PAX Food and Tourist Guide

 

Happy Friday little bots. While I may not be at PAX Prime this year, I still wanted to do a little guide for those who are attending. This is mostly for where to get food, slip away from the crowds, and where to unwind other than your hotel room.

Breakfast:

If you don’t want to eat from your hotel's complimentary breakfast, there are vast options for you to go out to eat. Remember a good meal before you head into the convention will keep you alert and energized all day. Here are a few suggestions on where to go:

Seatown: Tom Douglas is one of the top chefs in Seattle, he owns many restaurants and I would suggest you should try at least one before you leave town. Seatown has a great basic and some so basic breakfast options. Located on the edge of Pike's Market, the prices are great, the food is good, and you can swing threw the market after wards to pick up some snack to eat while at PAX.

Sun Liquor : Want to get away from the crowds? Head up to Capitol Hill

Saturday or Sunday to try Sun Liquor's brunch. Set in a local distillery where they make gin and vodka, it is one of the only distilleries in the country to also serves as a bar & restaurant. If you are old enough try some of their sprites they make in house. The best part, all brunch items are under 10 bucks!

5 point cafe: Set in Belltown just a block away from the Seattle Center lies the 5 Point Cafe. This 85 year old bar is the perfect fix for your greasy spoon food. Open 24 hours a day, you can get breakfast any time you want. This is a great place to cure your hang over the night before.

Where to grab food for later that day:

It is essential to have snacks on hand while at the convention. You don’t want your stomach to be growling while waiting in line or in a panel. Pike Place Market if you go early in the morning is great place to get fresh fruits and veggies to snack on, the key is to go early before the big crowds come. There is also City Target just up the street from Pike's Market where you can grab your usual junk food must haves. But say you want a good sandwich for later that day, stop by Dahlia Bakery to grab food on the go. Not many people will be there and the line goes pretty fast. Another option is to grab doughnuts for early morning meal or afternoon pickup, the best doughnuts in town is Top Pot doughnuts.

Coffee:

it's everywhere in Seattle, I'm serious, you cant walk 10 feet with out bumming into a coffee shop. You don’t need to go far to find coffee around the convention center. There is the always reliable Starbucks, or if you want to try other options there is the Nordstrom Ebar or Caffe Lardo.

Large Group Dinning:

If you normally have a large group to eat with, it's hard to find a restaurant that will accommodate your group. To combat this is is important to make a reservation at least by 3pm. That way you are not waiting for over 2 hours for a table. Here are a few places to go away from the crowds with your group:

Local 360: This place screams everything Seattle. Fresh local food, and drinks right in the heart of Belltown. This place is great for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Icon Grill: Want something that reminds you of home? Look no further than the Icon Grill; serving Seattle since 1998 with dishes like Mac&Cheese, Fried Chicken, and Prime Rib there is something for everyone on this menu. Like Local 360, you can come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bonus points for it being a 5 minute walk from the convention center.

Rhein Haus – formerly, Von Trapp's: If you really want to get away from the PAX crowd, head up to Capitol Hill for some great Bavarian food. Walking in you feel like you are going into a beer hall in Germany, the beer is great as is the food and they have 5 indoor bocce ball courts. A great place to relax before another day of PAX.

Ivars: Ivars is Seattle, Seattle is Ivars and we love our acres of clams and chowder. Located on the iconic waterfront on Pier 54 you can not beat the views of the ferry’s coming into port. Great seafood you do not want to miss this little piece of Seattle history.

Unwind/ Where to go:

Now sometime you would like to get away from the convention center and relax for an hour or two. Sometimes you don’t want to sit in a hotel, why not instead go to Pikes Market and go on a Food Tour. See the different side of the market and sample the great foods of the Northwest. Or go to the Seattle Public Library with its unique design both exterior and interior. Normally I would say go ride the monorail to check out the Seattle Center but Bumpershoot is this weekend as well and the crowds over there are ridiculous, DO NOT GO!

If you only have an hour and your feet are killing you, swing into Julep for a relaxing pedicure. Need some comics to read for the trip back home, go to Zanadu Comics they have a large collection of trades and new comics.

Hope this helps you for your trip to PAX or any other convention taking place in Seattle. If you are attending this weekend have fun and be safe. See Monday for a weekly update.

See you on the other side

Bitchin’ Fridays: Restaurant Review: 4 Swallows

             

            Shaking things up this week, it has been ever so nice outside that it put me in a good mood.  As a result, I am going to write a quick review instead of my usual gloomy disposition on life.  Let’s dive in, shall we.

             This past week I visited my parents and went out to dinner at a restaurant that we have never been before on Bainbridge Island.  Four swallows is an Italian/northwest inspired Cuisine, more on the emphasis on Italian.  You have two choices on where to sit.  You can sit in the dinning room that looks and feels like an old French country home, perfect for a date.  Or sit with the locals in the bar area, it looks more like a comfy English pub.  Which ever you chose you will get the same menu.

            The cocktail that I had was spring thyme.  It was light and very refreshing, and not to herby with the fresh sprig of thyme that is placed in the drink.  For the appetizer I had the cheese plate that featured cheese from Vashon Island with apricot jam and house made crackers.  The cheese its self was not over powering and had a lovely velvety texture much like brie. 

            My entrée was beef tenderloin in a red win reduction with butter potatoes and sautéed asparagus.  The beef was the size of a fist and so tender that it fell apart in your mouth.  The sauce accompanied the dish well and the potatoes tasted like they have been injected with butter.  I would gladly come back to have this dish again.

            Finally I went against my better judgment (and full stomach) and had desert.  I had Affogato, which is espresso with vanilla ice cream and chocolate covered beans.  It came in a tall glass filed with ice cream and shoots of espresso, resembling a milkshake.  It was light and I ended up ditching the spoon and drank the remainder of the dish.

            Four Swallows is an excellent date night destination, just hope on the ferry at sunset and come back on for that beautiful Seattle skyline at night.  The down side to this place is that it is off the beaten path and you will be walking for a distance away from the main drag.  Also the wine here is expensive; you are better off taking your own and paying for the corkage fee. 

            I encourage everyone to go off the beaten path every once in a while to discover a new gem.  Four Swallows web site for your enjoyment: Four Swallows.  Thanks you all for reading, please leave a message and what you thought down below.  If you have suggestions on what I should review or rant about next please shoot me an email or comment.

See you on the other side.