"[Untitled]" by Seattlest Flickr Photographer sea kay We just have a few more weeks of our favorite regular mouth-watering local blog post--the "what's new at the Columbia City's Farmers Market this week" post at the Rainier Valley Post. There are only a few more markets until it closes down for winter, and this week we think we'll have to pick up some yummy winter squashes and roasted hot peppers. Grab a bite to eat......

As a Seattle institution, the Pike Place Market evolves but doesn't really change. The coffee shop called Counter Intelligence has been gone for over a decade, though the sign still hangs over the bar at the remodeled and expanded Matt's In the Market, three times the size it used to be, but no less cozy. For that matter, Matt Janke himself moved on a couple of months ago, leaving the place to his business......

Your favorite overpriced musically-themed burger joint is on its way to our fair city! According to the Seattle Times, Hard Rock Cafe will be opening a new branch in that old terra cotta building down by the Pike Place Market sometime next fall. They are saying it'll be a 450-seater. It will be so rock n' roll to eat there, and we're sure there will be lots of branded merch available on which to spend......

We thought we’d offer a quick look back at the Sunset Supper, which we previewed a few weeks ago and then attended. Actually, our view much of the evening was what you see in the photograph: the backs of a bunch of people standing in line. We like this event, as it’s for a great cause. And it’s a great way to sample some fabulous food from the area’s greatest chefs. Highlights this year: Andaluca’s......

Imagine your menu for the evening: Chilled cauliflower and leek soup with salsa verde from Serafina Kobe-style beef salad with arugula, parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette from Chez Shea Grilled lamb burger with balsamic onions, roasted red peppers and aioli from Café Campagne Hungry? You can have all this and much, much more (we had a sneak peek at the menu) by attending one of the most popular stomach-stuffers of the summer: the annual Sunset Supper......

"Pike Place Market, Seattle" by cmmgrove Oh, hooray for delicious Seattle summer and the fruits of its labor! Find more shots like this in the Seattlest Flickr Pool!......

You can't get a drink at any of the French restaurants around the Market because it's the freaking Fourth of July. Elbow-to-elbow, accordion music, where do these people come from, anyway? Next to a Dumpster on Pike Place, two plump, tatooed gals on a smoke break are asking themselves that very question while Seattlest, in search of a beverage, records the conversation. "Bastyr Day," one of them says. "The French Revolution." "French Revolution?" says the......

ARTISTS X-ING, WITH CAMERAS: A motley crew of photographers are gathering down at the Market tonight to explore the area through their camera lenses for the evening. They're meeting at that brass pig by the fish throwers (could this event get any more Seattle?) and will be snapping photos around the Market, downtown, Pioneer Square, the waterfront, and more. It's open to anyone who wants to join in the spirit of discovery and photography. 6......

"Reading-the-funnies" by Greg Phipps (El Gregein) How much do we love you, sweet Flickr pool of ours? So, so much. And it's shots like these that make it so. There's more where this came from, so dive in and share your own.......

From the PI:For 18 years, Jim Hinde's folk songs provided a musical background for Pike Place Market's cacophony of fishmongers and vegetable sellers. His anti-war and protest ballads carrying more meaning and passion than ever as he watched sadly as a new generation went off to fight. Hinde, the Market's bushy-bearded busker, died in his sleep Monday. He was 56. Hinde recently produced a CD, "Shout Down the Wind," and won a Northwest Regional......

Was this year's Seattle Cheese Festival a little smaller than usual? Or has our appetite for free cheese cubes grown exponentially over the last four years? Whatever the case, the 2008 Cheese Fest was in full effect. We went Sunday, assuming that the temps on Saturday made for a whole lot of gooey, melty cheese, not that there's anything wrong with that. Sure, there were plenty of people at the Market, but we know......

The weather’s really going to warm up this weekend, which means the cheeses will be even more ooey and gooey at the Seattle Cheese Festival, now in its fourth year. We’re looking forward to the wide range of choices (word is there will be 250 or more) from local and international artisan cheesemakers, with an eye out for the most stinky delights. Sponsored by DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, the festival is about more......

Two blocks from Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, in the basement of the historic Kress Building, Tyler Myers is trying to make history by building a 17,000-square-foot urban supermarket. He's a grocery guy from a grocery family on Whidbey Island, and he thinks he knows what his customers want: a full-service store (not just shelves of ramen and canned tuna), with fresh produce, meat, takeout. Escalators will glide customers from the 3rd Avenue sidewalk......

"Salad Anyone?" by Asherblue One of the many reasons we love the Pike Place Market, and one of the many reasons we love our Flickr pool. Thanks for sharing!......

Photo Courtesy of Seattlest Flickr Contributor, Kables Yesterday, Mayor Greg Nickels announced his plan for a six-year, $75 million levy to renovate Seattle's historic Pike Place Market. If passed by voters, the money would go toward renovating the Market's bathrooms, electric, ventilation, and heating systems, as well as seismic upgrades and new elevators. The century-old Pike Place Market has not undergone major renovations since the 1970s. Funding for the renovations would come from an......

The Lusty Lady is bold if nothing else; perched defiantly as a beacon of sleaze in the heart of downtown, eagerly eliciting disgust or curiosity from passing tourists. Every big city has at least one. Seattle’s two most prominent "Jerk Joints" (Déjà Vu being the sister) just happen to sit on both sides of the tourist sucking Pike Place Market. Joyfully unavoidable, the prudes have to stomach the godlessness for the brief hell they......

You can't quite tell from today's weather, but it's the first day of spring. Pike Place Market celebrated this seasonal milestone with their 11th annual Daffodil Day. We spent a couple of hours downtown, at our station in front of Pacific Place, handing out our share of 30,000 daffodils to complete strangers. We quickly discovered that there are two types of people in Seattle: those who brighten up when presented with free flowers on......

After Seattlest arrived at the office today, saw all of these big white trailers across the street, and had our little "Well, this is unusual" moment of tilted equilibrium, we got curious. Is this another episode of our friendly German invasion of last August? Not so, apparently. We asked the security guard in our lobby if he knew what was up. He said, "They're going to shoot a movie today." Then he smiled and said,......

We’ve been watching the price of Cascadia’s happy hour hamburgers climb steadily. They were the best bargain at a buck each, but then doubled to two and are now, what, like ten bucks each? (Sadness obscures sanity.) Walk the other way from Pike Place Market, and if you can deal with a chain restaurant, you’ll find bigger burgers at McCormick and Schmick’s for just under two bucks each. And they come with cheese, lettuce,......

The 4th Annual Care for the Market luncheon, held yesterday at The Paramount Theatre, was a wake-up call for us. When we think of Pike Place Market, we picture ourselves gorging on Beecher's macaroni and cheese. We envision ourselves carrying bundles of ginormous dahlias, sampling oh-my-god-these-are-good peaches, and listening to the funky sounds of street musicians. We don't necessarily think of meals and housing for low-income senior citizens, childcare for those who can't otherwise......

When Seattlest worked closer to Pike Place Market, the obvious lunchtime choice was between crumbly, delectable tamales or hearty gyros. Now that we find ourselves in Sodo 40 hours a week, we've had to venture out and blaze a new lunch hour trail. Our heart, mind, and friend's recommendations led us to Smarty Pants, only five minutes away (plus a few, due to an inconveniently placed train)... We now believe in love again, Seattle, and......

Still lamenting Seattle’s lack of quality xiao long bao, Seattlest picked up a copy of A World of Dumplings and decided we’d start making them on our own. (Refining the recipe will take time, so don’t hold your breath on a restaurant opening anytime soon.). While thumbing through the book, we stumbled upon a recipe for our old pal, pelmeni. We discovered these Eastern European dumplings a few years ago while traveling in Juneau.......

This fall we are combining our love of the football and our dream of learning to cook. On Sunday morning, following a trip to a local farmer's market/major supermarket chain, we will be preparing a meal from the city of the Seahawks' opponent. Then at halftime we will throw our badly burned hands in the air and make hot dogs. Seahawks vs. Kielbasa and Cheese preview Our Kielbasa & Cheese recipe called for name-brand kielbasa,......

While the city goes about with itself, Seattlest spends countless hours in an ivory tower somewhere between Pike Place Market and the Lusty Lady. We pace the floor with a hunched back, wringing our hands, wrinkling our nose and whispering, "what, what, what... is the meaning of this?" Location: 2nd and Pine. Old purpose: parking lot next to Macy's Garage. New purpose: Huge gaping hole. For at least six months now, we've walked past this......

Braiden Rex-Johnson's new book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, is a fine complement to Kurt Dammeier's Pure Flavor (reviewed by Seattlest back in August). Affectionate portraits of leading players: wine makers Bob Betz Kay Simon, Harry McWatters; unique restaurants, cooking techniques, recipes. Rex-Johnson, a familiar name whose previous books include the iconic Pike Place Market Cookbook, writes a food & wine column for Wine Press Northwest and served as food editor at Seattle Homes &......

Did you know that there's only one credible real-estate industry voice in Seattle? It's a marketing firm in town that works with real estate developers. We've learned this from reading Aubrey Cohen's real estate reporting in the Seattle P-I. Here's a search on articles containing the exact phrase "Williams Marketing" -- they're quoted in at least one article per month since last November. (Who are the schmoes paying the P-I for ads when there's so......

Our country is in restaurant danger. In many parts of America, pizza is Pizza Hut, Mexican food is Taco Bell, and chicken is Kentucky-fried. YUM. That’s not praise, but the stock symbol of Tricon Global Restaurants, which represents that trio and is trying to reintroduce Taco Bell into Mexico after failure the first time. (Will renaming the tacos “tacostadas” and adding French fries to the menu add to the Americana appeal?) For many Americans, cheesecake......

It’s so great, they had to name it twice. Before you start belting out “New York, New York,” think again. We’re in Seattle, and we’re talking about one of New Yorker Anthony Bourdain’s favorite local eateries: Piroshky, Piroshky. Piroshky, Piroshky is easy to find. Follow your nose as it detects the sweet butter aroma that prevails over the other super smells at Pike Place Market, and you’ll soon be in line with others eager to......

It's not Yeats's centre that cannot hold, it's the right wing. For some time now, to quote The Second Coming,The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. The Dems betray us with wimpishness while the radio rethugs rush to attack phony soldiers. Further signs of unraveling: GOP house organ WSJ discovers that business interests no longer trust the GOP. Smart, those corporate business guys. Like all bullies, they can......

This past Friday, Steinbrueck Park was the site of a free, four-hour concert that punctuated Pike Place Market’s Centennial Celebration. It was a great time to be a proud, passionate Seattleite. A wonderful time to be a frugal tourist. And, despite a tiny bit of Pearl Jam-overpromising by Party promoters, a perfect time to be Seattlest. As people started to pour into the area, claiming spots in what little grass was left by the freshly-erected......