#pikeplacechowder

Dungeness Crab Roll (delicate, dungeness crabmeat, lightly tossed with mayo, celery, lemon juice, and secret seasonings) (♥)

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Maine Lobster Roll (succulent, sweet lobster meat, perfectly balanced with mayo, celery, lemon juice, and delicate seasonings) (♥)

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Smoked Salmon Chowder (authentic Pacific Northwest flavors, with nova smoked salmon, capers, and cream cheese) (♥)

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Oyster Crab Chowder (♥)

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New England Clam Chowder (creamy smooth, with loads of meaty clams, flavored with bacon, onions, potatoes, cream, and our secret blend of herbs and spices) (♥)

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Seared Scallop Chowder Bread Bowl (sweet, tender scallops seared in the kettle, served in a creamy broth, perfectly flavored with dill and lime juice in a sourdough bread bowl) (♥)

Day 2

Dec 19

    This morning we woke up early, excited for the adventure ahead although the weather was not that happy. We got dressed and headed straight to our first stop, Pike Place Market and yes we came back, for a more detailed discovery of the historic public market, and home to the world famous Starbucks, which is our first stop of the day.

    Everyone knows and love Starbucks, and here is where it all started, in Pike Place Market. It was early and there was already a long line in front of the original shop. We got in line and got our coffee and some Starbucks merchandise. I got a unique first Starbucks store cup which looks amazingly classic. Then, we wandered around Pike Place Market, visited all the unique little stores in the market. Our wandering came to a halt when we came across a hall with huge windows, that overlooked the magnificent view of the Elliott Bay waterfront and it was...BEAUTIFUL! We stood there for a couple minutes, appreciating the picturesque view.

    It was about 11 AM, we headed to our main course for the morning, Pike Place Chowder. The shop opened at 11 AM and we were shy of a couple of minutes but there was already a long line in front of the tiny restaurant. This restaurant is famous its New England clam chowder and yes, Seattle is situated on the Northwest. They have won the clam chowder competition several times, beating New England as the no.1 New England clam chowder in the United States. We queued up and got ourselves some chowders. The tiny restaurant is so tiny that the crowd basically overflowed the restaurant but luckily for us, we got our table. 

    I have never been to anywhere around New England area so I cannot say that I know chowder so this is going to be a very general description of my chowder experience. I had the special chowder instead of the regular New England clam. The “special” basically means that the ingredients are different every day, depends on the chef’s choice and on that day, the main ingredients were lobsters and crabs, therefore it was a little bit expensive. Nevertheless, it tastes phenomenal, the not-too-creamy stew with a blast of lobsters and crabs, it was just perfectly balanced, no wonder they won the national title for several consecutive years. 

    After a morning boost, we went exploring downtown Seattle once again, visited some boutique shops or coffee shops and did some shopping before settling ourselves in Seattle Public Library. It is a huge complex with interesting design elements. The shape is unique and according to a quick history course at the atrium, it has been modified a couple of times until the latest design. Inside, it is as well-designed as the outside, a lot of different sections, huge space, and a reading area, plenty of books and there is a bright yellow-green accent along the escalators and panels within the library, which is quite an interesting color scheme. The top floor is the reading hall, where you can really appreciate the design and the beauty of reading, and that is where we ended up with. We read for about three hours and I have to say although it does not sound exciting, it did feel fulfilling. After that, we went down to Pioneer Square, where the original Seattle located. It was quite a scene, old buildings with boutique shops, some being modified for modern outlook, but it is where history began and it is a beautiful place to be.

    Next, we went to a Japanese book shop called Kinokuniya around the Asian corner of the city, which I haven’t been in for a long time. Right next to that bookshop is an Asian market where they sell pretty much most of the Asian foods you can find in the United States. We did a quick shop and ready for dinner. we were very hungry by that time so we didn’t bother to find somewhere far instead we went to a Taiwanese restaurant right next to the Asian market. It was a soup theme dinner that we had and it’s pretty good but not that special. That night we went to a local restaurant bar called The Good Bar for a chill night. That night was a good night.