Seattle, Washington – 2016

Rome received an amazing job offer at Microsoft – there was only one catch, he had to move up to Seattle.

This was a difficult decision at first, but it ended up being an incredible year to spend together. Rome still had a year of grad school at Berkeley, so he would still visit to finish class.

We still saw each other a ton, and we learned about the incredible city of Seattle. There is so much to appreciate in Seattle: the music scene is incredible, the outdoors are easy to get to, the food is delicious, and there were a ton of events to enjoy.

Restaurants

Suika Seattle

Suika Seattle is Rome’s favorite Japanese restaurant in Seattle. They have an incredible balsamic glazed short rib that you won’t find anywhere else. Their sushi and ramen is delicious as well.

Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant

Ever seen the movie “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”? Well, Jiro’s cousin Shiro moved to Seattle and opened up Shiro’s Sushi.

Shiro is at a new spot now, but the sushi is still amazing.

Ray’s Boathouse

We ended up going to Ray’s Boathouse because they were the only restaurant in Ballard who had reservations, and we ended up at a place that had great views of the Puget Sound and amazing seafood. Not only is this a reliable place to get a reservation, you’ll love their food. We recommend the black cod!

Serious Pie

Serious Pie is a place to grab a slice in Capitol Hill – there’s always space, and the pizza is solid.

Bars

Canon

Canon is Rome’s favorite bar in Seattle – they were ranked the 6th best bar in the United States back in 2014.

The drink selection is amazing, and they do a great job of controlling the crowd size in the bar. If you hate crowded bars, and love amazing cocktails, this is the perfect bar for you.

Unicorn

Unicorn is an incredibly eclectic bar with an arcade in the basement! This is a great place to take a group of friends, or to go on a first date!

Events

Seattle has so many events to enjoy, and we made to attend as many as we could.

Seafair

We’ll always know Seafair as the Fleet Week of Seattle – but it’s a serious upgrade.

Imagine a warm sunny day, with boats lined all around Lake Washington, watching the Blue Angels flying over you. That’s Seafair in a sentence. It’s hard to beat partying on the lake when the Blue Angels are flying over you.

They also warm up during the week – Rome took some photos from his office at Lincoln Square in Bellevue.

Seattle Great Wheel

Seattle’s Ferris Wheel, the Great Wheel, is a great way to get some amazing views of the city. The line is long, but it goes by quickly.

Seattle Mariners Game – Safeco Field

When the Mariners are bad, you can get a great deal on seats at Safeco Field. These seats on the 3rd base line were $7 each.

Rome had an interesting observation during the game, he mentioned: “there are so many Seahawks fans in Seattle, where are all the Mariner fans?”

Maybe they’re all stuck in traffic…

Century Link Field – Seattle Seahawks Game

Say what you want about the Seahawks, but Century Link is a pretty amazing stadium. We have attended Seahawks games and Sounders games, and both are an amazing time.

Outdoors

Mount Si

Mount Si is an intense hike – 8 miles round trip, and a 3,150 feet elevation gain. This hike is a lot of work, but the views are worth it.

Talapus and Olallie Lakes

Talapus and Olallie Lakes is a 6.2 mile hike, and a 1,220 feet elevation gain. The lakes are cold, but the swim is still refreshing on a warm summer hike.