jh1776's Profile
Fresh, Live Lobsters in Seattle or Eastside?
We are also transplanted New Englanders and have a tradition of lobster at the holidays. We order ours through A&J Meats and Seafood on top of Queen Anne. It does not take a ton of notice for the order, and they get them in for the date you request, so they are superfresh. We felt the price was reasonable for the PNW, and much better service than the companies where you can arrange for lobster to be shipped (which we have used when we lived places without good fishmongers). One year, our lobsters apparently looked so tempting that they ended up putting a big sign on the tank that they were already sold because they were tired of having to tell other customers they weren't available!
Dinner with kids near Space Needle
In the neighborhood near the Space Needle, you will be walking a few blocks in any direction. I would probably take the kids to Whym, which is a 24-hour place with comfort/diner food, a few blocks down Denny. Not all reviews have been positive, but my experience taking my nephew and niece there (9 and 1.5 at the time) was good and we all liked the food very much. There is a little intersection nearby with a pizza place called Zeek's and a new restaurant called Tilikum Place Cafe that people seem to like--I have not eaten there. You could also cross Seattle Center to the lower Queen Anne neighborhood, where my family likes Racha Noodle House and Athina Grill. Walking up 5th Avenue takes you to Genki Sushi (over the QFC Market) for conveyor belt sushi. If you would rather eat near the hotel, you could walk south on Madison and then either turn left on 5th for O'Asian or right on 4th for Purple Wine Bar. Purple is probably the most foodie-ish--the other restaurants are all pretty casual and while I am always happy with what I get, they are definitely "regular food" not "fancy food." Good luck--I love eating out with kids in Seattle.
Seattle w/ a toddler
We have a Tiny Person in the family also and have eaten around Seattle quite a bit with her. We actually find grazing Pike Place Market doesn't work as well for her because the crowds overwhelm her, but if you are down there the donut stand that makes tiny doughnuts is a big hit. She doesn't have the patience to wait long once seated, so she does well with dim sum at O'Asian on 5th Avenue because the food appears instantly. As another poster mentioned, Tutta Bella is kid-friendly and you can ride the South Lake Union Trolley to get there which is also a thrill. Also, if you are in Seattle a week, I hope you'll have a chance to get into the neighborhoods to see another side of the city. Ballard, Fremont, and Queen Anne are all easily accessible by cab if you want to strap in the car seat or bus if you don't (our Tiny Person LOVES the bus) and have family friendly restaurants. Ballard has Cafe Besalu for great bakery stuff, Fremont has Blue C Sushi which is not earthstopping, but the conveyor-belt approach is a big attraction (instant food!), and if you get into Upper Queen Anne, The Five Spot and Queen Anne Cafe both have good solid breakfasts. Upper QA is very much a family neighborhood so you will see kids in most restaurants you go into and there are several nice parks for after-meal leg stretching.
