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! 

Rain or Shine Guides: A Year in Review

We launched our site almost exactly one year ago today. It has been one hell of a trip around the sun with a lot of highlights and lowlights. We learned a few lessons and made a few changes. As we prepare for our next year as travel bloggers we wanted to slow down and take a minute to reflect on all the people who helped us get to this point and give some advice to other people thinking of taking a similar journey. 

Team Rain or Shine

Our Favorite posts

Over the last 365 days we have had the opportunity to do a lot of cool stuff and meet a ton of great people along the way. Here are our top 3 favorite posts. 

Kristina: 

• The Tallest Drinks in Seattle - This post was so fun to research and write. It meant we went to all the best views in the city and drank delicious drinks. I probably wouldn't have made it a point to get dinner at the top of the Space Needle, but it ended up being one of my favorite experiences to date all thanks to doing blog research for Rain or Shine. 
• Film Photobooths Around Seattle - I really love this post because it represents me finding new things I love through the blog. Sarah is a big photobooth person and knew about a ton of spots in Seattle where you could get "old-fashioned" film photo strips. She shared that love with me and now that I know about all of them I love revisiting them with different friends and collecting the authentic black and white strips!
• Top 5 Cocktails in Pike Place Market - This was one of our first posts and I remember thinking if I got a group of people together we could easily spend an evening in Pike Place Market trying cocktails at all the different bars. Six or seven bars and 5 hours later we were all drunk and having the best night of our lives. The group that went out that night still reminisces about how naive we were, but how much fun we had. 

Sarah: 

• All of the Meet the Makers - One of the highlights for me has been getting to meet new people and see what they are "making." I always learn so much about their craft (and usually get a sample or two). It's inspiring to see people following their passions and spending their time creating things we can enjoy. We have a bunch more Meet the Makers in the works, and we can't wait to share them.
• Moore Coffee - I love finding wacky things in the city, and I love coffee. Combining the two was a total win for me! It's energizing to explore new spaces, get a mid-day treat, and have it be fun to boot. And anytime you can turn something ordinary into something special it will be something I can get behind.
• Long Beach - I live to travel. It is my favorite thing to do. And while I do spend a lot of time traveling internationally and around the states, there is so much to see and do right in our own backyard. Long Beach is a sleepy little beach town, but I had such a good time exploring that area, trying the local restaurants, and riding bikes. I can't wait to seek out more of these little towns in our area whether they are beach front or in the mountains.

Pike Place Market Instagram Takeover

Big Accomplishments: 

• Getting into Instagram takeovers. Pike Place Market approached us in September last year and asked us to takeover their Instagram account for a weekend to show people around The Market, Rain or Shine style. This was crazy fun, got us a lot of new exposure, and gave us the idea to start reaching out to other businesses to do the same thing for them. 
• Partnering up with ParentMap. A friend connected us with this local magazine and they have since started publishing our content. Not only do we get paid, but they force us to explore and write content we might not have normally thought about. 
• Figuring out what works. Neither of us were "tech people" before we started this blog. Since then we have both learned a lot about coding, design, creative writing, and photography. It's been great to broaden our skill sets and see the blog transform as we do. 

Having fun!

Lessons Learned: 

1. You can't do it alone.

Without the help of many many people this blog wouldn't exist. Don't be afraid to ask for help and know that your friends always have your back. To name a few: Amy Dickson, our amazing wine writer who contributes top notch content and helps us discover new things in the city. Tristan Plank and Eric Durr, our pro-bono design team who help us navigate the wonderful world of colors and arranging information. Michi Broman, our mentor and cheerleader who told us that we were smart and creative enough to do this. Piper Hackett and Chris Ruiz for all their typos and grammar catches while copyediting. And last but not least, our moms, for always being our first likes on Facebook. 

2. Time management is key (and hard).

Having full time jobs and running a blog, while also having time for your family, friends, and yourself is harder than some might imagine. We have definitely found that a content calendar and sharing the workload equally helps us stay sane and happy. 

3. Building something from nothing is incredibly rewarding (and hard).

To say we are proud of what we have going here would be an understatement. We love exploring the city and always finding new ways to share our experiences with our readers in a fun way. Both of us love the outlet the blog gives us to flex our creative muscles.

4. No one can tell you how to do it.

You just have to trust yourself, communicate, and take it a day at a time. We have read all the blog posts on how to make a million dollars in one month blogging or which platforms work the best for bloggers. At the end of the day we took some of the advice we got, but we left a lot of it behind too. Only you can know what will work for your life. Being flexible and easy going will keep everyone a lot happier and you will create something that is authentic to who you are.

5. Seattle is an amazing city, full of amazing people, and we love getting to know every nook and cranny of this place.

This blog keeps us active, excited, and young. We are constantly trying new restaurants, new activities, and spontaneously walking down new streets just to see what might be at the other end. The people we have met in the last year are all incredible and truly make our city a better place. Some of them have become our friends and all of them have been added to our lives. How freaking lucky are we? We really couldn't possibly live in a better place!

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Cheers and thank you to all of you who have helped make this blog possible. Here is to another 365 days of exploration! - Kristina and Sarah

5 Reasons We Love CommuniTea

The Rain or Shine team looooves kombucha. We drink it daily and have tried multiple brands and flavors. So, naturally, we were beyond excited when CommuniTea kombucha entered the Seattle scene. It has quickly become one of our favorites and here's why:

1. It's perfectly balanced. CommuniTea only makes 1 flavor of kombucha. While some might view this as a con, it actually means they can focus entirely on making sure that one flavor is perfect. They use only organic and biodynamic tea, and they don't add sugar after the fermentation. It's perfectly sweet and not overly vinegary. It kinda tastes like you're drinking a hard apple cider only this won't leave you hungover.

2. They have a brewery you can visit! Tucked away on the 21st street of the Central District is their brewery which is also open to the public. It's small with only a few two-top tables but you can stop in and sample their kombucha for free. You can also purchase a glass from their tap and they even offer a small snack plate (cheese, nuts, and apples). The staff is friendly and will answer all your questions about how this fermentation business actually goes down.

CommuniTea's DIY kombucha kit

3. They sell DIY kits! Okay, so kombucha is spendy. We get it. Why not try to make it yourself? CommuniTea sells kits that include the kombucha scoby, a large glass jar with built-in thermometor, tea, sugar and, of course, instructions. So, basically everything you need to make your own homemade kombucha for only $15. Let us know if you try it!

Pick your size!

4. It's easy to find and buy. The city loves this stuff as much as we do, which is good news if you can't make it all the way to their brewery for a bottle. Find it in grocery stores, farmers markets, and local restaurants. Buy two bottles. It goes fast. Also, if you return your old bottles, you can receive a credit on your next purchase. Score!

5. It makes great cocktails. Fun fact: we were told by a staff member that if you drink a glass of kombucha at the end of a night of drinking, you won't have a hangover the next morning because kombucha eats alcohol. Now, we haven't put this to the test (believe us, we are going to try), but it sounds like great advice! What we HAVE tried is turning kombucha into cocktails such as adding champagne for a kombucha mimosa or vodka and mint for a fun twist. Give it a try because we are pretty sure if you drink kombucha with your alcohol it's actually not that bad for you. Please note: we are not medical experts.

Cheers!

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?