August 2016

Ballard Avenue’s Newest Mexican Eatery Showcases Complexity of Corn

Ballard Avenue’s Newest Mexican Eatery Showcases Complexity of Corn

Imported heirloom corn helps educate Seattleites on the complexity of true Mexican food

In 2012, New York restaurateur Marc Meyer tapped Chester Gerl, then chef at Matt’s in the Market, to run the kitchen at his trendy SoHo restaurant, Hundred Acres, and, eventually, to help open Rosie’s, a restaurant specializing in central and southern Mexico cuisine, in the East Village. Now Gerl is back in Seattle, showing off…

Union Between Bar and Kitchen at Downtown's Heartwood Provisions

Union Between Bar and Kitchen at Downtown’s Heartwood Provisions

Metropolitan Grill’s newest sibling restaurant brings cocktail and food pairings to the table

When Consolidated Restaurants Inc. (owners of Metropolitan Grill and Elliott’s Oyster House) announced the opening of a restaurant where every dish on the menu ($11–$32) would be paired with an original, miniature cocktail (an additional $6–$8), I wasn’t sure what to expect. Gimmick or booze fest? This type of cocktail pairing is usually offered by…

New Look: Smith Tower’s Makeover Includes Prohibition Era-Inspired Cocktail Bar

New Look: Smith Tower’s Makeover Includes Prohibition Era-Inspired Cocktail Bar

The recent overhaul of the the historic 1914 Smith Tower includes new cocktail bar.

When the historic 1914 Smith Tower reopens its 35th-floor observation deck this August after a recent overhaul, a new Prohibition era-inspired bar will be unveiled. Will there be flappers, gin fizzes and jazz? The folks at Unico Properties, which bought the building in 2015, were tight-lipped on the details at press time. But with an…

Tearing Down Walls, the Key to Peaceful Political Discourse

Tearing Down Walls, the Key to Peaceful Political Discourse

We should elect politicians who pledge to bring down walls, not build them

This election season seems to have a theme of walls. Donald Trump has proposed building a tall, “beautiful” wall along the United States’ border with Mexico. Some Washingtonians have joked that if Trump becomes president, they’ll build their own wall along the Columbia River. That echoes a long-held idea in the settlement of the West:…

A Disturbing Trend: Evidence in Rape Cases Often Goes Untested

A Disturbing Trend: Evidence in Rape Cases Often Goes Untested

The backlog of untested rape kits goes back years, and it's hindering the justice process

The night she was at a Seattle bar and left her seat to visit the restroom, Leah didn’t expect the man sitting next to her would spike her drink while she was away. Nor did she expect him to rape her later at his apartment. She has only flashes of memory about how she got…

A Summery Spin on a Potent Classic at Brimmer & Heeltap

A Summery Spin on a Potent Classic at Brimmer & Heeltap

The Ballard bistro pours out a 'Corpse Reviver' twist

The Cocktail: Porch Reviver Originally conceived as a hangover cure with a kick, the Corpse Reviver family of drinks—potent cocktails with a mix of liquors—have faded into history. There are only two recipes surviving today: the rare cognac-based Corpse Reviver No. 1 and the more fashionable gin-based Corpse Reviver No. 2, which features Lillet (originally…

Just Say Om: The Health Benefits of Meditation

Just Say Om: The Health Benefits of Meditation

Meditation may help you feel less stressed, but studies show it also helps with pain

On Wednesdays, the mood of the midday crowd at Seattle’s Frye Art Museum on First Hill is contemplative. Many people aren’t there to peruse the most recent art exhibit—currently, of works by Danish Symbolist painter Vilhelm Hammershøi. They won’t see a film, or take in a lecture. Instead, they’ll spend half an hour in a…

Two New Apartment Buildings Anchor Bellevue’s Historic Neighborhood

Two New Apartment Buildings Anchor Bellevue’s Historic Neighborhood

Spotlight on Old Bellevue: The Meyden and Park 88

Bellevue, the hub of the Eastside, has a downtown filled with high-tech corporate headquarters, luxury shopping centers and an ever increasing residential density. But tucked into this city’s growing skyline is a small neighborhood that reminds Bellevue of its small-town suburban beginnings. Old Bellevue—essentially the four blocks along Main Street between Bellevue Way and 100th…

Neiman Marcus' Ken Downing on Style Influences and Must-See Spots

Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing on Style Influences and Must-See Spots

Ken Downing: from Seattle roots to fashion's front row

SCHOOL TIES: Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, admits that, while growing up in Seward Park, Seattle seemed like the last place from which to launch his career. “I felt like I was in the furthest most corner of nowhere,” he says. Now, celebrating 25 years as the face of…

Gary Manuel Salon to Open New Location in Pioneer Square

Gary Manuel Salon to Open New Location in Pioneer Square

Historic Seattle neighborhood gains new styling outpost

After 23 years of taming tresses on the corner of Blanchard and First in Belltown, Gary Manuel Salon opens in August in its new location in Pioneer Square. Taking over the 4,378-square-foot, three-story space that formerly housed the Ibiza Dinner Club, the salon is the latest lifestyle outpost to open in the historic neighborhood, joining…

Road Trip: Kite Festival at Long Beach

Road Trip: Kite Festival at Long Beach

Get ready for a colorful, small-town getaway

WHERE: Long Beach, a small town in the southern coastal corner of Washington, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from downtown Seattle. WHY: The Long Beach–based World Kite Museum’s annual Washington State International Kite Festival (8/15–8/21, kitefestival.com). The seaside skies will be ablaze with colorful kites during this weeklong celebration and competition, which attracts professional kite flyers from…