It's not every day I get to frequent a classic French bakery.

Le Panier is a classic French boulangerie and patisserie located in the historic Pike Place Market. All products are made on-site and sold fresh every day.

Kristi Drake and Thierry Mougin, co-owners of Le Panier, were on hand on opening day. Kristi and her staff in front create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, greeting regular customers with their favorites, and inviting them to try something new that the bakers have dreamed up. Thierry is a French-trained pastry chef from Normandie. He and his team of bakers have developed a selection of products that bring together French baking techniques and local, seasonal ingredients.

There was a line out the door, but it moved quickly. There are goodies spread amongst the various cases - croissants, tartelettes, breads, savory bites.


Once I got to the counter, I wanted everything. But, I decided on a few macarons: cassis (black currant), caramel, raspberry and cafe.

Each were absolutely phenomenal.

And, I got a savory flaky broccoli pastry - very tasty.

There's something special, light, elegant about these bites. It's really a beautiful cuisine, and the perfect way to spend breakfast.



Grade: A

Whilst on Bainbridge Island, we had to check out a brewery.

Bainbridge Island Brewing was nearby, and looked inviting.

Inside, they have the bar, as well as some tables and an upstairs that partially overlooks the space.

In order to try a few different beers, I went with a sampler and choose their kolsch, a scotch ale, a barleywine and an IPA.

And, of course, a small cheese plate to accompany it. And by cheese plate, I mean a package of smoked gouda cheese, some rice crackers in a ziploc bag and a paper towel. But, I don't hate it.

Each of these were great. I especially liked their kolsch. The IPA here was good too. It had a nice balance.

The cheese was delicious and I ate every bite of it. The best part, though, is that they were very puppy-friendly so I got to watch all kinds of pups, drink beer and eat cheese. What could be better.

Grade: A

I'm told that there a few must-dos in Seattle - one being to take a ferry. So, we took one of the shorter ferry rides to Bainbridge Island and did a little sipping while there. 

We stopped at Bainbridge Organic Distillers, which has been recognized for having the best craft whiskey.

Bainbridge Organic Distillers was founded as a family business in 2009, and since the beginning we perform every task in the making of distilled spirits on site, and with our own hands. From the selection of grain varieties and lots, to grinding, mashing, fermenting and distillation we are hands-on at every stage in the small-batch spirits production process. Bainbridge Organic Distillers was Washington State's first distillery producing USDA Certified Organic spirits, and we are the state's only distillery producing 100% of its organic spirits from scratch, on site in our own distillery. We are very proud to have launched the state's first organic vodkas, whiskey and gin. We favor working with other local, family-owned companies, and we strive to make sure that every step in our process is as environmentally neutral as possible and is sustainably and responsibly managed.

Tastings are free, which was nice. So, we tried some whiskeys, vodka, and gin - which were all good but intense for a quick tasting. The tasting was simple, but it was nice to try some alcohol native to this island.

There is a brewery right in Pike Place Market, which is pretty cool.

It's as old as I am, but The Pike Brewing Company is pretty lively. There were lots of folks eating and drinking throughout the sort of sprawling dining area.

We came just for some drinks, though.

We each ordered the sampler, which came with Pike Naughty Nellie, Pike Place Ale, Pike IPA, Pike Kilt Lifter, Pike XXXXX, and Pike Monk's Uncle.

These were all a bit underwhelming for me. Heavy or bland or just not all that exciting. I didn't mind the golden Nellie beer, but even then, not super exciting.

So, we were definitely in search of a good brewery - maybe a bit further away from the touristy area of Pike Place. Nothing especially bad here, but nothing I got excited about either.




Grade: C

With all the traveling, this year has been a little crazy for me. I've been all over the country and had the opportunity to try some really cool food. Most notably, I've finally found really good tacos in Austin.

So, the bar was pretty high when I tried Los Agaves in Seattle.

They offer traditional Mexican street food, and I ordered a single taco al pastor, which has grilled pork, pineapple and onion.

And, it was fine, but a bit too greasy for my taste. That kind of was the overarching flavor here, so I thought this one was just OK this time around.



Grade: C

Kudos to Seattle for being weird and capitalizing on it.


Have you ever heard of ginger beer? Me neither, but Rachel's Ginger Beer makes it, and it's a pretty simple combination:

great root handcrafted in seattle, wa

rachels ginger beer is made in seattle using fresh water, lemons, organic sugar and ginger. we believe in this brew, and we're pretty sure that you will too. simple ingredients are key. Fresh lemons, strong roots, organic cane sugar and good water made intimate with one another and brewed to taste here in seattle. partnering with several local farms we’ve befriended through seattle farmers markets, we brew with care and attention to detail, offering our original recipe and several seasonal flavors.



So, it's not beer, but it's a soda.

while living and working for several years in Europe, we were introduced to proper ginger beer. brewed in many neighborhood pubs and served on tap, the british ginger beers we fell in love with represent a level of quality and craftsmanship we felt was absent in mass-produced american sodas. so, after returning home to the PNW, we set ourselves to the task of mastering what we believe is the best ginger beer in the world; fresh fragrant and not too sweet.

However, it goes perfectly with alcohol, and the shop has a number of cocktails on tap. I ordered the frozen pink guava mule, with pink guava ginger beer, vodka and lime. This was so bright and refreshing on a day spent walking from one end of town to the other.

It's light, it's cool and it's just a bit sweet without being overwhelmingly so. So, grab one (or two!), and enjoy the people watching at Pike Place Market!

Grade: A

This small Italian restaurant doesn't capitalize on traditional, old-school fare - it emphasizes the simplicity in flavors with a modern touch.

Italian Restaurant Il Corvo has a line out the door before it even opens, and that line runs constantly throughout lunchtime.

This restaurant is only open for lunch, only during weekdays, and only serves three dishes that change each day. On this day, they had a pappardelle alla bolognese, a fusilli with nettle and hazlenut pesto, and a baked mafalda. They also have some standard items on the menu - their housemade focaccia, for instance.

After you make your way to the front of the line and pay (just $10 for your dish), then you're assigned a table and your food is brought out shortly thereafter.

First, though, I had ordered some of their housemade foccaccia, which was handed to me, and I took that back to my table and began nibbling bits while waiting on my papardelle.

At Il Corvo we rely on years of experience and knowledge in order to create the perfect noodle. We work with traditional bronze dies and handmade tools as well as high quality organic ingredients to develop pasta with a proper al dente mouth feel that is both delicious and firm. 

People sometimes mistake over or under cooking the noodle to directly affect the al dente texture of pasta. In fact, a proper al dente noodle is primarily the result of using high quality ingredients – semolina flour, wheat flour and fresh eggs. The protein in these ingredients are what creates the ‘tooth’ in the noodle – that’s what gives it it’s texture. 

We focus on formulating the right blend of flours, eggs and water for each pasta shape so that it has the right texture and tooth. By using organic flours, as well as local organic eggs which have a much higher protein content and better quality overall, we are able to produce a much higher quality pasta that cooks well, holds sauce perfectly and is delectable (OUR PASTA).

The bread is simple, but good. A nice complement to my pasta, which was ...

Delicious! I really like the slightly chewy, toothsome pasta. It makes it very substantial and delectable. This place is simple, but great. You bus your own table and fill your own water, so service here is nearly nonexistent, which goes along with the simple theme. It really is a great little place.

Grade: A

One of my absolute favorite stops in Seattle was Mee Sum Pastry.

This Chinese bakery in Pike Place Market makes these lovely savory buns fresh - plus a wide assortment of other goodies.

Seattle’s central market has long welcomed locals, tourists, and immigrants alike, and the result is this slightly bastardized version of the kind of bao that you’d find in China, in which sweet dough wraps around a savory curry. Much like the market itself, the bun is inspired by a diverse population -- and tastes great (Thrillist).

So, I ordered the BBQ pork hum bow, which was soft, pillowy sweet dough encasing perfectly minced bites of BBQ pork. Just wow. I also got a crab rangoon which is heavy on the crab, less on the cream cheese. Both so simple but so phenomenal. A must stop.

Grade: A