January 2016

Will Seattle Sacrifice its Charm and Livability to Tall Towers?

Will Seattle Sacrifice its Charm and Livability to Tall Towers?

Six years after the Escala opened, its location is becoming a liability, could transform its views

They have the sort of views typically reserved for helicopters, and the sort of location reserved for premium hotels. The luxury condos at the Escala tower—situated on Fourth Avenue, a block from the city’s retail center—are among Seattle’s most desired properties, so much so that billionaire Christian Grey of the 50 Shades of Grey novels…

24 Reasons We Love Seattle Right Now

24 Reasons We Love Seattle Right Now

The days may be darker and wetter this time of year, but there’s no shortage of ways to spend them

Clockwise from top left: Redmond Work & Western Wear; fried chicken Wednesdays at Bookstore Bar; Seattle Pinball Museum; Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park; Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar

New Blanket Line By Louie Gong Makes a Statement

New Blanket Line By Louie Gong Makes a Statement

Artist Louie Gong represents authentic Native American art with wool blankets

Raised in a Nooksack community outside of Bellingham, artist Louie Gong grew up with Native American art as an authentic reflection of his culture’s experiences. These deliberate symbols and stories, Gong says, are now misrepresented in mainstream, native-inspired retail. “It’s like taking the letters of a word and rearranging them so they make sense to…

A Peek Inside Interior Designer Brian Paquette's Hip Capitol Hill Home

A Peek Inside Interior Designer Brian Paquette’s Hip Capitol Hill Home

Brian Paquette invites us into his design studio (aka his Capitol Hill apartment)

Clients who come to designer Brian Paquette’s E Pike Street office for help in creating their dream home may not realize that the genesis for his boldly patterned, brightly colored interiors actually starts at a different address with a very different look. Paquette’s 1,000-square-foot apartment, a mere 15-minute walk from his now 7-year-old firm, is…

Pae White's Command-Shift-4 at Henry Art Gallery

Pae White’s Command-Shift-4 at Henry Art Gallery

An installation at the Henry Art Gallery draws a line between art and tech

Los Angeles artist Pae White’s current installation at the Henry Art Gallery, Command-Shift-4, transforms the spacious lower gallery into a dynamic space where visitors are subject to sudden, disorienting perceptual shifts as they slowly wander through it. Although the title refers to the Apple computer keyboard shortcut that allows the user to create a screenshot…

Empowering Teens Through Public Art

Empowering Teens Through Public Art

Local artist Kathleen Warren helps the youth of Seattle gain pride through creativity

Artist Kathleen Warren started volunteering with Urban ArtWorks after spotting some of the local nonprofit’s colorful murals around the city. Six years later, Warren, now the SoDo-based organization’s director, says she’s always been drawn to public art. “I’ve been in institutions like museums and galleries before that feel too sterile. It upsets me that it’s…

Explore Sichuan-Style Dishes on Capitol Hill at Lionhead

Explore Sichuan-Style Dishes on Capitol Hill at Lionhead

Seattle reaps the benefits of Jerry Traunfeld’s globe-trotting culinary adventures at Lionhead

Jerry Traunfeld has always loved Chinese food. The James Beard Award–winning chef first learned Chinese cookery in the 1980s from master chef Ken Hom at the California Culinary Academy. He continued honing his skills at home while he was chef at The Herbfarm and, later, when he opened Capitol Hill’s Poppy, poring over Chinese cookbooks…

'Tis the Season for Oysters

‘Tis the Season for Oysters

Cynthia Nims’ new book on oysters is out in January

What does winter in Seattle taste like? For some of us, it’s the briny snap of an Olympia oyster lifted from the icy waters of Puget Sound. Washington is the biggest producer of oysters on the Pacific Coast, and right now, the mollusks are at their peak—plump, crisp and bursting with Champagne-loving salinity. Culinary expert…

Why Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs Opened a Distillery

Why Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs Opened a Distillery

Take your palate on a flavor-filled voyage with Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs’ handcrafted spirits

Walk into Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs’ tasting room, located just off Interstate 5 in Lacey, and you’re instantly faced with a very difficult choice. Which, of the many liqueurs it makes, to try first? The popular hibiscus? Classical limoncello? Floral chrysanthemum? Culinary-minded thyme-coriander? The newish nectarine? Maybe the best idea is to take a step…

Jesse Doquilo Designs Modern Mid Century Furniture

Jesse Doquilo Designs Modern Mid Century Furniture

Edmonds furniture designer Jesse Doquilo creates minimalist designs for his new line Modern Object

“I’m kind of a wood hoarder,” confesses Jesse Doquilo, the designer behind Edmonds-based furniture line Modern Object. “Each piece, each plank, each crop is definitely considered.” Despite his hoarding tendencies, Doquilo’s midcentury-influenced pieces are a study in clean lines and simple, minimalistic shapes. Items like the walnut wood and metal “Kep” side table (pictured) are…

Family-Friendly Heyday Opens in Leschi

Family-Friendly Heyday Opens in Leschi

Leschi’s Heyday serves up a welcoming next-generation neighborhood vibe

Opening up in an area of Mount Baker that’s been fairly bereft of restaurant and bar options, Heyday is already pulling in loads of local families and neighbors, thanks to its sunshiny combination of decor (the new building has a comfortable mid-century modern feel, with a teal- and gray-tiled bar, cool slatted wood on the…

The Cretzel, the Cronut, and Now Introducing the Crumpwich?

The Cretzel, the Cronut, and Now Introducing the Crumpwich?

The latest culinary mashup gets a nod from the Brits

You’ve heard of the cronut and the cretzel. What about the crumpwich? Not to be confused with the single, open-faced English griddle cake, a crumpwich is a sandwich made of two toasty crumpets stuffed with everything from jerk chicken to turkey and avocado. It is the brainchild of Justin Sledge, executive chef of Capitol Hill’s…