Travels of THB: Day 2: Seattle

Day 2: Seattle

For one day only, THB inadvertently managed to get the date and time to display on top of the pics. Brilliant, a one day only special

Quote of the Day: I don’t think Macrina is as good as it used to be….

Weather: Pleasant, cool on the walk to breakfast, perfect the rest of the day

Christo's floating islands, not see at the art fair

THB and DB visit the fitness center. One day THB will get on these new-fangled machines and the multi-choice display will actually show a TV guide and work when you select a show. Or you want to watch ESPN and they want a logon and password…on an elliptical? While pedaling? At least this one shows a trail through slot canyons. At least THB’s i-pod worked. Nothing like listening to old Jonathan Richmond albums while trodding through a slot canyon.

This pic taken just before THB managed to alter settings to display date and time. None of these pastries come close to meeting THB's standards

Walk around a mile to Macrina. THB disappointed. Pastries were actually too cold (pulled from the fridge this morning?), dry, coffee not real hot; nothing like Lakeshore Arizmendi. Ahhhhhhh, maybe Macrina has grown too big. THB thinks the last time we went to a Macrina it was in a South Seattle location that had big industrial size baking going on in the back. THB has taken it off the best bakeries of the US list (is there such a list?).

Off to the Seattle Art Fair. Even though there was a lot of art, the show was not as good as visiting a 21C hotel…not even close. Of course, not everything is real edgy and contemporary (the 21C motto), overall the fair is fairly mundane. THB's truism: it only takes one enchanting piece to make it an excellent fair.

Pics:

Jim Harris comp'd us for the fair

Jim Harris, C, S and DB

Jim is selling a few Viola Frey works released by Viola's estate

Other work from the fair:

Kenna Moser

Robb Putnam, Eaves Dropper...enchanting!

Gaylen Hansen

Ken Mihara

Fay Jones, maybe THB's best of show

After a few hours, time to refuel at The London Plane. Food is excellent.

Missing most of the eggs

THB has baked eggs which are sitting in a spicy green enchilada-style sauce with spoonful of harissa for extra (unneeded) kick, with two large slices of terrific country-style (think Tartine) sourdough toast. DB has an heirloom tomato salad and hummus with more of the terrific bread. C has spongy semolina pancakes (aka beghrir), S has a pork loin dish and they share a snap pea salad. With 3 iced teas, $125 for 4. Highly recommended!

Two of THB's interviewees...on their way to a happy afternoon and a better evening

{ed note: non-baseball fans can skip this paragraph} The mystery of why so many Blue Jays fans are in town is solved: Toronto is the only major league team in Canada (they are having a big down year, so they are barely major league this year) and this is the easiest and cheapest way for western Canadian fans to see their team play, and the Jays are here for four games. THB adds that he is also rooting for the Jays (the Mariners are the closest team to the A’s in the standings) and is counting on them to clobber the M’s one more time this weekend, having won 3 in a row (while the A's are alson a winning streak!).

{skim quickly over these pics as well}

Blue Jay blue matches Seattle recycle garbage bins

Back to hotel for a rest up, then off to S&C’s house for dinner. It’s lovely outside where we have pre-game snacks and Tieton cider followed by a terrific chicken salad and gluten-free pastry filled with fresh fruit (including apricots from the farm). In case you’re wondering how we became friends, here are a few pics from their art collection (all by artists we also collect):