Last weekend, we drove to Seattle for O's birthday. It's a lovely eight-hour drive from Boise, winding northwest through Oregon, across the Columbia River, and through the dry hills of Washington's wine country.
As we reached the foothills of the Cascades, on the last leg of the drive, the weather turned
to rain and drizzle and the trees turned vivid shades of yellow, orange, and red.
to rain and drizzle and the trees turned vivid shades of yellow, orange, and red.
Plus, it was fun. As urbanites, we reveled in the edgy big-city vibe
and the funky neighborhoods.
We walked through the drizzle to Salumi, where Mario Batali's father makes artisanal cured
meats that are insanely delicious. Even the trees were bundled up against the cold.
We returned to our hotel encumbered by two large, greasy chubs of fragrant salame
to meet the Pereiras, who had flown up from SF to meet us.
We all have celebrated our birthdays together for last 30 years,
but never in Seattle, so we were looking forward to exploring the city together.
After a satisfying round of martinis, we headed to Anchovies & Olives, an interesting neighborhood restaurant featuring piscine treats with a nouveau Sicilian flair: chiogga beet salad with walnuts and white anchovy dressing; mosticcoli with swordfish, tomato, olives, and capers; burrata; raw oysters; raw ahi with olive oil, hot coppa, and arugula; scallops on a wild mushroom ragu and califlower puree with a dash of balsamic vinegar. The flavors were intense and the seafood utterly fresh. Altogether, it was a stellar meal at a reasonable price.
We finished the evening happy and looking forward to discovering more of what the city had to offer.
P.
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