Pike Place Market

On Saturday we were desperate to get out of the house. Plus, Robb had a temp job starting on Monday in downtown Seattle, so we figured we'd head over there so he could scout out the area. When spending time downtown, Robb has discovered that parking costs are outrageous. So we park near the Seattle Center and then walk a couple of miles to downtown/Pike Place. The Seattle Center is where the Space Needle is, as well as the venues for the ballet/opera. "Our" parking garage there costs only $6 for the entire day!

We walked along the waterfront to get to Pike Place Market and were very pleased that it was raining! We finally got to use our rain jackets. When we got to Pike Place we decided to eat and chose Pike Place Chowder. We ordered a variety sampler and while everything was good, we must say that the New England clam chowder was the best we've ever had. Absolutely amazing. After the chowder we grabbed some doughnuts from the Daily Dozen Doughnuts. They make mini-doughnuts fresh in the market and the line was incredibly long because they smelled so good. The Pike Brewing Company was next on our list and we each tried a local beer. I'm not a huge beer fan in general, but Robb liked both of the brews we tried. After that we tried a beef and curry humbow from a street vendor. This is the second humbow I've tried, and while they're interesting, I don't think I'll get one again. The bread that surrounds the filling is topped with something sweet, and I just can't get over the sweetness and the savory. Our final food stop was The Confectional. This little bakery specializes in mini-cheesecakes and cheesecake truffles. We tried a sampling and OH MY GOD! Robb made sure to pick up a brochure and remind me that his birthday is this month.

Now, a little disclaimer. This sounds like a ton of food. And don't get me wrong, it was a decent amount. But, we shared everything and got small things so that we could sample a lot. And as hard as it was, I managed to resist stopping in Pirosky Pirosky to get a cheddar/potato pirogi. Next time we go to Pike Place Market I'll definitely be getting one of those again. And we really want to try Beecher's. This place makes cheese and are renowned for their homemade mac and cheese. Plus, their sandwiches look pretty good.

Pike Place Market is obviously more than just restaurant vendors. However, we're on a budget and didn't spend the money on the beautiful bouquets of flowers, crafts, or art. And unfortunately, we had just stocked up on fruits and veggies, so we didn't need any fresh produce. But ultimately, Pike Place Market is a great place to people watch and, obviously, eat tons of local food. It's interesting because it's obviously a huge tourist destination in Seattle. But it's also still very important to the locals. Many Seattleites still buy their produce there and eat at the food booths during their lunch break. And the vendors are a great mix of silly tourist crap and real crafts.