October 2012

Epical Epicness: Introducing the 2012 October Issue

Epical Epicness: Introducing the 2012 October Issue

Editorial director Rachel Hart reflects on the bigger picture of our latest issue.

When we were coming up with a list of adjectives to describe the beauty and grandeur of Northwest lodges, a word used in excess these days by my 10-year-old son (and further creatively mangled by him, as in the headline, above) kept coming to mind. It was undeniable: “Epic” is the only word that does…

Vacation Getaways: Cozy Cabins

Vacation Getaways: Cozy Cabins

Seek out the serenity and privacy that comes with renting one of these classic log cabins.

TIMBER LODGE Orcas Island (Shown above.) Soak in the sweeping view in peace from the deck of this home; after all, you haven’t just rented a three-story, four-bedroom, 3,100-square-foot Pacific Northwest log cabin near Rosario, you’ve rented the 3 acres it sits on (including the waterfall!). The warm, very rustic and very spacious cabin is…

Vacation Getaways: Deluxe Lodges & Spas

Vacation Getaways: Deluxe Lodges & Spas

Soak up the peaceful vibe—and glorious perks—of these newer, luxury lodges.

Waterfall StunnerTHE SALISH LODGE AND SPAPerched above the pounding drama of the 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls, just 30 minutes from Seattle, the Salish is a favorite among romantics; many a marriage has begun here, and it’s a repeat winner on most every “best places to kiss” list. Built in 1916, the inn got a major makeover…

Vacation Getaways: Historic Lodges

Vacation Getaways: Historic Lodges

These vintage lodges are the perfect home base for outdoor adventures.

Rain Forest BeautyLAKE QUINAULT LODGE(Shown above.) Built in 1926 in a wilderness rustic style reminiscent of classic lodges in the Adirondacks, the Lake Quinault Lodge is tucked into a temperate rain forest alongside a placid six-square-mile lake. Seemingly stuck in time from a better day, the lodge buzzes with activity throughout the year, but especially…

Greg Lundgren's Death Wish

Greg Lundgren’s Death Wish

A Seattle artist and entrepreneur wants to give the death industry a makeover

Imagine you are dead. If you’re the type who thinks ahead, you’ve probably already told someone whether you’d rather be cremated or buried. Maybe you even suggested where your ashes should be scattered, or to whom you’d most like to lie next to for all eternity. But most of us don’t get that specific, simply…

What's the Future of the Seattle Center?

What’s the Future of the Seattle Center?

Arguing over the Center has become Seattle’s version of the movie Groundhog Day.

Seattle Center is a 74-acre Rorschach test in which everyone sees what they want to see. It is Lincoln Center to some; Central Park, Tivoli Gardens or Disneyland to others. It is about Bumbershoot, skateboards, the opera, New Year’s fireworks, the Space Needle, the EMP blob, IMAX shows, the fountain and Folklife. It is public,…

Seattle's "Smart" Meter Switch

Seattle’s “Smart” Meter Switch

As Seattle City Light switches to new “smart” meters, privacy and health advocates get charged up.

Coming soon to a house near yours—well, actually it’s coming to your house, if you live within the purview of Seattle City Light—an advanced electricity metering system that will make you very happy (according to City Light) and very sad (according to privacy and health activists in other areas where this technology has been deployed)….

Take a Cotton to Nontoxic Mattresses

Take a Cotton to Nontoxic Mattresses

Seattle stores offer an array of chemical-free natural bedding.

Decades ago, our parents and grandparents slept on mattresses stuffed with natural materials, such as feathers, natural latex from rubber trees, straw and wool. While modern polyurethane foam may add a certain bounce to our beds, it comes with trade-offs. Specifically, the chemicals used to improve foam performance or to make it flame retardant. Jackie…

Ramayana, An Epic Hero's Tale, Unfurls at ACT

Ramayana, An Epic Hero’s Tale, Unfurls at ACT

It took a village to produce Ramayana, a vast hero tale with a simple moral core.

Boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy loses girl after evil shape-shifter assumes form of golden deer to distract girl, leading to girl’s abduction by demon king and boy’s subsequent battle against said demon king. If this sounds familiar, you either have a spectacular love life or you’ve heard of the ancient epic poem Ramayana….

Ballard Pizza Company Worthy of Applause

Ballard Pizza Company Worthy of Applause

Stand and scarf giant pizza slices at a butcher-block table in Ballard.

Ethan Stowell is trying to go downscale with The Ballard Pizza Company, but a star chef can only go so low. He’s got the slice-and-a-soda thing going at the rustically chic shop, but the soda ($4, gourmet) costs more than the slice ($3–$3.50, huge). And the knockout star of our meal had nothing to do…

What's New at Matt's in the Market

What’s New at Matt’s in the Market

This crackerjack culinary crew has found a way to make even headcheese taste good.

At press time, we got word from Dan Bugge, owner of this brilliant Pike Place Market eatery, of his plans to open a brand-new whiskey bar, Radiator, in an adjacent space. Construction was set to begin early last month. The crackerjack crew at Matt’s is on fire, cranking out some of the best food in…

Cha:n Strives for Approachable Korean Food

Cha:n Strives for Approachable Korean Food

But have they dimmed the flavors too much at this Pike Place hideaway?

The concept behind Cha:n is approachable and modern Korean food, and whether it works for you depends on whether you think the funky, fiery cuisine needs more approachability or modernization. Owner Heong Soon Park, who remodeled what used to be part of Bacco (he still owns both) to create this downstairs hideaway, has gentled authentic…