January 2012

The 25 Best Burgers in Seattle

The 25 Best Burgers in Seattle

We dare you to try them all.

Oh, thank you, Earl of Sandwich, the first man to put meat between slices of bread. And thank you, too, people of Hamburg, Germany, who, legend has it, made a steak of ground meat and called it a hamburger. That was 300 years ago, give or take. Since then, the splendid taste of a salty-meaty…

Our Famous Friends' Favorite Burgers

Our Famous Friends’ Favorite Burgers

Local notables' share their favorite burgers, and how they take them.

1. Knute Berger (Crosscut columnist and editor-at-large of Seattle magazine): The Scoop Burger at Scoop Du Jour ($8.95) in Madison Park, without cheese but with tomatoes, pickles, onions, and a pile of shredded lettuce. 2. Jesse Jones (KING 5 consumer reporter): The regular Beef Verde Burger at Red Mill ($6.38), with bacon and lots of…

Best Yuppie Burgers

Best Yuppie Burgers

Upscale, expensive burgers worth every penny.

We’re living in some peculiar culinary times: Geoduck has been upgraded from anonymous chowder clam to star of the raw bar, and the food illuminati eat beef tongue and sweetbreads, know the names of egg farmers and have gotten awfully snooty about their strawberries. And now we’re seeing burgers that cost more than a used…

Best 5 Burgers Under $5

Best 5 Burgers Under $5

With these burgers, you have plenty of cash left over for delicious brews or desserts.

Hamburger All the WayFive GuysRenton, Northgate and Redmond$4.99Sure, it’s a national chain, but at clean, bright and friendly Five Guys, you’ll find what is easily one of the best burgers around for $5. The best part: All the toppings—grilled onions and mushrooms, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, relish and more—are free. Bacon CheeseburgerBroiler BayBellevue$4.69Charbroiled…

Best Beefy Burgers

Best Beefy Burgers

The classics you crave: from mushroom swiss to plain ol' American burger.

All-American BurgerButcher’s Grind House Burger at Local 360 Belltown$11 The rustic, casual Belltown spot’s outstanding burger is made of a secret blend of local beef cooked perfectly medium, as requested, and has a nice steak-like flavor, a loosely bound texture and a salty crust. Comes with a gorgeous slice of tomato, a pile of greens,…

Meat of the Matter

Meat of the Matter

Our fearless editorial director reflects on the power of the perfect burger.

Although technically it didn’t get its start here, the burger has become the ultimate American dish, and I love seeing how the iconic sandwich has evolved in different cities across the country. In L.A., you’ll invariably find an option served with a pile of avocado slices. In Wisconsin, land of plentiful beef and cheese, cheeseburgers…

Gift Shops Galore

Gift Shops Galore

Two great new Seattle shops for last-minute gifts.

The next time you need a gift in a pinch (as in, 20 minutes before that forgotten afterwork party you just remembered), swing by one of two new gift stops, located on opposing hilltops to suit any crosstown breakneck trek. The former proprietress of the still-popular Illume Candle line (she sold the business more than…

Lemon Drop Has a New Locale

Lemon Drop Has a New Locale

A new home for some of the city's best vintage frocks.

You lucky Ballardites, you: Two-year-old Lemon Drop vintage boutique has moved from its original, easy-to-miss North Seattle spot to bigger digs four blocks off Market (Ballard, 5818 24th Ave. NW; 206.547.1840). Owner Jodi Obde has taken advantage of the extra room by bulking up her selection of offbeat fur hats, plucky home décor accents and—take…

Menswear Fit for Lean Giants

Menswear Fit for Lean Giants

A former Microsoft marketer launches a special line of mens' shirts catering to tall, trim men.

For designer Mark Tindall, the “big and tall” section in menswear only works halfway. “[Shirts] were always long enough, but big and boxy,” he says. “They would be huge on my neck, short on the arms.” So, the 6-foot-3 former Microsoft marketer started sketching his own pattern ideas and in late 2009, along with his…

Why More Seattleites are Getting Plastic Surgery

Why More Seattleites are Getting Plastic Surgery

Seattle’s tough job market is prompting a wave of plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry.

Looks aren’t everything, but in the world of finance, they can be a key to success, according to Scott, a 57-year-old Seattle-area certified financial planner and wealth manager. Though things had been going well at work, Scott was worried about losing his edge. He’s physically very fit—a nationally ranked athlete—but until recently, his eyes sported…

Northwest Home January 2012

Northwest Home January 2012

The latest issue of our magazine about home design and decor.

The latest issue of Northwest Home (found inside the January issue of Seattle magazine) showcases some tasty tables, a Ballard couple’s cool furniture design studio and tips on how to glam up your manse. Plus, our Home of Month stars a mod marvel of a floating home on South Lake Union (tour it: January 22)….

Pioneer Square's Big New Deal

Pioneer Square’s Big New Deal

An enormous, multi-tower, multi-use development has just broken ground in Pioneer Squre. Is Stadium

On one of the last warm summer days of 2011, a construction crew put up the black steel tower of a pile driver in the extreme northwest corner of the parking lot just north of CenturyLink Field. Within days, a reciprocating WHAM! bounced among the brick and sandstone walls of Pioneer Square, as if the…