Updated: Date

Published: FEBRUARY 2025

America’s original ‘Emerald City’ is brimming with culture, history, delightful food and amazing coffee!

By STUART NULMAN
Writing from Seattle, Washington

It's the home of the Kraken, Mariners and Seahawks. The birthplace of the Starbucks coffee empire, 60s legendary rock music guitarist Jimi Hendrix and the grunge music scene, thanks mainly to bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden. And it was the site of the 1962 World's Fair symbolized by the iconic Space Needle observation tower.

Known as the "Emerald City”, it’s situated on the banks of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. What's the meaning behind its nickname? It certainly wasn't inspired by L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel on which MGM based its 1939 movie musical The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Baum’s 1900 book titled, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, featured an “Emerald City” as the capital of the fictional Land of Oz located at the end of a mythical “yellow brick road”.

By contrast, Seattle’s “Emerald City” nickname is about an ecological reality: its reputation as a verdant oasis featuring myriad evergreen trees and located in a temperate climate with steady, frequent rainfall year-round.

There was certainly no shortage of rain during my recent maiden visit to Seattle. Which brings me to an important reminder: when you pack for your trip – no matter the time of year – don't forget your umbrella, waterproof footwear, and a raincoat – they are survival essentials.

However, rest assured that no amount of precipitation can dampen the enthusiasm and enjoyment that awaits visitors who are sure to be enthralled with a vacationland that offers such diverse historical, cultural and gastronomic experiences.

Rich coffee heritage

What quickly comes to mind with Seattle is coffee and Starbucks, which opened in 1971 as a store where customers could purchase different varieties of coffee beans to be ground at home. By the end of its first decade in business, Starbucks had diversified, offering their fresh-brewed coffee to go. In fact, their original Pike Place Market location still attracts long lineups of coffee-thirsty customers every morning.

However, there is more to Seattle's rich coffee heritage than Starbucks, which I discovered during a foodie-style coffee tour at Pike Place Market. Organized by Eat Seattle (eatseattletours.com), the tour – called the "Coffee Crawl" – started in September 2023 as an extension of the market's popular food tour. According to Eric, a veteran pastry chef and baker who served as our guide, the tour evolved from a suggestion by the travel website Trip Advisor. It involves five stops at five different coffee shops in the market and opens early in the morning before area customers and tourists flock there.

Eric prefaced our tour with a brief but very informative history of coffee from its origins in Ethiopia to the coffee culture of the Ottomon Empire to its introduction in the West. Our first stop was Anchorhead Coffee, where we sampled a light roast brew. The brand, which originated in Costa Rica, was masterfully prepared in a Chemex coffeemaker dating back to the early 1940s. Customers get to see their morning cup of coffee being prepared through the machine’s pour-steady method. Besides sampling this rich brew, Eric gave pointers to the group about how to appreciate coffee without adding cream, milk, or sugar, which creates fat content. At Anchorhead, the coffee was paired with a freshly-baked maple scone – certainly a delicious combination!

In the heart of the market overlooking Puget Sound, our second stop was Indi Chocolate, recognized by the Seattle Times in 2021 as the best coffee in the Pacific Northwest. We sampled one of their acclaimed medium roast brands, which – similar to Anchorhead – was brewed using the Chemex method. Only this time, it was manually prepared by Eric himself who displayed his masterful skills by flawlessly pouring the brew into two cups simultaneously. Fat content was supplied courtesy of Indi Chocolate's very own classic coffee cake!

Stop No. 3 took us to Made in Washington, a store that sells myriad products created and manufactured only in Washington State. It's located in an area of the market called Post Alley, whose name derives from Seattle’s early days when there were numerous hitching posts for riders to conveniently “park” their horses. We sampled a dark roast called Deadman's Reach. This time, the fat content provided by Jonboy Caramels was a sweet and savoury combination of whiskey and smoked salt flavour along with a smear of smoked salmon and Mama Lil's red peppers on a cracker.

Next we returned to the Ethiopian roots of coffee at a spot called Lands of Origin where we witnessed an authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony dating back to the 15th century. The ceremony takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday – as well as on September 11 which is the Ethiopian New Year – lasting for about 90 minutes which is the time needed to ground, roast, and simmer the coffee in a traditional clay pot. The intricate ceremony never fails to attract attention from passersby – and with good reason. The end result was the smoothest coffee that I have ever tasted – complemented by a savoury Somali pastry treat called a Sambusa.

Of course, coffee-lovers might also opt for one of those ubiquitous North American treats called a donut. That's where the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company comes into the picture. There are constant lineups at this donut shop, and it's not just for the fresh, deep-fried, sugar-and-cinnamon treats. Watching the donuts being made is half the fun. Daily Dozen Doughnut uses a miniature assembly-line machine that dates back to the 1950s. Customers can witness the mechanical donut-making process: blobs of batter dropped into hot oil; the dual-sided deep fryer on a miniature conveyor system; the continuous dumping of the fried donuts as they await their coatings of sugar and cinnamon; the finished orbs with holes in their centers being loaded into white paper sacks for customers to enjoy with their coffee. But its not all fun for the employees because the donut-making machine must be regularly maintained and carefully handles owing to the fact that mechanical replacement parts are hard to find due to the age of the machinery.

Cultural treasures below

Besides its traditional offerings of fish, fresh produce, coffee and seafood, the Pike Market has a hidden side underground. During some spare time before heading out to the next scheduled attraction, I happened to stumble upon three underground levels where a multitude of non-food-related shops were located, including bookstores (both first-hand and used); vinyl record shops; jewellery boutiques; and havens offering every kind of collectible.

I could easily have spent another couple of hours browsing through those underground stores. However, another underground aspect of Seattle awaited me.

Seattle, like any major metropolitan city, has had its share of growing pains. As a result of the Land Donation Act of 1851, Seattle started as a frontier town in a constant bitter rivalry with twin city Tacoma over the building of the railroad. It was a typical lawless Old West town rife with crime, corruption, and vice (especially prostitution).

Then on June 6, 1889, a devastating fire swept through most of Seattle, destroying 90% of its businesses. Miraculously, there were no fatalities. Following the Great Seattle Fire, the area that had been affected by the disaster was rebuilt with retaining walls to hold back the muck that had literally buried the original city streets. The rebuilt streets were "raised" one storey higher than pre-1889 street levels, which had the effect of creating an "underground city" that still included structures that had been affected by the 1889 disaster one level lower.

The aftereffects of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 – including the seamy side of its pioneer years – have been brought back to life in an unusual, curious attraction called Bill Speidel's Underground Tour (undergroundtour.com). Speidel, a Seattle historian and author with a sharp sense of the city's past, started the Underground Tour in 1965. In the 60 years since it began, the 75-minute tour has been a popular attraction and was awarded in 2016 with a Certificate of Excellence by tripadvisor.com.

The tour begins in the Pioneer Square area of the old city – recognized as the birthplace of Seattle – where participants get a 15-minute factual orientation filled with fascinating historical tidbits and plenty of humour. There was a good mix of residents and tourists the day I participated. From there, we went through a network of interconnected tunnels, passageways, catacombs and alleys that were once part of the city's lower street level before the fire. The streets are literally frozen in time – a journey of darkness, dankness, and buried secrets. Our trusty tour guide, Jim, entertained us with the buried history of Seattle's early days, replete with all the crime, corruption and scandals that went with it. It was certainly well worth all the ducking and dodging needed to navigate our way through that dimly-lit labyrinth of history!

And for all those fans of classic TV, Jim mentioned that scenes from the 1974-75 ABC cult horror TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker were filmed in some of the underground stops that are now part of the tour route.

A skyline with cachet

Perhaps the most identifiable and photographed part of the Seattle skyline is its iconic Space Needle (spaceneedle.com).The freestanding structure in the city's Queen Anne district was built in 1962 for the World Fair and stands 605 feet tall. It shares space in the Seattle Center area alongside the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit and the Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL's Seattle Kraken.

The space age design of the Space Needle conformed to the fair's theme "The Age of Space". More than 60 years later, it still attracts plenty of tourists and residents who marvel at its enduring tribute to the space race of the 1960s and the future of Seattle. The tower has two main features as you ascend to the top. Its 520-foot top house – shaped like a saucer – offers an amazing 360° panoramic view of the downtown Seattle skyline and the natural wonders within close proximity such as Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, as well as the Cascades and Olympic Mountains. And the "floor to forever" glass panes – plus Skyriser glass benches – encourage visitors to take photos and selfies of this breathtaking, encompassing bird's-eye view.

Then take the stairs below to The Loupe, which contains a full service restaurant and the world's first – and only – revolving glass floor. Stand still and experience a revolving tour of Seattle and the Space Needle while looking down.

Take note that when visiting the Space Needle your price of admission includes a free digital souvenir photo taken at a mini-studio located near the elevator to the top of the Needle. A complete photo history of the evolution, construction, and continuing popularity of the Space Needle is on full display: it is an excellent diversion while you wait for your elevator ride. And speaking of taking the elevator, pay attention to the operator who can quickly point out all the Seattle landmarks in rapid succession on your way up (and repeat it just as quickly on your way down).

Feeling the musical vibes

Like any major metropolitan centre, Seattle has its share of cultural festivals throughout the year. When I visited in November 2024, it was in the middle of Cloudbreak (cloudbreakmusicfest.org), a live music festival that took place in over 30 venues across the city. The lineup contained a selection of local artists that represented different genres of music and proves that there is more to Seattle's impressive musical scene than its well-known grunge music.

During my visit, I chose to attend a wonderful tribute show called Linda: The Story and Music of Linda Ronstadt, held at a venue called The Triple Door, a bar/dinner theatre located in the downtown core. The show is a musical biography of the popular singer: more than 20 of her chart-topping songs were performed with perfection. They traced Ronstadt's diverse five-decade career in music including the Stone Poneys, her solo success in the 70s, her crooner period with the legendary songwriter/conductor Nelson Riddle, and her Spanish-language period reflecting her Mexican heritage.

Even when not out gallivanting in search of adventures, I managed to find interesting people and great food at a boutique hotel that combined comfort, luxury and technology. The Astra Hotel (astrahotelseattle.com) is a Tribute Portfolio Hotel located in the South Lake Union district and owned by the Marriott company.

I was immediately impressed with the Astra's decor that is a tribute to Seattle's leading status as a tech epicenter. It's a cashless facility (which accepts all major credit and debit cards, as well as contactless payments) that features a 24/7 fitness facility, three restaurants, and is in close proximity to many of Seattle's iconic attractions. The rooms have electronic shades and QR codes that help guests order room service delivered by ‘Sparky’, the Astra's resident delivery robot.

And now a word about the food. The Astra Hotel has “a pop-up restaurant” called Salo Salo that is dedicated to delicious Filipino cuisine and which opened its doors in October 2024. I had the pleasure of eagerly digging into a plate of Grilled Baja Prawn Sinigang featuring three jumbo grilled Baja prawns, grilled eggplant, daikon, okra, baby bok choy with a tangy tamarind glaze.

In between sating my appetite, I had a brief chat with Gerald Gutierrez, Salo Salo's executive chef, who told me that he grew up with the Filipino belief that food is a heritage that should be shared with loved ones. Every meal is a feast and each gathering of family and friends is a celebration.

"When it came to meals with my family, the rule was whatever was on the table, you ate it," he said. "Dinner time was always at 5 p.m. sharp. My mom made do with whatever we had, and there was zero waste. Meals were not only a time when we ate together, but it was always a safe space for us."

Salo Salo shares space with the Otium Grill & Greens, a Mediterranean-and-Indian-style vegetarian restaurant whose menu is a fusion of Spanish, Chinese, and Korean cuisine. Menu items are prepared with bold, fresh ingredients that feature a flair for culinary artistry. In a short time, it has become a popular dining spot.

The response to both restaurants has been crazy, Gerald told me. "Diners are enjoying the experience of sharing a table together, where they mix and match a selection of dishes in a true sense of family or community."

Kicking back with the tekkies

During my time in Seattle, I discovered that for a relaxing night of good company, great food and plenty of top-notch sports viewing, you can't beat the Local Public Eatery, or LPE (localpubliceatery.com). LPE – which also has restaurants in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Texas – is located in the South Lake Union district of Seattle that is in the heart of its tech scene.

Whether it be lunch, dinner, brunch or Happy Hour, Local Public Eatery offers the ideal relaxed setting with a decor that combines a traditional pub with a buzzing sports bar. It has 20 taps that offer a variety of popular commercial beer brands and local craft brews, cocktails, and exotic mixed drinks. Its menu contains dishes that reflect not only classic pub fare, but also represent Seattle's maritime and Oriental heritage. I opted for its steak and fries prepared à la London broil style. I couldn’t leave without trying one of its mouth-watering desserts. I highly recommend the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cup, which is two layers of peanut butter topped with vanilla ice cream, Oreo cookie crumble, and salted caramel sauce.

During football season, LPE is the ideal place to spend a Sunday afternoon cheering on the NFL home team Seahawks. There are selected drinks that range in price from $5 to $12; nachos, wings and a breakfast sandwich for $15 each. Numerous prizes and sports team jerseys are given away during every LPE Game Day. Lots of booty, swag, and great camraderie!