5 Point Cafe
Season 1 Showtime GIF by The L Word: Generation QGiphy5 Point Cafe came into my life on a staycation in the city with my best friend. If you're looking for a good late night spot, with mystery shots, a+ tier diner food and such an incredible staff, you'll find that right here. The cafe does get quite crowded, especially in the evening and on game days, but if you're okay with the wait, crowded is when the place is the most fun!
What you're ordering: Any food item, but you have to get the mystery shots!
Location: 415 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98119
Pike Place Bar & Grill
Lets Eat GIF by Hunter PrestonGiphyPike Place Bar & Grill has quickly become my go to spot in the city. With prime real estate, the best staff and unbeatable views of the market, I come here almost everytime i venture downtown. The food is probably the best you'll find on this list, ranging from incredible seafood, to classic favorites like burgers and pasta, you can't go wrong.
What you'll order: Jell-O shots, Mimosa bucket, or anything off the cocktail menu, and to eat, Crab Cakes Benedict.
Location: 90 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
Ivar’s Acres of Clams
washington seattle GIFGiphyIf you've ever been to downtown Seattle, chances are you've walked past the Ivar's located on the waterfront. Ivar's walk up window is a Seattle staple, truly a pillar of the community, with some killer clam chowder! Now, there is a very fancy sit down restaurant that you can opt-in for, but come on, the walk up window to go and then going to sit by the ocean outside is the way to go.
What you'll order: Clam Chowder, duh!
Location: 1001 Alaskan Way Ste. 102, Seattle, WA 98104
Victrola Coffee and Art
Snow White Coffee GIFGiphyI don't really have much to say about Victrola, besides that it's easily the best coffee you'll find in the city. I tend to frequent the capitol hill location, as that's definetley the superior one. If you're the type to work while at a coffee shop, this is the perfect location.
Location: 411 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112
El Borracho
Hungry 90 Day Fiance GIF by TLCGiphyI know a lot of people are trying to eat at least semi- plant based! El Borracho is perfect for that, or just for someone who really loves Mexican food, because all though dairy and meat aren't present, all of those flavors are on display! In my humble opinion, El Borracho has the best Mexican food in the city, and it's not even close.
What you'll order: as long as you try their salsa, everything else is fair game.
Location: 1521 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Pike Place Chowder
Kat Graham Spring Fling GIF by Hallmark ChannelGiphyNow, I know I just raved about Ivar's clam chowder, and I do believe it's a+ tier, but Pike Place Chowder may inch them out. The clam chowder here is the creamiest, best seasoned chowder I have ever had. This place is constantly packed, super small and barely has any seating, inside or outside. So if you're venturing into Post Alley to eat here, plan to take your food elsewhere!
What you'll order: Clam Chowder or a lobster roll!
Location: 1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Dick’s
Animated GIFGiphyDick's is THE Seattle staple! Is it one am and a concert just got out and you're starving? Go to Dick's! My personal favorite location rests in Queen Anne, making it the perfect post Climate Pledge arena show meal. The food is cheap, and one of my favorite greasy guilty pleasures!
What you'll order: A deluxe burger, fries, and two things of tartar sauce
Location: 500 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Bok a Bok
GIF by Food NetworkGiphyListen, if a place is good enough for the mayor of flavor town himself, Guy Fieri, then it's good enough for me and you. Bok a Bok is a Korean/Southern fusion that we don't even think we could have come up with in our wildest dreams. They're always playing ‘The Office’ (taste!) and always have a line, so get there early, or go late at night!
What you’ll order: Bulgogi tacos!
Location: 1427 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Zeke’s
Season 7 Nbc GIF by The OfficeGiphyZeke’s has easily become my favorite hangout spot in the city. From top-notch pizza that breaks the mold of what a traditional pizza is, to the best IPAs in town, Zeke’s is where you want to be. Plus, if you sit at just the right table you can eat with a perfect view of the Space Needle, doesn't get much more Seattle-core than that.
What you'll order: Thai Chicken Pizza (I get level four spice, but you do you)
Location: 419 Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98109
Alaskan Sourdough Bakery
Snl GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphyI went on a date here, so maybe it's a bit tarnished, but the bread is unbeatable. Not much more to say, it's in a cute location on the waterfront, and has good food, go!
What you'll order: any form of soup in a bread bowl
Location: 1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101
You Should Be Watching "90 Day Fiance"
The people need to know!
There are few things in life more satisfying than seeing people get exactly what they deserve. And I get to bear witness to this week after week, every Sunday on TLC. "90 Day Fiancé" is the ongoing story of five couples who cross international borders, having either met online or through chance meetings abroad. The show rotates focus from couple to couple over the course of a two-hour episode. For a channel that is ostensibly about learning (remember, TLC stands for The Learning Channel), they sure do jam their programming blocks full of things that are designed to make you lose brain cells. It is a rip-roaring good time and you should absolutely be watching.
The all-important MacGuffin of the show is the K-1 visa, which allows these foreign lovers to come over and live in the United States. Not a lot of importance is placed on the process of getting the visa, but having the visa arrive is treated like a huge stepping stone for each of the couples. There is a certain chaos in observing the couples' day-to-day lives, and it's voyeuristic in a lot of ways but what reality show isn't?
Each new segment of the show showcases a different aspect of how each couple is a disaster. This season, we have Jorge and Anfisa. Jorge pretended to be a millionaire in order to woo Anfisa away from her home country. She only likes him for the money he doesn't have. Luis and Molly are a mismatched couple whose very existence as a couple is tearing Molly's family apart. Nicole is trying to get Azan to move to the US with her, but he's not having it. Pedro and Chantel's families hate their guts and threaten constantly to tear them apart. And those are just the conflicts they open with! Wait until you get to the part where Chantel's mom thinks Pedro is trying to harvest their organs. This show is amazing because they've managed to find people who by all means do not have the communication skills to be in a relationship, but have the money or the sheer will to get someone to agree to it.
It's one of those "slow burn" watching experiences. There's not always something exciting going on, but there's so much tension just bubbling beneath the surface that even segments where they are doing nothing can feel fraught with melodrama. The question of the show is whether or not the couples will stay together and in most cases there should be no reason for them to stay together.
I love this show because it is trash television, but I also think that there is something to be appreciated about trash television. There doesn't always have to be value to media we absorb, sometimes it is nice to be able to sit back and just let waves of garbage wash over you. This show honestly deserves to be watched by more people because of just how much craziness they can shove into one two-hour time block. Long live the kings of frauding.