sanctuary

For the past week or so, a big mass of clouds has parked over Seattle and given us a healthy dose of holiday rain showers.  Now that I have a car, I've gotten a bit lazy about walking in the rain, so on the eve of Christmas Eve, I made the foolish decision to drive to the U District shopping center rather than brave the elements and walk to downtown Seattle. This, from a girl who used to walk halfway across NYC on a daily basis! Ah, the times they are a-changin'.

I was naively unprepared for the hordes of holiday traffic - is there anything more frustrating than endlessly circling in the parking lot? After making it through the traffic and half-flooded roads, I was hoping to spend the rest of the afternoon with my Kindle and a cup of coffee. After a few more wrong turns and failed attempts to find street parking (the story of my life as a relatively new driver), I was ready to give up on that too, when a sign for "A Muddy Cup" in front of a little yellow house appeared like a haven in a storm.

After coaxing my car into a parking space, I hurried over while dodging the raindrops. The second I walked in, I knew that this was exactly the right place for me at that moment. It was quiet and warm, with a couple of comfy looking armchairs and reading lamps scattered about. I was half afraid to disturb the almost palpable silence with the click of my camera, but my fellow patrons seemed engrossed in their own work. With a cup of cappuccino, I curled up in a chair, reveling in my temporary escape from the rain. It's all about the small victories :)

A Muddy Cup
266 NE 45th St.
Wallingford/U District

old world charm

This year, I seem to have been remarkably oblivious to the holiday season. That is, until a little lightbulb went off in my head a few days ago and I realized that there were presents to buy and a Christmas dinner to plan. So off I went on another one of my glorious days off to do my part in stimulating the economy.

After a morning of successful shopping, I paused to rest at Le Pichet, a little French bistro that I pass by frequently. I had a hankering for Caffe Vita coffee, so I found a spot at the bar and plopped down with my bags, intending to just get my caffeine fix and move on. Charmed by the bistro chic, I decided on a whim to stay for lunch. With my frequent solitary wanderings over the past few weeks, I've gotten used to eating alone, with my Kindle for company :)

There's something very satisfying about the simplicity of bistro fare - a brightly colored salad with just a few well-dressed ingredients and topped with some cheese-y croutons was spot on. Add in free coffee refills, and I was a very happy camper. Incidentally, I discovered that the owner of Le Pichet also owns Cafe Presse, of which I was also a big fan. He really knows how to run a great French bistro!

It seems that I am one of the few people staying in Seattle for the holidays - best wishes for a merry Christmas and new year wherever you are!

Le Pichet
1933 1st Ave

lunch for one

I'm fortunate to have a job where I have the freedom to work from home if nothing requires me to be in the office (what a great change from i-banking!), so I decided to make good use of my free time this week by doing some daytime exploring. Volunteer Park Cafe popped up on Yelp as a good lunch spot, so off I went on my weekday adventure.

When I arrived, I was dismayed to find that the cafe had lost power that morning, leaving me with a limited selection of cold sandwiches and pastries to choose from. It was a cute place though, so I decided to stick with my original plan. Luckily, my patience was rewarded! The power returned soon after, and I got my hot panini after all :)

I loved the home-y feel of the place - peeking through the kitchen doorway, I could see the chefs hard at work making pies and other yummy goodies. The long wooden communal tables and candle jars also added to the coziness, like a Pottery Barn catalog come to life. The exterior is equally cute, with a backyard garden with real live poultry running around (hm, did I just eat one of their brethren in my chicken sandwich?). As a final treat, I snagged a cherry chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Ah, if only every weekday lunch could be this good!

 Volunteer Park Cafe
1501 17th Ave. E.

spirit of the people

While Zeitgeist Coffee has been on my Seattle coffee shop list, it wasn't my original destination when I headed down to Pioneer Square last weekend. I had intended to go to Caffe Umbria, but I was a little thrown off by the fancy schmancy vibe, so I walked over a few blocks to Zeitgeist instead. Turns out the second time was the charm.

Zeitgeist was more what I was expecting from a Pioneer Square coffee shop. Cool logo? check. Exposed brick interior? check. Hipster baristas? check.

In my cozy window seat, I made good progress on my book, occasionally looking up to watch the winter afternoon light play over the warm wood tables and brick walls. It's certainly a different look than the vintage charm of the Fremont coffee shops, but it was a nice change of scenery.

Zeitgeist Coffee
171 S. Jackson St.

mixing it up

I've been skewing heavily towards northern Seattle in my recent adventures, so I decided to mix it up this weekend by heading downtown to Pioneer Square. While Fremont & Ballard are chock full of charm and easy to love, the historic district around Pioneer Square is a little grittier so I haven't gotten around to exploring it until now.

An introvert by nature, I'm the type of person who needs some time alone to unwind, especially after this hectic pre-holiday week. With Sunday dawning clear & warm, I eagerly headed out by myself with a few coffee shops in mind and an entire afternoon ahead of me. Pioneer Square is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle, and the architecture reflects that. I'm fairly clueless when it comes to these things, but I did enjoy the old red brick buildings and the kind of industrial feel of the streets. The area is also a bit dicier, but in the daylight and with lots of Seahawks fans heading down to Qwest Field, I let my camera guide me through the streets.

The original aim of the afternoon was to visit Zeitgeist Coffee, but I found much more than I bargained for, so that post will have to wait for next time. Unexpected find #1 was Waterfall Garden, a quiet urban oasis that I stumbled upon as I rounded the corner. It actually reminds me of the random garden in NYC that I found while walking back from Buttercup Bakeshop one time and never seemed to be able to find again except by accident (it's on 51st, between 2nd & 3rd ave, if you ever need a place to eat your red velvet cupcake!) It's similar in the sense that it comes out of nowhere and seems entirely out of place, a quiet slice of serenity among all the dirt and grime of the city.

Unexpected find #2 was Globe Bookstore, an independent shop that had a bunch of my favorites childhood reads, including a great selection of Hardy Boys mysteries :)

I also enjoyed the shimmer & sparkle of holiday decorations, which I have largely ignored until now. I hate shopping mall crowds and the mad rush of the season, but I do have soft spot for pretty lights and glittering ornaments.

Whew, that was a hefty post. My poor laptop probably needs some rest after chugging away on photoshop for so long. As do I, after traversing the city this afternoon!

a beautiful cup of coffee

Winter can be awfully depressing when you're as far north as Seattle is (it's even further north than Maine, as a benchmark for you East Coasters) - the rainy days and early sunsets can leave you yearning for light and color to break up the gray monotony.  Last week was a string of dreary days, so my visit to Espresso Vivace was a welcome pick-me-up.

It was a serendipitous encounter - I happened to be on the block for another errand when the sign caught my eye. Then I recalled that a co-worker had told me that the Espresso Vivace location by the REI store was the best espresso he had found so far in Seattle. I knew I had to pay a visit.

Espresso Vivace has built up quite a name for itself in the area, and it's known for its high-quality espresso and rigorous attention to the roasting and preparation process. I'd actually been to one of their other locations, a little road-side stand in Capitol Hill, but I didn't remember being particularly wowed when I tried it a few months ago. This time, though, I went for an unusual drink that I spotted on the menu, a cafe nico. The barista rattled off the ingredients - espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon, orange, vanilla - and I was sold.

Vivace's slogan translates to "a beautiful cup of coffee," and boy, do they take that seriously! The latte art was so gorgeous that I almost didn't want to spoil it by taking the first sip. But the drink is as delicious as it is beautiful. The great espresso is brightened by a hint of orange and warmed up with a little cinnamon. This may be one of my new favorite drinks.

Espresso Vivace
Alley 24
227 Yale Ave. N

coffee on the canal

Last weekend, my trip to Gasworks Park took me to the Fremont neighborhood, which has more than its fair share of charming coffee shops. During my visit to Fremont Coffee, a fellow patron had recommended Canal St. Coffee as another place with great outdoor seating, so I decided to see what it was all about.

Situated on the trail that runs along its namesake, Canal Coffee is tucked in a little house with a old-timey front porch and beautiful views of the water. With plentiful natural light and comfortable seating, it's a great place to drop by for a relaxing cup of coffee (and 25 cent doughnuts!) before a stroll along the canal. I've had better espresso elsewhere, but the prime location and the down-to-earth charm would induce me to make a return visit. I also got a kick out of their handwritten currency acceptance policy.

I had a field day exploring the trail along the canal, and was struck by another zen moment as I sat by the canal, soaking in the sun while dangling my feet above the water.

I'm having a hard time believing it's almost the end of 2010. Sometimes I still do a double take when I realize that I moved across the country just a few months ago. East vs. west, which is best? I think the jury is still out on that one.

Canal St. Coffee
102 NW Canal St.
Seattle

serenity now

Do you ever have those moments where you just feel at peace with the world? When all your cares seem to float away and you just feel happy to be right where you are at that exact moment? Those moments don't come along too often, but when they do, it's a great feeling.

I had one of those moments this weekend, which was a particularly beautiful one in Seattle - mild temperatures and blindingly sunny blue skies. With an empty Saturday morning ahead of me, I decided to cross off another item on my list of places to go and drive out to Gasworks Park. Being surrounded by beautiful scenery, you'd think I would eventually stop being impressed by water and mountains and skylines, but the view from Gasworks really blew me away. The first thought that entered my mind when I reached the top of the hill was just "Wow." The entire city of Seattle just appears before you, accentuated by a beautifully designed sundial where YOU get to be the shadow-casting object (called a gnomon, for anyone who cares. Thanks Wikipedia!)

As I was staring out across the water, with the warm sun shining on my face, I felt a peaceful contentment come over me. I've had my ups and downs since moving to Seattle, but in that moment, I felt like everything was going to be all right.   

After my zen moment passed, I amused myself by exploring the rest of the park, which contains the remains of the park's namesake gas manufacturing plant. I kept blinding myself by taking shots of the sun, but I'm a sucker for those flare pictures :) More to come on my coffee shop adventure of the week in my next post!

Gasworks Park
2101 N Northlake Way

savor every second of sunlight

Hunting down Seattle coffee shops has become something of a weekend hobby for me lately, and I stumbled upon a great one this past Sunday. Well, I shouldn't say stumbled - I actually did a quick Bing (shameless company plug) search for "Seattle coffee shops," which led me to Fremont Coffee. It passed with flying colors on Yelp, so we headed off to Fremont to check it out. Ah, the beauty of the internet.

Fremont Coffee is one of the more unique coffee shops that I have seen here. I felt less like I was walking into a coffee shop, and more like I was just stopping by my friendly neighbor's house who happened to make awesome coffee and have plenty of open rooms to hang out in. The weather was cooperating that day too, and I loved the effect of the winter sunlight falling on the rustic wraparound porch. Very Seattle country chic, if such a thing exists. It must be a great place to spend a summer afternoon.

Another unique bit - their latte art! I'm used to seeing pretty flowers and hearts, but this was definitely the first time I had seen a skull in my macchiato...a bit spooky perhaps (a little death with your coffee?), but I appreciated the creativity :)  

I also got to see another bit of local Seattle culture, the so-called "Fremont Troll" that sits under the Aurora Bridge. I almost missed it since I was driving, but luckily Andrew spotted it as we were going by. The conversation went something like this: "What the hell is that thing??" "Oh, that's the Fremont troll!" "Wha?" 

It's been a good photo/coffee weekend for me, but that may go on pause in the post-Thanksgiving crunch. Sigh. I've certainly enjoyed my week off from work...back to the grind!

Fremont Coffee

459 36th St.

afternoon at the cafe

I love cafes that let you linger for hours at a time, with no pressure to evacuate your seat just because you've stopped ordering. Cafe Presse in Capitol Hill is one such cafe - we got there for a late lunch and stayed there til dusk, with nary a person bothering us other than to occasionally ask if we needed anything. They have a limited menu, but I have yet to be disappointed by anything I've ordered. Even their plain baguettes with butter are delicious.  It's great for a cheap weekend meal (brunch dishes for $5!) or a cozy afternoon of reading/working alongside a good cup of coffee (and cookies!). They have a great selection of reading material for sale too, if you find yourself without a book. As an added bonus, they are connected to Stumptown Coffee next door if you need a change of ambience or want to caffeinate further :)

Cafe Presse
1117 12th Ave
Seattle
website

Down to Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung is probably the most highly anticipated restaurant opening that Seattle has ever witnessed. The name alone inspires cultish levels of adoration among soup dumpling loving Asians and non-Asians alike. Combine that with a lack of existing soup dumpling offerings in the area, a massive Asian population (thanks Microsoft), and long-awaited opening, and you have all the makings for ridiculous waits and inevitably, some disappointment.

You need a well-thought out game plan if you actually plan to eat here. Waits are generally 2.5 hours - maybe 1.5 hours if you go at a non-peak time. Ridiculous, you say? I agree. Luckily, the restaurant is located right next to the movie theater, so our plan was to put our names down at 2, watch 127 Hours, do some shopping, and then be just in time to eat dinner. The 2.5 hour wait actually turned out to be just an hour, but with a large party, they're nice enough to leave you at the top of the list if you're not around when your table is ready.

I've had my fair share of excellent xiao long bao at DTF in Taiwan and LA, Joe's Shanghai and Shanghai Cafe in NYC, as well as one of the famous stores in Shanghai, so I must say that I was let down by the soup dumplings. The dumpling skin wasn't as delicate and the soup filling wasn't as flavorful (or hot). There was definitely no risk of getting scalded by the soupy contents, which is really one of the fun parts of eating soup dumplings. Luckily, the other dishes we ordered more than made up for those failings. My favorites were the stir fried rice cakes, shrimp fried rice, sweet taro dumplings and eight treasure rice. Other solid bets were the pickled cucumbers, chicken soup and beef noodle soup.

I would like to make a return visit because I'm curious if they can work out the kinks, or at least increase their efficiency. Their dumpling makers look a little on the slow side right now, but I'm willing to give them another chance. But I'm going to let the chaos subside a little before I venture back, especially since there are other solid choices for Taiwanese food in Bellevue.

rainy day comforts

As winter sets in, I'm struggling to get used to Seattle's early sunsets and gloomy skies. A cozy coffee shop and a well-made espresso go a long way towards warding off the winter blues though. I found this great guide to Seattle shops & restaurants the other day, and with a quiet Sunday afternoon ahead of us, the roommate & I decided to check out one of the coffee shops on the list.

Muse Coffee is tucked away on a quiet house-lined street in Queen Anne. The owners clearly have an eye for design - there are unique little pieces scattered unexpectedly around the shop, like a golden buddha by the coffee cups, a plaster moose head mounted on the wall, and hanging lamps with inspirational/random paper messages. And my drink - a mocha with orange zest - was the perfect thing to get me through the gray day.

out of print

I always appreciate interesting packaging and good design, so I was quite taken with the tags on a shirt I recently ordered from Out of Print Clothing. Their t-shirts feature great vintage book covers (I bought the 1984 one), and keeping with the theme, their labels are designed to look like old-fashioned library book slips. How cute!

sleepless in seattle

I have never been able to just lie in bed after I waking up - I keep thinking about all the things I could be doing - so when I woke up at the ridiculous hour of 5:30 am on Friday, my restless feet took me to Kerry Park to catch the sunrise. With daylights savings, the sun rises at about 7:10 these days (and sets at 4:40...), so when I got there at 6, it was still pitch black. I set up my camera on a conveniently located cable box, and started clicking away. While the day before had dawned with  beautiful colors, unfortunately the one I witnessed was fairly overcast.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the tranquility of the city before sunrise. There is also something very soothing about watching the night transition into day, with the sunlight gradually stealing over the horizon. The whole city really takes on a new look in the span of just an hour. Winter sunrises are supposedly quite beautiful, so I may be making a return trip :)

Empire State of Mind

While Seattle is beautiful, I must admit I miss many things about NYC. There is truly no other city like it.

Seattle Restaurant Week 2010

I'm usually pretty skeptical of restaurant week deals because in my experience, you usually get subpar food at a premium price. But being new to the area, it was a good excuse to check out some places on my ever-growing list. Plus, it's $25 for a 3-course dinner, which is cheaper than the RW in New York City. I'm glad I decided to give it another shot, because I was pleasantly surprised by my first Seattle restaurant week experience at Stumbling Goat Bistro in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood.  It's an unassuming place with a cozy, neighborhood joint kind of vibe, but the food is really top-notch. I'm not a huge meat eater, and even I was a big fan of the hanger steak entree. It was hard to take pictures in such low lighting, so I gave up early on, but the desserts were so pretty, I had to get in a few shots.

So the verdict? Pick carefully and you can have a great restaurant week experience in the Emerald City. I went to another dinner at Tilth later that week, and I felt like the selection was more limited (not to mention that the food was overall very heavily salted). But again, great excuse to get a group of people together for a fun dinner!

Clockwise from top left: Bailey's bread pudding, salted caramel pot de creme, rustic berry tart with homemade ice cream, and flourless chocolate cake

just a thought

Just a picture & a quote for today.

out of the shadows

I always get a bit of a rush when I discover a new neighborhood or area - it's like the thrill of bargain hunting without the wallet damage. 

I've been a frequent visitor to the Seattle Art Museum sculpture park next to my apartment, but I never explored much beyond the immediate waterfront. Wanting to get some sunshine & fresh air, I put on my sneakers one morning and started running, with only the vague idea that there was some sort of path that went through the park. What I found was a running trail that follows the Puget Sound coast with little surprises sprinkled along the way - a rose garden, a pebble beach, and other assorted finds.  I was so taken with what I saw that I actually went back to my apartment after my 3 mile run, got my camera and walked another 3 miles to take pictures. My legs weren't very happy with me the next day (and the day after that...), but I think it was worth it.

simpler times

The shorter days and crisp air have signaled the arrival of autumn, and it has put me in the mood for pumpkins, apple cider, and cozy fall sweaters.  Luckily, an afternoon drive to Snoqualmie Falls brought us in the vicinity of Fall City Farms, a rustic pick-your-own farm that brought back  memories of school field trips to the pumpkin patch. It's hard not to smile when you're surrounded by such wholesome scenery - little kids playing in the hay, doughnuts being served fresh out of the fryer and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, parents carting wheelbarrows full of pumpkins...sigh. If only life were always this simple!

I got myself a solid 13 pound pumpkin (lugging that thing around was my workout for the day), and picked up some locally grown apples while I was at it. There's nothing quite like the taste of a crisp apple straight from the orchard.

Of course, no weekend would be complete without a trip to a local coffee shop. This week's stop was at Stumptown Coffee in Capitol Hill. I have to admit, I ordered a cappuccino mostly because I wanted a photogenic subject to capture (sad, isn't it). My default order is an espresso or drip coffee (straight up, no cream or sugar) because I like the unadulterated taste of coffee beans. But the beautiful latte art I got was worth it :) I was a big fan of their cups & saucers as well - I like it when my dishes wish me good luck!

I feel like I'm going to need a good caffeine boost to get me through this week - my internal motivation has been failing me lately, so I need a good kick start to keep me energized. Maybe more coffee is the answer... 

kerry park, we meet again

I've gotten into the habit of going to Kerry Park when I have nothing else to do in the early evening. It seems a bit sad not to spend the last hour or so of sunlight outside, especially when I know the dark winter months will be here soon. Kerry Park is really just a small sliver of sidewalk, but the view it affords of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound is incredibly scenic.

Apparently it's quite a popular spot for photographers - by the time the sun set and the city was lit up, I spotted 2 or 3 people there with hardcore tripods. I have a small Gorillapod, but without a shutter release cable, I'm finding it difficult to take good long exposure shots. Anyone have any tips/recommendations on taking night shots?

"are we in time for happy hour?"

Oh how life has changed since New York - before, the idea of making a 6 pm happy hour would have been laughable. Now, it's not only possible, it seems to be a fairly regular occurrence.  The roommate & I actually just barely made the 6 pm deadline, but that was mostly due to a few wrong turns (also a fairly regular occurrence when I am behind the wheel).

The happy hour at the Fremont location of Via Tribulani is an amazing deal - $5 for a top-notch quality neapolitan-style pizza, the kind that I have been sorely missing since leaving New York. I am happy to report that Seattle has some quality pizza as well - a thin crust with a good balance of crispy and bready, a flavorful sauce, and creamy mozzarella. Add in a cheap carafe of red wine, and it had all the makings of a great meal.

It was a strange feeling to be done with dinner at 7:30 and have the whole night ahead, so we headed across the street to Hunger, which was recommended by our waiter at Via Tribulani.  It's the kind of place that would probably be jam-packed in New York, but lines in Seattle seem to be pretty rare, so we headed right in and got prime seats at the bar. Everyone around us seemed to be digging into something delicious smelling, so I would love to go back and check out the food menu. I just looked online, and the menu seems to cover all the latest food fads - truffle popcorn, tapas, osso bucco, sliders...The drinks were good and the atmosphere was cozy, and with Via Tribulani across the street, I'm hoping there's a repeat visit in the future.

take comfort in rituals

Some weekends are great because they're new and exciting. Other weekends are great because they're comforting and familiar. This past weekend was a combination of the two - on one hand, I tried a few new things like oyster shucking (harder than it seems) and rock climbing (easier than I had imagined). But I also fell back on my tried & true weekend rituals of brunch & coffee, albeit in a slightly more unfamiliar part of town.

On the topic of familiarity, I'm trying to do at least one thing a week at work that's a little out of my comfort zone. It doesn't have to be big, but I think continually challenging myself helps me overcome my natural inhibitions & fears, and it also keeps me from stagnating. Sometimes the hardest part of change is just gathering enough momentum to overcome inertia. Like a worn-in pair of jeans or a PB&J sandwich, familiar things are soothing in their very banality and it's hard to give up that comfort. Pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone can be stressful, but I'm often surprised at how easy things can be once you get past the initial uncertainty. It's like breaking the ice with a stranger - the conversation might be awkward at first, but wouldn't you rather have a chance at making a great connection than never knowing what could have been? 

 

Terribly slow service, somewhat redeemed by great brunch food.

Coffee break at Victrola (great pour-over coffee). We also found a coffee table book on NYC storefronts that made us nostalgic...

Couldn't resist getting salted caramel & olive oil this time, but definitely want to return for balsamic strawberry.

happy hour

What do you do when it's 75 degrees, sunny and you're done with work at 5:30? You head to happy hour, naturally. Seattle is apparently known as a happy hour town, and it was a perfect day to sit outside with a glass of wine.  Luckily, my roommate was equally non-busy and in the mood to soak up the sun (and some wine), so we headed to an area of Pike Place Market known as Post Alley. 2 glasses of wine and 2 1/2 hours later, I felt like we had sufficiently taken advantage of the beautiful indian summer day. There's definitely something to be said for work-life balance, and Seattle has been great for making the most of it.

lazy days

Seattle was graced with unseasonably warm weather this past weekend, so we headed outdoors to the sculpture park for a lazy afternoon picnic. Some of the best times are the times when you doing nothing much at all...

Sunday's weather was more of a mixed bag, but my roommate and I moseyed over to Pike Place where we ate our way through the free samples at an artisan food festival that we stumbled upon.  We then spent a relaxing few hours tasting local wines while keeping a wary eye on the ominous rainclouds above. Not a bad way to pass the day considering that we didn't have anything planned to begin with.

I look forward to Sunday nights right now because both Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire are on. The cinematography in both is great, and I guess I'm a sucker for well-done period shows too. I'm especially in love with the opening credits for Boardwalk - the surreal imagery and the music are spot on, as is the visual allusion to Magritte's Son of Man.

LA eats

While I am not a huge fan of LA as a city, it certainly does have some good eats. 

Because I happened to be visiting a self-proclaimed ramen addict, we naturally had to check out one of the LA ramen spots. We've been to Santouka before, so this time we decided to go to Orochon in Little Tokyo. It's most famous for having an insanely spicy ramen, but since I wanted to actually enjoy my ramen rather than burn off my tastebuds, I stuck with the #4 level spicy (range of 1-7, non-spicy to "extreme") which ended up being a solid choice. With the addition of some char siu pork, it was a satisfying meal. It isn't Ippudo or Minca amazing, but I'd go back if I were in the area.

 

The real highlight of my trip, though, came later that day in the form of mango shaved ice. This was no ordinary shaved ice - Class 302 specializes in snow shaved ice, which is unbelievably fluffy and flavorful. The mango, mochi and condensed milk topping was equally amazing (as a side note, can someone please explain why you can't buy good mangos in the states?) I would come here every day if I lived in Rowland Heights. Looking at this picture now is actually making me drool a little bit.

We finished off the weekend with a trip to Apple Pan, which is supposed to have the "finest example of a California-style burger." Usually I dread going to places that are hyped up because there are inevitably lines and ridiculous waits, but Apple Pan was surprisingly quiet when we went. Others have commented on its retro feel, but it really did feel like an old-fashioned oasis in the modern day suburban wasteland of LA. From the red leather bar stools, to the funny paper hats worn by the servers, to the deliciously simple burgers, everything seemed straight out of an earlier, more peaceful era. If you go, don't skimp on dessert  - the oversized slice of banana cream pie may have actually been better than the burger.

LA may be a sprawling smoggy congested city (sorry I'm such an LA hater), but I guess I can cut it some slack for having good ramen, shaved ice & burgers.

Re-

I went to Kerry Park after work today on a whim - I felt like wandering around and clearing my head for a bit, and photography always helps me refocus. Since the park is at the top of a huge hill - the kind of hill where you can hear your car engine struggling as you drive up - it affords a pretty spectacular view of the city. The weather was sub-optimal since it had been raining all day (story of my life in Seattle), but the area around the viewpoint is quite scenic, so it was perfect for aimless wandering with camera in hand.

I'm excited for the weekend - the weather forecast says sunny & warm on Saturday, so that's sounds promising. But more than anything else, I think I need some time to recharge and reflect. Tonight's wanderings and a pizza & wine & gossip session with the girls was relaxing, but there's still a lot of churning going on in my head.