to relax during my last day in this fabulous city, i decided to check out early, drop my stuff off with reception, and take advantage of the free shuttle service from the inn to downtown. my lunch reservation wasn't till 11AM, so i thought i'd walk around pike place market again and let the smells of yummy foods waft over me....
during our quick shuttle ride, i met a woman and her daughter who were headed back to new york! they'd been in seattle for a family gathering, and the woman's husband is actually a professor in journalism at NYU by the name of david dent! what a small world. and then of course, the other passenger was himself a professor of history at FSU, who was in town for an american history conference! and academic worlds collide on a hotel shuttle. it's wonderful how life works out that way.
plus, the woman and her daughter were on their way to take the bus to the airport (the 195) from the downtown terminal. and as soon as the man (who was also going to the airport) realized he didn't need to pay for a $50 cab ride, he took their lead! and finally, when our driver noticed that a young couple parked on a street where they were going to get towed, we all screamed out of our windows to let them know! i mean, does this stuff happen anywhere else? probably. but all in one ride? doubtful.
as i walked through pike place market, i walked past all these stalls where i wanted to spend lots and lots of my non-existent money. but i stopped. and i decided that the sights and sounds were good enough -- at least until my next visit! i even passed by the fish market again, where i caught the glance of my cute fishmonger, who asked me whether i wanted to do another oyster shooter. i smiled, told him it was too early in the day, and quickly sped off toward my next destination. these are the things a girl remembers. and quite fondly!
my last seattle foodie destination was purple cafe and wine bar in downtown. it was very close to the market, but of course i'd gotten so distracted that i was racing to the restaurant. once again, i was the first diner of the day! when i walked in a few minutes before 11AM, they were still sweeping! thankfully, i didn't have to wait long, and i was seated at a lovely table by the window. similar to my experience at tilth, my left arm was pretty much frozen solid (due to questionable installation), though i suppose a sweater would've much improved the situation. at any rate, i was so distracted (do we see a trend here?) with the gorgeous decor and the fabulous menu to really care. the hostess was a bit off, but my server was wonderfully friendly and i felt right at home.
after perusing their extensive menu, i decided to choose a bit of this... and a bit of that... a wonderful sandwich/salad combo of a half turkey/havarti/bacon sandwich and a simple caesar salad. in addition, i was dying to try their cider-braised beets. i also tried to order a sample of the ewephoria cheese (which i basically wanted b/c of the name), but it was probably a good thing that they'd run out, since there was already too much food coming my way! the beets came first, and although the dish was plenty colorful, the flavor was very basic and didn't do much for the palate.
on the other hand, the sandwich i can STILL taste in my mouth. perhaps i was hungry, but i honestly can't ever remember liking ANY sandwich as much i adored this one. it was the perfect blend of crusty bread w/warm turkey, smooth & melting havarti cheese, and crisp bacon. i was literally in heaven. and i'm so glad it was only a half sandwich b/c i would've keeled over w/a whole one. it was seriously the most fabulous melding of flavors and textures. it made my day!
to top off my meal, i decided to try 2 small desserts -- a goat cheese ice cream and a meyer lemon mousse. purple is known for its small plates, so this was quite perfect for someone like me who enjoyed trying a little bit of everything. when the desserts came, even one of the women at a ladies lunch nearby couldn't resist a bit of a stare. on my left, the goat cheese ice cream was a warm yellow scoop that i almost mistook for the lemon dessert! on my right, the lemon meyer mousse was a slightly lighter yellow, but just as inviting. on first taste of the ice cream, i was in love. it was wonderfully smooth, not too sweet, and ever so slightly savory. i tried to eat it as slowly as possible. while i love tart and tangy, i always worry that lemon desserts will hit me too hard. this one was perfect -- a mildly lemon-ey mousse w/a more intense tangy center, all on top of what i think was a lightly lemon-ey shortbread cookie. mmm.... what a fabulous way to end the trip!
http://www.thepurplecafe.com/
as i sauntered back to the hotel, i realized how much i really appreciated the freedom and independence to wander about at will. i think i'll really miss being able to travel like this on a whim. but then again, maybe i'm just looking for the right city to be in, where i won't feel this constant need to leave. all suggestions welcome!
before i headed to the airport, i'd gotten an appointment for a deep tissue massage at the jill bucy spa a the marquette hotel nearby. considering that i'm still aching from my trapeze lesson THREE weeks ago, i really needed it. and boy did the masseuse find some SERIOUS knots. she did her best to work through them in 60 minutes, but my trapezius and neck muscles are still a big ole mess. and i've decided that NP's suck b/c the one i saw didn't even touch me and told me to take naproxen twice a day. (UGH!) so i've made an appointment to see an MD to get checked out again, and an acupuncture appointment to start working through the inflammation. Oh, back to the prosaic realities of life in LA....
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