Quick Bites

For variety, it's hard to beat the food court on the top floor of Westlake Center, 400 Pine Street in downtown Seattle. If you're up in Ballard and decide you'd like to have a picnic on the beach at Golden Gardens Park (a great idea, by the way), I suggest stopping in at Dish D'Lish, 5136 Ballard Ave. NW (tel. 206/789-8121; www.kathycasey.com), a gourmet-to-go shop in the heart of historic Ballard. Owner Kathy Casey has been a mover and shaker on the Seattle restaurant scene for years.

Market Munching

Few Seattle activities are more fun than munching your way through Pike Place Market. The market has dozens of fast-food vendors, and it's nearly impossible to resist the interesting array of finger foods and quick bites. Here are some of my favorite places:

If you're planning a picnic, DeLaurenti, 1435 First Ave. (tel. 800/873-6685 or 206/622-0141; www.delaurenti.com), near the market's brass pig, is the perfect spot to get your pâté, sandwiches, and wine.

If you're a fan of the stinking rose, don't miss the Garlic Garden, 93 Pike St. #3 (tel. 877/207-5166 or 206/405-4022; www.garlicgarden.com), just around the corner from the pig statue. The Lebanese Breeze garlic dip/spread is so good, you're only allowed to have one free sample. Buy a container to spread on some bread from Le Panier.

Michou, 1904 Pike Place (tel. 206/448-4758), has cases full of delicious French- and Italian-inspired gourmet foods to go, and is located right next door to Le Panier, a good French bakery.

Piroshky, Piroshky, 1908 Pike Place (tel. 206/441-6068), lays it all out in its name. The sweet or savory Russian filled rolls are the perfect finger food.

At Beecher's Handmade Cheese, 1600 Pike Place (tel. 206/956-1964; www.beecherscheese.com), you can watch cheese being made and sample some of the products. But what brings me back here again and again is the awesome macaroni and cheese. Get some to go, and have a picnic down on the waterfront.

The Spanish Table, 1426 Western Ave. (tel. 206/682-2827; www.spanishtable.com), is a specialty food shop on one of the lower levels of the market. You can get simple Spanish-style sandwiches, great soups, cheeses, and other light meal items, and then shop for a paella pan. This quiet corner of the market is a great place to get away from the crowds and try some food you might never have encountered before.

And when you just have to have something sweet, cold, and creamy, try the much-lauded gelato at Bottega Italiana, 1425 First Ave. (tel. 206/343-0200; www.bottegaitaliana.com), or the conveniently located Procopio, 1501 Western Ave. (tel. 206/622-4280; www.procopiogelati.com), which is on the Pike Hillclimb that links the waterfront with Pike Place Market.

Picnic Spots

To give focus to a tour of Pike Place Market, why not spend the morning or afternoon shopping for interesting picnic items, then head up to the north end of the waterfront to Myrtle Edwards Park? Or, since a picnic of foods from Pike Place Market should be as special as the food-shopping experience, consider heading a bit farther afield, perhaps to Discovery Point, Seattle's waterfront urban wilderness (take Western Ave. north along Elliott Bay to Magnolia and follow the signs). Another good place for a picnic is Volunteer Park, high atop Capitol Hill. Alternatively, you could have your picnic aboard a ferry headed to Bainbridge Island (a 30-min. trip) or to Bremerton (a 1-hr. trip).