July 2010

Scoop: Bluegrass Festivals

Seattle may not be known for its bustling bluegrass scene (yet!), but fans can attest that the North

Seattle may not be known for its bustling bluegrass scene (yet!), but fans can attest that the Northwest string scene is thriving—with a staggering number of locally grown bluegrass bands and festivals throughout the summer. This month, the 70-year-old musical genre is in full bloom, with a bounty of area festivals showcasing recent subgenres like…

Meet The Producer: Alvarez Farm

Since 1992, Alvarez Farm has provided a little of Seattle's summertime heat

Hilario “Larry” Alvarez is a jolly rancher who grows 155 kinds of peppers on his  farm in Mabton, Washington. He has grown all his peppers organically since he started Alvarez Farm in 1992, and credits organic farming with making his business successful. About 25 of Alvarez’s peppers (which sell for $1.99 to $10 per pound,…

Scoop: W.C. Afield

If nature calls while you're in the Wedgewood neighborhood, make use of Seattle's first public compo

W.C. AfieldGardeners at Wedgwood’s Picardo Farm P-Patch have new cause for relief—a composting toilet. Similar to toilets installed on U.S. Forest Service land, the Clivus Multrum M54 Trailhead single-station model arrived on the scene in April, acquired and installed with the help of a $15,000 City Neighborhood Matching Fund award. Dubbed “the Picaloo” by the…

Road Trip: Steveston

Wild salmon awaits you in Steveston, B.C.

WHERE: Steveston, a picturesque fishing village in Richmond, B.C., south of Vancouver. WHY: The 65th annual Salmon Festival takes place July 1 (aka Canada Day). DON’T MISS: The parade of floats, marching bands and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, plus carnival rides, belt-sander drag races and the massive salmon bake (1,200 pounds of wild salmon…

The Must List: July

Our Top To-Do's For July

See the Rockets’ Red GlareFourth of July FireworksThanks to the initiative—and donations—of Tom Douglas, Dave Ross and countless local citizens, Seattle’s last remaining in-city fireworks show was rescued in April after nearly fizzling out from a lack of corporate sponsorship. Time to enjoy the star-spangled fruits of our labors! We recommend walking or biking to…

Scoop: Coops De Ville

Seattle Tilth's city chicken-coop tour showcases a flock of fowl dwellings

You’ve probably spied members of Seattle’s burgeoning urban chicken population clucking, pecking, preening and strutting their stuff—and you’ve probably wondered: Where do they live? How do they live? As a sort of MTV Cribs for the fine-feathered set, the garden gurus at Seattle Tilth present the third annual city chicken-coop tour, showcasing the lifestyles of…

Feature: Mike Mcginn’s Eco Trip

Seattleites thought they had an environmentally progressive mayor in national magazine poster boy Gr

Mike Mcginn’s EcoTripMike McGinn has a habit of pausing before he speaks. Whether he’s responding to a question or about to address a large group, he will take a moment that is a bit too long, squint his blue eyes slightly and stare. It can seem as if McGinn is an alien intelligence, wondering whether to…

Editor’s Note: The Outsiders

If you aspire to be “an outsider” but fall in the clueless category like me, this is the issue for y

The Outsiders We all have that friend—the one we admire for his or her ability to do something for which we are completely missing a gene. It may be the friend who effortlessly throws lavish dinner parties. Or the one who remembers every special occasion and every birthday. For me, it’s my friends who are…

Bar Hop: Downtown’s Diller Room

There’s more than delicious coffee percolating Downtown since Rob Wilson added The Diller Room to th

The Diller Room There’s more than delicious coffee percolating Downtown since Rob Wilson added The Diller Room to the back of Stella Caffe in April (1224 First Ave.; 206.624.1229; dillerroom.com). During Prohibition, the space was a speakeasy accessed from the once luxurious—and later unsavory—Diller Hotel. THE VIBETourists, executives, first-daters and pre-funkers frequent the inviting “come…

Restaurant Review: Seattle’s Best Teriyaki

So, The New York Times thinks teriyaki spots constitute quintessential Seattle dining? Fine. Here

“I never eat teriyaki.” This is the food equivalent of the common Seattle “I don’t own a TV” mating call. Well, I would never miss Gossip Girl, and I eat teriyaki. Unironically. (OK, I’m not sure how you eat lunch ironically, but I know people who could pull it off.) When John T. Edge called…

Food We Love: Queen of Banana

Royal Flush

There is no food I crave more than the vibrant fare at Noodle Boat Thai Cuisine (Issaquah, 700 NW Gilman Blvd.; 425.391.8096; noodleboat.com). This humble restaurant is run by a family whose devotion to quality includes a six-week working vacation in Thailand each year to produce the authentic, hellishly hot chile paste that finds its…

Best Camping Spots: Going Rogue

Best Camping Spots: Going Rogue

Car camping on out-of-the-way Forest Service Roads

For many of us, spending the night in a crowded car campground, even in a beautiful locale, feels like camping in a mall parking lot. Likewise, unless you’re an Ironman, backpacking miles and miles in for a little woodland solitude is out of the question.  The solution? Get out your gazetteer and find your own…