Seattle Gems: Pike Place Fish Market

The crew of Pike Place Fish

We had a blast taking over the Pike Place Fish social media a few weeks ago. We got to spend a lot of time with the guys in preparation, and we learned a thing or two about what makes the shop tick, which skills are needed to be successful, and the stories behind two of the oldest employees. In case you missed it on Instagram and Facebook, here is a recap!

When does the day start?

Ryan sets up the crab display

A day in the life of a fishmonger officially starts at 6:30AM (not counting the early alarm followed by a drive into work and a strong coffee)! The first couple hours at the market are quiet as the guys shovel ice and arrange the product in the lovely layouts you see when you shop! All of the fish is set-up and taken down each day. The guys make it a goal to be entirely set up by 8am.

Why do they throw fish?

Fish throwing skillz!

When you hear the name Pike Place Fish, odds are you also picture a fish soaring through the air. These guys have been chucking fish behind the counter for over 30+ years and many think it’s just to draw a crowd, but it started back in the 80s as a more efficient way to sell product. The faster you get it to the guy behind the counter, the faster the guy in the front can move onto the next customer!

Insider fact: the fish you see flying over and over is actually not for sale. It’s a “stunt” salmon and is donated to the zoo to feed the bears.

Which employees have the best stories?

Meet Sam "The Boss" Samson

Sam is kind of a big deal. He is the oldest employee at Pike Place Fish with 31 years of experience under his belt. He is now the “big boss” though he had to work his way up from the bottom. When he first arrived in Seattle looking for work he asked about a job and the then boss, Derek, threw him a fish, asked him to fillet it on the spot and then, seeing he had the right chops, gave him a job. Sam’s favorite fish to cook at home is the Mackerel, which he keeps simple by salting and broiling.

Meet Jaison Scott

People joke Jaison was born in the market because his mom worked and raised him at Pike Place. He slept in a banana box under the ice as a baby and they put him to work making boxes when he was just 8 years old (this was before strict child labor laws), but he claims he was just goofing around. He has been doing “real work” at the fish market for 25 years now and loves his job. His favorite fish to cook at home is salmon. He adds a little bit of the shop’s essential seasoning and a little bit of NW seasoning and bakes it for 20 minutes.

What skills do you need to work there?

First and foremost you have to have a sparkling personality. These guys spend a lot of time together and are more like brothers than friends so positivity, love of the job, and a good sense of humor are essential to the job. As for technical skills, all eighteen guys know how to crack a crab, perfectly fillet a fish, and build out a beautiful display of salmon.

Insider fact: the worst fish to fillet is a Rough Eye, which apparently has thorns all over its head!

Is the fish they sell sustainable?

Yes! They made the switch in January 2011 after deciding as a group they needed to think long term and take a stand to protect the environment and species that gives them so much: a place to work and a nutritious food source.

How do you cook an octopus?

CJ and his octopus

We’ve always been intimidated by the octopus at the market, but apparently it isn’t too hard to cook into a delicious meal! Ryan Rector recommends “low and slow” when preparing octopus. Braise for 2 hours, chuck it on the grill to get some char on the tentacles, and then chop it up and throw it on top of some greens with cherry tomatoes and fennel sausage. YUM.

When does the shop close?

End of the night huddle

6:30pm means quittin' time for the boys. The guys huddle up at the end of every 12 hour shift to discuss how the day went and end with an all hands in chant of “heeeeeeeeeey-ya.” Which sounds way better in person than trying to imagine it here, but you get the point, these guys are a close knit group and support each other. 

If you are ever at Pike Place Market for a visit, be sure to look for the fish guys under the main clock! They are worth the visit, and you can pick up dinner as well! 

Best Kept Secrets of Pike Place Market: Part Two

Honestly, it seems like Pike Place Market is a giant onion and we could explore our whole lives and never peel back all the layers! This 9-acre playground is full of secrets. We covered some of our favorite ones in Pike Place Market's lower levels a couple months ago. We had such a good response from that post we decided to share some more fun secrets of the market here!  

Lantern men

Hanging upside down, sideways, and walking out of a door to nowhere these guys are easy to miss, but fun to find. First, make your way to the back side of the market (Western Avenue). When you get to the small courtyard by Choukette Eclairs take the stairs up into the belly of the market and try to find all the men holding lanterns.

Hint: There are six! 

Morning roll call

Roll call at the market. Photo source

Morning roll call is a tradition and a way of life at Pike Place Market. Every morning at 9:00 AM the daystall vendors and the Market Master gather at the north end of the North Arcade to have roll call. This determines which vendor will get what booth in the market. It is based on seniority, so how long you have been selling at Pike Place Market gets you higher on the list to pick your spot. Anyone can watch this and if you are interested in seeing how the market comes to life every morning this is a good place to start. After roll call is complete the vendors all disperse to set up their stalls and start selling. 

Urban Garden

In the middle of all the hustle and bustle and throwing of fish, there is a peaceful garden with views of Puget Sound and seating to relax from the crowds. Make sure to explore the different art and produce that is scattered around the rooftop garden and don't forget to write your name and where you are visiting from on one of the chalkboard surfaces! This garden is cared for by the Pike Place Market Senior Center and all the produce is donated to the Pike Place Market Food Bank to help feed people in need. The garden boasts 18 types of vegetables and enough harvest to feed hundreds of people per year. 

Window seating in Main Arcade

There are many places to grab food to-go in Pike Place Market, but if you don't have an office or home to take it back to, seating can feel limited. Luckily there is a bar-type seating area at the end of the hallway to the right of Pike Place Fish (if you are facing it) in the Main Arcade. This little area is a spot you can usually find a seat to eat. Best part? It comes with a view!

Insider Tip: Read some of the writings scrawled across the window sills. You might find some inspiration for the day! 

Hidden artwork

Artsy benches are all over Pike Place Market

Eat lunch with a giant Sasquatch

Self-watering storm drain

There is fun artwork scattered all over the market. We have several favorites.

• Sasquatch - Located in the Atrium on the first floor, this carved sasquatch is a perfect photo opp! He looks so sad to be out in the open, seen by all! 
• Two faced bench - This green bench located in the lower levels courtyard is a fun and functional piece of art! Take a seat and enjoy the buskers that gather nearby.
• Self-watering planter - This storm drain turned planter is such a quirky little addition to the side of the apartments that sit at Virginia St. and Post Alley.
• Giant squid - There is a 200 pound metal sculpture of a giant squid hanging from the ceiling in the Market Atrium. We don't need to explain why we love this one, everyone does! 

Bird sanctuary

Another great place to eat is a small alcove beneath Post Alley and behind the Soames Dunn Building (take the hallway two doors north of the original Starbucks all the way back). It boasts a bird sanctuary, but to be honest we aren't sure how many birds reside here besides the little owl someone has hung for decoration and maybe to keep pests away. Regardless, it's a nice hidden spot to enjoy some food or take a break away from the crowds. 

Insider tip: Country Dough makes delicious Szechuan flatbreads and is right by this sanctuary.

Original hitching post

Outside of Rachel's Ginger Beer you can find an old, wooden post. Most people walk right by it and never notice it, including us for many years. Once you know the significance though it is definitely worth a walk by to admire it as a piece of Pike Place history. This old, wooden post is one of many posts where farmers and customers used to hitch their horses when they came to the market, hence the name of the alley it is located in: Post Alley.

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What are you favorite secret spots in the market? 

Seattle Gems: Pinball Museum

Why else do people live in a city other than to have access to things like cat cafes, insane desserts, and entire museums devoted to pinball? 

The Seattle Pinball Museum is located in the International District and shares the block with Eastern Cafe (make sure to stop in either before or after, it's a great coffee shop) and Honey Court Seafood. It is hard not to miss in a neighborhood full of Chinese and Japanese influence. The bright blue neon pinball will beckon you in from afar. 

It's $15 for a single entry pass ($20 if you want to be able to leave and come back). Pay at the door and then play every machine in the house, except for a few brand new ones right by the front door. They have pinball machines that date back to the 1930s, and they fill up the two story shop with the machines in chronological order, oldest to newest. They also have a few arcade games including the classic PacMan and even a PacMan arcade/pinball hybrid that is probably the hardest PacMan we have ever attempted.

They also have beer and cider for those that want to drink and play, although you're going to want to have your reflexes in tip-top shape if you want to get those cherished multi-balls. We definitely recommend dedicating at least 2 hours to play all the different machines.

Insider tip: The most rare pinball machine in the shop is The Wizard of Oz. It was the first one made and cost a pretty penny, over 8K. 

Oh, and most importantly, you can't pinball without The Who. We will just leave this here. 

The Backside of the Pike Place Market: Part Two

Last year we got to know all the cool, hidden spots on the backside of Pike Place Market. Since then, there have been some developments that we thought you all would like to hear about! 

First up, the changes.

Spanish Table closed it's doors and moved in with Paris Grocery (it's now the Paris-Madrid Grocery). Billie the Pig found a new home down the street. And there has been a whole lot of construction for the new Marketfront Expansion. 

The Marketfront Expansion is going to be well worth the pesky construction though. With the new market space and some other new businesses coming to the backside of the market this is going to be an even better part of the city to explore!

Marketfront Expansion Project

The Marketfront Expansion is in full swing and we can't even tell you how excited we are for all the new businesses that will open in the new space in June! It will include a chocolate factory in indi chocolate), a brewery (Old Stove Brewing), and a restaurant/cannery from Jarr and Co. along with a lot more day stalls for local craftspeople and artists. 

The new space is also set to include a beautiful, open air plaza for locals and tourists to enjoy as well as a new neighborhood center and low income lofts for local artists. 

So what else is new on Western Ave. aka the backside of the market.....

Choukette Eclairs

This place is a little pricey, but if you like eclairs they know how to do them right. These light, fluffy filled desserts add a little more diversity to the market's sweets scene. Our favorite flavors are hazelnut praline and caramel.

Paper Feather

Lovely Jennifer Cullin from the Paper Feather

The Paper Feather isn't new to the block, but we didn't cover them in our last post and this shop is too fun not to know about! Jennifer Cullin is the mastermind and artist behind all the paper crafts and creations here. We covered her in our Meet the Maker series too! 

The Carrot Flower Company

This new flower shop compliments the businesses in this stretch of the block perfectly. With Paper Feather making wedding invitations and decor right next door, the back of the market can be your one stop shop for a Pinterest-perfect wedding! 

Room for Change, a mural by Carolina Silva 

This new mural was unveiled on the Pike Place Market Hillclimb and it adds a huge pop of color to the space! 

Multiple panels of repetitive pattern envelope the space, transforming a forgotten place- a mundane passageway- into a vibrant room. Repetitive patterns and hand-traced flowers are recurrent elements in Silva’s recent work; they represent chaos within harmony, or rather harmony within chaos.

That concludes this update for now, but keep an eye out for an extended post this summer reviewing the new Marketfront Expansion opening!