August 2013
Washington Wines: Best of the Walla Walla Valley AVA
This year we're showcasing wines that best illustrate the distinct qualities of our regions
The Walla Walla Valley AVA runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains south into Oregon, with 1,600 acres of grapes planted in everything from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and many other varietals. To read more about this region, including the best wines from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, click here. Read our…
Poke of the Day at Mashiko
A fresh poke dish to devour at this West Seattle sushi haunt
The fish is always supreme at Hajime Sato’s relaxed sushi haunt in West Seattle. But before I start into my sashimi and sushi order, I can’t help myself: I have to order a bowl of Poke of the Day at Mashiko ($11; 4725 California Ave. SW; 206.935.4339; sushiwhore.com). I admit it’s a little bit of…
Traveling to Washington’s Best Islands
Armed with good timing and the grace of an easy traffic day, bliss awaits you in the form of San Juan Islands tranquility. Getting there is half the fun (right?)—the other half, once you’re there, is all about taking it easy. Good thing there’s something about the islands that forces you to slow down and…
Ballard Annex Oyster House
New seafood restaurant in Ballard makes a splash with its nautical design
It’s funny how it works. Some restaurants can serve inspired, memorable food, but be stuck in a bummer location, doomed to failure. Others can serve food that’s fine, overpriced but all right, yet be so blessed by the location gods (and have such a likable design) that they survive in spite of their shortcomings. Ballard…
Seattle Magazine’s Eighth Annual Washington Wine Awards
This year we're showcasing wines that best illustrate the distinct qualities of our regions
We’re hearing more these days about “wines of place”—wines that reflect the terroir of a certain vineyard in addition to a larger winegrowing region. In Washington, winegrowers overall are becoming known for hefty reds and lush whites that reflect the heat of the Wahluke Slope or Red Mountain, for example, but also have a balancing…
Arts Festival Picks
Three festivals provide ample arts in August—but each requires a lot of walking
Arts in Nature FestivalOrganized by the Nature Consortium, this fest takes place at Camp Long in West Seattle and emphasizes “interaction rather than transaction” (translation: no vendor booths!). Wandering around the woods, participants will encounter live music (including headlining “eco-rockers” Cloud Cult), dance performances, art installations and a fun “museum of sound” staged in the…
Road Trip to Elbe, Washington
WHERE: Elbe, Washington, 15 miles west of the Paradise entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. WHY: To take a ride on the historic Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad ($24–$29; 54124 Mountain Hwy. E; 888.783.2611; mrsr.com), the longest continuously operating steam train railroad in the Pacific Northwest. WHAT: Riders travel in open-air, enclosed cars (pulled by a…
Nancy Guppy Interviews Seattle Opera’s Rick Araluce
Nancy Guppy gets perspective with Rick Araluce, master of small worlds and massive sets
COFFEE* DATE: Rick Araluce, lead scenic artist for Seattle Opera (see his set work in The Ring this month) and maker of tiny, haunting dioramas. His solo show, The Minutes, the Hours, the Days, opens at Bellevue Arts Museum on August 16 (bellevuearts.org).SCENE: Café Paloma in Pioneer Square, a sunny evening in JuneRICK’S ORDER: Beer….
News on Renee Erickson’s New Wine Bar, Barnacle
Renee Erickson is on a roll! After opening The Whale Wins to wide acclaim and launching her oyster truck, The Narwhal, earlier this summer, in August she’ll debut Barnacle (Ballard, 4743 Ballard Ave. NW), a wine and aperitivi bar next door to her eminently popular seafood hideaway, The Walrus and the Carpenter. There will be…
New Album from Seattle Cabaret Band The Love Markets
A darkly comic debut CD from Seattle cabaret band The Love Markets
The first thing you notice about Seattle cabaret band The Love Markets are the slips—black, lacy and worn by singer/keyboardist Angie Louise as well as the four esteemed male musicians behind her. “It was the perfect way to express our Weimar-inspired vibe and appear decadent, severe and totally absurd all at the same time,” Louise…
New Memoir: Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin
Seattle writer Nicole Hardy publishes a memoir of faith and fidelity to oneself
While talking with West Seattle writer Nicole Hardy about her new memoir, Confessions of a Latter-Day Virgin, I mention British installation artist Tracey Emin and her famously controversial piece consisting of a camping tent, on which she embroidered the names of 102 people she had “slept with” (32 in the sexual sense). Hardy, 41, whose…
Exploring Orcas Island
From farm to feast, getting away to Orcas Island
Life on the island is all about cross-pollination. On Orcas Island in the San Juans, especially, farmers and chefs, ranchers and brewers are friends, partners and cohorts in the category of “living the dream.” More and more a foodie destination, Orcas Island is doing a few things very well. There’s not a lot of cultural…