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