Seeking: a comedy varieté show, a k-pop shop, & a dreamy brunch spot
+ what didn't make the cut
Thanks so much for answering my polls last week! It’s always nice to get a quick pulse check on how y’all are feeling about the content I’m putting together.
For those interested in the dashboard I’m creating, I wanted to share a sneak peek of the calendar part I’m putting together:
There are so many event calendars out there, but most of them don’t have an “add to calendar” feature which is how I keep track of everything. Every month I spend time manually adding things to my calendar because if it’s not in my cal, it doesn’t exist!
So I’m building this in Notion because thanks to Notion’s new Calendar app, you could add this calendar to your personal Gcal (other calendar apps aren’t supported quite yet) and be able to see everything all in one place, with the option to toggle on/off. Plus, when you click on an event, it has the location, URL, and any information I’ve already included in the newsletter dropped in there.
If you do not care about this planning nerdiness, keep on scrolling, there’s plenty for you below. But if you’re still intrigued, I’m hoping to launch within the next two-ish weeks. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!
For now, let’s get to this week’s recs.
*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!
💎 Local gems
Moisture Festival | Capitol Hill
It’s your LAST WEEKEND to catch my favorite event in Seattle: Moisture Festival. I went to the Saturday matinee last weekend (the matinees and weeknight performances are the cheapest) and it was just as good as last year. The acts change every show, but the highlights for me were a clown who inflated a massive balloon and then stuffed her body inside it, a child ventriloquist, three wigged acrobats flipping around on a suspended ladder (see above), and a 42-year-old performer who juggled knives while balancing on a stack of rolling cylinders (!).
Seeing these people show off their incredibly impressive and specific skills brings me so much joy — it’s always so inspiring to see these creative people stretch the boundaries of what’s possible to delight others (a secret desire of mine is to one day take a clown class at SANCA!).
There are plenty of options near Broadway Performance Hall to grab a bite before or after. We usually go to Linda’s, but Fogon and Hot Mama’s are also close by.
Sabine Café | Ballard
This was such a dreamy place to meet a friend for brunch on a beautiful day! My friend arrived before me so she placed a coffee order up front and then snagged a spot on the heated patio. Once I joined, we were both able to order and pay directly with a QR code, and our food was delivered very shortly after. There was zero human interaction to be had, but I respected the smooth operation they had going on.
And the food was great! The last time I was here was when it was Bastille and serving French cuisine, but it’s now more casual and Middle Eastern-inspired. I had the Mushroom Toast ($15) and my friend had the Turkish Eggs ($17) which I’m definitely getting next time. Their HH (4-6 pm) also looks groovy — $10 cocktails, $3 off mezze, and 50% off wine bottles Tu-Th!
Samurai Noodle | Chinatown-International District
Finally paid a visit to Samurai Noodle in the ID. This was my boyfriend’s favorite ramen shop until Betsutenjin napped the top spot, but it’s a close second (especially since it’s so affordable!). I tried the dipping ramen this time (Tonkotsu Tsukemen, $13.95) which was delicious and would be great if you wanted to eat ramen on a hot day since the noodles are chilled, but otherwise, I just prefer it all in one bowl.
Kpop Nara | Capitol Hill
I’m not sure how a storefront completely dedicated to K-pop fan merch can pay for this prime real estate in Capitol Hill, but I enjoyed immersing myself in this fervent fandom and gawking at the large assortment of light-up microphones.
The most interesting thing to me was a Korean-imported photo booth in the corner that had an accompanying closet of props and accessories. I was hoping it’d be like the one we tried in Japan which had hilarious pose prompts and morphed our faces into anime characters (see above), but I think this one is just a slightly souped-up version from the standard booth you might come across in a bar. Would still be fun to stop by during a Cap Hill girl’s day or date night!
Uptown Espresso | West Seattle
New coworking spot unlocked! The Junction location was one of the first places I remember trying coffee as a teen and it was nostalgic to revisit as an adult. I’ve also been to the Magnolia location and both have plenty of tables and space for your coworking setup (wouldn’t recommend making sales calls like one of the other patrons though 😅). I haven’t had the food here, but they have lunch options beyond the standard cafe pastries, and their signature “velvet foam” is good stuff.
✂️ What didn’t make the cut
Sometimes I try things that I can’t recommend outright as a local gem, but could be worth visiting in certain circumstances. From time to time I’ll share those here and what I’d do differently if I went again. Feel free to provide other evidence in the comments!
Tamari Bar | Capitol Hill
Maybe I just need to get used to paying $80+ (including tax + tip) for a happy hour date in this economy, but when the food is meh and I’m still hungry after, it’s much harder to stomach!
We each got one drink and then split the Tora Gozen (sashimi and other apps served on a staircase for $25), a Bao bun ($7), and a sushi roll ($14). I think this would still be a good spot for HH, I’d just skip the Tora Gozen (one of the apps was chili with garlic bread??) and focus on the drink + food combos (like the sake + chef’s choice apps for $12) or the Area 206 Curry ($12) — I’ve had it at their sister restaurant Rondo and can confirm that it’s solid. The ambiance was great though! And I liked their outdoor patio area, would definitely come back for a drink + snacks.
Rainier Beach Community Center Gym | Rainier Beach
Don’t get me wrong, this is an excellent community center with an impressive pool and programming (like aqua zumba!), and having access to a free gym here is awesome. However, given the choice, I probably wouldn’t work out here again. But! If you want access to heavier dumbbells, a few cardio machines, and one of those cable contraptions and don’t mind a little grime or high schoolers, then go for it.
👀 On my radar
Sugar Bakery | First Hill & Uptown
After talking about my cake craving in last week’s newsletter, Seeking Seattle reader Katt recommended Sugar Bakery for their red velvet slices and A+ croissants! I’ve only been to the Uptown one for coffee and coworking, so I’m excited to try out their baked goods the next time I’m in the area.
Mariners Value Games | SODO
I’m not a huge baseball fan, but I love going to at least one game every summer and the value tickets make it an easy yes. These are all mid-week games and start at $10 (the next ones are next week!), so it’d make for an easy date night, friend catch-up, or group outing. Sections 321 - 323 tend to be my favorite for the skyline + field views and affordable price.
The Mystic Motel | Capitol Hill
As Harry Cheadle mentions in this Eater article, this new pop-up bar at The Woods could just be millennial Instagram bait. I’m wary of themed bars that charge a pretty penny to access “a vibe” (looking at you Miracle on 2nd), but it could be fun to pop in for a drink? They hosted a Cowboy Carter listening party last night so they’re definitely capitalizing on the Wild West moment. Lmk if you end up going!
📆 This weekend’s events
Kronos Quartet: A Thousand Thoughts | Thursday, 4/11 | Belltown | $40
Eliza McLamb | Friday, 4/12 | Capitol Hill | $16-18 | I’m new to Eliza as a musical artist, but I’m a big fan of her newsletter
Spectrum of Culture | Friday, 4/12 | Downtown | $15-40
Belltown Art Walk | Friday, 4/12 | Belltown | Free
Indie-Prov | Friday, 4/12 | U District | $15
RENAIDDANCE : Beyoncé Celebration | Friday, 4/12 | Fremont | $15
BOOTS! Swinging Sixties 2 Year Anniversary Party | Friday, 4/12 | Ballard | $15
Anastacia-Reneé with Noni Ervin | Friday, 4/12 | Capitol Hill | Free
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus | Friday, 4/12 | Uptown | $15.50
Occidental Square Market | Saturday, 4/13 | Pioneer Square | Free
Chanoyu: Tea Culture of Japan Demo | Saturday, 4/13 | Downtown | $29.99
Sampha | Saturday, 4/13 | Downtown | $36.50-40
Georgetown Makers Market & Bar Hop | Saturday, 4/13 | Georgetown | Free
Public Mending Fair | Saturday, 4/13 | Lake City | Free
Arboretum Spring Plant Sale | Sunday, 4/14 | Madison Park | Free
Pearl Jam 'Dark Matter' Listening Party | Sunday, 4/14 | West Seattle | Free
Multi-day:
Spring Shot: Homegrown | 4/11 - 4/14 | Capitol Hill | $10-50 sliding scale
Moisture Festival | 4/11 - 4/14 | Capitol Hill | $45-60
Jim Gaffigan | 4/11 - 4/14 | Downtown | $39.50+
Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2024 | 4/11 - 4/22 | Capitol Hill | $15-400
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | 4/11 - 4/30 | Skagit Valley | $0-20
Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival | 4/12 - 4/14 | Uptown | Free
The Seasons’ Canon | 4/12 - 4/21 | Uptown | $30-210
Best of the Northwest Spring Show | 4/13 - 4/14 | Magnuson | $3-5
Seattle Restaurant Week | 4/14 - 4/27 | Various locations | + the menus that are worth it according to The Infatuation
What’s next:
4/25 - 4/27 | The Upper Left Comedy Festival will be “commandeering” various venues in Belltown to showcase both local and national talent.
6/27 | SAM is hosting a Party in the Park at the Olympic Sculpture Park to raise funds and throw a summer dinner party.
9/7 | This is going to be a music-filled summer for me: Glass Animals is coming to the Gorge in September to tour their new album!
🚨 ICYMI
Conor Byrne has been saved by its employees! You can now make a picnic reservation online for several popular park sites like Seward, Woodland, Jose Rizal, Genesee, and Maple Leaf. A Seattle houseboat has been declared the Sovereign Nation of Tui Tui?
🧰️ Seattle Toolkit
A few of my favorite resources to stay tuned in to what’s happening around the city:
Everout - Events & things to do
SEAToday - Daily Seattle newsletter
The Nudge Seattle - Text-based event planner
The Intentionalist - Discover + support local small businesses
Your turn!
What are you seeking this week? What do you already have planned? Share it with us in the comments ⬇️
Next week we're seeing The Seasons' Cannon at PNB and I absolutely cannot recommend it enough! We saw it last time the company did it and I think about it alllllll the time. The Seasons' Cannon is a work by Crystal Pite and involves an entire stage full of dances moving at the same time in a way that will give you permanent goose bumps; the other pieces in the rep are Sweet Fields by Twyla Tharp, which they last performed in 2022's All Tharp program, and a solo piece by Jessica Lang (who was just named resident choreographer) called The Calling.
By the way, thank you for mentioning the dress rehearsals a while ago! We were busy during the run of One Thousand Pieces, but were available for dress and I'm so glad we still got to see it!
Thanks for all the great rec's each week!