It’s true that Seattleites can come off as shy at best and emotionally unavailable to a clinical degree at worst. But there is one surefire way to soften our stiff exteriors: food. Something happens when we convene in the waiting area of a favorite brunch spot or stand in line to buy a hot dog slathered with cream cheese at 2 a.m. We talk to one another. We bond over steaming bowls of phở and burritos the size of babies and slices of cakes that are so expertly crafted, they’re worth the (rare-in-this-city) 30-plus-minute wait. If you want to find the best version of Seattle, start with really good food.

Slurp Up a Giant Bowl of Phở

Multiple locations

Every Seattleite has a favorite place to get pho, and where they choose will tell you more about them than any astrology chart ever could. Small local chain Ba Bar is phở for party people. The restaurants are hip and colorful with heated patios and a vast menu of Vietnamese street food-inspired dishes, and the Capitol Hill location is open until midnight daily. Phở Bắc is for the real ones. Their original location on Rainier Avenue has been around since 1982, but they’ve evolved along with Seattle—their more contemporary sister businesses, Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and the Boat were nominated for a James Beard Award in 2024. My money is on any Phở Than Brothers location. No frills, no aesthetic to speak of. The only thing that has changed on the menu in decades is the prices. The vegetarian broth is light and flavorful, notably spiced with lemongrass and star anise, and they’ll give you extra broccoli if you ask nicely. Plus: free cream puff! New to pho? Not sure what to do with this Vietnamese noodle soup that comes with loads of accouterments and unspoken instructions? Listen to “Wassup Pham” by local hip-hop hero Sabzi. “We eat a big bowl, gon’ smell like it all day.” MEGAN SELING

Meet the Metropolitan Market Cookie

Multiple locations

Normally, I chafe at things that smugly proclaim themselves “the” definitive version of something (see: Alison Roman’s “The Stew”), but in this case, Metropolitan Market’s signature cookie, “The Cookie,” has earned its moniker because it really is just that good. Served underbaked and warm from the oven, it’s a marvel of engineering and a true chocolate lover’s cookie, featuring a squidgy dough bound together with not one but two types of melty, luxurious Callebaut Belgian chocolate (both bittersweet and semisweet). Toasted walnuts add crunch, dimension, and a whisper of earthy, nutty bitterness, while a sprinkle of fleur de sel balances all the flavors. It’s the highest calling of a chocolate chip cookie, the apotheosis of Ruth Graves Wakefield’s original Toll House recipe. If I was forced to name a single flaw, it might be that the crinkly paper wrapper suggests it’s suitable for sharing—I tend to disagree. JULIANNE BELL

Devour a Burrito as Big as a Baby at Gorditos Healthy Mexican

Greenwood

I am a lifelong vegetarian, which means that my diet consists primarily of burritos. So, believe me when I say that trying a new burrito place is risky. For one, you never know how big your meal is going to be—I won’t name any names, but I’ve been disappointed by a meek six-inch-tortilla burrito before. That’s why I appreciate the genius marketing that is Gorditos’ “baby burrito.” No, it’s not a burrito made for a baby, but rather a burrito that is the size of an actual infant (see for yourself—the restaurant is plastered in photos of newborns beside their foil-wrapped counterparts). Plus, there are so many vegetarian fillings beyond the standard fajita veggies—tofu, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, avocado, steamed vegetables... the list goes on! There’s also meat—your choice of chicken, steak, and pork—if you’re into that kind of thing. AUDREY VANN

Deep-Throat a Seattle Dog at 2 a.m. (or Anytime, Really)

Multiple locations

One might pause before deep-throating a hot dog slathered in cream cheese and onions at 2 a.m., but if you haven’t had a Seattle Dog, then you’re truly missing out on the best food option for your drunken night out. Concentrated along the curbs of popular nightlife areas like Capitol Hill, these hot dog stands feed the masses in both vegetarian and carnivorous forms. (A couple favorites include Monster Dogs and Dante’s Inferno Dogs.) I can’t guarantee our Northwestern ways won’t upset your stomach, but if we’re all going to die in a giant earthquake, it’s worth checking this delicacy off your bucket list, despite any aftershocks. NICO SWENSON

Order Literally Anything at Fuji Bakery

Multiple locations

Fuji Bakery is the place where any order is right. Their spread is dazzling: sugar-dusted malasadas overflowing with sweet gobs of matcha or ube cream, crispy chicken katsu or egg salad sandwiches made with fat slices of fresh-baked milk bread, deep golden croissants, custardy canelés, and more. I found Fuji (or Fuji found me) shortly after moving to Seattle three years ago, and in that time, I’ve tried nearly everything without disappointment, but the unassuming milk stick, a plain-looking chewy loaf sliced down the middle and slathered with a pillowy sweet cream filling, has emerged as my favorite. At no fault of Fuji’s, parking at its main bakery in Interbay is unwieldy, but worth braving. If you’re in the Chinatown–International District, check out the walk-up storefront on King Street. VIVIAN McCALL

Gorge on Pastries and Pasta at Bonito Cafe y Mercadito and Donna’s

Capitol Hill

Bonito and Donna’s are delicious neighbors. Culinarily, they have nothing to do with each other, but if you’re in the neighborhood, it would be a shame to visit one and skip the other. The queer- and Latino-owned Bonito, the friendliest coffee shop in Capitol Hill, makes a mean cup and stock their pastry case with delectables from Selva Central Goods (get the Puerquito Sandwich, thank me later). As of May, they’re also open for cocktails after 6 p.m. Donna’s is an Italian restaurant for East Coasters who miss a mom and pop joints with red-checked tablecloths. Visually, it’s not that at all, but the food will fool your spirit. The bar will just get you drunk. (Try the Mandarin Hero. It’s like licking a melting dreamsicle off your hand when you were 5.) VIVIAN McCALL

Taste the Original Teriyaki at Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill

Multiple locations

Composed of sticky-sweet glazed chicken thighs, mounds of steamed white rice, and that little cup of crunchy iceberg salad in a creamy sesame sauce, Seattle-style teriyaki is the city’s unofficial comfort food. In 2010, The New York Times declared the local dish the Emerald City equivalent of a Chicago dog. We can thank Toshi Kasahara, who founded Seattle’s first teriyaki restaurant in 1976, for that—Kasahara popularized a sweeter, more syrupy style of the Japanese specialty. Find the ubiquitous staple at any of the teriyaki shops dotting the region—a few favorites include Mikou Teriyaki in Georgetown, Choice Deli & Grocery in Ballard, Nasai Teriyaki in the University District, and Teriyaki Madness, which has multiple locations—or make a pilgrimage to Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill in Mill Creek to try the original. JULIANNE BELL

Sip Seattle History at Monorail Espresso

Multiple locations

Monorail Espresso has a plucky Old Seattle vibe and likes to remind people that it was slinging coffee in Seattle “since 1980 B.S. [before Starbucks].” Their origin story is slightly debatable—Charred-bucks actually opened a few blocks away from the first Monorail Espresso cart in 1971. Fuck Starbucks, though—many locals avoid the chain, partly due to their anti-worker and union-busting ways. What Monorail Espresso undoubtedly DID coin first is their signature burnt cream latte, and you absolutely must try one if ever you find yourself in the downtown grid before closing time. The recipe for this smooth, custardy, not-too-sweet confection is an ancient Seattle mystery, so we can only guess what elixirs are in there. Suffice it to say that Monorail’s Arabica house roast is strong but never bitter, the foam is like cashmere, and the deep, rich flavors of slightly scorched brown sugar, butter, and toffee will envelop your orbitofrontal cortex for the rest of the day. MEG VAN HUYGEN

Eat Oysters at Taylor Shellfish

Multiple locations

Our humble city happens to be one of the best places in the world to eat oysters, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of that. The “tide-to-table” retailer Taylor Shellfish has been in the game for five generations and sources the offerings at its oyster bars directly from its own farms daily for maximum freshness. Hit up their happy hour (2 p.m.–4 p.m. at the Capitol Hill location and 3 p.m.–5 p.m. at the Queen Anne and Pioneer Square ones) for $2.25 “oysters du jour.” The resident shuckers are affable and game to explain the finer points of the bivalves of the day to you. JULIANNE BELL

Pick Your Poison at the Doctor’s Office

Capitol Hill

I haven’t met a cocktail I didn’t love at the Doctor’s Office, which is, in my opinion the best cocktail bar, no, bar, in Seattle. Everything is just right. The bartenders are cool and talkative, but not too chatty. The liquor selection is immense (including whiskey, scotch, and gin from the personal collection of reclusive film producer and aviator Howard Hughes), but the price point is on par with other cocktail bars. It’s quiet and intimate, yet I’ve never felt overheard. Literally any cocktail will do, but I think about two drinks at least once a week: the fizziest Suntory Toki highball conceivable and the celery shrub, a non-alcoholic mix of celery juice, apple cider vinegar, and spices left to marinate in the fridge for two days. Like any doctor’s office, you wouldn’t show up without an appointment. Book on the website, ideally ahead of time. There’s only 12 seats. VIVIAN McCALL

Sit at Bruce Lee’s Table at Tai Tung Chinese Restaurant

Chinatown–International District

Before he was an internationally renowned martial arts superstar, Bruce Lee was just a college kid in Seattle, and his favorite dish was the beef in oyster sauce from Tai Tung—today the city’s oldest Chinese restaurant, founded in 1935. Reportedly, Lee was such a devoted regular that he didn’t even have to order—he’d just sit down at his favorite corner table and the servers would bring him his food. Pay a visit to the local treasure to dine like the “Little Dragon” himself. Charismatic third-generation owner Harry Chan will greet you with a smile, and you’ll see that Lee’s entree of choice is still a banger, swimming in savory-sweet sauce. (He was also a fan of the garlic shrimp, so order that for extra credit.) Follow up your pilgrimage with a visit to the Be Water, My Friend exhibit at Wing Luke Museum—it’s just a block away—to learn more about Lee’s life. JULIANNE BELL

Try the Nutty Cloud at Aroom

Fremont

When the world all feels like all too much, one of my favorite “little treat culture” rituals, which you’re welcome to steal, is to book myself a manicure at Urban Nail Box in Fremont, and I always head to the salon’s nearby sibling Aroom Coffee for an iced Vietnamese coffee beforehand. I’m partial to the signature Nutty Cloud, a sweet, refreshing vegan peanut butter iced coffee—don’t knock it till you try it!—but the popular “salty coffee” (phin-brewed coffee with condensed milk and salted cream) and the black sesame latte are also winners. The Aroom space is chic, airy, and modern, but perpetually bustling, so I usually take my coffee to go and sip it while getting my nails done—bliss! JULIANNE BELL

Split a Slice of Cake at Deep Sea Sugar & Salt

Georgetown

The line for Deep Sea Sugar & Salt cake shop can stretch out the door some days. Charlie Dunmire’s cake empire lives up to the hype, with a rotating menu of about a dozen different cakes and cupcakes on any given day, and there’s not a single dud in the bunch. You’d be wise to take a friend and split some slices for maximum menu sampling. The lemon layer cake has a tart citrus bite that will tickle your parotids; the s’mores and key lime cakes wear caps of puffy, fluffy meringue with peaks reaching out and just begging to be plucked with a finger. One surprising mainstay is the London Fog. With Earl Grey cake, honey, and Earl Grey syrup, bergamot mascarpone cream, and tangy cream cheese frosting, it sounds like it would be flowery and herbal, right? Somehow, thanks to Dunmire’s wizardry, the combination of flavors surpasses the expectations of the individual parts, and it tastes like sophisticated Froot Loops. MEGAN SELING

Eat a Bánh Mì While Playing Pool at Billiard Hoang

Columbia City

In a tale as old as sapphic time, my first date with my now-girlfriend took place after she flew across the country to meet me. She picked the hallowed Columbia City dive, Billiard Hoang, as the first place she wanted to go after her seven-hour flight, so off we went. The unique establishment is a combination Vietnamese restaurant and pool hall, so we flirted while pretending to know how to shoot billiards, watching old men play snooker, and dining on bánh mì and bún măng vt (a duck vermicelli noodle soup with bamboo shoots). Date or not, I highly recommend coming here for some soul-filling comfort fare with a side of people-watching. Who knows—you just might find lasting love! JULIANNE BELL

Crunch into the Crisp Burrito at Taco Time

Multiple locations

Taco Time isn’t what it used to be. The once crunchy, piping hot “tater fries” are now stale and lukewarm. Their fish tacos, which I used to think were pretty good for fast food, are now a food poisoning hazard (it has happened to me, and it could happen to you, too). That being said, the tried-and-true crisp burrito is still as good as it was in the ’90s, and it lures me back to the drive-thru a few times a year. This burrito, which is really more of a mega taquito, consists of a fried flour tortilla filled with cheese and your choice of protein (I recommend playing it safe and getting pinto beans). There is a Taco Time in nearly every neighborhood of Seattle, so whatever the occasion—lunch break, stoned craving, etc.—the crisp burrito is there for you. AUDREY VANN

Dominate the 12-Egg Omelette at Beth’s Cafe

Green Lake

If you think you’ve got what it takes to go toe to toe with a truly formidable food challenge, say hello to the famous 12-egg omelette at one of Seattle’s most iconic haunts, Beth’s Cafe. This mountain of a meal is served with all-you-can-eat hash browns and your choice of toast, and it’s so intense that back in 2009, Man v. Food host Adam Richman couldn’t finish the damn thing. Thankfully, they also serve up a more manageable six-egg version, and their late-night weekend hours (they’re open till 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday) provide a perfect end to a night of hard partying. The city’s breakfast options looked bleak when Beth’s was forced to close for more than a year during the pandemic, but Seattleites rejoiced when the greasy spoon—with its massive meals—reopened in 2023. KEVIN DIERS

Indulge in a Fancy AF Burger at Gainsbourg

Greenwood

A great burger is, of course, a core litmus test of a city’s restaurant scene, and Seattle’s got a stacked roster when it comes to burgerball. The MVP among them is in Greenwood, at French-ish bar/bistro Gainsbourg. The Gainsbourger is equal parts lamb and beef, grilled and served simply on thick brioche with caramelized onion confit, a smear of dijon mustard, and house gherkins on the side, and it is succulent. Everybody knows about this luxurious lamburger because you can get it à la carte during happy hour (all day on Mondays!) for $7, less than half price! But it’s somehow even better with Gainsbourg’s skinny, crisp duck fat frites, accompanied by housemade ketchup and aioli, so if it’s happy hour, tack those guys on. You gotta. And it doesn’t need it, but if you wanna go all out, adding a fried egg and a slice of Gruyère cheese to the Gainsbourger punts this thing into the fricking stratosphere. MEG VAN HUYGEN

Hunt Down a Pink Cookie

Multiple locations

The Big Pink Cookie is a Northwest delicacy that has sat in local grocery stores and on coffee cart counters for as long as I can remember. It’s one of those snacks that is so ubiquitous in Seattle that I suspect the public has stopped noticing. The treat is a crumbly, palm-sized Danish shortbread slathered in pale pink cream cheese frosting and perfumed with almond extract and a dash of cardamom. Are the plastic-wrapped sweets the most delicious cookie in town? No. They can be dry and overly sweet—but I wouldn’t want it any other way! You can find the original Uncle Seth’s Big Pink Cookies at any local grocery store or coffee shop that feels stuck in 1999—Thriftways seem to keep them well stocked, as does the U-District’s Cafe Allegro. This is my plea to you, Seattle, to honor our regional treat. AUDREY VANN

Crunch into a Ruffles Potato Chip Treat at Little Jaye 

South Park

One of Seattle’s best bakeries is tucked away in a quiet area of South Park, off the beaten path and easy to overlook. Do not. Little Jaye makes some of the best home-style baked goods you’ll ever put in your mouth. There are trays of golden biscuits, tender shokupan doughnuts, rows of big-ass cookies dotted with M&Ms, peanut butter chips, and Heath candy bits sit stacks of marshmallowy crispy treats. And we’re not talking about your basic back-of-the-box recipe. These crispy treats are the size of bricks and loaded with a rainbow of cereals and stir-ins—Cocoa Krispies, Fruity Pebbles, Golden Grahams, chocolate chunks, and pretzels. The star of the show is the crispy treat made entirely of crunched-up Ruffles potato chips. The chips are thick enough to hold their own in the marshmallow bath, making for a decadent salty-sweet, crispy-crunchy marvel. MEGAN SELING

Catch a Flying Hot Dog at the Mariners Game 

SoDo

There are currently 30 baseball teams in the MLB, and 29 of them have made it to the World Series at least once. The one holdout? The Seattle fucking Mariners. And yet, every summer, dedicated fans flock to T-Mobile Park to see if this year will be our year. (It won’t.) Thankfully, the Mariners know their baseball shenanigans won’t always be enough to keep the people entertained, so they’ve taken to hyping up the crowd with especially goofy park promotions, including Emo Night (May 29), Bark at the Park (bring your dogs!), and Hot Dogs from Heaven, when hot dogs tied to parachutes rain down on the crowd. You’ll know it’s time when Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” begins to blast from the speakers. MEGAN SELING

Savor World-Class Sushi (and Try Geoduck, If You Must) at Maneki

Chinatown—International District

Newcomers may not know that, although our city is pretty fucking white, Seattle’s Japanese American community has been in town almost as long as any other group of settlers—the first wave of emigrants arrived from Japan in 1880—and is a crucial part of our culinary psyche. Opening in 1904 and named for the maneki-neko, the beckoning cat figurine that apocryphally brings good luck to its owner, Maneki is the oldest sushi restaurant in the nation, and it’s been a paragon of Japanese cuisine in the US for 120 years. The original building mimicked a Japanese castle, it had private tatami rooms, the servers wore kimonos, and the restaurant could seat 500. But during WWII, when its owners were forcibly interned in camps, the building was vandalized and ransacked. Lucky for us, the restaurant reopened half a block away in 1946, with new tatami rooms. Currently owned by former server Jean Nakayama, Maneki’s known by locals as the untouristy spot for world-class sushi (sorry, Shiro). If you ARE a tourist, you can famously eat geoduck here, a PNW delicacy that’s honestly just a big expensive clam shaped like a dick. But like everything else on the menu, Maneki styles it expertly, sautéing it with mushrooms, butter, and chili. MEG VAN HUYGEN

Fight Over a Flight at Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream

Multiple locations

You’re gonna wanna try everything on the menu at Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream—staples include salted caramel, honey lavender, oatmeal cookie dough, and Yeti, a sweet cream ice cream base dotted with crunchy granola, swirls of vanilla bean caramel, and chocolate chunks. And the shop’s seasonal selections—loaded with everything from fresh fruits to locally sourced candy bits to hunks of fresh-baked cakes and cookies—are even more impressive! So you could go down the line and ask for a sample of every flavor on those tiny spoons—they will do that for you, they are very nice—or you could live out your Ziggy Piggy dreams with the shop’s infamous ice cream flight, a big bowl stuffed with mini scoops of every single flavor on the menu. That’s 15 scoops total! It is not for the weak. It is meant to be shared. Bring a friend or five and have fun fighting over who gets the last little melty bits. MEGAN SELING

Ride the Water Taxi to Marination

West Seattle

It’s the perfect sunny day in Seattle. You have no idea what to do, where to go—but then you remember that mythic land across the Sound you’ve only heard stories about: West Seattle. Does one need a magic steed to get there? No, you simply need an Orca card (or $5.75). Take the King County Water Taxi, which loads pedestrians and cyclists (no extra charge for bikes!) from downtown. After a glorious 10-15 minute ride, the taxi drops you off just around the bend from Alki Beach. But right next to the water taxi pier is Marination Ma Kai, a Hawaiian-Korean fusion restaurant. Grab a pair of Aloha sliders to eat and a Jalapeño Fizz to slurp in the sun.  NATHALIE GRAHAM

Feast on Expertly Fried Fish at Emerald City Fish and Chips

Rainier Valley

I want to say straight off the bat that the best people work at Emerald City Fish & Chips, a small joint whose windows view Rainier Avenue and the ghost of Silver Fork, a restaurant and Black cultural institution that was replaced a decade ago by a Safeway gas station. Emerald City Fish & Chips is still here, and their two-piece Alaskan cod and chips are made with the kind of goodness (back-home goodness) you expect from some of the best people in my town. CHARLES MUDEDE

Dine at the Bar at Canlis

North Queen Anne

Contrary to conventional belief, you don’t have to drop $400 to enjoy this stunning and historic Seattle institution. Turns out, you can just show up and sit at the bar. Established in 1950, Peter Canlis and his family created a restaurant that’s known across time and space for its hospitality, creativity, quality, and sheer voluptuousness, and they have a whole swimming pool of James Beard awards to show for it. Anyway, the lounge is right next to the entrance, totally separate from dining, and you can just go. Canlis has loosened the dress code since the dotcom boom, when all the millionaires were 22 and couldn’t be pried from their gravy-stained Linux T-shirts, but you should make an effort. Put on some decent shoes and maybe a jacket, tell the host you’d like to be seated in the bar, and order a drink and the emblematic Canlis salad. A nod to the Canlis family’s Mediterranean roots, it comprises romaine, preposterously high-quality bacon, cherry toms, scallions, fresh mint and oregano, shredded Romano, an eggy-lemony Caesarean dressing, and the most incredible mind-bending croutons that’ve been fried in the acorn-fed, shade-grown bacon fat. Eat yer salad, nurse your drink, and listen to the pianist, who was playing “Poker Face” the last time I was there. Damn, look at you. You eat at Canlis. MEG VAN HUYGEN