Eating & Drinking in Seattle

This intimate, Asian-inspired Central District music venue books well-known touring bands as well as lots of up-and-coming local acts (especially of the hip-hop persuasion). And it's dark and seedy, like a good indie club should be. Catch acts such as Junior Boys and the French Kicks at a place like this.

The hip Capital Hill scene is perhaps best summed up with this dive bar, which opened in 1994 and has surely been the second home to many a musician over the last decade and a half. I stopped in here for a couple stiff drinks and to plug the jukebox, which is full of indie and punk classics. I liked the cheap drinks, and while I didn't try to food or the back patio, locals have told me those are the two main reasons they go to the place.

It's tough to find bad coffee in Seattle. Its current popularity in the US was essentially born there. But if you're looking for something outside the Starbucks/Seattle's Best Coffee reign, try out this cafe, which is a tiny converted house in the Fremont neighborhood. Locals love the strong drinks, friendly staff and, when the weather cooperates, the breezy outdoor patio.

Food tours like these are the perfect thing to do if you're only going to be in a certain town for a couple days and would like to get as much of a taste of the local flavor as you can. At $40 a person, it's a bit more expensive than a single meal would be, but you get such a wide variety, it's like you're eating a half dozen meals at once. This company offers tours of Pike's Place Market and Belltown.

I beg you. Try to find somebody that's eaten here to say a bad word about this unassuming Wallingford sushi joint. You'll have better luck swimming across the Puget Sound in January. The lines outside this family-run restaurant are usually lengthy, but the sashimi alone is more than worth the wait. If you're starving, try the chirashi bowl, which is a steal at $14. If you're looking for sleek and trendy, try someplace else. Musashi's is all about lots of food at reasonable prices.

We were looking for something a little more robust amidst all the sushi joints and noodle houses in Seattle, and came across this awesome Indian joint that did the trick. I had some great chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. The service was solid and the prices were perfect. If I go back, I'll definitely try the buffet, which is never a bad idea at an Indian joint.

Cheap, very cheap sushi, chiken teriyaki and other japanese specialties. Not fancy or luxurious but quality is excellent and prices are cheeeaaap!

Vegetarian pan asian food restaurant with a huge vegan menu in the Capitol Hill area. The dim sum is really tasty as are the rose drumettes - a kind of fake fried chicken on a wooden stick dish, hmmm, tastes better than it sounds!

Main dishes run $8-$15.