Seattle fans of the PBS show Downton Abbey are pushing it to ever higher ratings. The show is so popular in the Seattle area, KCTS is consistently the No. 1 or No. 2 PBS station in the country for “Abbey” ratings. Last Sunday’s two-hour episode was second only to the Grammy Awards in the Seattle…

It’s a shame what you’d miss if you never left your own neighborhood, never took a turn down an unexplored street or planted yourself in one of Seattle’s sensational neighborhood restaurants. The romantic, candlelit tables in Madrona, the increasingly urbane (and decreasingly scruff-friendly) bistros in Ballard, and the thrum of diners, drinkers and rockers perched…

The latest issue of Northwest Home (found inside the March issue of Seattle magazine) showcases Cool Kitchens, including a dramatic 1950s remodel, and tips on how to bring some canine chic style to your dwelling. Plus, our Home of the Month features a mod remodel on Mercer Island (tour it March 18), which comes complete…

There ought to be a word for sushi that has little to do with Japanese food (maybe newshi?). That way, sushi snobs like me—who care about properly cooked and seasoned rice, impeccably fresh fish cut perfectly—could differentiate between the few places that serve sushi and the growing number of places that specialize in newshi, where…

Campagne closed a year ago to reopen as Marché last fall, with only middling success. On the bright side: The expanded bar is quite a good place to meet a friend for wine, outstanding pomme frites ($5) and a slab of chunky pork hock terrine ($8) dotted with pistachios and served on a wood plank….

I have an old friend who insists that a pizza with anything fancy, anything beyond pepperoni and cheese, is “lasagna.” His head would surely explode if confronted with the awesome pulled-pork pizza at The Flying Squirrel: piled high with tender braised pork hunks, sprinkled with fresh cilantro and Cotija cheese, a few ribbons of red…

If you’re a menu customizer—always asking for this or that on the side, extra veggies and such—get thee to King Noodle, stat! You’ll be presented with a two-sided menu to fill in: a choice of noodles (I like the chewy egg noodles and the wontons) and of broth (the chicken is delicious, but you can…

Seattle Rep is celebrating its 50th anniversary next season (September 2012-May 2013), and the theater has booked a trio of plays to represent a half-century of producing timeless classics, new works and big hits. It will be very interesting to see how they tackle the puppet master magic that made War Horse such a hit…

Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearth and home, is a fitting symbol for Hestia Cellars. Winemaker and owner Shannon Jones came up with the name to honor the strong ties to Greece on his mother’s side of the family and the celebrations of his youth, complete with roasted lamb, wine and dancing. Jones’ path to…

STREET TIKI When Chino owners Walter and Mari Lee decided to open a restaurant based around the Los Angeles street food they devoured in their youth, they matched those diverse culinary tastes with one of the defining features of L.A.’s liquor landscape: tiki. Honestly, it could have been an overly syruped and sweetened disaster, but…