Seeking: NA plans for Dry January

4 ideas for you

Hey y’all! I hope everyone stayed as warm and dry as they could this past week. As a fun surprise, our heaters started blowing cold air once it dropped below freezing and we subsequently discovered that they had been recalled 🙃

I know lots of people have been dealing with heating mishaps and frozen pipes, which puts motivation to do things outside your comfort zone at an all-time low and the desire to grab a drink at an all-time high.

Which brings us to the topic of this week’s newsletter: NA plans for Dry January. I’m not participating this year (I drink pretty sparingly as is), but I often hear from people that they wish they had more ideas for things to do in the evening / on weekends that don’t involve alcohol.

Luckily, I think Seattle is pretty rich in this department, so we can all save our bank accounts from the $15 cocktails.

As usual, I’ve incorporated the local gems + what’s on my radar into this week’s feature which you hopefully find helpful whether you’re participating in Dry January or not! There were so many directions I could have gone with this, but I tried to come up with ideas that had a similar feeling to the act of going for drinks.

If you have a favorite NA activity or a Dry January hack, please drop it in the comments to enlighten us all

*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!

#1. Get happy hour (sans alcohol)

Love the HH vibe but don’t want to drink? I’ve only seen a few spots that require a minimum drink purchase with HH (Ba Bar is one that comes to mind), so take advantage of this to load up on snacks at your favorite local watering holes. If you want to order an NA drink, you can use an app called Delightful (discovered via the Feed Me newsletter) to figure out which ones are actually good.

the 224 curry, spicy tuna crispy sushi bites, and maze-men at Rondo Japanese Kitchen

💎 Local gems

• Mioposto | Various Locations | 3-6 pm daily HH | This local neighborhood chain has a solid HH of personal pizzas ($10-12), antipasti ($5-13), and salads ($9) in a cozy, convivial space. The Mt Baker and West Seattle locations are my favorites.

• Bottlehouse | Madrona | 3-6 pm daily HH | This is the spot if you’re in the mood for romance and charcuterie boards ($14-16). They also have yummy house-made shrubs.

• Reckless Noodle House | Central District | 4-5 pm daily HH | This one is a tight squeeze since it’s only an hour, but the food here is worth it. My go-to order is the fresh rolls ($4), crispy rolls ($6), papaya salad ($5), and spicy wontons ($6).

• Rondo Japanese Kitchen | Capitol Hill | 2-5:30 pm daily HH | If you’re drinking, the $10 Ten-Bero set that includes a beer, sake, and 3 appetizers is one of the best deals on the hill. But the rest of the HH menu is excellent too – I love the Rondo 224 Curry ($10) and the Rondo Maze-Men ($10).

👀 On my radar

• Donna’s | Capitol Hill | 4-6 pm daily HH | Still on my radar for their $10 HH pastas!

• Kokkaku | Wallingford | 4:30 - 6 pm daily HH | Apparently this place has the cheapest oysters in the city at $1.75 a pop. They also have a variety of baguettes + toppings ($3-6) that look delicious.

#2. Catch a movie at a cool local theater

Movies are BACK BABY. I used to think going to a theater to see a movie was silly when I could just watch one for free from my couch, but I’ve really been enjoying taking in a film as a collective experience lately. And Seattle has some unique local theaters which can make the experience all the more special.

Central Cinema + the lobby at NW Film Forum

💎 Local gems

• Central Cinema | Central District | This will always be one of my top recs! Great programming of mostly older, cult movies (Hairspray is currently showing) with a variety of food + drinks.

• NW Film Forum | Capitol Hill | A nonprofit film + arts center that showcases classic + indie films and also hosts workshops, I went here last weekend for the Sundance Short Film Tour (last date to catch it is 1/27). Highlights: the retro living room set-up in the lobby and the seasoning station for the popcorn.

• SIFF | Various Locations | SIFF screens a more modern mix of movies and you can usually catch whatever is going to be up for nomination here. I’ve only been to the one in Uptown, but I want to check out their newest location downtown which was the old Cinerama.

• The Admiral | West Seattle | Is it the most comfy or updated theater? No, but it sure is charming and historic! Go here for a more traditional movie experience (and check out my favorite boutique Hoste across the street beforehand)

👀 On my radar

• The Beacon | Beacon Hill | Single-screen theater that mostly shows arthouse films

• Ark Lodge Cinemas | Columbia City | Another independent theater that shows current releases in a historic building

• Majestic Bay | Ballard | Historic theater that shows current releases and hosts $6 Tuesdays

• The Grand Illusion | University District | Seattle’s oldest independent movie theater that shows classic + indie films and has a Secret Matinee series on Saturdays

#3. Pair an activity with a fun NA beverage

There is nothing I love more than acquiring a beverage and then doing an activity. Many events and activities are automatically paired with alcohol, so for NA beverages we have to get a little more creative. Here are a few combos that I’ve been dying to try:

@latenightvintagemarket, @lepichet, @fryeartmuseum

👀 On my radar

Rey Amargo + Frye Art Museum (day) or Late Night Vintage Market (night) | Capitol Hill | Rey Amargo has 14 different hot chocolate variations and all of them look amazing. They have seating and are open until 7 pm, so you can sip your beverage there before heading over to the always free Frye Art Museum (closes at 6 pm) or the Late Night Vintage Market (closes at midnight).

Maiz or Le Pichet + Improv Show at Unexpected Productions | Downtown | Maiz serves Mexican Cacao and Champurrado (a thick and chocolatey drink) while Le Pichet is known for their Parisian-style Chocolat Chaud. Pick one before catching an improv show at Unexpected Productions in Pike Place (I went this summer and loved it).

#4. Go outside

You already know this one, but we all need a reminder: the best part about living in Seattle is how many outdoor activities we have. The only thing holding us back is the rain. And the 5 pm sunsets. Break out your umbrellas and get out there anyway.

the views at Saltwater State Park

💎 Local gems

• Saltwater State Park | Des Moines | New favorite park alert! Only 30 minutes south of Seattle, this state park has beautiful waterfront views, an easy loop trail and is hosting free winter evening beach walks on 1/20 (this Saturday) and 2/17.

• Geocaching | Various Locations | Kinda nerdy, but last winter a friend led us on a geocaching hunt in our neighborhood and it was pretty fun to do by flashlight. Also just learned that the Geocaching HQ is in Fremont!

👀 On my radar

• Star Parties | Various Locations | I referenced this in my SAD Guide, but I still have yet to attend one of these monthly parties hosted by the Seattle Astronomical Society in Snoqualmie, Shoreline, Covington, and Bonney Lake.

🏆 Honorable mentions:

• Cheeky & Dry | Phinney Ridge | Seattle’s first NA bottle shop

• Mox Boarding House | Ballard | A game store AND restaurant

• Couth Buzzard Books | Greenwood | A bookstore and community hub that hosts a variety of events

📆 This weekend’s events

• Nap Concert | Thursday, 1/18 | Fremont | $15-35

• Y La Bamba | Thursday, 1/18 | Capitol Hill | $18-20

• Foraging 2.0: Finding Mushrooms Class | Thursday, 1/18 | Ballard | $15

• Scribble After Dark | Friday, 1/19 | Downtown | $45

• Rachel’s Bagels + Burritos Pop-Up | Saturday, 1/20 | West Seattle | Free

• Yes, And: Rhythms of The Americas | Saturday, 1/20 | First Hill | $15

• DJ Pauly D | Saturday, 1/20 | SODO | $39.50-44.50 (ed note: lol)

• Honored to Tell | Saturday, 1/20 | Central District | Free

• Smokey Brights | Saturday, 1/20 | Bainbridge Island | $35

Multi-day:

• Cirque du Soleil: Corteo | | 1/18 - 1/20 | Uptown | $55+

• Janeane Garofalo | 1/18 - 1/21| Belltown | $35

• Whim W'Him Winter '24 | 1/18 - 1/21| Uptown | $15-40

• Alex Moffat | 1/19 - 1/20 | University District | $25-30

• Mike Birbiglia Live | 1/20 - 1/21| Downtown | $39-69

What’s next:

• 1/27 | Want to shape Discovery Park’s next art installation? You can join the Nest & Clay workshop (18 spots left) for a collaborative, interactive process that will inform Bruce Myers’ next public art commission at Discovery Park.

• 2/2 - 2/11 | The next ballet coming to PNB is Swan Lake. Pro tip: you can snag tickets to the dress rehearsal on 2/1 for only $25.

• 2/13 | Another fun Valentine’s date: a sweet concert called Heartsongs at The Here-After – the line-up is highly recommended by one of our readers!

• 3/1 - 3/3 | New Mexico isn’t the only place to see hot air balloons – Winthrop also hosts an annual Balloon Roundup at the beginning of March. You’ll never catch me in one of those things, but I’d love to take in the views from the ground.

🚨 ICYMI

Dick’s Drive-In is having 19¢ Burger Days next week. New restaurant openings: the pizza pop-up My Friend Derek’s is opening up a brick-and-mortar, Snapdragon bakery is expanding their pop-up in West Seattle, Cafe Suliman will open a cocktail bar in the CID, and Renee Erickson’s new restaurant Lioness will be opening in Phinney Ridge at the end of the month.

🧰️ Seattle Toolkit

A few of my favorite resources to stay tuned in to what’s happening around the city:

1. What Do - Seattle’s aggregated event list

2. Everout - Events & things to do

3. SEAToday - Daily Seattle newsletter

4. The Nudge Seattle - Text-based event planner

5. The Intentionalist - Discover + support local small businesses

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Your turn!

What are you seeking this week? What do you already have planned? Share it with us in the comments ⬇️