Seattle and the cafe

(You don't entirely know what this is, but you know you want it...photo found here.)

Since moving back to California, all of my friends and family have asked me at some point "Where can you find the best cup of coffee in Seattle?"

There is some merit to the idea that Seattle is a coffee-lovers Mecca.  I've read from various sites (including here and here) that Seattle has more coffee stores per 100,000 citizens than any other place in the US.  And even counting out all of the Starschmucks and Seattle's Beast you'll find about the city (primarily down town), you'll find hundereds of thriving cafes throughout the city, including 2 of my personal favorite that I'll be focusing on today; Cherry Street Coffee House, which has three downtown locations, and Macrina Bakery and Cafe, which I think has three locations in Seattle (though I'm not sure where).

MACRINA

Lets start with the second one first, because my admiration and love for Macrina is based off of one weird point, that being their training.  Photo retrieved from here.

I love consistancy in my coffee, and hate getting the same drink 5 different ways from the same cafe.  This is the first sign of a new barista or shitty training.  I want to be able to anticipate how much cream, what flavor of creamer, what flavor or syrup, and what roast of espresso bean I'll be getting.

After that rant, here is why I love Macrina's: When you work are Macrina's, they do not let you touch the coffee machine, no matter how thoroughly trained you are and how much experience you may have...until you've worked for them for at least 2 years.  Then they slowly begin to train you.  And they over-haul you're whole understanding of barista work.  They are so committed to consistancy and excellence that they want to know your dedication to the workplace and the art before you even start making coffee.  (Disclaimer; I only know this from an article I'm having a hard time locating, so there is a distinct possibility I have the wrong place).

Even if they didn't train like this, the coffee is always excellent; they use the best of the best, provide the most Seattle-proper service (pleasant but not in the way), and the food they serve is guarenteed to be excellent. 

One word of warning; they have odd seating arrangements.  One time I went, I had just had a couple of blood tests and hadn't eaten yet, so I was light headed.  I walked in, ordered a coffee, and then proceeded to one of the seats in the cafe.  A couple of baristas looked at me, then at each other confusedly, and finally one of them came over politly and asked if she could help me, and I said, "no thanks, I've already ordered." 

"Well, I would be happy to seat you at the counter; seats are reserved for sit-down service."

ooops...I appologized and walked to the counter with my head held low.

Cherry Street Coffee House

Now, the favorite of mine; Cheery Steet Coffee House.  Photo from here.

First off, each one is a staple of the local community; they feature local artists work.  And each one has a bit of a different theme, my personal favorite being the Art Nouveau theme in the one on Third and James.  The photo above is of the 1st Ave and Seneca location, right next to the off ramp (I used to take from West Seattle). 

Second off, the coffee is great; you can count on quality and consistency every time. 

Third, the service is great; not nearly as snoody (you read me) as most cafes.

But fourth, and most importantly, the main reason I love CSCH...is the Salmon Garvalox...photo from here.

I cannot begin to tell you how perfect this lox is.  I am a pescatarian, partaking occasionally in sea-food/fish item when feeling a little weak, but there is nothing in the world I crave as much as the salmon Lox at CSCH.  It would be my last meal, just a pound of the gravalox.  It's made in-house, the employees are knowledgeable about good quality and sustainable salmon, and you will want to pay the extra $4 for a double serving of lox...it's completely worth it.

I know someone is going to read this and say "you love CSCH because of Salmon Lox?"  No, I love CSCH for it's coffee, service, AND salmon Lox.

And now I'm hungry...

Caffe Vita

I didn't mention this before, but for those of you in town who simply want a damn good cup of coffee with great ambiance and who happen to be on capitol hill, check out Cafe Vita.  That was my favorite place other than CSCH (closer too, I passed by it on a daily basis), becasue the staff were knowledgeable about the food and coffee, their selection was excellent, and I have many good memories of studying and working at CV on the second floor in the corner by the window.  Just an excellent atmosphere.

If you do go, set aside $16 for the OJI cup of coffee (photo below, retrieved from here)

I contacted Caffe Vita to retrieve a little more information on this method, and Ms. K wrote back for me,

"It is simply a cold water drip method, 43 drips per minute. It is filtered, so coupled with the cold brew process, the coffee comes out very sweet and smooth.It is not an "espresso" style … we just serve small portions ofit because it takes so long to brew. You could probably get a more concentratedproduct by increasing the amount of ground coffee you use, but we serve it fullstrength here. "

I'm going to take this time to start listing rules for when in Seattle.  Below are some of the rules for coffee drinking.




Rule #1: When in Seattle, don't drink coffee from the corner market or from a starschmucks or Seattle's Beast.  Get it from the ma-and-pop cafe.  Try them all.

Rule #2: Don't forget your reusable coffee mug.

Rule #3: pay attention to the coffee brewing machine; do the baristas do all of the work?  Do they push a couple of buttons and stop at that?  When you see someone with fully-manual machines, tip better!

Blackberries from HELL!

The Himalayan blackberry is an ecologists/ botonists/ biologists/ forest managers nightmare come true...

This image came from "Blog from the Bog," from their article on the awfulness that is the Himalayan Blackberry.













Rubus armeniacus is native to Armenia, usually in higher alititudes, but it does well in other areas of the country.  It was brought to the US in the late 1800's but became difficult to contain and was soon spread about through bird droppings and other forms of animal dispertion.  It eventually made it's way to the Pacific North West where it is a particular concern; like a lot of critically invasive species (that isn't a technical term, but best describes the type of invasive species this is), it's so well suited for its new environment that it actually pushes out/ out-crowds many native species. 

It's roots and branches also send out "runners."  This means that essentially the roots will spread out from the main section of the plant and sprout up other "clones" of the plant, or where ever the branches  themselves are weighted down and touch the ground, they send out roots and sprout up another "clone" of the plant.  For the record, I used the word "clone" in quotation marks because I'm not sure if this is the technical term for this new section of the plant. 

Finally, it's a fast growing shrub.  I remember working for 4 hours with about 20 other volunteers at Seward park back in 2010 to cut back about 1/8th of an acre of blackberry bushes, and not only were we not completely successful (we only cut about 70% of the bushes back, most of the roots we couldn't even get to), but when we came back a month later we found that they had grown back completely and sent out newer, stronger runners.

Speak to anywho who has tried to eradicate a Himalayan blackberry from their property and you'll get the something along this response: "There's no point.  As soon as I pull them out, they're back in a matter of weeks.  Or if I manage to dig out the root system, which is way too deep and thick most of the time, they'll just pop up somewhere else from bird droppings or other runners." 

So what's a gardener to do?

Rent a Goat.




















You read me....rent a goat.  Photo retrieved from here.

You know the old myth that a goat will eat anything?  "A goat could eat itself...if it had to..."  It's true.  A Seattle PI article titled, "Rent-a-goats gain foothold," gives a pretty good example of the amazing eating power of goats...

"Last month, Iwanczuk was faced with a steep quarter-acre lot on Dearborn Street covered with impenetrable brush. He figured it would take a crew at least a week to clear the lot, filling eight to10 trucks with waste.

When a real estate broker suggested goats, Iwanczuk agreed to give it a try. His colleagues laughed -- at first.

Four days and 60 goats later, the blackberry vines and Scotch broom were gone, and Iwanczuk had risen to neighborhood hero status. Elementary school groups came to watch and pet the goats as they dozed on the sidewalk. Moms brought freshly baked cookies. Local gardeners lusting for free fertilizer scooped the lot clean of droppings."

We're talking a chemical-free, low-labor way to fix an invasive problem.  And if this is a small-scale farm or urban farm operation, we're talking an easy way to feed your future supper entree (named Billy).

That being said...the only concern are the seeds still in the goat droppings...


Sources:
-Personal experience
-Wikipedia page on Himalayan Blackberry
-USDA Plant Profile on Rubus ameniacus

A little exposure for the most beautiful campus in the US: UW Seattle!

The University of Washington, Seattle was founded in 1861 and is the older Univiersity on the West Coast (and also the most beautiful!). The University has 3 campuses, but the only one I'm focusing on today is the University District Campus in Seattle proper, and teaches about 42,000 students (this might be a cumulitive number, but if you see the campus itself, you'll see what I mean...check out this awesome Map).   It's an old school with a rich history, too rich and diverse for my to begin here. Suffice it to say, I'll only be focusing on my favorite sections :-D












I retrieved this photo from this website.  This looks like something you might see in Lourdes, France, or on Bohemia-Deutchland area.  This is actually a section of University of Washington Campus. 

To the left if the most beautiful Library I've seen in years, the Suzzallo Library.  According to Wikipedia's page on the Suzzallo Library, construction began in 1926 and finished in 1963, and was named after Henry Suzzallo, the President of the university, after his death in 1933. 

To the right, I believe, is Gerberding Hall, and information on this structure (available on the internet) is minimal.

Both of these buildings are connected to a section of the school called Red Square, which is a section connecting two of the University's main campus sections, the Liberal arts section to the North, and the Science and Engineering buildings.

Above is a photo of Pierce Lane, framed around the edges with Cherry trees in full blossom.  This lane passes by most of the Liberal Arts buildings, and a few of the Law School buildings, including the four main buildings of...

Smith Hall (retrieved from here)...

...Savery Hall (retrieved from here)....

...Riatt Hall (retieved from here)...

And Miller Hall...which I can't find a photo of, but if you look at the above photos, you should see a similar theme and have an ideaof what we're talking about.









The big highlight for me though, if I can't just walk through the campus for a few hours, is the Green House.  This beauty is over 80 years old (and looks it), but holds an amazing array of flora and fauna.  Among my personal favorites are the bog section, which includes a large selection of epiphytes, or plants that grown on other plants, such as several species of the all-popular Orchid.

(Photo retrieved from HERE)

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is equally facinating, and worth a visit. The Architecture isn't quite to the same design standard as the majority of the buildings on campus, but the contents are well worth it.

(Photo retrieved from HERE)

One of the final attractions most worth noting is the Drumheller Fountain.  "Drumheller Fountain was originally the centerpiece of the Olmstead Brothers' landscape plan for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909. It was called Geyser Basin at the time and it had a long cascade of water that flowed down the hill into it.   The Basin became known as Frosh Pond in the early 1900's after the numerous freshman students who were thrown into it. To this day the name has stuck."  (From here) 

(Photo retrieved from HERE)










This second photo of Drumheller fountain is just a little bit of a comparison.  The mountain in the background is Mt. Rainier.  This photo dates from around 1909, and can be found HERE.

Finally, if you see my checklist post, the last suggestion is the $50 trip; stick $50 in your pocket and just see where you end up. UW Seattle Campus is the best place to do this in.  Just be sure on this trip to pack your camera.

Seattle, Vitamin D, and MS; and why you should care

I know it's an old stereotype: That Seattle, or Washington in general is one of the dreariest, sunless places in the US.  And to some extent, that's true (except during the Summer).

<----This is a photo I took of a lake about 1 hour North from Seattle during the summer; not a cloud in the sky, but plenty on the ground.

While many people know the association between depression and sunlight, not many people are aware that the Pacific North West, including Oregon, have some of the highest rates of Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, and that this might be linked to the lack of sunlight.

Lets start simply: what is MS? As defined by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
"Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease." 

How high are our rates?  "Studies show that these RDA levels are insufficient and suggest that 90% of people in the northern hemisphere are Vitamin D deficient." (Retrieved from HERE).

The North West Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has spent plenty of money on adds around and in Seattle touting the North West as having some of the highest rates of MS in the world...

According to a Seattle Times February 2008 article titled "Does Our Lack Of Sun Put Your Health In Danger," blood samples from 7 million military personnel (and I'm impressed they had this many samples to draw from) showed that, "...people with the highest levels of vitamin D were 62 percent less likely to develop MS than those with the lowest concentrations" 

What's more, it seems that the current daily-intake suggested for Vit. D at 600 IU (International Units) might be too low, and according to the Vitamin D Council, daily intake currently is suggested at 5000 IU a DAY!  We're currently only suggesting 1/8th of the actual daily recommended level.

So why should you care?  Vitamin D isn't just linked to depression and MS, but also Osteoporosis (Vit D helps the body absorb calcium), Ricketts, Pain, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Increased rate of all-cause mortality, Autoimmune diseases, and Decreased strength (got all of this from HERE)

Luckily, Vitamin D is cheap and easy to come by if you can find it: "Exposure for 20-30 minutes to direct sunlight to areas of the body WITHOUT sunscreen (SPF>8) will produce about 10,000IU’s" (found here), and certain foods such as Salmon and Portabello Mushrooms are high in Vitamin D (and now I have the munchies).

There you have it; why you should care, how it can effect you, a couple of cool stats, and the basis for an awesome supper entree.

Urban Farming and Seattle

The Danny Woo Gardens in the International District of Seattle, one of the larger P-Patches I saw while in Seattle.  Urban farming is a hot topic in Seattle with many different people from many walks of life.

In 2010, the City of Seattle dubbed it "The Year of Urban Agriculture."  "One in eight people nationally are using food banks," stated Council President Richard Conlin, and this number was echoed by a Member of the Urban Agriculture group Alley Cat Acres in a presentation to my science class; about 20% of the people living on Capitol Hill in Seattle, prime real estate and one of the most expensive places to live in Seattle, were not food secure; meaning they either needed and did not have access for food stamps, or were not always financially assured of their access to food.  Many reported skipping meals because of lack of funds, having to put rent before food.  The Year of Urban Agriculture and Alleycat Acres are both direct responses to that food insecurity in Seattle. 

There are tones of reasons to be interested in Urban Agriculture; gardening is fun; self-sustenance is a good thing; if done correctly it can save you money; it's a great use of unused space; it slightly more ecologically friendly than having your strawberries shipped all the way from Chile; and the experience is always a good one, especially when you get to experiment with different plant guilds (combinations of plants that benefit each other), planting styles (try making your own self-watering pot, instructions from another urban-gardening enthusiast, Mike Lieberman), and plants!

What makes Seattle so unique is how hands-on the government is in trying to encourage urban farming as a means of self sufficiency.  For example, section "f" of Resolution of 31019, passed for the 2010 year of urban agriculture schpiel, states, "Integrate food system policies and planning into City land use, transportation and urban activities."  In other words the city is going to take UA into consideration when designing future sections of the city or when rehabilitating sections of it. 

In section 2.a., it also states, "Promoting and improving direct connections between farmers in the region and State with urban consumers, such as community supported agriculture, agro-food tourism, connections to major institutions including hospitals,  schools, and jails, and connections that foster niche markets for local specialties...", outlining some of the ways in which the city is going to encourage food awareness.

What is unfortunate is that, to a large portion of Seattlites (who don't have a strong ecological pull in any direction), urban farming still isn't something of concern or interest, no matter how much or little it benefits them directly.  This is probably the one section the government should attempt to work on; working up enthusiasm for this movement.

The Seattle Check List

No Matter where you go, you're going to need to fit in a little.  When you visit some one's house, you follow their rules, right?  It's no different for a city or a country.  And with Seattle, you're in luck; even the natives don't know the rules, but they are there.

Lets get some key points of the Seattle people's experience out of the way:
-You should avoid being social AT ALL COSTS. 

-Whenever possible, try to make snide remarks.  For example, if someone next to you trips, laugh at them and say "smooth".

-If the person next to you does trip, not only should you say "smooth", you should not help them up

-However, if someone is being mugged by the police or anyone else, DO Step in; Seattle heroes are big in Seattle.

-Buses are the best method of getting about Seattle.  Just get a month pass, unless you do all of your traveling down town in the free ride zone.  Buses are also a freak-show on wheels; every person who rides the bus on a regular basis knows what I mean, but in Seattle, everything is fair game.  Make sure the seat you sit down in is dry before you do...trust me...

-Don't invest in a rent-a-car, it's a joke.  Seattle's streets make no sense because they were designed by a man who was perpetually drunk.  He was eventually shot by his wife and she was awarded the key to the city.  For more information, check out the Seattle Underground Tour.

-Finally, the more eco-friendly you can be, in general, the better; bring extra bags to carry shopping   items in.  Bring a reusable coffee mug of bottle.  Bring your own dish ware and such for added brownie points.

-Do as much of your shopping as possible from ma-and-pop shops; Wal-Mart and Target are looked down upon as big corporations trying to destroy the little man (and they are), so unless you want to get mugged by the SPD while tourists look on, you'll shop at ma-and-pops.

Now that we have the basics of the Seattle attitude down, the check list:
-No umbrellas: only tourists use umbrellas in Seattle

-Expensive rain coat: North Face rain coats and expensive designer rain coats get extra brownie points

-Own mug/bottle/bag/dish ware: helps with the whole eco-friendly view point.

-month-long bus pass: ONLY if most of your trips will be outside of the down town free ride zone, which is recommended.  about $80, give it to a homeless person afterwards as good karma.

-Sweaters: Not that Seattlites don't like to look good (and a hell of a lot of them look GREAT!), but most of the time it's too cold to not go outside without the staple bulky shape-concealing sweater.

-Good walking shoes with excellent traction: this is just common sense

-messenger bag: Brownie points if it's from Timbuk2.

Now, to the good stuff: Where to go, eat, and buy stuff, Seattlite Style:
Waterfall Garden: Go to Salumis before hand and eat your delicious dead pig here

Elliot Bay Book Store: Check out the Oddfellows Cafe next door

University of Washington: just check out the campus.  For a whole lot of fun, check out the green house, over 80 years old (if I remember correctly).

Seattle Central Public Library: try to navigate the maze that is the elevator and stair system to reach the 6th floor for a breath taking, 1-block view of downtown Seattle.

Alaska Junction: Check out the Huskey Deli!!  Keep an eye out for Eddie Vedder.

Cafe Vita; as far as I'm concerned, BEST Coffee in Seattle. 

Madison Markey Coop: If you've having a hard time finding ANYTHING, this is the place to go  for guilt free purchases of awesome food and products/produce!

Danny Woo Gardens: At the top of 6th and Washington, it's a local P-Patch in the heart of international district.  One warning, and I wish I was kidding; this is where all the homeless people go to have sexual favors acted out, so if you're bringing kids, walk ahead of them in the middle of the day in open spaces.

Uwajimayas: not all of the food is sustainable (avoid the salmon and shrimp and octopus), but it's a feast for the eyes and the tummy.

If you plan on making a pilgrimage to every tattoo parlor in Seattle (Good Choice!), check out Madam Lazonga's, a staple in the tattoo scene for 23 or so years; Tiger Tiger Tattoo with my personal Favorite Chula (will show you my Bat Ribcage tattoo at some point); Apocolypse Tattoo featuring the every-talented and amazing J@ck and Ben Moss; Laughing Buddah for those of you who are, like myself, more into piercings; and Deep Roots, another piercing hot-spot.  The list should be much larger, these are just some of the staples of the tattoo scene.

Anapurna: Indian, Himilaya, and Tibetan food.  Amazing.  Go for the lunch special if possible.  Vegan friendly.

Travelers Tea Shop: Lots of wonderful teas.  less visited then Tenzing Momos in Pike Place.

Collins Bar: not the best in Seattle, but they make a great vegetarian ruben...you read me...

$50 travel: just put $50 in your pocket and start walking somewhere in Seattle :-D


What NOT to do:
-Don't buy anything with "Sleepless in Seattle" written on it
-Don't Eat at the restaurant at the top of the space needle; it's terrible!
-Don't brag about going on the underground tour; its essentially a long history of Seattle's toilet troubles.
-Do not make jokes about Seattle's rain, we saw them coming a mile away

And above all, DO NOT RIDE THE DUCKS!!!!  You will never be welcome in this town again...

I hope this list is of some help to someone.

Introduction

Above is a view towards Down Town from Yesler, between 6th Ave and Broadway.  The Trees in the foreground are part of the landscape for Harbor View Medical Center, and the area in which I was standing when I took this photo is a place called Yesler Terrance.

This isn't a particularly interesting and pretty photo, so why post it?  This is a section of Seattle most people don't think of. 

When people think of Seattle, there are a series of almost-stereotypes that come to mind: coffee, cafes, grunge music, the Space Needle, rain, Pike Place Market, the Moore Theatre (sometimes), and suicide. 

People don't think of the urban-farm movement, the two down-town incinerators, the beauty of Ballard or Bell Town, the UW Campus (about 100 years old or so, in some sections),  water fall park, the wonderful and blooming body modification scene, the well established tattoo movement, Alaska Junction in West Seattle, the vast pollution of the sound, Gay-Rights activism on Capitol Hill, or the sad state of Seattle Central Community College.

I could list so much more, but I'm sure you stopped reading at Waterfall Park.

I move back to California to live with my parents after having lived in Seattle for three years with my (now) ex-boyfriend of 8 years.  I'm working on my BA, eventual MA, in comparative religious studies with a double major in Islamic and Jewish studies at a CSU.  While I was living in Seattle, I figured I couldn't afford to work 6 days a week (I did for 2 years) and go to school 5 days a week at a university on the salary I was making, so my parents invited me back for the billionth time and I finally said yes. 

I don't regret the decission, but I wish I'd said no.  There isn't a day I don't think of Seattle and the wonderful friends (coworkers, how sad is that?) I left behind.

But I learned a hell of a lot of lessons in Seattle.  My main goal, if you don't learn something from me, is to instill in you some hope to see Seattle for yourself someday.  You won't regret it. 

Unless you're mugged...

Above is a view from the Danny Woo Gardens that I lived next to.  This view is towards the Amazon Head Quarters (red-squareish building in the top left area), and featuring the only nice apartments in Seattle's International District, better known as Seattle's China Town (or as Seattlites call it, international district...they're very PC that way...).  The Gardens were a series of terraces leading from 6th-ave elevation to James St 1st-ave elevation.