Savor Seattle Original Food & Cultural Tour

Seattle is a waterfront city filled with Pacific Northwest coastal charm and fresh seafood. One of the best ways to enjoy the flavors of the Emerald City is by taking a Savor Seattle Food Tour.

Mike Bentley, one of the managers of the food tour company, led us on a two-hour curated Seattle’s Original Food and Cultural Tour. We roamed the stalls and alleyways to visit iconic locally sourced, artisan and specialty foods venue at Pike Place Market. “The Pike Place sign is the second most photographed spot in Seattle, with the Space Needle earning number one,” said Matt.

Starting our tour inside a theatre at the entrance of Bubblegum Alley, we learned this alleyway is also a popular spot for photographs. According to Matt, this wacky Seattle sight started years ago, when a gentleman was waiting in line to enter the theater. “He decided to squish a coin into his wad of gum and stick it on the wall,” said Matt. “Others in line repeated this action before entering the theater.”  Soon the wall was filled with coins covering blobs of gum. “One day a person looking for some spare change, took most of the coins, yet the gum remained, and soon became a tourist attraction from 1995 to 2015. When the city had enough, Public Works took off 2,400 pounds of gum that was 4 inches thick,” he said. Soon the gum returned and continues to cover the alley walls.

Matt introduced us to some of his favorite venues to sample 8 different delicious tastings. Starting at the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company, Matt retrieved a brown bag filled with small, hot and sugary cinnamon doughnuts. “It’s been at the market for three decades,” he said.

Looking down, Matt pointed out the tiles on the floor. “When the wood timber flooring was replaced in 1985, tiles were purchased for $35 and a name was engraved on a tile. Actor Tom Selleck has a tile, so does Ronald and Nancy Reagan and rockers Def Leopard,” said Mike.

Next we took a stroll over the to the famous Pike Place Fish Market to watch fishmongers  throw a “TT” (test toss or tourist toss) fish while singing, “Here’s Jack, it’s coming back.” Matt shared how this fish market is 100% sustainable. “The fish that doesn’t sell at the end of the day is refrigerated and sent to the Seattle Zoo, said Matt. “The bears love it, and and so do wolves at a wolf sanctuary in Washington.”

Nearby is ‘Rachel’ the metal pig. She is a larger-than-life piggy bank. Installed at Pike Place in the 1980s, she is a 700 pound fundraising pig that has raised more than $20,000. “All the coins have been donated to worthy causes,” said Matt. Visitors enjoy putting a few coins in the top slot and rub her snout for ‘good luck.’

Near Rachel is a colorful mural commemorating the hardworking Japanese farmers that grew, harvested and brought produce to this market. This Japanese-American historical portrayal is by Artist Aki Sogabe. A sign states, “In 1941, approximately two-thirds of the farmers’ stalls in the Pike Place Market were occupied by Japanese Americans. Today, they are gone.”

Over at Frank’s Produce, a staple at the market for years. Frank’s Quality Produce provided Matt with a container of sweet Rainer Cherries; tart, yet sweet Golden Nuggets, a Mandarin style orange; and slices of a newer apple variation, Sugar Bee Apples.

One of Matt’s favorite Mexican taco stands in los agaves Mexican street food. He brought to us a tray of Al Pastor Pork tacos to try. What makes these so special is the pineapple dippings enhancing the meat.

He also raved about all of the accolades that small-batch food producer Pike Place Chowder has won. We each received a small bowl and spoon of their award-winning New England style clam chowder. It’s creamy, savory, and brimming with potatoes, hints of bacon and oceanic flavors.

Matt likes to follow a cup of chowder with a visit to Rachel’s Ginger Beer. Rachel’s original RGB soda is handcrafted in Seattle using fresh hand squeezed lemon, ginger roots and cane sugar, and bubbly water. It’s refreshing when served alone and poured over ice, however the bar can also enhance this base with a few spirits to give it an extra kick.

Locals come here for a ‘Dark and Stormy’ cocktail and ‘Moscow Mule.’ They even serve ginger beer over soft serve ice cream or Dole pineapple whip. Locals enjoy a glass to-go and pick up growlers from the refrigerator. Rotating flavors include blood orange; white peach; pink guava and spicy pineapple.

One of the sweetest treats was a stop at Chukar Cherries for dried Northwest cherries and chocolate confections. We enjoyed a sample cup that held one dried Bing cherries, a chocolate covered cherry, white butter cream chocolate covered blueberry, and cocoa powder cherry.

Matt stopped to introduce us to Scotty at See Lee Farm flower shop. His family’s beautiful flowers have been at the market since 1986. Scotty and his family grow, arrange and sell freshly cut small bouquet flowers starting at $15. “The key to keeping long lasting flowers,” said Scotty “is one drop of bleach. It takes away any bacteria in the water.”

We learned that the Starbucks across along the cobblestones of Pike Place originated in the 1970s. This Starbucks coffee shop always has the longest lines, because it is touted as ‘the first’. Matt shared that the longest wait time was 6.5 hours at this location.

A cup of the most delicious and warm lentil soup, along with cubes of rose and mango Turkish Delight were a hit among everyone in the group. “The Yauuz family have owned this eatery for 40 years, since the 1970s,” said Matt. “The father is in the back cooking, while mom and daughter are in the front taking orders.” This popular Turkish venue serves comforting soups, creamy hummus, fresh pita slices and doner kebab meats. Turkish Delight is a confection made from a gel of starch and sugar. Traditional varieties are often flavored with rosewater, orange, lemon or mango.

Seatown Rub Shack & Fish Fry is home to one of Seattle’s most  famous chef’s – Tom Douglas. He has 7 restaurants in Seattle including Half Shell next door. This esteemed Iron Chef winner makes the best Dungeness crab cakes and wrote a book about them. Matt handed us crispy pickled brined Alaskan cod on top of the best tangy purple Cole slaw. His chef Simon at Seatown came out to share how this simple style fish is the best in Seattle.

When celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain filmed “Layover,” he spent some time in Pike Place. Matt shared that Bourdain stated, “The food at Pike Place is way better than it has to be.” He explained, “because Pike Place is such a tourist attraction, it could get away with just being average, however the farmers, chefs, craftsmen, seafood vendors, and craft artisans take pride in their products and offer the very best to every person who visits.”

Take Savor Seattle’s original food and cultural tour of Pike Place Market to explore one of the largest craft food markets in America with a knowledgeable guide. As the late Anthony Bourdain once stated, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”

 

Feature Photo Pike Place Market. Photo by Matt Bentley