merlot-based Bordeaux-style blend, this wine (64 percent Merlot, 27 percent Cabernet Franc,…

Washington winemakers are used to the spotlight; their industry’s spectacular growth over the past 30 years has gained them plenty of fame. But these days, you may be just as likely to hear the term “rock star” connected to the people who grow the grapes. Dick Boushey is one such rock star, an unassuming farmer…

In a room nearly as lofty as it is deep, with polished concrete floors and light pouring in through east-facing windows, laptop jockeys and lunchers share space at a honed wood table carved out of a cross-section of a tree. Stumptown coffee is on offer, along with assorted sandwiches and salads. The best one I…

Light, bright and cheerful, Ballard’s The Fat Hen (across the street from Delancey) is a gem of a find with a honeycomb-tile backsplash, whitewashed wainscoting and a glass case of irresistible, original treats. Open for lunch and brunch only (with a recently added Friday dinner), the short menu lists several versions of baked eggs, some…

Ten minutes into my first dinner at Mezcaleria, the Queen Anne sister restaurant to Ballard’s excellent La Carta de Oaxaca, I could no longer feel my tongue. That’s a plus in my book; spice is nice. If heat is your thing, too, Mezcaleria should be on your short list of restaurants to try. Start with…

When summer tomatoes are at their fragrant best, their acidic edge balanced by ripe sweetness—for what seems like a hot minute between July and September—it’s best to treat them as you would your other ripest fruits, your peaches and plums: Barely gild the lily. The Walrus and the Carpenter’s tomatoes with vanilla and olive oilis this philosophy come…

Arts and culture editor Brangien Davis recommends Maria Semple’s new book (along with two others from local authors) in the June issue of Seattle mag. This funny trailer, featuring local book nerds (and Tom Skerritt), is just another good reason to put Where’d You Go, Bernadette? on your summer reading list.