Obligatory Seattle Coffee Post

I know it has been a while between posts, I think the Seattle grey got to me, but for a final farewell to an always interesting city, I thought it was only right to discuss something that is basically a synonym for Seattle.... Coffee.

If you ever played a word association game 9/10 Seattle would be with coffee. That may have something to do with the phenomenon Starbucks that originated in the "Emerald City", or I like to think it is because of the 1600+ independent coffee locations in the city. This number even includes the extreme number of coffee roasters located in and around the metropolitan area. There are more than 10 different coffee roasters in Seattle along, these two staggering facts make it extremely difficult to discuss the "best" of the Seattle coffee scene. Instead, I am just going to rant and rave about my favorites ** Disclaimer: these are my personal opinions, and every Seattleite is entitled to them, I know I left many out, there is only so much caffeine one person can handle. 

Hem hem: 

Caffé Umbria

320 Occidental Ave South, Seattle WA

This has to be my favorite spot in all of Seattle, it not only had the best espresso (in my opinion this means the espresso that came the closest to being an Italian) it also had a unique location. Down in the heart of Pioneer Square, this coffee shop ad great outside seating. While there aren’t too many days in Seattle to utilize this seating, I was able to during a nice week in early June, that really did remind me of being back in Italy. It was a picturesque view with cobblestone streets and some quality people watching. If you are looking to get away from it all in the bustling downtown Seattle. This is the place to go. A side note, this brand is still family owned and operated, and believe it or not they came straight off the boat from Italia 3 generations ago. It is a welcoming environment, and you can often find the Italian speaking club there during the soccer games or on Sundays. For me, while not a typical Seattle scene, was just what I was looking for. A home away from home.

      

Botticelli Café

101 Stewart St, Seattle WA      

They brew Café Umbria, so you already know that I love there espresso, the great place about this little hole in the wall, is their staff. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and just over all great people. They made my stay in Seattle just that more enjoyable. Also, I would recommend the macchiato, its just the right amount of milk and espresso. This is the place to grab a coffee on the go, or on your way to work, like I did every day.

Pegasus

131 Parfitt Way SW, Bainbridge Island

While this brand is not as popular as the others, those Seattleites that prefer this brand, are loyal to it. There is a strong cult following behind it, and I can attest to both the drip and the espresso, and tell you it is divine. The coffee shop/roaster itself is located on Bainbridge island, while not in Seattle it is a great place to spend an afternoon or just a couple of hours.

Cafe Allegro 

4214 University Way NE, Seattle WA

This is the original espresso bar in Seattle, and when visiting it is a must go. It is down in the University district, and they do actually roast their own beans, so it does have its own unique flavor. While not my favorite, it is definitely worth it. The space is hard to find, because it is located down an alley, in a non descript store front (extremely Seattle, there are waaay too many clubs and restaurants that enjoy this idea). And there multiple seating areas are always full of students. If the roast tastes familiar,  they owners worked with Starbucks back before it became the iconic brand we all know and love today. 

Caffé Vita

1005 East Pike Street, Seattle WA

This is what I would call the “Seattle coffee brand” Portland has stumptown, Seattle has café vita (and they’re expanding! They just opened up in nyc) Its good, they even have a great roast blending Theo chocolate (a local chocolate company) and their espresso beans which is my favorite. If you had to choose just one to visit while in Seattle, this would be it.

The following shops/roasters in my "other recommendations" section are great too (see this is what I'm talking about, there are just way too many!) 

- Verite Coffee 

- Espresso Vivace

- Café Victrola

- Fonte Café

- Seattle Coffee Works 

And now, my final goodbye from the west coast, its time to continue my adventures back on the east side of this fine country.

-Adventure on!

Amanda 

Salumi

So there are many things from my Italian life that I have tried to find in the states, one of those is a good panini, and mio dio! I found it hidden away, at a not so secret store front, Salumi in the heart of Pioneer Square in Seattle.
A quick background on Salumi, it is founded by Armandino Batali (yup Batali) father to the famous celebrity chef Mario Batali, now when I heard this fact two things came to mind. 1) I love mario! 2) this has to be the authentic scene I've been searching for.  I did my trusty research, and in fact it was even more authentic than I could have hoped for! It runs Italian Hours! (Tues-Fri 11am - 3pm(ish)) when they run out of food, they close. So I had to take the day off of work, and made my adventure down to this Seattle icon.

I got there around 1pm, and it was just a little late, and they were out of almost everything. There was a small line for Salumi, during the summer the rumors are the line gets to around the corner and the wait can be at least an hour. (I told you, a not so secret) I got lucky, it was a mythical sunny day in Seattle, and I only had to wait about 20-30min. The guy in front of me got the last porchetta sandwich (get it if you can!) But they had this amazing red wine salami (their special for July) so I got that panini. I was full, and did not want to stop eating. The panini was loaded with the red wine salami, peppers and onions, and there two special house sauces. This combination just blew me away (and in all honesty, I really want one right now as I write this). As you can imagine everything is made fresh, daily, and on premises. This is the most authentic you can get, with out really going to Italy, and the love and care that this family puts into everything is just incredible. So worth the wait!

Just a heads up, the store front is really quite small, so this is the type of place with maybe 10 tables in the back, but don't count on sitting inside, especially if its raining. But grab your sandwich, take a walk into Pioneer Square, and enjoy the rich history it has to offer about the settling of Seattle, maybe do an underground tour if you dare!

Adventure on!
-Amanda