Hitting All The Right Notes On A Music-Driven Culinary Tour Of Seattle

Forbes

10 hours ago

There are so many gems in the Emerald City that showcase the area's deep connection to all sorts of music with culinary connections. Ready to rock and roll? Let's go.
Home to so many legends
Icons including Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones and Ray Charles called Seattle home at some points in their lives, then, of course, Ann and Nancy Wilson and the beloved Heart crew. Years later, the incredibly prolific grunge era was born in the PNW.
Hit up the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) at Seattle Center for some surprising background on that period of time when Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Nirvana were making some beautiful noise. That ground-breaking trio is featured in a special exhibit that's closing Sept. 7, so get on it.
While you're roaming around this stunning Frank Geary-designed space that began as the vision of the late Mircosoft co-founder Paul Allen, be sure and check out the new seasonal menu at Culture Kitchen's newly updated Lounge. Menu highlights include a dry-aged salmon with Braised Bok Choy, Forbidden Rice Congee and a Kombu Dashi, as well as Truffled Mushroom Croquettes and a shareable charcuterie plate with pork sourced from Beast and Clever Butcher Shop/Restaurant.
Still in a Smells-Like-Teen-Spirit frame of mind? Consider checking into Hotel Max, where the vibe carries over into the guest rooms on the special Sub Pop Records floor. You're going to dig the doors emblazoned with larger-than-life photos of music legends and the turntables in those rooms. This spot is rightly famous for its nightly beer hour in the lobby, where guests gather and become fast friends.
But before leaving Seattle Center, there's so much more to explore.
Bumbershoot'n
This Labor Day weekend celebration of music and art extends to culinary arts with some of last year's biggest hits making return appearances. Yes, the crowds called for encores from Local Tide -- beloved for its fish-n-chips – Musangtino's x Musang (fantastic Filipino food from chef Melissa Miranda), The Chicken Supply, Eva's Wild, known for its sustainable fishing and low carbon footprint, neighborhood favorite Big Max Burgers, Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen (Liberian and Ghanaian cuisine) and a whole bunch of meats cooked low-and-slow by Jack's BBQ.
Newbies that'll have tongues wagging are Seoul Tacos, XX and Indigo Cow, which sources extra rich milk for its crave-worthy soft-serve from Japan.
Check out the full culinary lineup on the official Bumbershoot site and tune into my Instagram live feed for a tasting tour at 1 p.m. Pacific on Aug. 30.
One more tasty stop while in this neighborhood: Don't miss a visit to the KEXP Gathering Space, where Caffe Vita pulls stellar espresso drinks and serves up pastries from local bakeries including Sea Wolf. Consider yourself lucky and get ready to coffee nerd out if you are able to hit one of the free First Friday cuppings.
Also, yes, you need some merch from the Sub Pop Shop that recently opened in the Gathering Space.
Good morning from Easy Street
Not sure if there's another place on the planet quite like this vinyl-centric record shop in West Seattle that's also home to a popular cafe. To get a sense of the good fun on offer at this venerable diner, just check out the special lineup of bevs: The Cardi B chai latte promises to deliver a sexy sipper, while the Mudhoney is a mocha that gets extra sticky sweet with the addition of, yup, some honey.
Come for brunch on a Sunday morning – during the robust Neighborhood Farmers Market – and you might have to wait for a table. Before getting hangry, wander down the block for a pastry from the award-winning Bakery Nouveau or go the other direction and indulge in the food porn-ish sweets from the Little Jaye Cafe and Bakery popup at Lady Jaye. Those now legendary Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispies Treats will make you feel like a kid again.
Crank it up
Ever noticed how you can barely hear the music that's playing in most dining rooms? Yes, that's why they call it background music. But let's hear it for a restaurant that isn't shy about turning up the volume and setting the stage for meals as entertainment.
That's just one reason to fall in love with Ciudad in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. This live-fire cooking spot opened in 2016 was initially a collaboration between chef Matt Dillon and Marcus Lalario, a tireless entrepreneur who's got a robust lineup of restaurants and lifestyle/clothing brands under the Sugar Shack Unlimited flag. Dillon's no longer involved, but since he stepped away, there have been lots of interesting developments in the Ciudad space, including adding another eatery nearby – Northern Italian-inspired Mezzanotte opened in 2020 -- and bringing chef Taylor Thornhill on board to expertly run the Ciudad kitchen.
But let's back it up to Lalario's early career immersed in music: 'I liked about my age to get my first job at Easy Street Records,' he said with a smile. He was just 16 and before turning 20, he'd bought The Beat Box and turned it into an all-ages club – it later became The War Room. He managed bands and launched a record label called Under the Needle.
There were bars, boutiques and barbershops in those early days when Lalario often partnered with frequent collaborator Brian Rauschenbach.
Inspired by burger joints he'd frequented while touring with bands, Lalario opened lovable Lil Woody's on Capitol Hill in 2011. It became an instant hit leading to multiple locations including a hot spot in Tokyo. Lil Woody's deserves a big round of applause for shining the spotlight on area chefs during its wildly popular Burger Month each February.
A couple years ago, Lalario opened Darkalino's in Pioneer Square, a salute to Old School Italian-American cuisine with chef Sean Russo ably running the kitchen. (The house-made pasta is outstanding and those magical meatballs are likely to remind you of your Nonna.) The restaurant shares the gorgeous space with upscale sports-driven retailer Hometeam, which – get this – just launched a free concert series this summer. Talk about full circle with the whole music thing. Brava!
Back to Ciudad, where the wide-ranging menu defies definition. The temptation is to order everything and that wouldn't be wrong. Among the many superstars: fried corn with charcoal aioli, seared haloumi served alongside roasted red peppers, pickled pears, almond, morita chili oil and – wow – those harissa-glazed carrots with herbed goat cheese, dates, garlic walnut crunch.
And those are just the starters, setting the table for a spectacular lineup of grilled meats and veggies cooked over charcoal, but don't you dare miss those lamb ribs finished in harissa barbecue sauce, labneh, pickled red onions, fresh herbs. They slap.
Finally, that soft, squishy, flavorful flatbread leaves a lasting impression, made for many years by the same dedicated line cook. Big round of applause for chef Kevin!
And all that jazz
Can't talk about music in Seattle without a conversation about Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, arguably the coolest supper club on the West Coast. Fans pack the place to see an eclectic mix of performances. Ravi Coltrane, Ottmar Liebert and Keiko Matsui are on the calendar soon. For years, Grammy award winner Taj Mahal has settled in for a long run during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. This year marks his 30th anniversary at Jazz Alley. Amazing.
Guessing a big part of the pull back to this classy club run by John, Carla and Ari Dimitriou is chef Alvin Binuya's exceptional food. The menu is extensive and while there's plenty to make meat lovers happy – the Double R Ranch Prime New York Steak – is top of that must-try list. Still, seafood is king. Fresh, line-caught wild salmon and halibut preparations are brilliant. And, yes, that seafood gumbo will likely make you hum 'Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans.' Order that classic with a side of Southern-style collard greens and cornbread.
One more very cool reason to book a table at Jazz Alley? There's free garage parking nearby, a real rarity in Downtown Seattle.