Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Open-Air Markets
15
Pike Place Market
Stocking Up Seattle
Seattle, Washington
As Seattle's reputation as a foodie mecca
has mushroomed, the Pike Place Market has
accrued enormous gourmet cachet—
these days it's nearly as essential a tourist
stop as the Space Needle. Don't let the
throngs deter you, however; a visit to Pike
Place is still the best way to deconstruct
Seattle's glorious local food culture.
Running along the waterfront at the
western edge of Seattle's downtown, the
Pike Place Market isn't hard to find, not
with that classic red neon “Public Market”
sign on top of the long shedlike main
arcade, which was built in 1908. It's de
rigueur, of course, to check out Pike Place
Fish at the southern end—you'll know it by
its trademark brass pig—where the staff
flings immense salmon through the air to
be picked up by customers. At Beecher's
Handmade Cheese, you can watch an
artisanal cheese maker at work through a
wall of glass windows. You'll also find tra-
ditional butchers like Don & Joe's Meats,
and a range of bakeries from the French
patisserie Le Panier to the homier Three
Girls Bakery. But as it has grown over the
years, the market has evolved into a maze-
like warren of little shops, and they're by
no means all food oriented—you can now
buy antiques, clothing, ceramics, candles,
toys, fine art, leather goods, and lots of
unique crafts here. Even among the food
shops, these days the focus is generally
high-end gourmet stuff: smoked salmon
from the Totem Smokehouse, chocolate-
covered dried cherries at Chukar Cherries,
truffle oils at La Buona Tavola, teas and
spices at Market Spice, and all sorts of
blueberry products from Canter-Berry,
just to name a few.
The north arcade, however, has more
of a farmer's market air, with plenty of
wonderful locally grown fruit and vegeta-
bles—go especially for berries and apples
in season. As you'd expect in the eco-
conscious Northwest, a fair amount of the
produce sold here is organic. And as Pike
Place has become more and more of a
tourist destination, its roster of cafes and
restaurants has expanded, some in the
main market buildings and several others
in the streets surrounding the market.
Check the market's website for various
special events throughout the year, includ-
ing chef demonstrations and tours of the
market led by local chefs.
While you're in town, it would be a
shame to miss another Seattle foodie land-
mark:
Uwajimaya
at 600 5th Ave. South
Fresh halibut cheeks and other fruits of the sea
at Seattle's Pike Place Market.
