Pike Place Market in Seattle
I just came back from Seattle and particularly enjoyed visiting the Pike's Place Market.
I LOVED the flying fish market...I tried their smoked salmon and it was so delicious, I wound up buying a can so I could take some home to Chicago (probably won't be as good as the fresh stuff but what the hell). I even tasted smoked salmon at some of the other fish purveyors and none of them were as good as the main tourist attraction Fish Market.
The selection of fruits and veggies was outstanding. I loved the overflowing stands of produce.
The only thing missing I thought was more on the spot lunch-type places. They had a sushi stand and a couple other places, but they left a lot to be desired. I wound up lunching on samples of smoked salmon and fruits instead!
Has anyone been to this famous market? What's your favorite attraction? And if you live in Seattle, do you visit the market regularly?
Hillary
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23 Comments:
It's actually Pike Place Market.
and it's amazing. it's one of my favorite things about living in this city. I get out there whenever I'm cooking for people and want some interesting and super fresh ingredients. and the seafood. . . yeah!
unarata at 5:27PM on 08/13/08
Wow. You must not have really explored the market very well. There are dozens of "on-the-spot" places to eat in the market. Besides the main arcade (The Athenian, Lowes, Place Pigalle, et al), there's Matt's in the Market, Copacobana, Mr. D's Greek, a handful of sandwich and soup cafe's, Pike Place Chowder, Pink Door, Alibi Room, Kells, Turkish Delight, The Can Can, Piroshky Piroshky, Three Sisters, The Crumpet Shop, La Vaca, Le Panier, Cafe Campagne, Virginia Inn, Le Pichet, and many others.
brentscheffler at 5:29PM on 08/13/08
I apologize about the mistake. Serious Eats team, can we edit the title to say "Pike Place Market"?
@ brentscheffler - I didn't doubt that there were lunch spots, I actually did visit Piroshky Piroshky and had a wonderful potato, onion and mushroom piroshky. I considered that a snack though. And trust me, as for the market, I was NOT disappointed!
Chew on That at 5:32PM on 08/13/08
I've never been to PPM but my friend used to live in the Seattle area and she turned me on to Market Spice Tea. I called them and mail ordered a bunch of it years ago.
therealchiffonade at 5:34PM on 08/13/08
I love Piroshsky Piroshsky! Beecher's has good "on-the-spot" lunch options too, like a decadent-looking mac 'n cheese or grilled cheese sandwich.
Maybe Hillary was only in the market's main artery. Some of the lunch places are across the street.
PestoGal at 5:35PM on 08/13/08
I haven't gone back in 13 years, but it was great walking in and around the immediate area. As a tourist, I really enjoyed the "show" as the pinnacle of my stop there. My best friend lives there so we ate at a lot of hole in the wall Thai and Vietnamese places - wish I could remember which ones we went to - since we did that a lot back in college. Might be time for another visit!
Cassaendra at 5:54PM on 08/13/08
I'm gonna be there this weekend. How apropos.
feriorrenna at 6:28PM on 08/13/08
The market is a great place for all kinds of things (i live and work very near) but it's almost too overwhelming to shop there because of all the gawking TOURISTS. (just playin'. please come to my city.:)
sailordave at 6:38PM on 08/13/08
I can remember, as a kid, thinking that a trip to the Pike Place Market was the most exciting thing in the world to do! We usually went when relatives came to visit.
My husband and I went in 2002 - and it was amazing, as always. We found a brewery and had a wonderful lunch and 2 beer flights. I had taken some nice produce from California for my Mom because I thought they were uniquely California. Nope! The Pike Place Market had them, and cheaper too! I'm trying to convince him that we're due for a trip north this September. Maybe I should drag out the pictures I took last time!!!
Fanciesmom at 8:15PM on 08/13/08
I love Seattle, and finally getting to visit was a major treat for me. I had to go to the market, since early in our marriage, my ex came back from a business trip with some souvenirs of the PPM, including one of those huge Criterion apples, the lushest bunch of Basil I'd every seen (pesto addict), two kinds of Starbucks coffee, dungeness crabs, and salmon!
I was in food nirvana!
Of course when I finally got to go there in person, I didn't bring anything back.
Tonecat at 9:23PM on 08/13/08
El Puerco Lloron (The Crying Pig), on the steps rising from the waterfront up to the Market, looks like a total dive, with its metal tables and chairs and odd baskets hanging from the ceiling, but this award-winning hole-in-the-wall serves fantastic, authentic Mexican dishes at amazing prizes ($6-9 a dish). A cold beer and a choice of their many salsas, and you will be smiling, not crying, your way throught the market
jenpippin at 11:18PM on 08/13/08
I lived in Seattle for 8 years and adore Pike Place Market. My favorite thing was the flowers!
Just fyi, I'm Russian and Piroshki Piroshki is very much Americanized, but none-the-less good. The read deal has a thinner dough and simpler fillings.
orchidgirl at 11:36PM on 08/13/08
I'm a seattleite too, and whenever I happen to find myself downtown, I meander my way towards pike place. Its so friendly and bustling (a little TOO much for me to be an everyday excursion!!) but I love the atmosphere and of course, all the wonderful nibbles. I spent my ex-boyfriend's birthday with him on a walk from the huge new-ish funky library to the market and back in the pouring rain last november and it couldn't have been a more perfect afternoon-evening. talk about stereotypical seattle...
:)
I feel oddly and protectively proud of the market after reading all this praise... haha I'm glad everyone loves it so much!!
gretchenx5 at 3:08AM on 08/14/08
I used to work barely one block from PPM. It's still one of my favorite places with fondest memories. I would walk over for lunch and loved listening to the musicians, watching the jugglers, the puppet shows etc. The entertainers had to audition to be seen and heard there and to me it was wonderful to sit and eat and listen to symphony class artists (many were in the Seattle Conservancy of Music.
There is (or was) a real Kosher Deli run by a great guy named Michelle. He made the best garlic eggplant that I would pick up for my Shabbas dinners. I often ordered my challah from him and if I got to busy to get there he would deliver it to my office! I miss Seattle!
Ezzie at 8:02AM on 08/14/08
I just visited Seattle for the first time last month. I love Piroshky Piroshky too! And Beecher's flagship cheese is delicious!! Besides those places, I just bought a pound of cherries each morning and snacked on them all day.
LiveToEat at 10:06AM on 08/14/08
Hilary, too bad ......... we had the food blogger event this week on Tuesday. I wish I would have known you were here.
DInner: Cafe Campagne
Happy Hour: Maximillian
Home style russian food: Cafe Yarmurka
Wine tasting: wine tasting at Bueno Tavola, 3 wines for 5 dollars
Cheesy Snack: World's Best Mac and Cheese at Beecher's
Frantic foodie at 11:01AM on 08/14/08
A trip to Pike Place Market is a must for me every time I am in Seattle. I start at one end and work by way down - and usually back again. My favorite are the jams - Johnson Berry Farm has a tayberry that is delicious; although, I've never tasted one I didn't like. Last time I was there, I discovered an oyster bar. Never been but would love to try it. And no trip is complete without some of the fresh mini donuts. I wish there was something similar here in Chicago.
jacki_onegoodie at 11:15AM on 08/14/08
I think the key is getting across the street for the lunch stuff. The main building (where the flying fish is) has more touristy stuff, the good lunch is across the way. I reccomend Mee Sum Pastry very highly, especially the curry beef humbao. More options: http://mouthfulsfood.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=15057
dagoose at 12:11PM on 08/14/08
Piroshsky Piroshsky is great, and the Mee Sum Chinese pastry place.
tech9803 at 2:56PM on 08/14/08
Well I just got back from PPM. It's a preciously beautiful and warm Seattle day and everyone's comments inspired me to go. I always look forward to going to the market. Once I'm there, I can't wait to get out! It's the glut of amazed and confused tourists. They can make any sort of careful shopping unpleasant.
Ah but there is a solution and it's DiLaurentis! I love this store for its fabulous selection of prosciutti, sausages, cheeses, breads, pastas, wines and lovely little niceties. Today I bought truffle salt, candied violets and Salumi guanciale (yes made by Batali's dad). I was hoping to find Monin rose flavored syrup but to no avail. The guy in line with me said he stood in line at Salumi (in Pioneer Sq) for 25 minutes only to find out that they don't slice. At DiLaurentis, they sell Salumi meats and they slice. In fact service is great and the staff is really helpful! It's also not caught up in tourist madness and has a/c. Ahhh.
Now as for those fish throwers....they are cute and the happy throng of turistas really are hypnotized by their antics...but today I actually saw a guy DROP a salmon that was tossed to him. Sacrilege!
Pointy at 6:53PM on 08/14/08
Another Seattle-ite here - I love the market! I usually go to the neighborhood farmers markets because they're less crowded, but I still make my way to PPM on a regular basis to shop at World Spice (below the market) or visit one of my favorite lunch places.
Inside the market, Market Grill doesn't look like much but has awesome fish sandwiches and chowder. DeLaurenti's also has a great little cafe.
Across the street are tons of options - Beecher's has a lunch counter now, there's the good old Taxi Dog stand, and Le Panier has lots of baguette sandwiches, including (in my opinon) the best roast beef sandwich ever. And sometimes I head down in the middle of the week just to have a doner kebab at Turkish Delight - I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! If you want to sit down for a leisurely lunch, try Steelhead Diner or Cafe Campagne just to name a couple.
As for my favorite market attractions, I'll have to go with Sosio's and all the cheap, beautiful flower bouquets. I also highly recommend the Market ghost tour!
kramer206 at 3:46AM on 08/15/08
I was born in Seattle and miss it! Since I moved away I have spent many vacations taking the ferry over from Bremerton walking up to the market... This is a bit of a walk but worth it... (I may get skewered for it!)
Ivar's Clam Bar is right near the ferry dock. I googled it and it is .4 miles from the market. You can order over the counter and sit under the cover watching (and feeding) the seagulls and the ferries come and go.
http://www.ivars.net/
1001 Alaskan Way on Pier 54
my mouth is watering. :)
katarina_santiago at 1:28PM on 08/15/08
I actually have a place IN the market. My apartment overlooks the north end, where, by the way, you could have gone to Etta's for killer crab cakes. On the run, you could have picked up some of Beecher's mac 'n cheese, my major vice these days. Or picked up one of a wide selection of sausages made just north of the flying fish display. Or walk up the hill to First and Virginia (my corner) and have lunch at Le Pichet, as close to Paris as you can get in Seattle.
Anne Argula at 7:22PM on 08/18/08