Edgewater Hotel Seattle Wa

A culinary pilgrimage in and around Seattle

A taste of Seattleand beyond

— One restaurant you shouldn't miss, in terms of its festive atmosphere and the first-rate seafood, is the Walrus and the Carpenter (206-395-9227; www.thewalrusbar.com ), in the Ballard neighborhood, about a 15-minute drive from the city center. Although it bills itself as an oyster bar, it's really much more, and two people can easily build a dinner of small plates for $80 to $90, including beer or wine but not tax and tip.

— For a more centrally located, equally unfussy seafood alternative, there's Seatown (206-436-0390; www.tomdouglas.com ), near the Pike Place Market, one of the latest additions to the Seattle chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas' ever-expanding local empire. It showcases raw oysters, smoked fish and rotisserie meats. It's a great place for a snack, but two can have a full lunch or dinner with beer or wine for anywhere from $60 to $100, excluding tax and tip.

Revel (206-547-2040; www.revelseattle.com ), in the Fremont neighborhood, provides a sleek theater for contemporary Korean cooking that's gently priced: two people could have lunch or dinner, including wine, beer and one of its trademark ice cream sandwiches, for under $80.

Madison Park Conservatory (206-324-9701; www.madisonparkconservatory.com ), with views of Lake Washington, is more expensive but worth it, for serious new American cooking with exemplary local ingredients. Dinner for two with wine: about $120.

For an overnight trek, consider the Willows Inn on Lummi Island (360-758-2620 for hotel and restaurant; www.willows-inn.com ), which gets almost all its meat, vegetables and fruits from within a few square miles and doesn't look much farther for its catch. A five-course dinner is $85 a person, not including beverages, and rooms, cottages and suites at the inn are $195 to $625 a night.

Drinking

In the Seattle exurb of Woodinville, more than 90 wineries and several distillers of hard liquor have tasting rooms, and while hours vary, most are open during the day (but not night) on Saturdays and Sundays. The Woodinville Wine Country association (425-205-4394; www.woodinvillewinecountry.com ) has more information, including maps, about wine tasting rooms.

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