Besalu Onion and Gruyere Croissant: In the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle is a small bakery called Besalu. Their sign says "handmade pastries," but they also make savory breads. This onion and gruyere bread, made from croissant dough, has all the flaky, buttery richness of a croissant mixed with the sweetness of caramelized onion and crispiness of baked gruyere. Somehow, it feels like an obvious flavor combination for baked goods, like the bread version of french onion soup, but it isn't one I've ever had before – and one ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended seattle besalu onion gruyere croissant 4.0
Bottega Italiana Pear and Grapefruit Mint Sorbet: Bottega Italiana is a little ice cream shop about a five minute walk from Pike Place. After a filling dinner of fried fish and chips from Ivar's, I wanted a sharp fruit sorbet and opted for one scoop with two flavors: a white pear sorbet, sweet and concentrated, and a grapefruit mint, which had a terrific acidity and refreshing, balanced amount of mint. They both tasted extremely fresh, and the texture was impressively smooth. By far the best ice cream I've had in Seattle – would not hesi... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional sorbet seattle icecream fruit bottegaitaliana pear grapefruit mint 4.5
Bucha Belly Lemon Ginger Organic Raw Kombucha: Bucha Belly is yet another Seattle based kombucha brand, offering subscription deliveries. I came across this brand at a local restaurant. Unfortunately, while the flavor was relatively clean, the ginger was lacking in potency, and it tasted mostly of lemon. Overall, it wasn't a bad drink, but it wasn't a particularly notable one. 3.0/5.0
drinks seattle buchabelly lemon ginger organic raw kombucha 3.0
Chicha San Chen Osmanthus Oolong Tea with Boba: Was recommended this Taiwanese bubble tea chain from multiple people after they opened just their second US location in Bellevue WA (the first is in San Gabriel in LA). It's located in a small strip mall a block away from the Bellevue Square Mall and while it has a tight, busy parking lot, there is some additional parking down the street. The line was ridiculously long and it took about 30 minutes to place our order, and a little over 10 minutes to get our drinks. Overall, the atmosphere ... (read more) 2.5/5.0
bubbletea milktea Bellevue seattle chichasanchen osmanthus oolong tea boba 2.5
Chung Chun Rice Dog Sweet Potato Corn Dog: The first time I came across Korean corn dogs was in Shin Okubo, the Korean district of Tokyo. I had wandered into the neighborhood at sunset and was surrounded by neon signs and endless stalls of street food, all labelled in languages I couldn't translate but could generally tell what region of the world they represented. That's how I learned that fried cheese on a stick, and hot dogs covered with deep fried diced potatoes resembling an ear of corn from Willy Wonka, was a popular Korean j... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chinatown seattle korean corndog chungchunricedog sweet potato corn dog 3.0
Culture Shock Last Unicorn Blueberry Ginger Kombucha: I never really considered myself to be a kombucha person, but Washington state seems to be really into it, and being a fan of beverages more generally, I'm up for trying local treats. This bottle was purchased at Top Banana, a local produce store, and features just a few natural ingredients: blueberries, ginger, green and black teas, and sugar. It has a beautiful natural purple color unlike any beverage I've had before. The overall flavor is fruity, slightly spiced rather than spicy, and h... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks seattle cultureshock last unicorn blueberry ginger kombucha 4.0