#18: decided to be cold
because i explored 2 new states :) in the pnw :)
Took the Boeing 737 MAX and spent this past weekend up north in Oregon and Washington. I hadn’t been and now I have. Crazy how that works. Here’s what I did in each:
Seattle
Yeah, that marketplace everyone goes to.
Consumed samples
Including from a man who placed cooked salmon in my hand
Sat down and ate a big plate of food at Oriental Mart
Ate a fish taco at Jack’s Shack
Idk if that’s what the place was called actually but I’m probably close.
Upon looking it up that was not the name but it was close.
Stood in front of the gum wall
Ubered to the middle of nowhere to see a troll under a bridge
Soba Noodles
Here, where I had
Dipping soba
Also, foie gras tofu
Hot Cakes
This is the best place I’ve been in my life. I want to franchise it. I want to live there. If I can eat a hot cake every day of my life I would want to do that. We split a smoky smores one. Idk if that was the name of it btw, it might have been, and I’m probably close again, but if I’m wrong it should be called that or something similar. This place gives you good molten lava cakes and then you can just hang out there and eat it. Most people were eating their own, but that is insane to me.
Bespoke Cocktail Experience
At a cocktail bar called Thread and Needle and was in the back of another restaurant or bar thing, and you use a phone on the wall to get in and then once you’re in it is a small place and they make you whatever the hell you ask for. I got a version of a p*rnst*r martini that had more champagne than I wanted, but put passionfruit and vanilla in a drink and you have my attention.
A Russian Pastry
In the morning I ate a Russian pastry
Space Needle
As predicted it was some sorta world fair bs
Pop Culture
Nirvana exhibit
Jimi Hendrick exhibit
Um Im 27 years old now yikes.
Magic and fantasylands exhibit (general)
Sci-fi exhibit (general)
Horror movies exhibit (general)
Indie games exhibit (very cool and fun and interactive)
I recommend going here! And I normally do not like being in museums!
More Japanese Food
Shota from Top Chef: Portland had a fried chicken restaurant right next to where we were staying in Capitol Hill so we went and ate there. It was definitely a late-night drunk food sorta spot because they were open till 2 AM but we went sober at about 4 PM and were alone for most of it as anime played on the surrounding TVs.
Pinball
Went to two pinball bars in Capitol Hill and played till my right hand hurt. And I got really good at Lord of the Rings pinball, and ONLY LOTR pinball (meaning, I was bad at all the others).
What?? Another Hot Cake??
Went back and got another hot cake. It’s the best place I’ve been in my life, do you remember when I said that? Why wouldn’t I go back? We shared the dark decadence this time. I’m almost positive that is the name of it.
EVEN MORE Japanese Food
Mainly because the website was fun and was in a former adult video store (which has since also just simply moved next door)
Bar with an Octopus on the Ceiling
Was healthy for a brief moment
By eating a grain bowl
Portland
Big ass bookstore
Night market
Valentines day themed night market and was a great way to check out a bunch of local small businesses and THERE WAS A PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN.
THE REASON I WENT UP NORTH WAS TO EAT AT KANN AND I DID IT
I’ve been dying, I mean DYING, to go to the James Beard-loved, Haitian restaurant, Kann before it even opened. Before it even was a possibility of opening. Back in 2020 when Gregory Gourdet pitched Kann as his restaurant concept for Restaurant Wars on Top Chef: All Stars Season 17, I was completely and totally sold. Probably only rivaled by Kokomo from Season 18 for my top spot in the “I must go to this non-existent restaurant” category.
We got a reservation. By the grace of God almighty.
This trip was planned around me eating at Kann, unapologetically.
Hot beverage
Latkes
And tried kugel for the first time which made sense because I was joined by a pair of Jewish siblings and a gentile-ally.
Also immediately walked past a rave sorta thing at 11:30 AM wherein everyone was dancing in broad daylight in their own self-contained section of a warehouse. Weird, a reputation earned.
Japanese Garden
Pretty!
Cold Beverage
Didn’t have any merch but if they did I would’ve purchased it. This was a failure on their end.
EVEN MORE Pinball
The Superbowl
Kinda watched it
Pizza
Asked to go to a pizza place. Out of character. What being on an episode of Chef’s Table does to a mf.
AND THEN I LEFT AND NOW IM IN LA USING THIS NEWSLETTER AS A STUDY BREAK FROM MY LAW AND PHILOSOPHY READING.