It’s cold. It gets dark early. All your friends in LA are writing you long emails about the endless amounts of sun and sand they’re basking in now that El Nino has packed its bags and moved on to less important cities. You sit in your cubicle, pondering ways to make them jealous without booking that ridiculously expensive flight to Fiji. And then it hits you. You’ll sign up for Seattle Food Tours and spend 2.5 hours rediscovering the city you fell in love with through some of the top chefs in the PNW. At least, that’s what I did when co-owner Michael Rogers invited me on his culinary tour of Belltown last Friday.
The tour, founded in 2006 from a dream and a genuine passion for food, combines seven of the best that Belltown has to offer with a witty and knowledgeable guide. Unlike some tours guides who plan out their script and never stray, Michael can answer questions about where to go for the best oysters and why that homeless guy on 3rd Ave never has any pants on…ok, maybe he can’t tell you that but he will fill you in on a bit of Belltown history, including its past as ‘Film Row’ and why one of the highest points in the city is now the lowest.
The tour visits James Beard winner Thomas Douglas’ Greek endeavor, Lola, renowned pizza joint Via Tribunali, four-time James Beard nominee Joeseba Jimenez De Jimenez’s San Sebastian tapas spot, Txori, Shiro’s sushi, italian-influenced Branzino, James Beard nominee Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery and The Local Vine, a wine bar co-owned by two Harvard grads. Don’t worry, the tour is way more digestible than that sentence. Each stop along the way offers a tasty treat like a made-to-order pizza pie or a glass of local Washington wine. What’s that? You’re a picky eater and your girlfriend is dragging you on this tour? Sorry, buddy, but I’m not going to help you get out of this one. Although Michael and his team can’t accommodate every shellfish-shunning ovotarian that rolls their way, they do a great job of trying. For example, though I couldn’t eat the pizza or indulge in the brownie at Macrina’s, all the other stops made me a special gluten-free dish so I hardly missed out on any fun.
So what are you waiting for? Go grab your foodie friends and book the next tour you can get your hands on! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. As for your friends in LA? Well, be sure to take plenty of pictures and send them their way. They might even feel a little tinge of that jealousy thing we’ve grown so accustomed to.
Seattle Food Tours also offers a daily tour of Pike Place Market. Click here for details.