April 2012

How to Maximize Your Summertime Spaces

How to Maximize Your Summertime Spaces

HOT SEATS The Paola Lenti outdoor collection, exclusively at Inform Interiors (South Lake Union, 2032 Eighth Ave.; 206.622.1608; informseattle.com), is informed by sultry shapes and radiant colors. We’re drawn to the adjustable chairs bearing Lenti’s signature hand-woven Rope cord fabric, such as the Sand Chair ($2,933 and up), which feature a stainless steel structure and…

7 Best Restaurants That Define Seattle Dining Now

7 Best Restaurants That Define Seattle Dining Now

Our Best Restaurants 2012 list has a new spin: Here's where to go to taste Seattle now.

If you took a culinary snapshot of 2012, what would it taste like? Beyond the strong locavore focus and the eager seasonality of menus, Seattle restaurants have a unique spirit, a feel all their own. We celebrate this special Seattle flavor by calling out the restaurants that define our city—and the trends they exemplify. This…

Best Happy Hours at Restaurants

Best Happy Hours at Restaurants

For half-price wine lists, cheap cocktails and sublime dishes we’d happily pay twice as much to eat.

A puny dish of sodden calamari, a sad plate of flabby, lukewarm wings, a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon—it’s the dreaded not-so-happy hour, wherein a restaurant offers you “bargains” like these if you get there early enough. That’s just not going to cut it. Our mission: Discover the restaurants with the absolute best food served…

Seattle's Food Establishment: Inaugural List

Seattle’s Food Establishment: Inaugural List

Seattle magazine's inaugural list of the 70 most powerful players in the Seattle food scene.

Who keeps Seattle’s food engines running? Who has the power, the respect and the influence to set trends, challenge the status quo and reshape the culinary landscape? We sussed out the people and institutions who have had—and continue to have—the most substantial impact on how we eat, what we eat and what we’ll want to…

Happiest Happy-hour Bartenders

Happiest Happy-hour Bartenders

These five local mixologists are keeping it real at happy hour with humor, warmth—and a mean drink.

Bryn LumsdenRob Roy, BelltownWith a calm manner that isn’t shaken (even if a group of 15 shows up suddenly), and a literary charm that extends to everyone and anyone sitting at the bar, Lumsden is unflappably friendly even while making a passel of the snazziest and firmest fizzes in town. He’s as classic a bartender…

Best Cocktail-Centric Happy Hours

Best Cocktail-Centric Happy Hours

Where to go in Seattle for the best happy hour cocktails, and what you should order.

Sun Liquor DistilleryCapitol HillSun Liquor Distillery is an essential happy-hour stop. From 5 to 7 p.m., you can gaze lovingly at the shining still that sits in a room behind the bar while sipping a seasonal cocktail special, such as the Martine (gin, dry vermouth, angostura bitters and a lemon twist; $7), made with Hedgetrimmer…

The True Meaning of "Happy Hour"

The True Meaning of “Happy Hour”

Cocktail expert A.J. Rathbun explores the history—and beauty—of happy hours.

Today, the term “happy hour” is ingrained in communal cocktail thought, but its origins are unclear. Although a few facts are available, it’s fairly difficult to pin down the definitive history of how those two words first came together. In the 1920s, the phrase “happy hour” was used by the Navy for a period of…

Best Food Trucks 2012

Best Food Trucks 2012

Seattle magazine's favorite mobile eateries.

Best Sweet/DessertThe silken ice creams from Parfait (parfait-icecream.com) are made from scratch (unlike many other ice creams in town, which are made from an ice cream base) and come in sensational flavors like Meyer lemon, mellow and yellow; and mint stracciatella, with bits of dark chocolate and fresh spearmint-infused cream. Two flavors for $4; in…

How to Determine the Best Restaurants?

How to Determine the Best Restaurants?

Our editorial director reflects on the stomach-churning worry and care that went into this year's sp

Three things are very important when we produce our Best Restaurants issue: 1) The story must reflect how we dine out locally now, (oh, how fun it would have been to cover the 50s and 60s eras of wedge salads and fancy Jell-O desserts!); 2) it must include a mix of affordable and fine dining…

Readers' Choice: 2012 Best Restaurants

Readers’ Choice: 2012 Best Restaurants

The best places in Seattle for eating, drinking and more, as determined by Seattle magazine readers.

SEARCH RESTAURANTSin Seattle by neighborhood, cuisine type or price. Our restaurant directory connects you with—not every single restaurant in Seattle—but those that our experts confidently recommend. Click links for more information and directions.  Best new restaurant that opened in 2011RN74 Best neighborhood restaurantLittle Water Cantina Best Eastside restaurantCafe Juanita Best splurge restaurantCanlis Best cheap-eats placeDick’s…

10 Best New Washington Wines of 2012

10 Best New Washington Wines of 2012

New releases are bringing fresh energy—and tasty offerings—to the Washington wine scene.

Reynvaan Family Vineyards 2009 Unnamed SyrahWalla Walla Valley, $55This Walla Walla winery has enjoyed a lot of buzz about its first two vintage releases, partially because of the cachet of their consultant, Christophe Baron of Cayuse. Mike and Gale Reynvaan began planting vineyards in Walla Walla Valley in 2005, finally releasing wines from the 2007…

5 New Locally-Made Beers

5 New Locally-Made Beers

Our beer expert names the top locally-made brews standing out for him this season.

The local trend toward Belgian-style beers shows no sign of slowing; however, local beer drinkers are not willing to entirely abandon their big, hoppy Northwestern-style favorites just yet. India pale ale, Imperial IPA and pale ale remain the beers of choice around here, but there is no denying that Belgian-style beers are building a fan…