Seattle Photo Tour Part II - Pike Place Market

I’m back talking about my favorite city of Seattle with the second part of a photo tour.  If you missed Part I, you can find it here, where I talked about "Things I Love in Seattle", featuring favorite places to eat and great things to do on the water!  Today though, I’m talking about another favorite thing to visit in Seattle - the famous Pike Place Market.  My family and I never tire of this place.  We love to shop for goodies here!

Even if you’ve never been to Seattle, you probably know about the iconic fish throwing at the Market.  Did you know the fishmongers even have their own language?  If you visit, join the crowd always gathered around Pike Place Fish Co. and listen to what they say, standing there in their big orange fisherman overalls and big boots.  Their chant changes based on the fish being ordered.  It’s quite fun. They’ll also give you a taste of salmon jerky which is yummy! 

The whole Market is full of stores with seafood that always looks fresh and amazing.  You can even buy some, take it on the plane with you in TSA approved packaging, or ship it out!

The Market is huge and recently expanded to be even bigger.  Our favorite strategy is to start at one end and walk all the way through eating basically every single thing along the way.  Ha!  I’ll highlight a few things my family and I love to pick up on a visit, that you shouldn’t miss.  Starting with the flowers.  They get me every time.  At $5 - $10 for a gorgeous bundle like this, I wish I could buy some for my house every week.  They're always lovely to photograph.

Now, onto things we love to eat.  Makes me wonder – am I writing a lifestyle blog or a food blog at this point?  Anyhoo, about that food...

The best thing about the Market is that so much is handmade right there like Piroshky Piroshky.  This is a Russian pastry filled with something for everyone.  I don’t eat red meat but my cousins always get the meat and cheese piroshky.  I like the smoked salmon and cream cheese version.  It’s big enough to split with someone. 

I finally tried the Clam Steamers just the other day.  $12 for a pound of clams and they were sweet and delicious.  Order them at the walk-up seafood spot and find a table around the corner, then enjoy taking them from their shells and dipping them in butter.  I liked it with a drop of tabasco too.  Our Kuya Lenard turned us onto these and I sure hope they serve them in heaven for him. 

Mini donuts from Daily Dozen Doughnut Company – my love for donuts is real, folks (as I mentioned once already in a previous post).  These mini donuts are a must have for me at the Market.  I’ve been known to eat way too much at the Market then grab a dozen to bring on the plane to snack on while headed home.  (Helps me cope with leaving my favorite city.)  These two-bite-donuts come in powdered sugar, plain, maple bacon, sprinkles, and my personal preference – cinnamon. 

The fruit!  I love that you can sample fruit from various stalls.  You've gotta try the cotton candy grapes.  Pop them in your mouth, then pause for reaction.  Totally tastes like cotton candy!  How do they do that?  I also think they have the best white nectarines and white peaches.  I crave these in the Las Vegas summers.  Even their heirloom tomatoes are worth tasting and taking home for a tomato sandwich.  Did anyone else have those growing up?  My cousin Jon made me a believer.  I could go for one right about now.

Organic smoothies – speaking of good fruit, the smoothies hit the spot too.  I love a good smoothie and these do not disappoint. 

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese boasts their “World’s Best Mac and Cheese.”  I was not going to let that advertisement go untested.  It’s true, it’s really great mac and cheese.  While you’re waiting in line for it, you can watch them making cheese curds.  I’ve also had their grilled cheese sandwich made from their Flagship cheese which I love.  I used to always pick up a bundle to take home, but they now carry it at Smith’s in Las Vegas.  Yay!

Photo from Yelp of their sampler.  Pick 4 flavors to try.

I can’t blog about Seattle and not mention chowder.  The two just go together.  Pike Place Chowder always has a line running around the building and down the block.  With so many kinds of chowder to choose from, I can see why.  New England Clam, Seafood Bisque, Seared Scallop, Smoked Salmon, and the list goes on.  Gotta have it!

I pulled up this photo featuring my favorite Tayberry Jam and look, I was making
croissants to go with it and Beecher's Flagship cheese is also in the pic.

My one constant purchase at the market is Tayberry Jam from Johnson Berry Farms.  They make this jam which is a cross between raspberry and blackberry and I got hooked years ago.  I love homemade jam on toast with tea for breakfast, and years later, this is still “my jam” (get it?).

When in the Market, you’ve also got to scope out the original Starbucks.  I wouldn’t say stand in line to order a drink there.  Folks, they’re serving the same exact Starbucks anywhere around the world (including the kind I copycat at home).  Do take a picture outside of the original location that started the craze, listen to the live sidewalk musician always parked outside, but save yourself a 1 to 2 hour wait in line and grab a drink elsewhere.

There’s also great crafts and artwork to peep at the market, which I find completes the fun vibe.  I always enjoy checking out the local artists and their wares.  We’ve picked up a few random things through the years, and they remain sentimental because you just know they are one of a kind, and great reminders of the Seattle scene.  Let’s see, among the random purchases through the years have been the perfect hair bun tool, engraved rocks, jewelry, ceramic spoon rests, artwork, bamboo bread tongs, and the other day, a Seahawks hand sewn dragon.  Because doesn’t every fan need one?  Writing that all out made me realize how random my list really is.  I love random.

Something else totally random at the Market?  The Gum Wall.  Heard of it?  Apparently, there used to be a theater under the Market and people used to stick their gum on the walls while waiting to get into their show.  The theater staff got tired of scraping it off so people just kept adding their gum and it became a thing.  This is actual chewed gum, which is gross, but somehow it's now a famous backdrop for photos!  Who poses with other people's chewed gum? (Raises hand.)  Guilty as charged.

All this and you’ve got a full day at the Market.  Afterwards, we like to walk off everything we ate by strolling down from the Market to the nearby Waterfront. 

The Waterfront is home to more fun Seattle tourist things to do – the Seattle Aquarium, the Wheel, souvenir shops, and more food (we like to get ice cream because there’s always room for ice cream).  Ye Olde Curiosity Shop has great knickknacks and unique things to check out.  I was recently mesmerized by their tiny things collection.  Teeny tiny lil ivory carvings, the Lord’s Prayer written on a pin head or on a grain of rice.  The Shop also has mermaids, mummies, actual skeletons, and just weird stuff that somehow ends up being really cool to see.  Every time!  Go check it out.

So, have I convinced you?  Doesn't the Market sound so fun?  My friends, family and I (from Las Vegas and Seattle alike) always have a blast at the Market.  Hope you get to go someday too!

I have a future Seattle post coming up about those world famous Seahawks.  Stay tuned for that, and I'll also give you a review of THE BEST DRINK in Seattle.