This is a favorite of ours for brunch. There are multiple Portage Bay's located in Seattle, though we like the one near UW (the University of Washington) the best. In true PNW fashion, they tell you what farmer sourced the food that they use.
Liz' favorite is the farmer's hash which is enough food for two people to share. Matt's favorite is to get french toast and then make multiple trips up to the toppings buffet and load up. Are you supposed to make multiple trips? We aren't sure. Is it worth it? Yes!
We'd suggest making reservations if you go here!
www.portagebaycafe.com
This restaurant is walking distance from Matt's house. Originally we avoided it since it was a vegetarian restaurant and that was a mistake. Almost anything is good and if they have their vegan brownies, you have to try them!
cafeflora.com
Dick's is a local hamburger fast food chain that people here swear by. It's native to Seattle and a favorite for the locals. Is it really that great? Not sure, but after a night at the bars it hits the spot. If you are looking for a cheap, quick burger, Dick's has you covered!
(PS: They say it's a drive in, but usually people just walk in).
www.ddir.com
Oh man, if you want some of the best dumplings you have ever tried, you should check out Dough Zone. If you don't know what dumplings are, you should just go and try something new!
Dough Zone is located in the International District (China/Japan town). Blocks away from where Liz used to live. It's easy to get to from the light rail.
www.doughzonedumplinghouse.com
This is one of our favorite BBQ joints in Seattle. Liz living in Ballard meant we went here a number of times and it was usually packed! The mac & cheese with pulled pork is our favorite. We'd suggest doing a lunch run here or using the Caviar app and get it delivered!
www.bitterrootbbq.com
This is a fun restaurant/bar up near Green Lake. They are known for having a "beach" style outdoor seating (with sand and fire pits) even though they aren't on the lake. They serve Caribbean cuisine and you wouldn't expect it from the looks, but the food is quite good.
www.bongosseattle.com
This is our favorite Indian restaurant in the city. They are located in Capitol Hill, right across from the light rail station and usually have a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. The outside doesn't look like much, but the food is amazing.
www.annapurnacafe.com
This is our favorite deep dish pizza joint in Seattle. They just moved their operations to Phinney Ridge, but they do have delivery! They are expensive but 1 pizza easily serves 4 people.
www.windycitypie.com
On any nice day, there will be a line out the door of Molly Moon Ice Cream. They have a few locations but our go to is located near Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill. They have some unique flavors but also some great takes on the classics. The Mint Scout and The Cookie Dough (hints of oatmeal cookie) are our favorites.
Have you had a molten lava cake before? This place is known for them. We have only been here once but it was delicious!
While they do have a bar where you can sit down and order pie themed drinks, we recommend just walking up to the outside counter and ordering a slice of pie for the walk home! And yes, they serve it a la mode. They have two locations, one in Capitol Hill and one in Ballard.
Capital Cider is a cider bar located on Capital Hill. They have great gluten free options for food upstairs as well as board games and shuffle board downstairs
One of the first bars Matt and Liz discovered in Seattle. Located on Capital Hill, this is a German inspired bar with boccie ball courts and a nice patio. Come here for a brat and a pint!
One of our favorites for their fancy cocktails and to die for chicken and waffles! If you are feeling adventurous order the Divine Intervention and have the bartender create a custom cocktail for you!
This is a great place to have a happy hour round of drinks. They are a rooftop bar with a view over South Lake Union.
Located in Pike Place Market, this is a great spot to grab a drink and some beef brisket. They also have popcorn for snacking!
Established in the charming neighborhood borough of Madrona, Bottlehouse is a cozy wine bar with rotating menu and charcuterie. In the summer they serve froze and have a shaded patio.
A more upscale restaurant and wine bar in the heart of the business district of Seattle. Liz has been here once for a birthday celebration.
A wine and whiskey bar in Fremont neighborhood, this was one of Matt and Liz's try it out Tuesday bar picks. They have great popcorn and drinks with a casual lounge atmosphere.
The Noble Fir is located in Ballard. Liz and her roommate Becky discovered it one day after they had moved into the neighborhood. They had the place to themselves as they ordered a charcuterie board and wine. It has a cozy but modern PNW feel to it.
One of Seattle's bike themed breweries. Great beer and a nice back patio for a sunny day. The sandwiches at Meanwich next door are also great.
If this is your first trip to Seattle, we recommend stopping by the famous Pike Place Market (as long as crowds do not bother you). You will see them throwing fish, several musicians are usually playing, you can try free slices of fruit, and see rows of beautiful seasonal bouquets for $10. It's a great place to grab lunch or a coffee and walk around the booths.
Some of our best dates have just been canozing around Lake Washington for hours in the sun, trying to pick which house on the waterfront we would buy if we could afford one. You can rent canoes for $12/hr from the University of Washington Waterfront Activity Center (WAC). This is one of few places Liz can use her employee discount - Go DAWGS!
http://www.washington.edu/ima/waterfront/canoe-boat-rentals/
Gasworks is one of the first parks we started going to in Seattle. It has one of the best views of downtown and is where they host a huge firework viewing party on the 4th of July each year. It's fun to sit on the hill and watch the seaplanes take off and land right over your head on Lake Union. Perfect for little kids, or Matt.
Liz has lived in surrounding neighborhoods to the zoo and we have been a couple of times. If you have kids, we highly recommend it!
For adults, they sometimes do nighttime exhibits and shows that can be a lot of fun but also who doesn't appreciate a good trip to the zoo?
On a nice sunny day, Golden Gardens is the place to go hangout, play beach volleyball, and enjoy some of Seattle's best views of the Olympic mountains. Michiganders will rightly snub Golden Gardens for its low quality sand due to beach campfires and chilly nights. However, the views can be incredible. If it's a clear day, try to catch the sunset here. We do not recommend trying to swim.
Head up to Fremont and grab a Limebike. Limebikes are the green bikes that are on the sidewalks everywhere in Seattle. Using these bikes costs $1 to unlock and $0.15 per minute to use. https://www.li.me/
Via bike, Start with a drink at Fremont Brewery and then head towards Ballard using the Burke-Gilman trail (Google Maps Bike route should recognize it!). In Ballard, try out Stoup Brewing, Lucky Envelope Brewing, Peddler Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, and Reuben's Brews.
You can continue to take the Burke-Gilman Trail all the way to Golden Gardens to catch the sunset.
BE SAFE biking! While not illegal to bike intoxicated, we do not suggest it.
Olympic National Park is a gorgeous park that is a 2 - 3 hour drive from Seattle. It's actually usually faster (and more enjoyable) to take a ferry! Hurricane Ridge is the place everyone talks about but we've actually never been there. Just a heads up, ferry lines will be long on weekends!
Mt. Rainer national park is absolutely beautiful in the summer, and the closest from Seattle. A favorite of ours is Tolmie Peak Lookout but you really can't go wrong with most of the hikes in the park.
If you want other ideas call the ranger station (they are almost always super nice) or checkout wta.org. Be sure to understand what parking permits you need before you go.
This is our favorite national park in the area. We'd suggest you go up and check out Diablo Lake and Ross Lake, but again, you really can't go wrong here. Feel free to call the ranger station for ideas or checkout wta.org. Make sure you understand what parking permit you need before you go!
August is usually the best month in Seattle. It rarely rains (there is a small chance, but usually it's bone dry all month) and the highs are usually between 60 - 80. The lows will drop to 50 at night. It's also not that humid, so expect to want a jacket at night.