Seattle's Best Sustainable Restaurants

Remember when we used to eat Cap'n Crunch and Spicy Hot Cheetos and didn't know that they would eventually kill us? Aww, those were the days. Now we have all this evidence (damn you science) that tells us we should probably be eating more like the Flintstones (sans Moonshine, boo, they take away all the good stuff!) and less like Saved By the Bell. And, lucky for us, we live in this awesome place that really takes this seriously. We have lots of restaurants who put organic/local/sustainable/all other healthy buzzwords inserted here at the top of their list of priorities. Double lucky for us that this food usually tastes better. We picked our favorite spots around the city that serve delicious and sustainable food. 

And just for the sake of clarity we will leave the definition of sustainable and delicious here: 

Sustainable: adjective  sus·tain·able \sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl\ involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

Delicious: adjective  de·li·cious \di-ˈli-shəs\ very pleasant to taste

Photo credit: Local 360 Instagram

Local 360 is a Belltown spot that sources almost all of their ingredients from places within a 360 radius of the city. Recommendation: The fried chicken will make you feel like you can live forever.

Stumbling Goat in Phinney Ridge has an atmosphere that feels like home and ingredients that came from the organic farm around the corner (well not literally, but you get it).  

Homegrown this sandwich shop crafts some legit sammies. Plus they really do make sustainability their #1 priority. Recommendation: Bacon, Egg, and Beechers for breakfast or the BLT for lunch!

Mashiko was the first fully sustainable sushi restaurant in Seattle. Hajime serves up creative, authentic and sustainable sushi in West Seattle and also offers sushi cooking classes! Recommendation: Nami Omakase is a ton of food at a great value.  

Tilth is one of the many restaurants in Seattle you can find a James Beard award winning chef who cooks up mouth watering food. It is beautifully presented and a bit pricey, but you get high end ingredients you don't have to feel any guilt chowing down on. Recommendation: Pan seared scallops

Portage Bay Cafe is not only sustainable, but quite possibly one of the happiest places to eat on earth. Recommendation: 1. Go for brunch. 2. Get the Pancakes or French Toast which will gain you access to the best toppings bar you've ever seen. 3. Go to town. 

Photo Credit Top Left: Mashiko, Top Right: Portage Bay, Bottom Left: Tilth, Bottom Right: Stumbling Goat

Try Before You Buy: 4 Seattle Wine Shops with Tastings

Remember when we were younger and fussy about eating new things? My mom always told me to try something first before deciding if I hated it. As I grew, so did my palate. I stopped rejecting onions and hot sauce simply because I finally gave them a try. Over time these flavors became important, and even desirable for me.

Wine is as varied as food when it comes to what appeals to people. A delicious soave for me will taste astringent to another. So it makes good sense to try many varietals and styles of wine as you learn what appeals to you.

However, wine can be an expensive hobby. We can learn the primary varietal characteristics and hope that a bottle featuring that grape lives up to its promise. While we can’t guarantee every bottle or vintage, we can taste. I believe that wine shops that feature customer tastings are the real heroes of the Novice Wine Drinker. So here are four small bottle shops in Seattle that offer patrons a chance to try a few sips before diving right in to a whole bottle (or case!) purchase.

Wine selections at Bin 41

Bin 41, West Seattle

Located in the West Seattle Junction, Bin 41 is a beautiful, well-stocked wine shop that focuses on client service. The proprietors will walk you through your menu and help find the best-paired wine from their collection. They offer weekly themed tastings on Thursdays for $5, with the fee rolled into whatever bottle purchase you ultimately make. The wine stock is centered on small production, family-operated wineries.

Pro Tip: Love animals? So do the owners, so much so that they routinely donate proceeds from their own wine and special fundraising events to animal rescue organizations.

Tasting room at Portalis

 Portalis, Ballard

Near to my heart, this is my neighborhood wine shop. I often walk down and have been seen lugging a half case the 10 blocks home. Portalis stocks an eclectic mix of wines, beers, and other beverages in the shop’s new home at NW 70th Ave and 15th Ave NW.  Seriously good and rare imports here. Portalis has a beatuful private tasting room replete with referenceable wine region maps. With free tastings Wednesdays through Sundays, you can expect to taste a varietal flight, focus on a certain region, or meet a winemaker. Check the shop’s website often to find out what’s up next.

Pro Tip: Jens of Portalis also owns a wine import company, so if you’re looking for something rare or unusual, he’s a good man to know!

Tasting wines from Tranche Vineyards at Vino Verite

Vino Verité, Columbia City

Recently relocated from Capitol Hill to the bustling main street of Columbia City, Vino Verité is Columbia City’s only dedicated wine shop. Here the owners are laser focused on value for their selections: Wines that are both delicious AND at the right price points. Thursday are tasting nights with complimentary pours of about five wines between 5-8 pm. Frequented by a mixture of walk-ins and regulars, the shop has taken hold in the neighborhood over the past year. I left with what promises to be a glorious bottle of Grüner Veltliner — how could I not?

Pro Tip: Every single wine on the shelves has been tasted and verified as DELICIOUS so you won’t buy any duds here. Good wine AND good value!                

Madrona Wine Merchants, Madrona

Back when I lived on Capitol Hill, Madrona Wine Merchants was a wonderful weekend walking destination. Tucked into a small shop on 34th Ave, they always seemed to have something open to taste. The owners really like to showcase the wines they love with the neighborhood and enjoy sharing “true bargains” with their loyal clientele. I have never been disappointed with their weekend tastings and lament the fact I don’t get over to that side of town as frequently anymore.

Pro Tip: These gents focus on wine producers with deep respect for both their craft and the land, whether that’s sustainable farming, biodynamic practices, or organic wine making. For the conscientious wine collector, Madrona Wine Merchants is a great choice.

 All four shops advertise their tasting schedules on their websites and offer email newsletter updates. If you live in Seattle, I encourage you to give your neighborhood shop a swirl and a sip. From out of town? These are great places to learn more about Seattle’s wine culture. Salud!

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75

Sam's Tavern and the Famous Bloody Mary

Sam's Bloody Mary in all her glory

Bloody Marys. God's gift to brunch and hangovers. Also, it's a drink that tastes good with food...in it. Have we ever mentioned how much we love food?

Ya. We thought so. 

Enter Sam's Tavern.

There is this little spot in Capitol Hill that is a little grimey, but in a good way, and serves up awesome burgers with friendly service. You can find a moose head, Mrs. Pacman, and a Henry mural in their spot and they have Happy Hour $1 cans of Rainier. Could this place be any more Seattle? 

Oh, did we also mention Sam's Tavern is run by the son of the creators of Red Robin? He probably had to learn to grill a perfect burger before he was allowed to learn how to read. 

The chili also gets our vote.

#PNW

The Henry mural is hidden in the back of the bar!

Don't be intimidated...you got this.

The sign of any good dive bar is dolla dolla bills as decorations.

Pretty in Pink: The Continued Rise of Rosé in the Northwest

Picture by Amy L. Dickson: Beckham Estate Vineyards 2014 Oregon rosé made from pinot noir; $12/glass at Heartwood Provisions.

Earlier this week I wandered into Heartwood Provisions in downtown Seattle and was handed a short happy hour menu at the bar. A quick scan left me defeated: “What? No rosé on the glass pour menu?” The bartender laughed and said, “Actually, we have two!”

My kind of place.

The sun has returned full force to the Pacific Northwest and with it, rosé season. If we were in Europe right now, positively everyone would be sipping cool glasses of blushy wine. And while the Northwest may be well known for peppery syrah, hearty cabs, and inky malbecs, we can use those gorgeous grapes to make rosé.

Once maligned and misunderstood, (a colleague of mine went so far as to say he would never understand why people like to mix red and white wine together?!?!?), rosé is going through a renaissance in North America. No longer confused with the sweet, cloying horror that is white zinfandel, rosé is a sophisticated drink. A pleasurable drink. Here are a few solid reasons why it’s easy to drink pink these days:

1. Rosé wines, whether imported from Europe or home grown in the PNW, are fairly affordable. Sometimes very affordable. The French import I’ve been scooping up weekly at Fred Meyer comes in at $8.99 and is lovely on its own or as a base for an orange and pomegranate sangria.

2.    The balanced acidity means that rosé plays nicely with so many foods, especially ones you want to eat on a warm summer day: salami, salmon, olives, grilled vegetables, prosciutto, and melon…the list goes on and is ideal for a picnic.

3.    When you buy a bottle of rosé, you have a fairly good idea of what it will taste like. They range from fruity to savory, but flavors like melon, strawberry, and sometimes a little bit of pepper can all be in there.

4.    There’s no need to keep these pretty bottles in the cellar — they don’t really get better with age, so enjoy immediately.

5.    Rosé can be made in any wine-growing region of the world, so the supply is definitely there, even though most rosé wines still come from France.

Not sure about rosé? Maybe you’d like to try a few first? You’re not alone and that’s why Seattle Uncorked’s 14th Annual Rosé Revival event sells out nearly every year. Held at Ray’s Boathouse on the evening of May 26, 2016, you can take in the sunset as you sample wines from more than 30 northwest and international wineries debuting their summer favorites. 

Find something you like? There’s a wine store on site for you to buy. General admission tickets are only $35 and VIP access is $50. All proceeds from the event support Save Our Wild Salmon.

I’ve attended in years past and have always come away with new or interesting bottles. I’d say they are down in my cellar, but I’d be lying — it’s time for me to go stock up for summer as well.

See you there and Salud!

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75.