April 2015

Inside the Mind of Mad Music Scientist Trimpin

Inside the Mind of Mad Music Scientist Trimpin

A musical genius takes the Seattle Symphony into the digital age

Aside from the pink flamingos flanking the walkway, there’s nothing particularly telltale about the exterior of the studio where one of Seattle’s musical masterminds works his mad science. But just over the threshold, visitors are plunged into the inimitable world of Trimpin, the sound artist, composer, instrument inventor and MacArthur genius who goes by his…

Tent Cities and Seattle's Growing Homeless Population

Tent Cities and Seattle’s Growing Homeless Population

Even as shiny skyscrapers pop up all around Seattle, a second city of tarps and cardboard is booming

You probably see them all over. Bands of tents set down in a wooded area, flashes of blue tarp dangling from a freeway overpass, or clusters of cardboard wrestled into shapes that will provide some kind of shelter. They’re small, ad hoc camps of homeless people, and their numbers are growing. This year’s One Night…

Well-Made Drinks and Charming Noshes at Magnolia's Oliver's Twist

Well-Made Drinks and Charming Noshes at Magnolia’s Oliver’s Twist

Magnolia’s new Oliver’s Twist provides a cozier version of the original without sacrificing taste

Known for the creative cocktails and tasty nibbles served at its Phinney Ridge location, Oliver’s Twist has a new outpost in Magnolia (3217 W McGraw St.; 206.946.1651; oliverstwistseattle.com), and the small spot is perfect for cuddly dates. Opened in the long, thin space that used to host the Nook Café and Swirl wine bar in…

Seattle Choreographer Stages a Fresh Take on 'Carmina Burana'

Seattle Choreographer Stages a Fresh Take on ‘Carmina Burana’

Nancy Guppy takes flight with Seattle choreographer Donald Byrd

Seattle choreographer Donald Byrd has been artistic director of Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theater since 2002. Before that, he was a revered contemporary dance director in New York City, perhaps best known for choreographing The Harlem Nutcracker and the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple (for which he earned a Tony nomination). This month he…

Infographic: Seattle’s Newest Mascots

The Moose cheers on the Mariners, Rhubarb the Reindeer boosts the Tacoma Rainiers, and the Everett Aquasox find motivation in that weird frog, but Seattle has a few heavy hitters that could use a little blind enthusiasm from a mascot of their own.  

Recipe of the Week: Pan-Fried Mussels with Lovage Aioli

Recipe of the Week: Pan-Fried Mussels with Lovage Aioli

Whip up this tasty starter with the underutilized seasonal herb Lovage

Poppy chef and owner Jerry Traunfeld discussed his favorite herb of the season in the April issue of Seattle Magazine. Here, he’s provided a delectable recipe using the favored herb, lovage, and pairing it with mussels—an equally choice crop of the season—to create a delicious dish suitable to start any fête of the season.  Pan-Fried MusselsIngredients 2 pounds large-sized fresh…

7 Ways to Pretty Up Your Home for Spring

7 Ways to Pretty Up Your Home for Spring

Treasures and trinkets from local shops to breathe new life into your abode

Can you feel it? This hopeful season always carries with it a sense of renewal and expansiveness. Throw open your curtains, sweep away the dust bunnies and spruce up your decor with cheerful home accents that celebrate the revival going on outdoors. 1. Seattle’s Gnosis Picture Archive offers a multitude of reproduction natural history and scientific…

The Best Local Spots for Cuisine from Nepal, Indonesia, Laos and More

The Best Local Spots for Cuisine from Nepal, Indonesia, Laos and More

Expand your horizons beyond Thai, Mexican and Chinese

BALLARD[Cuban] Geo’s Cuban and Creole   In the shadow of massive waterfront restaurants Ray’s and Anthony’s sits Geo’s, another eponymous eatery, but without the Olympic Mountain view. The Cuban joint, where you order at the counter, doesn’t need to rely on fancy sights; the sandwiches speak for themselves: pressed Cubanos stuffed with roasted pork, sliced ham,…

Legal Weed is for Sale, but it's Barely Affecting Tourism

Legal Weed is for Sale, but it’s Barely Affecting Tourism

Recreational marijuana is booming, so why is cannabis tourism lagging behind?

Explaining that he has had a heart attack and needs medicine for the pain, Dimitrias Manoulidis raises a fat, smoking joint and takes a deep drag. Frankly, he was not what I had in mind when I envisioned what our state’s newest tourists would look like. A stout, 60-something, ruggedly handsome, mustached man in a…

Knute Berger's Quest to Rename Seattle Continues: The Sealth Campaign

Knute Berger’s Quest to Rename Seattle Continues: The Sealth Campaign

Knute Berger nudges forward the case for a new city name, one column at a time

A little more than a year ago, in my Gray Matters column “Seven Slogans of Seattle,” I put forward the idea that Seattle needs a new nickname. We’ve been Queen City, Jet City and since the ’80s, rather lamely I think, The Emerald City. It felt like it was time for a change now that…

Meatless Wonders: Brave Horse Tavern Does Vegan

Meatless Wonders: Brave Horse Tavern Does Vegan

It's not all pretzels and burgers at this Tom Douglas hub

Call me a buzzkill. I get it, I deserve it. Nobody goes to Brave Horse Tavern to eat vegan, not when there are juicy burgers on the menu, plus wood-stove baked soft pretzels with pimento-cheddar dip, wood-fired chicken wings and house-cured ham and cheddar sandwiches with those terrific pretzels serving as a bun. But these…

Brave April Showers in Muny RainColor Rainboots

Brave April Showers in Muny RainColor Rainboots

Accessories designer Mun Hui Yi brings Italian fashion and function home just in time for spring

“Italians, both men and women, are thought to be the most fashionable and impeccable dressers in the world, but what I admire is the work and knowledge behind the beauty, ” says Issaquah-based accessories designer Mun Hui Yi. After spending 14 years in Florence, Italy, working for Valentino, Hugo Boss and Benetton, she returned to…