slogging through Seattle (AAG 2011) part 4
Picking up where we left off - Friday evening, we had dinner with Sam, Linh, and Dash at Sichuanese Restaurant (yeah, what can I say about that name?). It was good, but incredibly crowded. That's what you get for being on Yelp, I suppose - and on Friday night. We had a table right by the door, and spent the meal being stared at hungrily by people waiting right next to us. Later, filled to the brim, we went a-walkies.
Requisite Chinatown Gate.
We found ourselves at Kinokuniya and the Asian supermarket Uwajimaya, where we bought some ice cream mochi and a couple of bottles of the local swill (it may have been Elysian, but I can't remember) - we got carded at the checkout lane of the supermarket. Pretty incredible stuff. Then we headed back to the apartment that Sam and Linh had rented on airbnb, which featured this crazy tiki hut in one of the rooms. As in, the entire room was tiki hut. Grass covered the walls AND the ceiling.
It even had a real machete.
I mean, I dunno. Really. Seriously.
I have no words.
Anyway, we hung out and chatted and laughed (mostly about the room), and eventually it got a little bit late, and we made plans for the next day, and Sam drove us back to our place.
Saturday we explored Ballard, a hipster neighbourhood northwest of the city. We had a great lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca, really good and different Mexican food - not a fajita in sight, but seriously good mole and tostadas. I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the neighbourhood.
We went and looked at the Fremont Troll (pretty awesome), then drove around Lake Union. Sam and Linh had to leave by the mid-afternoon to return to Portland, and we wanted to look at U Washington. We had coffee at Cafe Solstice (best blueberry bran muffin ever), which, on a Saturday in the University neighbourhood, was filled with students who were all actually studying (amazing). We then said our goodbyes, and Sam, Linh and Dash left for the 3+ hour drive southward. It was really good to see them.
J and I explored the UW campus, which is lovely, particularly the main library structure, and with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Library
Unfortunately closed after 5pm on Saturday.
Blossoms!
We eventually had a ramen dinner at Samurai Noodle (pretty good, as far as affordable ramen goes), and then headed back towards our neck of the woods, stopping for a drink at McMenamins, where J had the Terminator Stout, and I had the Performance Pale (on Nitro). Really tasty stuff. Nitro meant superfine bubbles, which made it really smooth. It also meant that I had practically finished the entire pint before the effects hit me like a donkey.
Right, that's enough for one post. I gotta go get groceries. Final post on Seattle later.
Requisite Chinatown Gate.
We found ourselves at Kinokuniya and the Asian supermarket Uwajimaya, where we bought some ice cream mochi and a couple of bottles of the local swill (it may have been Elysian, but I can't remember) - we got carded at the checkout lane of the supermarket. Pretty incredible stuff. Then we headed back to the apartment that Sam and Linh had rented on airbnb, which featured this crazy tiki hut in one of the rooms. As in, the entire room was tiki hut. Grass covered the walls AND the ceiling.
It even had a real machete.
I mean, I dunno. Really. Seriously.
I have no words.
Anyway, we hung out and chatted and laughed (mostly about the room), and eventually it got a little bit late, and we made plans for the next day, and Sam drove us back to our place.
Saturday we explored Ballard, a hipster neighbourhood northwest of the city. We had a great lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca, really good and different Mexican food - not a fajita in sight, but seriously good mole and tostadas. I highly recommend this place if you're ever in the neighbourhood.
We went and looked at the Fremont Troll (pretty awesome), then drove around Lake Union. Sam and Linh had to leave by the mid-afternoon to return to Portland, and we wanted to look at U Washington. We had coffee at Cafe Solstice (best blueberry bran muffin ever), which, on a Saturday in the University neighbourhood, was filled with students who were all actually studying (amazing). We then said our goodbyes, and Sam, Linh and Dash left for the 3+ hour drive southward. It was really good to see them.
J and I explored the UW campus, which is lovely, particularly the main library structure, and with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Library
Unfortunately closed after 5pm on Saturday.
Blossoms!
We eventually had a ramen dinner at Samurai Noodle (pretty good, as far as affordable ramen goes), and then headed back towards our neck of the woods, stopping for a drink at McMenamins, where J had the Terminator Stout, and I had the Performance Pale (on Nitro). Really tasty stuff. Nitro meant superfine bubbles, which made it really smooth. It also meant that I had practically finished the entire pint before the effects hit me like a donkey.
Right, that's enough for one post. I gotta go get groceries. Final post on Seattle later.