Restaurants

The fact that Pike Place Market, a public market filled with food stalls, is one of Seattle's top attractions should clue you in to the fact that this city takes food seriously. Throughout the summer, and other times of the year as well, the market overflows with a marvelous bounty of fresh salmon, Dungeness crabs, artisanal cheeses, Northwest berries, locally grown organic vegetables, wild mushrooms, and a wide variety of other produce.

Now I realize that you'll probably be visiting Seattle on vacation and won't be doing your weekly grocery shopping here, but you'll be glad to know that the market's bounty makes it onto the tables of lots of great Seattle restaurants, of which there are plenty right in the Pike Place Market neighborhood. So go ahead, ogle the market's offerings, and then make a reservation to eat at a nearby restaurant. When it comes time to order, just ask for something fresh and local. You'll have plenty of choices.

Of course, as everyone on earth seems to know by now, Seattle also takes coffee very seriously. This is where Starbucks got its start, and though the stylish espresso bars are now ubiquitous all across the country and around the world, there was a time when there was only one Starbucks -- and, of course, it was (and still is) located in Pike Place Market.

While the market neighborhood gets my vote for best dining district in the city, nearby Belltown, which begins just a few blocks from Pike Place Market, also abounds with great restaurants. Be aware that most of these places are not cheap: Entree prices at most places in these two neighborhoods average around $20, and there are a few places where you'll pay quite a bit more. However, if you happen to visit in spring or fall, keep an eye out for special prix-fixe menus.

If the area's high prices seem discouraging, rest assured that you can also find plenty of less expensive restaurants in the Pike Place Market neighborhood. In fact, because the market is such a tourist attraction, it has scads of cheap places to eat. Just don't expect haute cuisine at diner prices. You can, however, find a few gems, which I have listed. Even trendy Belltown has a handful of good, inexpensive eateries.

For real dining deals, though, you'll need to head to the 'hoods. Seattle is a city of self-sufficient neighborhoods, and within these urban enclaves are dozens of good, inexpensive places to eat. These are neighborhood spots that aren't usually patronized by visitors to the city, but if you have a car and can navigate your way out into such neighborhoods as Queen Anne, Madison Valley, Madison Park, and Ballard, you'll have a seemingly endless number of choices. In the Upper Queen Anne neighborhood alone, I've counted more than a dozen restaurants within a 6-block area -- and most of them have something or other to recommend them. I've listed my favorite, The 5 Spot.

So, if you're up for a bit of culinary exploration, I recommend heading out of downtown to one of the city's residential neighborhoods. Stroll the compact commercial blocks of whichever district you find yourself in, and keep an eye out for newspaper reviews plastered in the front windows of restaurants. Pick one that the local paper liked, and you probably won't go wrong. And if you find someplace really great, be sure to drop me a line and let me know about it.