Blue Bottle Coffee
The garage door goes up, and the line-ups begin at this “odd but convivial coffee kiosk” on tiny Linden Street. It’s not news to Bay Area coffee geeks that some of the city’s best coffee comes from this take-out-only java joint. Even the decaf – an afterthought at many cafes – is delicious. There’s no place to sit, but you can sip your brew while browsing the nearby boutiques.
315 Linden St., 7am-6pm Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm Saturday-Sunday.

Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates
What’s even darker and richer than Blue Bottle’s excellent coffee? The “Liquid Chocolate” at this carefully crafted chocolate shop. Yes, the truffles are gorgeous, but their upscale take on hot chocolate, which you can choose with milk or water, and with several different flavors, is a serious hit of drinkable bittersweetness. I loved the mildly chili-scented “Venezuelan” version.
401 Hayes St., noon-7:30pm Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday-Monday.

Chantal Guillon Macarons
Now that we’re fully caffeinated, let’s stop for some sugar, shall we? I’ve been slow to hop on the macaron bandwagon, but these delicate creamy treats have changed my mind. The salted caramel is an intensely buttery, sugary, and slightly salty confection, while the chocolate is rich and delicate. Mmmm.
437A Hayes St., 11am-7pm Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday-Monday.

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Happy New Year, and Tasty Travels!

Carolyn

As much as I would love to be one of those people who can go on vacation and then sit around drinking fruity tropical alcohol-laced drinks, the truth is… I’m a lightweight. As a result, one drink usually makes me tired enough to want to take a nap. And who wants to sleep through their vacation? (OK, some people have no problem with that.)

While at the Honolulu Airport earlier this year, Jon and I popped in to the terribly overpriced bar during our layover to Kauai and noshed on some french fries and I on my Virgin Margarita. It was really like a super sweet fruit shake. But it didn’t put me to sleep and it definitely got me into the tropical mood that I enjoyed for the rest of the week.

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Life’s Short, Eat Well!

The Tuscan Tearoom is my latest find in West Seattle. This totally girly-decorated cafe serves up a wide variety of teas, of course, but they also have a menu with special treats such as baked eggs (above) and crepes (below).

I tried the mushroom crepe which stuffed full and dripped with a cream sauce. Most entrees are also accompanied with potatoes and a tad of fruit. We stopped in for a light lunch and the meal was so large I actually didn’t need dinner!

But of course, there’s also the tea. I’m a bit of a tea-holic and ordered a lovely black Nepali tea. The pot that I received was way more than I could finish on my own over lunch but I was able to take the remainder in a to-go cup.

This is a lovely place to bring out of town guests or to have a special meal with girlfriends. Jon and I took his mom there and Jon was one of 2 guys in the whole place (and it was FULL). Not that guys won’t like it, but the interior definitely lends itself to women.

Tuscan Tearoom
4521 California SW (the former Capers space)
West Seattle

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Life’s Short, Eat Well!

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