Guest Blog Posting: Seattle’s Best Coffee Cafés

07/07/2011

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Seattle’s Best Coffee Cafés

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Richard Gilbert has compiled the following highly selective information about coffee cafés in Seattle, for anyone with a serious interest in coffee (and no, according to Richard, that does not include Starbucks, which began at Seattle’s Pike Place Market). Thanks, Richard, for this coffee advice. Looks like we may have to skip the Haiku North America conference and just spend our time drinking coffee!

Below, you will find some recommendations of cafes to visit, with bus stop routes.  Times noted are those by bus.  The start point is about half a block from the Mar Queen hotel.  Some of these cafes are recommended from "CoffeeGeek" forum members, as Richard has not been to all of them himself, however we use the blanket "I" to represent the coffee lover in general.

Close and good: Cafe Ladro coffees are wonderful.  Those of you staying at MarQueen Hotel have the pleasure of a Cafe Ladro right in your building!

BEST Place - 40 minutes away:  Herkimer Coffee: Awesome people, awesome espresso!  Not exactly on a bus route, about 1.8 miles away—Herkimer is an amazing roaster.
5611 University Way NE  Get there: Mercer St and Warren Ave N > 30 bus local (towards Sand Point University District) > NE 50th St and University Way NE (27 minutes, 22 stops) > Walk north 3½ long blocks on University Way NE > 5611 University Way NE

14 minutes away on South Lake Union:  Espresso Vivace Alley 24:  227 Yale Ave N  Get there: 8 bus local > Denny Way and Stewart St > NE on Stewart, left on Yale Avenue N > 250 feet

17 minutes away:  Espresso Vivace: 321 Broadway Ave E  This place is legendary.  Get there: 8 bus local (towards Rainier Beach) > E Olive Way and Harvard Ave E > Vivace Espresso Bar at Brix, 532 Broadway Ave E

27 minutes away:  Stumptown Roastery and Cafe is really worth visiting.  At
Stumptown, "public coffee tastings held at 3pm every day."  Yes Stumptown has arrived in Seattle from Portland, OR, but it is among the top three roasters in the US, and I (meaning actually "I") will want to visit ...  1115 12th Ave: Get there: Take the 2 Bus LOCAL towards Madrona Park Via E Union St. and get off at E Madison St & Madison CT.

Porchlight:  1515 14th Avenue.  Get there: 8 bus local > E John St and 15th Ave E (16 minutes, 14 stops) > South on 14th (backtrack) and go 4 long blocks > 1515 14th Avenue

If you get into downtown Seattle [which we’ll do during our Thursday monorail trip], try one of my favorites:

Stella Coffees: 1224 1st Avenue, across from the Seattle Art Museum at 1st and University  Get there: Queen Anne Ave N and W Mercer St > 1 bus local towards downtown Seattle > 3rd Ave and Union St > walk to 1224 1st Avenue

A smaller Stumptown location with no roastery: 616 East Pine

Up on Capitol Hill you will find great coffee, including Victrola:  Of the three Victrola locations, hands down my favorite is Victrola Coffee Roasters—Roastery, at 310 E Pike Street. Also visit Victrola Coffee & Art, at 411 15th Ave E Seattle. Hours: 5:30 am to 11:00 pm. Get there:  8 Bus LOCAL (from the conference area) towards Rainier Beach, get off at E Denny Way & E Olive Way, and it's a 7 min, walk south to E Pike (total time 20 minutes).

Check out all the options on Capitol Hill- and there are many! 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Hill_%28Seattle%29#Coffeehouses
Caffe Ladro, Caffé Vita (two locations), Top Pot Doughnuts, Bauhaus Coffee, TnT Espresso, Café Dharwin, Espresso, Vivace Sidewalk Bar, Faire, Fuel Coffee, Insomniax (two locations), Joe Bar, Kaladi Brothers, Online Coffee (two locations), Uncle Elizabeth’s Internet Café,  Stumptown Coffee (two locations), People’s Republic of Koffee,  Victrola Coffee & Art (two locations), and new arrivals.

For espresso hounds, check out: http://www.espressomap.com/.

And also check out locally renowned Cupcake Royale (with locations throughout Seattle).

Below, a map to Stumptown Roasters
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Monorail Excursion!

06/24/2011

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I have been doing some more planning for our HNA in Seattle!  Today I am planning our epic Thursday afternoon of a monorail trip, time at Pike Place Market and/or free admission to Seattle Art Museum and dinner out!

Information about Pike Place Market from their website:
Its nine acres and more than a century of operation encompass thousands of fascinating stories — tales of immigration, internment, renovation and urban renewal — all that help explain why Pike Place Market is called "The Soul of Seattle."

Here is a snapshot of how the Market came to be. Between 1906 and 1907, the cost of onions increased tenfold. Outraged citizens, fed up with paying price-gouging middlemen too much for their produce, found a hero in Seattle City Councilman Thomas Revelle. Revelle proposed a public street market that would connect farmers directly with consumers. Customers would "Meet the Producer" directly, a philosophy that is still the foundation of all Pike Place Market businesses.

A century later, Pike Place Market is internationally recognized as America's premier farmers' market and is home to more than 200 year-round commercial businesses; 190 craftspeople and approximately 100 farmers who rent table space by the day; 240 street performers and musicians; and more than 300 apartment units, most of which provide housing for low-income elderly people. "The Market," as the locals affectionately say, attracts 10 million visitors a year, making it one of Washington state's most frequently visited destinations.

As far as the Art Museum is concerned, the first Thursday of each month grants free admission to all.  You can imagine this makes it quite popular!  Expect a busy museum, lots of kids, and great exhibits.  In addition to the regular exhibits at the museum, more works will be highlighted in various areas.  One exhibit is called "Our National Game" and will feature works from Douglas Tilden, Norman Rockwell and Jacob Lawrence highlighting the game of baseball.  Mika Tajima will have an architectural installation on the third floor.  Reclaimed: Nature and Place Through Contemporary Eyes will explore the experiences artists have in nature and how it inspires their work.  Finally, Beauty & Bounty: American Art in an Age of Exploration will feature over 100 works of art, some never before on display.

Dinner out downtown: Katharine and Terran's List of Ideas
  1. For those visiting the Art Museum, check out the museum's restaurant, TASTE
  2. Never been here, but looks decent: Japonesa Sushi across from the museum at 1400 1st Ave
  3. Thoa's Contemporary Vietnamese has a neat little outdoor patio with view of Elliott Bay, located kitty corner from the museum at 96 Union Street
  4. Walking up 1st toward the market, try Pike Pub and Brewery at 1415 1st Ave, where you can get some hand crafted micro ales created right in Pike Place Market. 
  5. At the Market, I highly suggest going to the entrepreneurs running their stalls to pick up some produce, funky beans, crackers and cheeses.  Eat outside at a bench and enjoy the weather!  On a side note, many market operators struggle during the summer months because the crowds in the market are so thick with tourists, that locals stop shopping there.  If you're walking through the market, buy yourself a bit of Washington produce for a snack.
  6. Delaurentis is a wonderful local place to pick up wines and light fancy snacks- it's on the corner of 1st Ave and Pike St.  Remember though, Washington State does not allow public consumption of alcohol, so take the bottle of wine back to your hotel room to enjoy!
  7. Inside Pike Place Market, try the Athenian for super food and views of Elliott Bay.  Breakfast all day- classic American fare with a Northwest twist.
  8. Okay, some of you might be curious about the movie "Sleepless in Seattle"... Tom Hanks' character ate at Lowell's and you can too!
  9. Finally, Cutter's Bayhouse is at 2001 Western Ave and has fabulous views.

During my planning today, I found some helpful information.   I would recommend this website, it will give you some good information on the downtown core of Seattle: click here.  The other website I trust is from our Convention and Visitor Bureau.

Also I found a very simple walking map of our downtown area.  You can link to the PDF below.
simple_seattle_map.pdf
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A Ginko Walk on Wednesday, August 3

06/22/2011

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I have been tasked with planning and leading a ginko walk to Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle.  This is going to be a wonderful kick off to your stay in the Emerald City, both in terms of seeing our beautiful scenery and being inspired by art and nature!

A ginko can help a poet connect to the world of nature.  A person will walk, stroll or just "be" in nature, and is usually silent and observant.

Our ginko will take us on a half mile walk to Olympic Sculpture Park.  I imagine we'll walk in a few small groups, depending on the speed and mobility of our groups.  I have created a small walking map to the park, which I will give to everyone before we leave.  The guide will remind you of the times to be places after our ginko, and give restaurant information to those who wish to eat out.  

This park is operated by the Seattle Art Museum.  The sculptures are all outdoors, but there is an indoor pavilion with restrooms and another exhibit (usually a large art installation of sorts).  Go inside to pick up your map and guide for a $1 donation.  

For those needing help getting around, there are a couple spots to park in the garage if you can't make the trip by foot.  There is a price- $6 to park.  You can borrow a wheelchair, but there are no advance reservations.  The park had ADA accessible ramps and is graded to provide universal access.  

"The Olympic Sculpture Park evolved out of a mutual commitment of the Seattle Art Museum and the Trust for Public Land to preserve downtown Seattle's last undeveloped waterfront property. From the beginning, the Seattle Art Museum aimed to restore the former industrial site, while providing a unique setting for outdoor sculpture and public use. The park’s innovative design achieved a wide range of environmental restoration goals, including brownfield redevelopment, creation of a salmon habitat, extensive use of native plantings and the capture and use of rainwater on site." -Olympic Sculpture Park Website

This link will give you a great overview of the park's impressive design features. 

Curious about some of the art and artists on display?  Click here

If you're very excited, you can download the pdf below of the Olympic Sculpture Park Map and Guide!

-Katharine
ospmapandguide.pdf
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Vacation Ideas

05/15/2011

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I have just spent five days on a "staycation" here in the Northwest.  I am from Seattle, and rather than explore more of "there" I realized I had a long list of things to do "here" that were going to be interesting.

Perhaps you're thinking of staying in the Northwest a little longer when you come for the HNA conference in Seattle?  Let me inspire you with some of my sojourns the past few days.

One day, my husband and I woke early to catch the 7:00 Sounder Train to Tacoma, WA.  Tacoma is about 35 miles South of Seattle.  It's a pretty easy drive on the I-5 freeway, provided you don't get stuck in some rush hour traffic!  There is also very easy bus service.  But we wanted to take the train, and it was a great time.  Cost was just about $4.50 per person, each way. 

Now, locals might wonder what might bring me to go to Tacoma, but the answer is, what isn't there to do?!  Click here for information on travel and tourism in Tacoma/Pierce County.  We got off the Sounder Train, and hopped the FREE Link Light Rail.  After a short walk, we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at Hotel Murano complete with view of Mt. Rainier! 

We then walked down to the Thea Foss Waterway Seaport and explored the museum and walked along the docks.  Tacoma has a load of great museums.  We also went to Tacoma Art Museum and the Washington State History Museum.  I have already been to the Museum of Glass, which features renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly's collection and glass blowing hot shop.  We had a great time in Tacoma.  I would also suggest visiting Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium or visiting Mt. Rainier National Park.  For those of you who want to visit Mt. Rainier only, there are bus tours leaving from Seattle you can arrange.

Another day of our staycation, we rode the ferry to Vashon Island. This ferry doesn't leave from downtown Seattle.  You have to drive to the terminal, or take a city METRO bus to the terminal, which is easy.  There is also bus service on the Island.

This is a very artistic community, so if you're looking for something truly northwest, this is the heart of Puget Sound.  With 45 miles of shoreline, Vashon Maury Island boasts the majority of waterfront property in King County. The Island is approximately 13 miles long and 8 miles at the widest point with a year-round population of about 11,000.  Whether you are looking for a quiet, romantic place to relax or activities for you and the entire family, Vashon has it all!

We stayed at one of the many guest houses on the Island.  There are dozens of Bed and Breakfast places, NO hotels, and one campground.  Driving around the Island was fun, we made friends wherever we went.  There are hiking and walking trails everywhere, a lighthouse, wineries, art studios, coffee roaster, great restaurants and a charming town.

I know many of you will be coming just for our Haiku North America, but if you have extra time to stay in the Northwest, I am happy to answer your questions and offer suggestions on things to do and see!  I'll consider myself Haiku North America's concierge!  Best, Katharine
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