Seeking: sunny weekend ideas, a DIY food tour, & a new art exhibit
+ concerts at the farm
By the time this newsletter reaches you, we will be kicking off a BEAUTIFUL stretch of weather (but also slightly concerning — why is it 80 in May 😅).
The first hot weekend always causes me a little anxiety as I start thinking about how to take advantage of it the MOST. In my experience, my favorite warm weather days tend to have one concrete plan or idea which evolves into “bopping around” from thing to thing in one general area (however, sometimes bopping is the plan).
I’ve included a few of those ideas below from previous issues in case you need some inspiration! Next week I’m hoping to tackle the elusive Seattle “third places” since some of you have asked me about it recently and I need to deliver 💌
Have a lovely weekend and share anything fun you’re getting up to in the comments!
*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!
☀️ Sunny Weekend Ideas
Take a day trip to Bainbridge and visit Bloedel Reserve. Other stops could include the Bainbridge Troll, Pegasus Coffee, Eleven Winery, Ba Sa, or Doc’s Marina Grill.
Spend Sunday in West Seattle. Bring breakfast from The Birdhouse to Lincoln Park and then hit the West Seattle Farmers Market afterward (don’t forget to grab an éclair from Panterelli!). For lunch, I’d recommend Marination Makai on the water.
Hike the Whitaker Wilderness Loop in the Issaquah Alps (hopefully won’t be as crowded as other trails!). Afterward, grab lunch on the outdoor patio at Levitate Gastropub or The Black Duck.
💎 Local gems
Chung Chun, UmmaDak, & Uwajimaya | Chinatown-International District
Want to create your own food tour in the C-ID? Here’s your guide:
Start at Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog and get one of their signature hot dogs, either the original ($4.49), potato ($5.49), or ramen chips ($5.49) — we got the potato with a volcano dog (the volcano was not necessary). There isn’t much of a place to sit/eat inside, so we ate ours on the street under the Chinatown Gate.
Head next door to UmmaDak for some skewers. When we went, they had little samples out so we could try the different flavors before committing. We went with the buldak aka spicy hot ($5.99) and split it. One thing I loved about this place was that their eating area was reminiscent of the standing bars we went to in Tokyo — only high-top tables with no chairs. If you want to have more of a meal here, they also had rice bowls for $8-11 which looked tasty.
Walk two blocks to Uwajimaya to pick up some snacks + drinks. I keep getting the onigiri hoping it will be like what we had in Japan and being severely disappointed, so I’d recommend the musubi, sushi, ozaku pan from Umami Kushi, or anything else that strikes your fancy in the deli area. For drinks, I love the cold Japanese teas, and Pocari Sweat is a classic for a reason. Take your finds to the food court where you can snag a Dochi Donut for dessert!
My Name Story Project | Pioneer Square
Remember Judy Lee’s Seattle Snapshot? The project she’s been working on for over two years, My Name Story, had its opening reception last week at the Pioneer Square Art Walk and it was incredible.
Here’s the mission of the project:
My Name Story is a portrait-video project that examines the AANHPI experience through the lens of our names at the intersection of race, gender and class. This project explores themes of identity, belonging, and reclamation in a country that oftentimes labels AANHPIs as the other and perpetual foreigner. The project includes women from different generations, ethnicities and experiences who have had, at one point or another, struggles with their names and the meanings attached to them.
The nine portraits and stories were accompanied by photos of the women when they were little and letters they wrote to their younger selves (this was my favorite part). In addition to the nine stories, there were also 20+ art pieces and stories from the community and a projector playing the video interviews.
The gallery is open Thursday - Saturday from 11 am - 5 pm and Judy will be hosting a few events over the next month to interact with the project in different ways. Highly recommend going if you can!
The Lemon Grove | Pioneer Square
On my way to Judy’s reception, I came across this vintage collective on Jackson that was open for art walk. The curation was excellent and very reasonably priced, with lots of throwback Seattle merch. In addition to clothes, they also had an awesome selection of home goods and decorations — I would’ve bought this funky little rug if I wasn’t on my way elsewhere. For art walk, they had a beautiful spread of food, drinks, and vendors onsite. I think they’re going to be doing it every month, so plan to stop by here on your next art walk tour!
The Coupe & Flute | North Beacon Hill
This is in my neighborhood, and I’d only been once before this weekend! If you feel like having an indulgent brunch, The Coupe & Flute is the spot.
We didn’t have a reservation (you can make one here), but we were able to sit at the bar. It is a champagne tavern, so we started with grapefruit mimosas ($11) and an order of the tempura battered cream puffs ($12) which were the best and most unique thing we had (would get these at the end as dessert next time though).
We also split the smoked true cod bagel ($18) and the croissant madame ($19) which were so good (we probably only needed one of these though). My bf would have preferred salmon over whitefish, but I liked the switch-up. The croissant madame came with fries and had kimchi on it, which was what took it to the next level. Next time I want to get the duck benedict!
It’s not in my budget to come here regularly, but it was a special treat and the owners are incredibly nice and welcoming. Would recommend for a special occasion, they also have a little room in the back called “the snug” that you can rent out which looks like fun!
👀 On my radar
Seattle Art Book Fair | Yesler Terrace
Judy also told me about this event happening this weekend and it looks so cool. I love little zines and pretty books to flip through, so this is a dream for me. In addition to vendors, there are also quite a few talks and activities you can attend throughout the weekend (my favorite illustrator You As An Animal will also be there!).
Green Seattle Partnership | Various locations
If you want to get your hands dirty in the sunshine this weekend, there are quite a few volunteer opportunities available via Green Seattle Partnership. This is a great site to browse through whenever you feel like getting out in community, there are opportunities all over the city so it should be easy to find something in your neighborhood.
Remlinger Concerts at the Farm | Carnation
Last summer was the first concert season at Remlinger, and they recently released their full concert lineup (THING is also going to be hosted here). I’d love to see Portugal. The Man + Bomba Estéreo!
Ginger & Scallion | Ballard
Seeking Seattle reader Jeff recently shared about the opening of this “chicken and rice specialist” restaurant in his newsletter and it’s now top of my list! So many of the local Seattle foodies have been sharing about it, so it’s been very hyped up, but it seems to deserve it. Jeff also told me that they’re now serving lunch!
📆 This weekend’s events
Free Pure Barre Class @ Cal Anderson Park | Thursday, 5/9 | Capitol Hill | Free
Night Hike, Beaver and Owl Prowl | Thursday, 5/9 | Broadview| $15
Prism Break | Thursday, 5/9 | Capitol Hill | Free
Bubbles + Blooms | Friday, 5/10 | Downtown | $60
Indie-Prov | Friday, 5/10 | Downtown | $15
Circus Etc. Cabaret | Friday, 5/10 | SODO | $25
Crafter Dark | Friday, 5/10 | Downtown | $15-100 sliding scale
Thunderpussy with the Seattle Symphony | Friday, 5/10 | Downtown | $50-145
Belltown Art Walk | Friday, 5/10 | Belltown | Free
KEXP & Den Tapes Present: RUB | Friday, 5/10 | Ballard | $12
MESH 2024 Fashion Show | Saturday, 5/11 | U District| $15
My Name Story: Story Sharing Circle | Saturday, 5/11 | Pioneer Square | Free
BonsaiFEST! | Saturday, 5/11 | Federal Way | $12 suggested donation
Lake City Record Show | Saturday, 5/11 | Lake City | Free
Bandit Theater Presents: First Date | Saturday, 5/11 | Fremont | $15-22.50
Halo-Halo Cabaret | Saturday, 5/11 | Belltown | $30-35
Disco Dust: All Vinyl Disco Night | Saturday, 5/11 | Downtown | $10-20
Weeding + Admiring Wildflowers | Sunday, 5/12 | Rainier Valley | Free
Disney Bad Girls Brunch | Sunday, 5/12 | Capitol Hill | Free
Multi-day:
Cie Hervé KOUBI | 5/9 - 5/11 | U District | $54-69
The Travel Cats By Mari Ichimasu | 5/9 - 5/19 | Madison Park | $10
Seattle International Film Festival | 5/10 - 6/30 | Madison Park | $10
16th Annual Flower Festival | 5/11 - 5/12 | Downtown | Free
Seattle Art Book Fair | 5/11 - 5/12 | Yesler Terrace | Free
What’s next:
5/18 - 5/19 | The U District Street Fair is happening next weekend! The two-day event will feature 15 block-long arts and crafts fair, free live music and performances, and over 40 food trucks and booths.
7/12 - 7/14 | The Northwest Tune-Up Festival in Bellingham just released their music lineup! I’ve been dying to see Dengue Fever live, so I might go just for them (or catch them in Seattle on 7/15).
🚨 ICYMI
A new bar called Golden Roosters opened in Pioneer Square and is slinging KFC (Korean fried chicken). Capitol Hill is going to be featured in season 2 of The Last of Us (but it will be recreated and filmed in Canada 🥲). A dedicated cheese bar called Cheese Room will be opening in Capitol Hill on May 15th. The new Voodoo Doughnut building also on the hill got a fresh coat of pink this week in preparation for their future opening (date still TBD). The Stranger recapped the best of the 2024 SIFF. A new rock-focused music venue called Baba Yaga is coming to Pioneer Square.
🧰️ 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 ⬇️
Such great suggestions! I didn't know about the concerts at Remlinger- that's super cool. Also.... A CHEESE BAR?!? OMG.