Where to Dine in Seattle

If you have any reason at all to make it out to Washington state, whether to explore the astounding wine country boasting over 700 wineries, to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest or to get a taste of the culinary scene, you will not be dissapointed. Seattle is a bustling city with fabulous culture--think Jimmy Hendrix, Nirvana and the Experience Music Project--the most exquisite array of coffee shops, like Macrina Bakery and Cafe in Belltown, and world-class restaurants like the modern Mediterranean with hints of North African Lola inside the Hotel Andra.

Staying in Belltown at Hotel Andra was certainly a good move. It allowed us to explore a few nearby neighborhoods like Belltown and Queen Anne on foot. It was also a stone's throw from Pikes Place Market, which is eye candy for foodies and aspiring cooks, alike. Seafood is fresh as the ocean and the local produce looks almost surreal, as the size and color are astounding.

As you walk around downtown Seattle, you can barely avoid passing a handcrafted coffee house where beans are roasted on the premise, like El Diablo Coffee Company. There are roasters everywhere, making some of the best coffee, even with Starbuck's and Seattle's Best scattered around most neighborhoods.

One of our top meals on a white tablecloth fine dining level was Cafe Juanita in the Juanita Beach neighborhood of Kirkland. Executive Chef Holly Smith's Northern Italina menu is especially committed to organics and sustainability. The wine list is Italian focused but there are ample Washington wines available as well. Our last outstanding meal, the night before leaving, was at newcomer Revel, a Korean-fusion spot bursting with energy. Co-executive chefs and married couple Rachel Yand and Seif Chirchi manage to combine their talents into stylish fare served in small plate style. Mixologists in Bar Quoin, adjacent to Revel, whirls up a host of magical coctails, along with a well selected list of local wine.

Please continue to follow my posts as I travel from Seattle to Walla Walla, uncovering a trail of gem wines, all of which are available in Chicago. Stay tuned for a trip through Washington Wine country.

Tagged as: travel, Seattle, Washington State and dining

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Laura Levy Shatkin served for 10 years as food and wine critic for the Chicago Reader. Later, she became an Emmy-nominated executive producer for Taste, a 30-minute food and wine show on NBC-5 Chicago, which later merged into www.WineTasteTV.com, where Ms. Levy is a partner/owner. Today, she teaches private wine classes and hosts wine parties for consumers and firms, and continues to tell the video stories of wine, girlfriends and wine travel on her TCW blog, Wine…ing Women.