My Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle, Washington

When thinking of Seattle, coffee, rain and salmon come to my mind. During a recent girlfriend getaway I was pleasantly surprised with the Emerald City's quantity and quality of good eats. Enjoy this sampling of what a friend and I discovered during a culinary girlfriend getaway to Seattle, Washington.

Seattle Restaurant Week Saved Us Some Dough

My girlfriend getaway to Seattle coincided with the end of restaurant week meaning three-course dinners were available for $25 which saved on the travel budget. More than 100 restaurants in King County participated with some offering lunches for $15. Seattle Restaurant Week is offered more than once a year. Visit www.theseattlerestaurantweek.com to find out when the next restaurant week will be offered.

Eat Lunch at Dahlia Lounge During a Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle

Perfect restaurant to celebrate my 40th birthday with its cozy and welcoming ambiance. This was my favorite Seattle eatery. Dining room is painted with a bold red and adorable paper lanterns accent the restaurant. Dahlia Lounge is owned by award-winning Chef Tom Douglas who received the 1994 James Beard Award for Best Northwest Chef, among other accolades. I enjoyed a lunch of grilled bread salad, crab cakes and fresh mini doughnuts accompanied with jam and vanilla mascarpone. And yes, these doughnuts are as heavenly delicious as they sounds.

Dahlia Lounge
2001 4th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
Tel: 206-682-4142
www.tomdouglas.com
Lunch and dinner is served daily, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Eat Lunch at Steelhead Diner During a Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle

Located around the corner from Seattle's famed Pike Place Market, the restaurant is a contemporary take on a classic diner with decor influenced by the Pacific Northwest's great outdoors. Many menu items are inspired by local and regional foods. Owned by Terresa and Kevin Davis, dishes include whole grilled Idaho stream raised trout and Oregon buffalo meatloaf. For lunch I enjoyed fried chicken spring rolls and Idaho stream raised catfish tacos. Afterward, Chef Anthony Polizzi showed me how to properly shuck an oyster.

Steelhead Diner
95 Pine St.
Seattle, WA 98101
Tel: 206-625-0129
www.steelheaddiner.com
Lunch and dinner is served daily, brunch Saturdays and Sundays.

Eat Dinner at Blueacre Seafood During a Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle

Sister restaurant to Steelhead Diner, Blueacre Seafood is a culinary treat for seafood fans yet landlubbers will find something tasty, too. We did not have reservations and could not be seated in the main dining room but Blueacre's lounge was perfect. Service was prompt and friendly as we feasted on a restaurant week special of tender halibut and fresh-baked angel food cake. The menu is heavy on Pacific seafood and the oyster bar was impressive with its vast selection.

Blueacre Seafood
1700 7th Ave., Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98101
Tel: 206-659-0438
www.blueacreseafood.com
Lunch and dinner is served daily.

Eat Dinner at Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant and Satay Bar During a Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle

We did not have reservations but quickly found a seat at the satay bar where we watched chefs prepare meals for hungry patrons. We enjoyed items off the Seattle Restaurant Week menu which included seafood with noodles. Service was quick and food was delicious.

Wild Ginger Restaurant and Satay Bar
1401 Third Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
Tel: 206-623-4450
www.wildginger.net
Lunch is served Monday through Saturday, dinner is served daily. Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays.

Additional Tasty Eats to Enjoy During a Girlfriend Getaway to Seattle

Chocolate Indulgence Tour with Savor Seattle Food Tours - this two-hour walking tour visited six chocolatiers where we tasted more than a dozen different types of chocolate items ranging from a cocktail to candies. Savor Seattle offers additional culinary tours including a gourmet tour focusing on Seattle's best restaurants.

Savor Seattle Food Tours
Tel: 888-987-2867
www.savorseattletours.com

Pike Place Market - Seattle's iconic landmark is home to dozens of food vendors selling a variety of seafood, produce and other edible items. Stop by Pike Place Fish Market to sample smoked salmon or pick up a steamed crab. When purchasing fresh fish such as salmon fillets or whole halibut, the Pike Place Fish Market guys will toss it for you, not at you, and are well-versed in packing fresh seafood for air travel.

Pike Place Market
First Ave. & Pike St. in Downtown Seattle
Tel: 206-682-7453
www.pikeplacemarket.org

Gum Wall in Post Alley - located under Pike Place Market, this is not a place to taste gum but to leave your own. Chew it up and stick it on the wall alongside thousands of other pieces of chewed gum.

Abundant restaurants and foodie activities make Seattle the ideal destination for a culinary girlfriend getaway. Thankfully, it's a great walking city to work off all the tasty goodness consumed during a vacation.

Sources:

April 2010 personal visit
Blueacre Seafood, www.blueacreseafood.com
Dahlia Lounge, www.tomdouglas.com
Pike Place Fish Market, www.pikeplacefish.com
Pike Place Market, www.pikeplacemarket.org
Savor Seattle Food Tours, www.savorseattletours.com
Seattle's Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.visitseattle.org
Steelhead Diner, www.steelheaddiner.com
Seattle Restaurant Week, www.theseattlerestaurantweek.com
Wild Ginger Restaurant & Satay Bar, www.wildginger.net