Seattlest's Favorite Things

Without Oprah to tell us what to like and buy, the Seattlest Staffers were feeling a little lost. So we've polled each other and come up with the stuff that we can't get enough of this week, from places to go and things to do, to the little tidbits that make our life better on the daily. Here's what we've got this week:

Summer salad. My favorite new salad, based on a lovely one from Marzano's in Parkland, is arugula with prosciutto, fresh or sautéed peaches, walnuts, fresh mozzarella, cracked pepper, and poppy seed dressing. Peaches and nectarines have had a short season and they may be on their way out soon. Make this salad before the season's out. -Tamiko

Attack The Block. Way late to this party, but finally got a chance to catch this Edgar (Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) Wright produced throwback/homage to sci-fi B-movies Hollywood used to churn out all through the 70s and 80s. Specifically, it's John Carpenter/Kurt Russell actioners like The Thing, Escape from New York and They Live that's being paid tribute to here, and it's funny to think that it's the Europeans who are now able to make this sort of pulp-with-political-undertones flicks well these days. Hard not to think about the recent London riots when Attack's Snake Pliskin-esque hero keeps from plunging to his death by hanging off of the Union Jack. This movie is everything Hancock should have been. -Jose

Photo courtesy of Jenise, who recommends the final Salmon Enchanted Evening, a benefit for the Seattle Parks Department.

Salmon in the park. Who loves salmon? Raise your hands high and make your way to Pike Place Market tomorrow night 5-7 pm for the final Salmon Enchanted Evening put on by Tom Douglas to benefit Seattle Parks Department. Tom grills up gorgeous PacNw salmon and offers up a buffet line of other perfect summer fare served by a line of enthusiastic volunteers in Victor Steinbrueck Park . 15 bucks, no tipping required - sunset included! -Jenise

Freddie Mercury. Queen is hands down my favorite band of all time and I have been a fan of theirs my whole life. My mom was way into Queen and we used to jam out in her old Volvo and sing along to all the cuts. I even scooped up the facebook url shortcut "dont stop me now" the first day they offered that feature. I think we all know that Tuesday would have marked Freddie's 65th birthday (surely you saw the Google Doodle), had he not been taken from us too soon by the hands of the loathsome AIDs virus. I've been thinking about Freddie a lot this week, what an incredible person he was, what a fantastic band Queen was and how the sheer variety of their catalog is unheard of in modern music. Also, even though I probable wasn't, as they say, his type, I swoon a whole lot to the video for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and hope someday to bed a Zorastrian Parsi with a four octave range who looks good in leather pants. Thats the somebody I want to love. Freddie Mercury, you are always in my heart. - Alex H.

This gross/awesome website. Damn you, Dinegerous. This little site has been blowing up the tech blogs this week--due to the sheer grossness factor of what it does. Designed by a Grist employee, Dinegerous pairs a Google map with the health inspection histories of the restaurants listed. Most of the spots around town come up pretty clean--but there are a definitely a few danger zones we'll think twice about venturing into. -Dikla/Staff

This is my favorite thing of right now and of all time, ever, -Sarah Johnston