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

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.

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

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

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.

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... 

let's grab a cup of coffee

Given that Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, it seems fitting that I can summarize the past two days through the cups of coffee that I drank. This is the first weekend since I moved here that I didn't really have any plans, so I used the free time to do some exploring. Seattle is a lot bigger than New York, so it takes a little bit more effort to wander through the different neighborhoods.

My roommate and I took advantage of the surprisingly pleasant weather on Saturday to check out the U District. It's a cute college-y area with an eclectic mix of stores - we shopped our way through the main thoroughfare, stopping by a couple cafes to refuel. We both felt rather old (at the ripe age of 24) as we watched college kids walking around, all hyped up for the Saturday football game.  Too bad neither of us really knew what it was like to actually care about a college sports team.

The next day, I made way over to the Capitol Hill neighborhood to meet up with my brother after struggling to overcome my inept sense of direction (I couldn't find the right bus stop, then realized that I was at the wrong bus stop, then waited 20 minutes for the right bus...). We ate at Cafe Presse, a French cafe with a bustling brunch crowd. I love that Seattle is a brunch town, since weekend brunch is one of my favorite activities. I ordered a tomato soup and stole a bite of my brother's croque monsieur (both delicious). I wanted to see more of the area, since it's supposed to be one of the "cool" neighborhoods in Seattle, so I headed over to Roy Street Coffee, which is actually a Starbucks concept store. You pick your beans and method, so I ordered Kona bean coffee made with the pour over method. Naturally, I had to get some doughnuts to accompany all the coffee. Luckily, Top Pot Doughnuts, which is mentioned a lot in Seattle food buzz, was a short walk away.  My glazed applesauce doughnut was moist and light - a perfect follow-up to all that coffee.

All paths seem to lead to the water though, and I ended the weekend by the piers in some good company. Can't wait to drink my way through the rest of Seattle's coffee!