Seattle magazine September/October Preview — Food & Drink

WHY PIONEER SQUARE WILL L OOK VERY DIFFERENT IN FIVE YEARS

S M A R T. S AV VY. E S S E N T I A L .

ONE SQUARE INCH OF SILENCE DISCOVER THE MIST AND MYSTERY OF THE PRISTINE HOH RAIN FOREST

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VOL. 30 ISSUE 5

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Vol. 30, No. 5 Seattle (ISSN 1081-4469) is published Bi-Monthly, except monthly Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec by Tiger Oak Media, 900 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. 8 issues published per year. Business and Editorial Offices: 900 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Tiger Oak Media, 900 South Third Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Call 1-800-637-0334 to subscribe. Periodicals postage paid at Saint Paul, MN and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Seattle, 1 Tiger Oak Plaza, 900 S Third St., Minneapolis, MN 55415. One-year subscription: $18.95. Back issues and single copies are $8 (including postage). Subscriptions: 800.637.0334, toll-free in the U.S. only, or customerservice@tigeroak.com. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. © Tiger Oak Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

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CONTENTS VOL. 30 ISSUE 5

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RESTORED LANDMARK Art from local artists graces the walls at The Lodge at St. Edward State Park, which opened earlier this year.

OU T D O O R S

PEAK PERFORMER Eighty-six-year-old David Birkner has an unparalleled passion for hiking and climbing.

88 BACK STO RY

SEEING THE LIGHT Large, colorful display will grace building year-round.

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55 SEATTLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

F E AT U R E S

64 RESTORED ELEGANCE A $50M renovation harkens back to the glory days of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

68 THE CENTER OF THE GREEN UNIVERSE The Fremont Neighborhood boasts some of the city’s greenest buildings.

34 82 SQUARE DANCE Pioneer Square strikes a delicate balance amidst an unprecedented wave of development.

76 BEER & BIKES A surprising number of Seattle microbrewers combine their passion for beer with bicycling.

34 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Convenient trips are becoming increasingly popular.

10 ESSENTIALS Smoothie move; French connection; wine win; map app; Canlis alums; picture perfect; orange crush.

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E AT & D R I N K

‘INVENTOR, BOOTLEGGER, PSYCHEDELIC PIONEER’ Brad Holden’s second book brings to life one of Seattle’s most colorful characters.

A TIPPING POINT Chad Mackay knows his restaurants must continue to innovate to survive.

BOOK EXCERPT:

HOME

24 AIA H O M E OF DIST I NCT I ON

TRADITIONAL YET MODERN Bold colors and shapes define this Leschi remodel.

A R T S & C U LT U R E

48 FALL ARTS Some organizations return to in-person programming.

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51 DRINKING WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY Switching to red as the seasons change? Not so fast.

58 SPOTLIGHT Tech-construction company HeadLight brings scrutiny to projects.

62 DARING WOMEN Teri Foy is more than just a woman in science. She’s a scientist.

52 MY FAVORITE FIVE: THE BEST OF SEATTLE’S CLASSIC DISHES From salmon to teriyaki to the famous Seattle Dog.

54 PSA FOR PSL Confessions of a pumpkin spice latte enthusiast living in the coffee capital of America.

72 THE SB PROFILE Optimal takes on U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings, with a big difference.

74 CEO ADVISER Now’s the time for sidelined learners and workers to get back in the game.

ON THE COVER: JOSHUA EARLE/UNSPLASH

NATASH A DIL LI NGE R

F E AT U R E S

56 OPENING BELL BEST COMPANIES Impel Neuropharma CEO Adrian Adams says titles don’t matter.

DRINKING WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY Switching to red as the seasons change? Not so fast.

BY AIMEE RIZZO

F VIC TO RIA W R IGH T

ALL IS PRETTY MUCH UPON US

in Seattle, which means it’s time to play some smooth jazz vinyls, brood in front of a fireplace adorned with decorative gourds and officially make the switch from white wine to red wine. Right?

Wrong. Except for the smooth jazz part.

Turn that good stuff up.

There’s no reason to abandon bottles of white in favor of deep, moody reds just because you’re wearing a structured wool cardigan instead of a Mariners tank top.

As far as I’m concerned, chillier weather isn’t a valid excuse to autopilot toward Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and

pretty much nothing else. Maybe, just maybe, we can press pause on bubbly, watermelony pinks while simultaneously shouting “rosé all day!” from a party barge on Lake Union. At least until next year.

But there are plenty of white wines that can hang when the leaves start to get crunchy. White wines that can pair effortlessly with cozy autumnal dinners, or can refresh during that pocket of sweaty 3 p.m. sun-striped heat when it’s necessary to fling your jacket off only to put it back on an hour later. The truth of the matter is, white wine is at times even more drinkable during fall than the ever-so-predictable dry red. Especially when we’re talking about

white wine from Washington state.

Let’s start with Hoquetus Wine Co. This Walla Walla-based winery helmed

by Robert and Bri Gomez burst onto the scene last year, producing natural wines from sustainably farmed grapes, and the 2020 Les Collines Riesling ($28) is an absolute force to be reckoned with. It has this electric lime candy zip balanced with wild honeycomb, golden delicious apple and a rinse of sea salt.

Riesling loves to wash down seafood, so drink it during the first half of autumn on a crisp-but-not-cold day alongside raw bar appetizers like oysters on the half-shell and shrimp cocktail, followed by flaky lobster pot pie or creamy curried fish korma as it gets dark. And if you’re in the market for a tart daytime sipper to have with football-viewing snacks, this one would do the trick, too (Hoquetuswine.com).

For something a little more decadent but not completely over-the-top, like French onion soup, cacio e pepe, or roasted chicken with root vegetables and a glossy pan gravy, you’ll want to go for Grosgrain’s terrific 2019 Skin-Contact Sémillon ($28). With a backbone of syrupy glazed apricots and an applesaucelike stone fruit richness as well as a squeeze of lemon and blanched almond, it would lend itself extremely well for a warm fireside dinner while on the brink of daylight savings time – preferably after completing some kind of corn maze. Not to mention that the brief skin contact the Sémillon goes through (and the concrete/ clay/oak/stainless steel aging process) gives the wine a textural earthy kick that just hits better when the current month ends in “ber” (Grosgrainvineyards.com).

Then, we have the Washington white of all Washington whites, the one to beat: In the center of the ring, it’s Mark Ryan Winery’s 2020 Viognier ($38). There’s a reason that this one costs nearly two Andrew Jacksons, and that’s because it’s delicious. Think blossoms, a medley of fuzzy late-summer peaches drizzled with citrus juice, ripe honeydew and a kiss of cedar smoke. Save it for extravagantly comforting dishes like sage-laced butternut squash risotto loaded with a blizzard of freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano, prosciutto-wrapped halibut with mashed potatoes or even a braised lamb shank (Markryanwinery.com).

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THE OYSTER OF YOUR WORLD Order the Daing na Talaba, or smoked oysters, at Musang.

MY FAVORITE FIVE:

The Best Of Seattle’s Classic Dishes From salmon to teriyaki to the famous Seattle Dog

S

    many things, and some of them are not great. We’re looking at you, drizzling mist. Thanks a heap for the rainy reputation. Thankfully, when it comes to food, this great Pacific Northwest city has quite an edible bounty to call our own. From seafood caught in local waters to iconic hot dogs eaten during the wee hours of the morning, behold, my favorite five: the best of a handful of Seattle’s most classic dishes.

Oysters are so popular in Seattle that they could feasibly be used as citywide currency.

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Sure, it would be a logistical nightmare, but it would also be highly satisfying to watch a certain billionaire haul around approximately 1,708,333 tons of raw mollusks (give or take). Anyway, my top pick for these shucked treats are the smoked ones on the menu at Musang. This excellent Filipinx spot on Beacon Hill changed the way I feel about slurping oysters on the half-shell, and that’s not just the round of coconut pandan cocktails talking. It’s because theirs have a great deal of the briny seawater replaced with the flavor of smoke, tag-teamed by a luxuriously custardy

mouthfeel and a drizzle of garlic oil to bring it all together in pure, oceanic harmony (Musangseattle.com). What’s my runner-up?

The Walrus and The Carpenter’s crispy fried oysters dunked in fragrant cilantro aioli, of course (Thewalrusbar.com).

Coffee tends to steal the spotlight from all of the other Seattle beverages. That’s not new information. But it’s certainly not because Starbucks is headquartered here; there are so many other independent companies simply doing it better. Boon Boona is the quintessential example of this, as it sources beans directly from

ANDR EW IM ANAKA

BY AIMEE RIZZO

NAT E WATT E RS

various African regions and roasts them in-house. The result is an incredibly rich and bold cup of coffee that rightfully earns a “Best-of-Seattle” title. You can find me there all autumn long, sipping outstanding mocha lattes spiked with earthy berbere (Boonboonacoffee.com).

Salmon is obviously a local star here.

You already know that if you’ve ever brought an out-of-town visitor to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks to stare at some fish doing absolutely nothing if they even made an appearance at all. The Seattle food scene features nearly every type of salmon preparation imaginable, from outstanding buttery sockeye nigiri at Maneki to shoyu-slicked poke tacos at Sam Choy’s. But my personal favorite is blackened and stuffed in a baguette with layers of rosemary-infused aioli, crisp romaine and griddled onions. You can get your hands on this superb sandwich at Market Grill, a counter located at the center of the Pike Place hustle and bustle. Between decadent medium-rare fish, herby sauce swirling with the heat of Cajun spices and pillowy bread, it’s really the best way to experience Pacific Northwest seafood and the market in one convenient bite (Marketgrillseattle.com).

Teriyaki (Seattle-style as we know it) was first introduced to the Emerald City in 1976 when Toshi Kasahara, a Japanese immigrant, opened the very first teriyaki shop in town. The rest is history, and now, seeking out sweet-and-smoky charred chicken thighs around here is as easy as finding a corner slice joint in New York City. But make no mistake. You’ll find my preferred interpretation of this marinated, grilled delicacy at Manna Teriyaki in Lake City. With a well-balanced, not-toogingery sauce, trademark stripes of char on each piece of perfectly cooked chicken and the seared onion that comes with spicy versions, I could stop there. But I won’t because then there’s the phenomenal dressing that comes alongside the traditional cabbage and iceberg salad. Manna’s is thicker and stickier than rival restaurants, with this incredibly savory punch of sesame to counteract all of the creamy sweetness.

Add a shatteringly crunchy housemade pork-filled egg roll and you’re set.

The Seattle Dog is equal parts midnight snack and iconic right of passage. Ask

GOOD EATS From top: Don’t be fooled by the food cart in a gas station parking lot: The Seattle Dog at Hawk Dogs is the city’s best. Market Grill’s blackened salmon sandwich and Manna Teriyaki’s teriyaki are also top choices.

anyone who’s ever bar-hopped around Capitol Hill. My neighborhood of choice for drinks and necessary subsequent street munchies also happens to be the hill, and my heart belongs to Hawk Dogs, a cart stationed in the parking lot of a Shell station on Broadway and Pike. The key components to the Seattle Dog are the singe-marked sausage in question, a neat stack of caramelized onions and the ever-polarizing slathering of cream cheese, all on a sturdy hoagie roll dusted in cornmeal. The end result is an ideal marriage of smoke, spice and velvety tang – with an added bonus of soaking up whatever you just guzzled at Comet Tavern (Hawkdogs.business.site). Side note: If you’re plant-based, Hawk Dogs does serve Field Roast, but truth be told, you’re better off heading to Cycle Dogs in Ballard for the fully vegan package (Cycle-dogs.square.site).

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A PSA FOR PSL Confessions of a pumpkin spice latte enthusiast living in the coffee capital of America

BY AIMEE RIZZO

I

T’S THE FALL OF 2021, and you know what? I’m calling it. It’s time to officially stop shaming the pumpkin spice latte for simply existing, and it’s time to officially stop shaming the people who gulp it lovingly.

I say this as a PSL fanatic myself. In fact, if I had things my way, I would arrange for a Dunkin’ to be dropped The Wizard Of Oz-style via enchanted tornado on the corner of my North Seattle street – and I’d stop in every day from September (OK, more like mid-August) through December for a light and sweet iced coffee steeped with high-fructose spiced condensed milk sludge and creamy half-and-half. No shade to the nuanced, exemplary Seatown espresso beans – I just really love Dunkin’.

And I really love pumpkin spice.

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Did I just make thousands of local enemies, or are you still with me?

Let’s break it down this way: “Pumpkin spice” is merely a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. This ragtag quartet of staples from the back of your baking cabinet is praised without question as it’s shaken in desserts like carrot cake, gingerbread and holiday pies.

And yet, when it’s liquified into a sugared syrup and made the primary flavor profile of a latte, suddenly it’s a caffeinated crime, a beverage reserved for “basic women,” a capitalist marketing ploy that makes the interior of Trader Joe’s glow deliriously orange once a year.

And in America’s most celebrated coffee town, where ristretto pulls, stiff cortados and black cold brews reign supreme, it’s

also where I’ve felt most alienated for my undying autumnal devotion to the sweet, butterscotch-hued elixir. When it seems like everyone around you orders their java like Frasier Crane, it can be difficult to get into the pumpkin-spiced spirit.

But I’m here to implore you to order it in spite of the pretentious hate. This is the PSL PSA for anyone who’s ever been embarrassed to request a pump or three of the sauce once the leaves start changing colors. For anyone who’s been called “basic.”

For anyone who ever sipped theirs during a morning commute to destroy the evidence before work. Seattleites, it’s just a blend of earthy ground spices in a cup, for crying out loud. So are chai and mulled cider, and nobody’s complaining about those.

There are plenty of espresso bars here in town that also rightfully embrace the gourd. They’re the ones I seek out postLabor Day. Like Anchorhead Coffee (Anchorheadcoffee.com), which we can always count on for seasonally appropriate masterpieces. Anchorhead’s “pumpkin stuff” mix is housemade, fragrant with vanilla bean, maple, cinnamon heat and the squash in question instead of artificial flavoring.

For a not-so-chilly day, Café Red (Caferedseattle.com) serves a pumpkinspiced version of its refreshing “Oatnilla” ground control cold brew from Victoria, B.C., nutty oat milk and plenty of baking spices, poured on the rocks. Boon Boona’s (Boonboonacoffee.com) pumpkin latte has a sweet twist of homemade salted caramel to balance the depth of its outstanding African beans roasted in-house. The Boon Boona team says, “The touch of salt helps to balance out the caramel and create a satisfying finish on the palate.” I agree.

And even in the case of Espresso Vivace (Espressovivace.com), which uses a store-bought syrup, the coffee itself is so excellent that it, too, makes for a great fall drink, especially with globs of chocolate and whipped cream added (hello, fudgy pumpkin loaf as a drinkable thing).

If anything else, let this defense inspire you. Don’t you dare be ashamed, fellow pumpkin lover. Go forth and order a PSL boldly. Heck, stir it with a cinnamon stick while you’re at it. I’ll be right beside you doing the same, slurping like there’s no tomorrow. At least, until peppermint mocha season arrives.

JE RIE L C AL AMAYAN

SWEET AND SPIC Y Boon Boona’s pumpkin latte features homemade salted caramel.