A tiny bite of Seattle

{epic ales}

{the ace, seattle}

{the ace}

{pastry - rhubarb + cream}

{turkish delight}

{turkish delight!)

{pike brewing co}

{ace breakfast}

We just got back from a one week vacation that started with less than 24 hours in Seattle. We had a strange itinerary because we were using airline miles, and we decided an overnight stay was better than a long layover. We quickly realized that Seattle has more than enough food and bars for a single night but we tried to do it justice. The weather was ridiculously good and we wandered around for hours, tasting as much as possible.

Of note -

The light rail was perfect for getting from the airport to downtown and then taking us back to SoDo to explore some breweries. Day passes were cheap and the trains run often.

Epic Ales is a tiny little brewery and they were pouring an amazing tart cherry beer that I would have loved to smuggle home in my suitcase. Currently it's just one room tacked onto the back of an old building, but they're planning to open a gastropub in the coming year. I'd come back just for that.

Just outside of Pike's Place Market we spotted tons of people with yellow bags and I doggedly followed the source until I found a Russian bakery and picked out a rhubarb and cream pastry. Jackpot.

You would think I'd be sugared out at that point but when I saw a sign advertising homemade Turkish delight the C.S. Lewis lover in me couldn't resist. I had the lemon and the raspberry and it was fresh and miles better than the tinned versions I've tried, but I'm still not sure it's worth betraying your entire family.

We had an amazing dinner at Rocco's, which had apparently just opened. No pictures, but the pizza was to die for and the drinks were excellent. We probably would have ordered the I Feel Like A Golden Girl just for the name, but it lived up to our expectations.

I've never stayed at an Ace hotel before and I'd read mixed reviews, but it was perfect. The shared bathrooms (um, I didn't realize they were shared when I booked it, but I shouldn't have been surprised given the price of the room) were never full, our room was tiny but comfortable and the front desk guy was happy to check us in early.

We woke up super early and ran over to watch the sunrise over the sculpture park and then checked out just in time for breakfast. The cheapskate in me LOVES a free breakfast and it hurts my heart to miss out, even if it means I have to eat at 6:30 am and take my coffee to go. So worth it.

And then we were on to New York!