Saturday in Seattle

The Space Needle, Paseo and more…

21st Mar 2015
118 miles driven
346 photos taken

After another Seattle work trip, I decided to spend the weekend venturing around the city before flying back. On my last two Seattle trips I visited Mount Rainier and Vancouver. I kept it light and only brought my Sony a7S and 16-35mm lens this time.

Dahlia Lounge

★★★★☆

I lied in the title.. this photoset begins on a Friday evening. I met up with some folks for Pacific Northwest cuisine at Dahlia Lounge after work. Owned by renowned Chef Tom Douglas, Dahlia Lounge's plates feature a touch of Asian inspiration. Douglas also owns several other restaurants in the area.

Instead of heading back to my hotel I took a stroll down 4th Ave. I loved capturing the reflection of lights off the damp ground. Something about that aesthetic just boasts typical, rainy Seattle... a kind of Blade Runneresque Seattle noir.

Space Needle

Almost a mile later, I found myself in front of the Space Needle. A 41 second elevator ride took me to the top floor 518.8 feet above Seattle.

Despite being late on a chilly 48° F night, lots of folks had the same idea and the deck was crowded. It began raining just moments later.

Tilth

★★★★★

Saturday morning I woke up early and picked up a Zipcar and my friend Sky. He recommended we try a brunch spot called Tilth. Located in a converted house with great natural light, Tilth features New American cuisine with locally-sourced ingredients.

Snoqualmie Falls

I wanted to venture outside of the city a bit to see some nature. A 40 minute drive took me to Snoqualmie Falls. It was a bit rainy on the way there but stopped for a few minutes when we arrived.

We wound up on some scenic backroads while en route to a gas station.

Slate Coffee Roasters

★★★★★

My coffee aficionado coworker Chris Burrows gave me a few coffee shop recommendations to check out. I asked which one I should visit if I only visited one. He said Slate was the must-visit. It's a bit of a sit-down coffee experience.

I didn't have time for the 90 minute coffee flight so I opted for the deconstructed espresso and milk followed by a unique pineapple iced coffee. Needless to say, it was all delicious.

Despite raining in the morning, the weather was now perfect.

Gas Works Park

The last time I visited this park was for July 4th fireworks. It was overcast, overcrowded and rainy then. Today was much better. Birds were chirping and folks were out flying their kites and drones.

Paseo

★★★★★

I drove to the Fremont neighborhood to finally get around to trying out Paseo Caribbean restaurant. I have been told by countless people — most vocally Mike Davidson — that I absolutely needed to try Paseo. Their take on the Cuban sandwich is flawless.

Paseo was easy to spot on the drive in with its incessant line of hungry patrons. The smarter folks would call their order in and arrive just in time.

I ordered the pork loin sandwich for a mere $8.50. It's the best sandwich I've ever had; lightly toasted, crunchy but not flaky baguette paired with special Paseo aiolo, pickled jalapeños, crisp romaine lettuce, caramelized onions and grilled-to-perfection pork loin.

I had a few minutes to spare in downtown before my Zipcar needed to be returned so I wandered around. I planned on visiting Niketown Seattle but that was unfortunately closed for construction.

Mezcaleria Oaxaca

★★★★☆

For dinner I visited the delectable Mexican restaurant Mezcaleria Oaxaca for a margarita, great guacamole and chicken enchiladas. Afterwards we made our way to Regal Thornton theaters to see Kingsman.

Photos BY PAUL STAMATIOU
© Paul Stamatiou