Seattle Bites Tour - Pike Place Market

One of our first ventures from Poulsbo back to Seattle on the ferry was on Wednesday, 9/26.  Mary K and I booked tickets on-line for the Seattle Bites Food Tour at Pike Place Market.  It was a 2 hour walking tour with a terrific, friendly guide -- Kristin -- who gave us lots of interesting history about the Market and treated us to delicious food samples along the way.

We met up with Kristin and our group of about 20 people at the Seattle Art Museum, a few short blocks from the ferry.  We were given a handy shopping bag with a map of the places we'd visit and a small listening device so we could hear Kristin throughout the tour.

Seattle Art Museum and Taste Restaurant

                                                                              

We then proceeded to the museum's restaurant -- Taste -- for our first food tasting which was absolutely delicious -- salmon with a creme fraiche sauce on flat bread.

                                                                                  

It was interesting to learn about the beginning of the restaurant -- the museum had several bids from many existing Seattle restaurants but accepted the bid from a small group of 5 people who owned coffee carts.  This group promised to purchase most of their food (at least 85%) from farmers and vendors within a 150 mile radius of Seattle!  Standard restaurants usually order their goods from one or two food purveyors (everything from food, napkins, bugspray, etc).  Taste makes about 65 individual calls to stock their restaurant.  As Kristin put it....they call Alice who owns a farm near Seattle...ask her about the kids and school and their football games...and then they place their order with Alice for 75 of her chickens.  65 calls!  These guys deserved the bid!  And their food is wonderful!

We then walked down the street to Pike Place Market, hearing great historical stories about the Market from Kristin along the way.

                                                                                 

When we arrived at the Market, we sampled food or beverages at:

     Crepe de France -- a generous crepe with nutella (which we've never tasted before!) served with whipped cream.

                                                                                   

     Pike Place Chowder -- a steaming cup of delicious clam chowder which was voted #1 by the Clam Chowder Assn. and also #1 for their Seafood Bisque.  The clam chowder was so good I went back to the shop before we left on the ferry and bought a quart for Dick.

                                                                                    

                                                                              

     Seattles Best Coffee -- a yummy cold pumpkin frappe -- really good and I'm not crazy about cold coffee drinks.  This corporation was started by the Stuart Brothers and they named their shop Stuart Brothers Coffee.  However, they were sued by another company over the name.  They then called themselves SBC -- the public decided SBC stood for Seattles Best Coffee and it stuck!  (Thanks, Kristin, for another neat story.)

Kristin -- our terrific guide

                                                                                    

     Corner Produce -- if produce could be beautiful...this is the place to buy it!  We tasted samples of apples...the honey crisp were the very best!

                                                                                   

     Uli's Famous Sausages -- a large portion of sausage and red sauerkraut...makes you want more.  But also reminded us we should have brought a bottle of water along, as recommended by the
Tour.  Uli -- your sausages were delicious and we loved the sweet & sour kraut!

                                                                                      

     Pure Food Fish Market -- samples of smoked salmon (the teriyaki was fabulous) and they'll ship to your home.  As a sideline, the guy was cute too...we stood up a little straighter and lifted the saggy chins a little higher!

                                                                                  

     Saffron Spice -- a generous plate of rice and chicken

                                                                               

Mary K loved this dish as well as all the other people on our tour but I'm not crazy about curry so I slipped away just a couple of booths to my personal favorite shop (not on the tour, however) which is the Daily Dozen...donuts that is... small, hot donuts with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar or frosting with sprinkles or my fav--the donut with real bacon bits over maple frosting.  My mouth is watering as I type!!

 

 

                                                                                

      Lost River Winery -- Our last stop was a short walk from the Market but well worth it.  The pinot grigio was the best we've ever tasted (Sorry, Ramona!)  Kristen also told about the winery which is very small and located in Washington state....their vats are outdoors in the woods.

                                                                                 

Wine at Lost Rivery Winery was the perfect way to end this lovely tour!

                                                                                

All along the way, Kristin told us some great stories about the Market and showed us the movie theater -- the exterior walls were covered with chewing gum.  (Kristin even gave each of us a piece of gum to add to the collection!)

Kristin at the gum wall

                                                                            

....and us at the gum wall

                                                                                    

After the tour was over, Mary K and I spent the rest of the day at the Market making our purchases...oohing and aahing over the varied goods especially the $5 and $10 bunches of beautiful flowers..

Five and ten dollars...can you believe it?