Local Color - (Pike Place Market) Seattle, Washington

My travels of downtown Seattle led me to this wonderful coffee house located right across the street from the entrance of Pike Place Market. Local Color, as it would be, is full of color. This eclectic establishment not only serves excellent coffee but also boasts a full-fledged art gallery that rotates the artwork every month with the guarantee of a "fresh new perspective" each time you visit.

I have been to Local Color twice now and I have ordered the same drink both times, an Aztec Mocha made with award-winning coffee; Caffe Vita. Keep in mind, the Aztec Mocha is not for the weak-tongued. It comprises your usual mocha with the addition of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne peppers. Don't let the peppers turn you off though, this drink is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone, well maybe not small children. Local Color's wide variety of drinks is priced at a very reasonable rate, I paid four-fifty for my large mocha. Not bad, especially for the adventure my taste buds went on. Now don't worry I didn't forget the food. As with most coffee places, Local Color serves cold and grilled sandwiches, muffins, and other various desserts. I chose a simple six inch roast beef sandwich. The sandwich was ready very quickly and tasted pretty good. However, I wouldn't ever pay seven-fifty for it again.

Local Color is located in an eccentric, artsy and all around great part of Seattle; Pike Place. They are housed in a diverse, historical building that has a urban-chic feel to it. The building houses about forty people in a mix of leather seats and chairs, high tables, and benches. And the staff is, simply put, fantastic. They are kind, courteous, generous and they don't forget you. All pluses in my book.

If you're ever in the vicinity of Pike Place Market and I know you will be, give Local Color a shot. They won't disappoint anyone from the newbies to the snootiest coffeeholic.

1606 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 728-1717

The New Orleans Creole Restaurant – (Pioneer Square) Seattle, Washington

I admit,  I am always skeptical and when it came to this restaurant, I didn't think twice about it. The New Orleans was empty on a Friday night, and to me that's a warning sign. However seeing nothing else, I decided to give this place a shot. Three-and-a-half hours later I left, to say the least, I had to eat my words, no pun intended.

After scanning the menu for twenty minutes I decided on the ‘Steak Creole’, a New York style steak, cut into strips then sautéed and simmered in Creole sauce. Along with that I received a deliciously warm corn fritter and a chilled dinner salad, and as a side you have the option between red beans and rice or vegetables. I don't say this often, but this is one of the most memorable dinners I have ever had. In addition to great food, you get all this for around twelve dollars, an excellent deal for a flavorful meal. Of course I wouldn’t forget dessert. ‘The New Orleans’ has a very small dessert selection of just the basic pies, banana pudding, key lime, chocolate-mousse, and cheesecake, with each one at five dollars. This may seem like a lot, but you get what you pay for; a wonderful piece of pie that will top-off any of their fantastic meals. I tried each one and let me tell you, you will be hard-pressed to find a better piece of pie. And just about everything on the menu is around four to fifteen dollars, an amazing deal for Seattle.

I do have one complaint though. I had a very slow and absent-minded waiter serving me and unfortunately it did affect my dining experience. However I later learned he was a trainee and I went back a day later and the service was fantastic. That aside, I still have to say, they’re pretty awesome…Now the building itself has a hole in the wall feel. Brick, dark lighting, and a prominent stage right up front for live jazz and blues, something ‘The New Orleans’ doesn’t lack, considering the fact that a local band plays there every night. The music is a bit loud to talk over but its nice to sit back and watch them play a song, and after each song there is a five-minute break, so you can have short conversations on the side.

So if your visiting downtown Seattle and looking for Cajun, live music or just something different, I strongly recommend giving ‘The New Orleans Creole Restaurant’ a try, because there’s nothing like listening to live music while eating a good meal, two things the New Orleans knows best.


114 First Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 622-2563