SWEET
General Porpoise Doughnuts
They have several locations but the one I visited was in Capital Hill and true to its name, I went uphill several blocks to get there and was a bit out of breath upon arrival. I rewarded myself with TWO doughnuts that day. Not only is the filling luxuriously thick and creamy, the doughnut itself has that yeasty quality but it has just the right amount of sweetness. Also, the porpoise branding is adorable.
Frankie and Jo’s
This Instagram-friendly ice cream shop is vegan. They have the most interesting flavors so be sure to sample a few when you’re there. I tried California Cabin (maybe I missed home) which had pine essential oil and smoked sea salt. It was subtle. I ultimately ended up with Salty Caramel Ash. The jet black color from activated charcoal intrigued me. It was a very intense caramel flavor so I only finished half the scoop but it was delicious.
Hood Famous Bakeshop
I love cheesecake so I was very excited to try this spot. They specialize in Filipino and Asian-Pacific flavors, with their signature being ube. You can’t miss it in the case in its bright purple hue. It was creamy and not too light nor too dense. I also got White Chocolate Guava but there was more emphasis on the white chocolate, whereas I wanted a strong guava flavor.
SAVORY
Walrus and the Carpenter
While our waitress was ushering us to be seated on the patio, I kept turning my head to stare at the LARGEST bowl of butter I had ever seen. Once seated, I made sure to order some of it, paired with delicious bread from family-owned Seawolf Bakery. As for the seafood, the oysters were delicious. I preferred the cleaner, less briny ones. I don’t remember the names, but I’ll remember to describe them as such next time.
Cascina Spinasse
This cozy Italian spot in Capitol Hill has delicious pasta that you can see being made through a window in the back of the restaurant. I came for one very specific dish, their famous fine hand cut egg pasta with butter and sage. Ah, it was marvelous. The strands were so thin and delicate and the hint of sage was lovely. I also ordered the same pasta but with ragu, also delicious but if I had to pick, I’d go with the former. It was a bit more interesting and unusual. Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with ordering both. 🙂
Kedai Makan
Make a reservation. Let me start with that because, even when we went on the earlier side, 5:45ish, we waited 45 minutes for bar seats. I didn’t mind. The restaurant is tiny and has a fun vibe. While waiting, I was given a glass of Pandan water and I thought it was so strange. Perhaps it’s an acquired taste? I kept sipping it and came to the conclusion that, nope, it’s not for me. All the food is really flavorful so you really can’t go wrong. It’s definitely a place I’d recommend sharing so you can try more things.
Din Tai Fung
Yeah, I know it’s a chain and it’s not any different than the other locations, but I like it. The pork fried rice is so good. Get that with an order of soup dumplings.
What are your favorite Seattle spots? Tell me in the comments! If you visit any of my favorites, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @pastrywithjenn.