Anthony Bourdain is pretty much my idol.
part badass highly opinionated chef
part sexy silver fox.

so when my mother said "lets go to Seattle for a couple of days, what should we.."
"OMG SALUMI" i exclaimed before she could even finish.

so then my idea was hatched. i wanted to re create the pacific NW episode of no reservations.

our first stop was  at salumi, open for 4 hours a day and the line is around the block the whole time.
its owned by Mario Batali's father, who in his retirement learned to make artisan salami's.

but look! its the table Anthony bourdain sat at! i even sat in the same spot! we got the Porchetta sandwich (the one everyone was ordering) and because you don't wait in an hour line and not get salami, we took home two very pretty (and expensive) salami's. more on those when we break them out.

after checking in at our hotel and letting that food coma pass some. we headed out to do a mini tour of the enigma that is the tom douglas family of restaurants.
the palace was our first stop for fried olives and squash pancakes. i think the only thing memorable was when my mother discovered that watermelon juice and vodka was a delicious pairing.
for me, the Dahlia lounge was the highlight, i got to try geoduck! even though i wasn't digging it out of the sand and eating it on a beach like the episode, i am counting it.

it was served sashimi style with honeydew and fennel. and in case you are wondering. it tastes like the chewy part of a clam. it was delicious.
there was also maple smoked chevre with honey and pistachios.  simple and good.
but the hero here was the doughnuts. listen. i don't like sweet food. but these were pillowy and delicate. and served with mascarpone cheese and apricot jam. so even though i am not a fan of
giada de laurentiis i have to say she was spot on about these.

the next day we braved pikes place. first stop was another long line for piroshky, piroshky. for well...a piroshky. i was trying to google which kind anthony bourdain had but in the end i got a potato mushroom and onion one.

pikes places is a nut house. we walked around looking at the all of the different stalls, fighting though hundreds of people.

can you believe I've had nearly all of these hot sauces! i couldn't find one i haven't tried. clearly i have a problem.

i did score these flowers for $5. if i had realized i would be carrying them around like a pageant winner for day i may have re thought this idea.














we then went to the ballard neighborhood to do some more shopping (i scored some amazing things)
and we stumbled in to cupcake royale  to share a strawberry shortcake cupcake before heading home.

success!