Panes of Glass

The day Mom & Dad were flying out of Seattle we decided to do the Savor Seattle Food Tour through Pike Place Market. What a great decision that was! We stopped at 10 different vendors and sampled some amazing treats! My favorite being Chukar Cherries – a must-stop every time I’m in the Market. Our first stop, however, was Starbucks and Peppermint Mochas. Unbeknownst to most, the Starbucks on Pike Street is not the original Starbucks… it just has the original equipment. Pretty funny, huh?

Then, onto Daily Dozen Doughnuts and MarketSpice. The cinnamon doughnuts were favorites of ours! Unfortunately for Mom & Dad, they will have to come visit me again in Seattle to get more… I don’t mind that! And, MarketSpice is renown for their fresh blends of spices and teas.

After doughnuts and tea, we moved onto samples of smoked salmon at the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market – home of the fish throwing everyone has heard of. This practice originally started as a means of saving time from walking from the fish to behind the counter. Here is one of the fishmonger’s throwing a fish!

We moved onto fruit next… white flesh peaches and bing cherries at Frank’s Quality Produce Co. They also sell peppers hung like mini works of art. Very pretty!

Then, we continued onto Pike Place Chowder where I tried my first Clam Chowder and Seafood Bisque. The Clam Chowder was my favorite, and has apparently made it into the Chower Hall of Fame on the East Coast after winning three years in a row!

Next, we moved onto my favorite stop – Chukar Cherries! Ryan & I found this store on our interview trip and took some home to our family for a tasty souvenir. Its a family-owned business out of Eastern Washington and been in the Market for years. We came back after the tour for more!

After cherry salsa and chocolate-covered cherries, we continued onto Beecher’s Handmade Cheese for cheese and crackers and homemade macaroni and cheese. Both were excellent!

We were getting really full, but only a few more stops! We proceeded to Piroshky, Piroshky… for – you guessed it – piroschkies! We had savory (meat & cheese) and sweet (apple & cinnamon) samples, which our tour guide, Nick, likened both to gourmet Hot Pockets. Both were delicious!

Our last stop was Etta’s. The chef here has five restaurants in the Seattle Downtown area and known for his Crab Cakes and Coconut Cream Pie, the crab cakes being our last sample of the day.

Needless to say, we were stuffed, but the tour was a great way to see the Market and get some of the back story behind it and its vendors. We went back and visited a few spots after the tour was over – doughnuts for the road and a Beecher’s Grilled Cheese to go for my dinner. Then, we had to head to the airport. I was so sad to see Mom & Dad go after spending a week together, but very thankful I’ll get to see them in November when Katelyn has come!