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Shiro's Sushi Restaurant
Kyoto-born sushi master Shiro Kashiba ran Seattle's first sushi restaurant, Nikko, for 20 years. He spends a lot of time shopping for the freshest ingredients, hence his reputation as the go-to guy for raw fish in Seattle. He's a cheerful looking fellow but takes his sushi very seriously - get a seat at the bar if you can, and watch him work.
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Sidecar For Pigs Peace
This one qualifies for the 'only in Seattle' tag: an all-vegan deli and store whose profits go entirely to support a nearby sanctuary for pigs rescued from their otherwise grisly fates. Pick up vegan sandwiches, spirulina cookies, organic wine, vegan cupcakes and meat-free pet food, and ask the volunteers who work there about the 'board of directors.'
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Sitka & Spruce
Despite its unlikely location - in a strip mall nextdoor to a Subway - this small green restaurant has won acclaim for its casual vibe, constantly changing tapas-style menu, good wine selection and involved chef-owner (he'll be the guy who brings bread to your table). Ingredients all come from local producers, and the idea is to assemble a meal out of a bunch of different taster-size dishes. Reservations only for groups of five or more.
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Sky City
You don't really go to this revolving restaurant atop the Space Needle for the food. The view's the thing, and it is tremendous from 500ft up in the air. The elevator ride is free if you have meal reservations.
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Spud Fish & Chips
The competition is fierce over which Alki institution has the best fish-and-chips, here or Sunfish (why not try both?). Spud gets the tourist vote, with its crisp, beachy interior, friendly staff and large portions of fried fish, clam strips and oysters.
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Steelhead Diner
'Highbrow diner' sounds like an oxymoron, but the Steelhead does it right - hearty, homey favorites become fine cuisine because they're made with the best of what Pike Place Market has to offer. The awesome gumbo features Uli's sausage from the market; 'squimbled eggs' come poached over Dungeness crab on toast; a fried-chicken sandwich is fall-apart moist and lemony; and the crab cakes have been making local foodies swoon. Great bay views.
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Sunfish
Locals swear by this fish-and-chips institution. Options include cod, halibut or salmon and chips, fried oysters, clam strips, or combinations thereof. Sit at one of the outdoor tables and enjoy the boardwalk feel.
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Tamarind Tree
Serving upscale food in a beautiful dining room but at lowbrow prices, this elegant place has a HUGE menu including everything from satays and salad rolls to big bowls of pho and a tasty version of the traditional scallop-prawn-pork-mushroom fried crepe. It also donates some of its profits to the Vietnam Scholarship Foundation. Reservations are recommended on weekends.
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Tangletown Pub
This outpost of the Elysian Brewing Company quickly made friends in the neighborhood, despite taking the space of the worshipped Honey Bear Bakery. It's more child-friendly than Elysian's Capitol Hill brewery, and the building itself is gorgeous: when afternoon sunlight comes streaming into the leaded-glass windows and hits those burgundy walls, look out! Glorified pub food (chicken wings, an eggplant panini) and Elysian beer carry the day.
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Thai Tom
First you notice the delicious aroma wafting down the street. Then you see the crowd of hungry people crammed into the doorway of this teeny storefront. It's an open-kitchen lunch counter in a long narrow nook decorated with elephant heads on dark brown walls. There's minimal seating, and the menus are written in gold on wooden blocks. Accepts cash only.
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Tilth
The only ingredients on chef Maria Hines's menu that aren't organic are those found in the wild, like mushrooms and seafood. Everything else, from asparagus to cheese, is carefully selected to meet certified-organic standards and prepared in a manner that preserves its essence. Try the Duck Three Ways, made with the first organically raised ducks in Washington. Servers in the small restaurant are unpretentious and friendly.
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Top Pot Donuts
At Top Pot it's all about the doughnuts, and no, it is not wrong to eat them three meals a day. The doughnuts here are hand-forged as quickly as the little Seattleites can gobble them up, and this huge store (there's also one on Capitol Hill) means you can down them twice as often. They're also available at various coffee shops around town, but it's best to go to the source. Krispy what?
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Triangle Building
All in a row in the Triangle Building are Mr D's Greek Deli, Mee Sum Pastries (try the great pork bao), a juice bar and Cinnamon Works - all great choices for a quick snack.
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Triangle Lounge
Good old American pub food kicked up a notch - like pizza with garlic sauce, grilled chicken, red peppers and fresh mozzarella, or a goat-cheese-and-apple salad - as well as a cool red-neon 'Prescriptions' sign above the bar are the trademarks of this arrowhead-shaped hangout.
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Ugly Mug
Good soups, sandwiches and the atmosphere of a cozy living room make this coffee shop just off the Ave worth a peek. It also serves excellent coffee, as is standard for any Seattle coffee shop.
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Wild Ginger
Seattle was more or less introduced to the satay bar by this popular Indonesian restaurant, where throngs of diners sit and sample bite-size, skewered bits of fiery grilled chicken, vegetables or scallops, luscious soups and daily specials. More substantial dishes include Burmese curry crab and cinnamon-and-anise-spiced duck. The bar is a happening place, and there's a live music venue, the Triple Door, downstairs.
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Zaina
This friendly café, bejeweled with a mishmash of sparkly decorations and pulsing with Middle Eastern pop, dishes out juicy falafel sandwiches stuffed to overflowing, as well as shawarma, tabbouleh, hummus, great baklava and fresh-squeezed lemonade. On weekend nights the vibe goes clubbish, with hookahs and belly dancers in the house.
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Zeitgeist
One of the prettiest coffee shops around, this converted warehouse space serves coffee, pastries and sandwiches that have locals lined up all the way out the door in the morning and lunchtime rush. But its blonde-wood tables, picture windows, brick walls and wrought-iron accents make it an aesthetically pleasing place to work or read when it's quiet.
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