Cascadia Food & Coffee - November 2013

Happy Thanksgiving! Of all the meals I had during my trip to the Pacific Northwest (aka Cascadia), Thanksgiving Dinner with the family had the best company of all. Plus, it is difficult to top homemade lefse and roasted turkey. And yes, that is real sunlight coming through the blinds. It is hard to believe, but Thanksgiving in Seattle was sunny. Really.

It may come as a surprise, but the residents of Cascadia love their coffee. Yes, they have Starbucks. A lot of Starbucks. But they also have wonderful places like Coava Coffee, Case Study Roasters, and Moore Coffee Shop. Nearly every cup of coffee was a treat, especially those tasty cappuccinos and lattes. Even Starbucks has to kick it up a notch. I guess when you only get sun once or twice a week, it helps to have a nice warm cup.

Various Pierogi from EuroDish with Sour Cream and Cucumbers

Georgian Food Sampler from Kargi Gogo - The Country not the State

Little Poutine from Sideshow Eatery

Portland has an amazing food truck/cart/pod scene. The main website Food Carts Portland maintains a listing of the various mobile food places in the city. Many of them occupy downtown parking lots, creating an outdoor food court with an amazing selection of options. I had Polish, Georgian, and Canadian food within a one block radius. Sure, they have all sorts of Thai and burgers, but who can pass up real Khachapuri?

Another great place is Olympic Provisions. This restaurant makes an amazing variety of salamis and other cured and prepared meats. During happy hour, they had the above special of pork rillette, pork shoulder cooked in its own fat, then potted with additional back fat, an amazing pork terrine, and a substantial portion of French-style salami. This was served with pickled beets, cauliflower, onions, and mustard. Not back for $7! Highly recommended, but not for anyone watching their fat intake.

I had to get a selfie in there at some point. There were a lot of people taking their picture at the Pike Place Market. Other than the famous fish market where they throw your order across the aisle and the original Starbucks, there are many other food options in the area. I had a very good chowder and Dungeness crab sandwich at Pike Place Chowder and some fresh cheese curds at Beecher's Handmade Cheese. It certainly brightened up the gray day.

The food in the Pacific Northwest reflects the natural bounty found in the region. Seafood is king, with lots of clam chowder, fish & chips, and crab everything. Many recent immigrants have brought their foods to an eager audience, but I still cannot find decent Mexican food! Please enjoy the rest of my culinary photos below: