Seattle 2008 - Average Betty

Betty just returned from a trip to Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, BC. And, oh what a great trip it was!

Seattle is probably most well known for Pearl Jam, The Space Needle, Pike Place Market and cold, rainy weather. What Betty knows about Seattle is the seriously great food.

Her first delicious experience came down at the waterfront at a walk-up Fish n’ Chip stand.

Betty devoured a steaming cup of clam chowder and an ice-cold Sam Adams.

Turns out this stand is part of The Crab Pot which is a family-style, bib required, mallet optional, crab leg lover’s delight.

After a walk around the waterfront, up the Harbor Steps, Pike Place Market and down the Harbor Steps, Betty found herself back at The Crab Pot for said bib-wearing. It was her first time eating crab legs and it was divine. And messy.

Last time Betty was in Seattle she fell in love with Etta’s Seafood, one of the famed Tom Douglas restaurants in the city. This time around, Betty found love once again (not to mention delectable late-night fare, friendly service and warm ambiance) at another Tom Douglas eatery, the Palace Kitchen on 5th Avenue. The highlight of the show here was the Washington apple and hazelnut salad with endive and fiscalini cheddar. Different, fresh and oh-so-yum. Betty was tempted by the Enormous garlic crouton and romaine lettuce with Parmesan dressing but didn’t want to have a Blind Date Betty moment.

As you might be wondering, Betty did more than just eat her way around town. Seattle is a shopper’s dream town and home to SAM, The Seattle Art Museum. Betty took in the headline exhibit, Roman Art from the Louvre. The audio tour provided “fun fact” oddities about culture, hairstyles and societal roles as well as “hard core” chronological, religious and art historical commentary. Every work of art in the exhibit, down to a ladies hair pin, is a masterpiece.

Lucilla, 2nd half of 2nd century A.D., from Paris’s famed Musée du Louvre / Box with the Sound of Its Own Making, 1961, Robert Morris / Double Elvis, 1963/1976, Andy Warhol / Anooralya (Wild Yam Dreaming), 1995, Emily Kame Kngwarreye
But Betty had a date with the Permanent Collection. Specifically the Modern & Contemporary exhibit. One glorious room housed Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollack, Franz Kline, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, William De Kooning and Robert Rauschenberg. In an adjoining room Betty laid her eyes on a giant piece of Pecan Pie by Claus Oldenburg, various works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Betty also took in the other collections and found the Australian Aboriginal art to be very inspiring. And after all that art… and maybe Oldenburg’s Pecan Pie, Betty was hungry!

A walk back to Post Alley and Sisters European Snacks seemed like a good choice. Sister’s is a friendly little place with an indoor-outdoor feel and brightly colored decor.

Betty chose the special of the day, the Santa Barbara: smoked turkey, provolone, sprouts, avocado and roma tomato on Italian Focaccia bread with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs all grilled to perfection. It was served with a small house salad that had a light, yummy dressing that went well with the sandwich. Honestly, there could have been anything in between the Focaccia (as pictured above – the Corsica: black forest ham, artichoke hearts, fontina cheese and roma tomato or the Croque Monseur: prosciutto , gruyere cheese and roma tomato). Their Focaccia bread is light, crisp and the star of the show.

Betty also made a trip to Etta’s. And the two specials were… just… OK. There was however an attempted murder right outside the restaurant complete with a bloodied, stabbed and staggering man, wailing ambulances and droves of police officers that made for quite a spectacle. The large picture windows provided a clear view to all the action. Strangely enough Betty was still hungry for dessert after the show and ordered a malted milk creme brulee that was – errr – to die for. The police officer Betty spoke to upon leaving said they caught the bad guy. Phew!