Seeking: a book bar, local theater, and the best breakfast burrito
+ the chance to see another aurora
Hello! Apologies for the delayed post today. There have been some exciting developments on the career front which have been pulling me in a few different directions (I’ll share more soon!) and so I’ve decided to take a little summer vacation from this newsletter until after Labor Day.
I loooove writing this newsletter, but I need to get a few things in order so I can keep doing it! Which includes prioritizing rest and summer enjoyment 🙃
I hope you’re able to do the same! See you on the other side.
*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!
💎 Local gems
Sister Act at Taproot Theatre | Greenwood
Last week I got to experience my first show at the Taproot Theatre thanks to
who is stage managing the show and comped some tickets for me!I took my dad as my plus one, and we were blown away by the caliber of the show and its performers. There are only 236 seats in the theatre and they wrap around the stage on three sides, so you can actually see the emotion on the actors’ faces. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house!
Even though my tickets were free, the shows are very reasonably priced for how intimate and high quality they are. The tickets mostly range from $50-62, but there are also discounts for seniors, teachers/students, and those under 25. And they host a pay-what-you-can night for every show.
I’d never seen Sister Act before (the movie or the musical), so it was a treat to take it in this way for the first time. Highly recommend catching it before it closes on August 18th! Most dates only have a few scattered seats available, but the last shows at 2 and 7:30 pm on Sunday, 8/18, have quite a few remaining.
DubSea Fish Sticks | White Center
I’ve been eager to make it to a Fish Sticks game this summer and I finally made it happen for the last game of their season this past weekend. The experience did not disappoint! Especially because my bf and I got selected for an end-of-inning couples challenge that involved eating a roll of Fruit By The Foot in the style of Lady and the Tramp (video above). We got wrecked by the other couple (I might have been the weakest link 😅), but it was fun to do something silly and unexpected.
We spent the first half of the night in the beer garden, which is right by the field (keep an eye out for foul balls), and then grabbed food and moved to the stands for the second half where we played the hat game (an easy way to elevate any baseball game).
I’d recommend getting there early if you want food; the lines were consistently long until about the 4th inning to order things like po’ boys, tacos, and of course, fish sticks. BUT if you just want a hot dog, they sell them in the beer garden and the snack stand on the other side of the field. Next summer, I’m definitely going to attend one of the Thursday games where fish sticks, hot dogs, popcorn, soda, draft beer, ciders, and seltzers are only $3. I’ll be the first to remind you about it!
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Mas Cafe | Fremont
Zoe and I hit another highly recommended spot to try their breakfast sandwiches and burritos and they were a hit! I got the sausage breakfast burrito ($11) and Zoe got the bacon sando ($10) which were both massive and messy, but extremely good. There isn’t much seating, but we cozied up on a couple of bar stools inside to devour our breakfasts and catch up (there are a couple of outside seats which we would have taken if it hadn’t been raining!). They also have juices and lunch sandwiches that I’m looking forward to going back and trying.
The Lookout | Capitol Hill
This dive bar with a view has been on my list for a while, but since my brother recently moved to the neighborhood I finally had an excuse to check it out. It seems like they recently renovated their patio area, so in addition to the deck with high tables and stools they had before, there are a few fire pits surrounded by chairs. We got there at 6, so we were able to take advantage of their HH for one more hour until 7 pm (such a rare HH window honestly!).
We got the coconut shrimp ( $8) and fried vegetable basket ($5) which were fine, but we were there for the views and cheap drinks ($6 for wine, $7 for beer + well drinks), so it wasn’t a dealbreaker. This would be a great place to start or end an evening on Capitol Hill — I’m sure we’ll become regulars!
Lake Ballinger | Mountlake Terrace
Ever since I got a paddleboard I’ve been trying out different spots to drop in and I think I found my new favorite. Lake Ballinger is on the border of Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace so it’s a bit of a trek from Beacon Hill, but worth it in my opinion! Motorboats aren’t allowed, so the lake is clean, calm, and not very crowded. There’s a cute little island in the middle that’s surrounded by lily pads, but there’s minimal algae and weeds by the shore and the beach is sandy rather than rocky. It’s also pretty free from goose poop! Would be a great location for a picnic + paddle party.
👀 On my radar
The Ink Drinker | Ballard
I’m sensing a theme — another interest-specific third place is opening up in Ballard this winter. Per the owner: “you can come, kick back with your latest read, and enjoy a craft cocktail (or mocktail) with minimal distractions (i.e. no TVs, no blaring music, no clangy pool tables), while surrounded by fellow book lovers.” I’m intrigued!
Emerald Forest Cinema | Redmond
I’ve been following a Seattle creatives community called The Creative Dept. which has been hosting some interesting events this year, and they have an outdoor movie night coming up at the Emerald Forest next Friday, 8/16. Tickets are already sold out to watch Dirty Dancing via a net, but general admission is still available (although carpooling is required?). I’ll be out of town, or else I’d love to check it out. I’m also curious about their upcoming Creative Connection Picnic and Fabric Stamping Workshop! Will report back if I make it to one.
Blueberry picking | Various locations
It’s blueberry season and the Washington Blueberries website has a comprehensive list of all the u-pick farms you can visit to stock up before the season ends in September. Berry picking is still on my summer bucket list, so I’m hoping to check out the Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in Bellevue, the Country Store & Farm on Vashon, or Bybee Farms in North Bend to get my fix.
Capitol Hill Garage Sale | Capitol Hill
When I was a teen, my dad took me to a neighborhood garage sale day in the city and I was beyond excited to score an Abercrombie tank top and a paisley pillowcase. This Sunday, the finds will be even better because Capitol Hill is hosting their own garage sale day that is spread across the neighborhood with a concentration in Cal Anderson Park. The businesses on Pike Street will also be celebrating with a sidewalk sale and the usual Sunday farmers market will be taking place too. Let me know if you find anything good!
Aurora Borealis | Various locations
Word on the street is that we might get another chance to see auroras from Seattle in the next week, as well as in the next 6-18 months. That’s a wide range, but there’s been a lot of activity on the sun lately that could extend the northern lights far beyond the usual perimeters. Keep an eye on the news (and probably Reddit) so you don’t miss the next round.
📆 This weekend’s events
Belltown Art Walk | Friday, 8/9 | SLU | Free
South Lake Union Block Party | Friday, 8/9 | SLU | Free
WHAT’S GOOD?!: The Hillman City Block Party | Saturday, 8/10 | Hillman City | Free
MRKT 24 | A Capitol Hill Market | Saturday, 8/10 | Capitol Hill | Free
The Chainsmokers: The Party Never Ends | Saturday, 8/10 | Myrtle Edwards Park | $73+
Zero Proofed Alcohol-Free Cocktail Party - Seattle Launch | Saturday, 8/10 | Beacon Hill | $40
C-ID Summer Cinema | Saturday, 8/10 | C-ID | Free
Movies by The Tower | Saturday, 8/10 | Maple Leaf | Free
Saturday Night Market | Saturday, 8/10 | Madrona | Free
First Annual Beacon Summer All-Nighter | Saturday, 8/10 | Beacon Hill | $40
Summer at Sam: Yoga, Live Music & Art Activity | Sunday, 7/21 | Belltown | Free
PCNW’s Photo Zine & Book Fair | Sunday, 8/11 | Capitol Hill | Free
Bike & Scoot Sundays | Sunday, 8/11 | Seward Park | Free
Capitol Hill Garage Sale | Sunday, 8/11 | Capitol Hill | Free
Multi-day:
Vashon Island Film Festival | 8/8 - 8/11 | Vashon | $10
West Seattle Glass Float Hunt | 8/8 - 8/15 | West Seattle | Free
Shakespeare in the Park | 8/8 - 8/17 | Various locations | Free
Kenlis: A Dance Party at the Canlis Dream House | 8/9 - 8/10 | Queen Anne | $270 (sold out but you can put your name on a waitlist)
THING Festival | 8/9 - 8/11 | Carnation | $129+
What’s next:
11/6 - 12/1 | You can see Wicked in theaters and live on the stage this November.
11/16 - 11/17 | I’ve always loved local band The Dip (and their previous project, Beat Connection), so I was excited to see that they’ve got some Seattle shows on the calendar.
🚨 ICYMI
A new all-you-can-eat sushi spot called Sushi%AYCE opened in the C-ID ($31.95/person). Local chain Mioposto is opening up another location in Eastlake. You have three more chances to catch an outdoor movie at Marymoor Park. How the PNW became the birthplace of roadside espresso stands. Another global boba tea brand is coming to Capitol Hill. LimeGliders are arriving in Seattle next week.
I'm so glad you enjoyed Sister Act! There's so much joy watching the show each night. <3
The Lookout was my old neighborhood bar! Love this newsletter and have checked out a few of the gems you have mentioned, thank you for writing it!