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Independent Pharmacy and Gift Shop
Independent drug store/gift shops of this size are hard to find, and Ostrom’s was worth the search. I always go with my husband to pick up his prescriptions just for an excuse to see what’s new here;...
Independent drug store/gift shops of this size are hard to find, and Ostrom’s was worth the search. I always go with my husband to pick up his prescriptions just for an excuse to see what’s new here; there’s always something wacky, beautiful, colorful, or good-smelling. The pharmacy never seems to finish our order in less than fifteen minutes, but the merchandise is so fun to look at that I’ve never minded the wait. I would give it five stars but the prices are insane.
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Farmers' Market and Crafts Fair
Though I’ve lived in Seattle most of my life, I didn’t really get to know our most historic attraction until my husband and I became buskers there in 1997. Soon we knew the names and favorite songs...
Though I’ve lived in Seattle most of my life, I didn’t really get to know our most historic attraction until my husband and I became buskers there in 1997. Soon we knew the names and favorite songs of more than a hundred other street performers ("Brown-Eyed Girl" is the song played by more buskers there than any other), as well as vendors of Real Change (the fundraising newspaper of Seattle’s homeless) and of produce, breads, crafts, and coffee. Though the Market is widely dismissed as a tourist attraction, it’s also a community that includes Seattle’s working poor and homeless.
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Rob Me and Throw Me in a Hole
How does the management find anyone to pay $575 a month for a trash-filled studio without its own bathroom, and with "The Slant" spray-painted in huge letters on the inner walls, referring to the...
How does the management find anyone to pay $575 a month for a trash-filled studio without its own bathroom, and with "The Slant" spray-painted in huge letters on the inner walls, referring to the floor? Almost more confusing, how can the management afford to be so surly, when you’d think they would be ashamed? As a more immediate concern, is there a zero-star rating?
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Taught this vegetarian to like salad.
Though my whole family loves their pizza, the most amazing thing to me is that Pagliacci taught me to like salad—and, ever since watching them prepare it in their U-District branch, I’ve made mine...
Though my whole family loves their pizza, the most amazing thing to me is that Pagliacci taught me to like salad—and, ever since watching them prepare it in their U-District branch, I’ve made mine the same way. (The trick is mixing in the dressing with your bare hands.) The only one in my family who isn’t crazy for their food is my cousin, who delivered for them for several years—but that’s more from getting sick of them than from learning anything sinister about preparation methods. Highly recommended.
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Give them a try—but only if you have before.
It’s thrilling to me that this restaurant has hardly changed since my fourth birthday, 35 years ago, when the waiters sang "Happy birthday, Princess Aurora" (so seriously that I thought I’d convinced...
It’s thrilling to me that this restaurant has hardly changed since my fourth birthday, 35 years ago, when the waiters sang "Happy birthday, Princess Aurora" (so seriously that I thought I’d convinced them it was my real name); the velvet armchairs and silk-fringed lamps that were here in 1971 are here now.
Because they take no reservations (leading to one- and two-hour waits that once excited me almost as much as waiting for Christmas—something newcomers don’t appreciate), it wasn't until I was fourteen that I was seated in the trolley car right inside the huge brick factory building. Much later, I got to sit in one of the "beds"—the booths made out of brass and wrought-iron bedsteads—and only then, after twenty years, did I feel like I’d had the full experience. But I was far from finished, and I don’t think I’ll ever be—unless the remodeling Chloe has seen turns them into something entirely different. [Added after Chloe's comment.]
As to the food and service, it seems that everyone I know who has not been coming here since age four is unimpressed by both. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I love it. Try the Manager’s Favorite with mizithra and marinara.
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Others only insist.
With Formica tabletops, Norman Rockwell prints, and jukeboxes blaring all the Frankies, some restaurants scream "1950s diner"; with only an old-fashioned menu and the motto "A meal in your neighbor’s...
With Formica tabletops, Norman Rockwell prints, and jukeboxes blaring all the Frankies, some restaurants scream "1950s diner"; with only an old-fashioned menu and the motto "A meal in your neighbor’s kitchen," the Penny Café merely whispers it—so convincingly that you’ll think you’ve gone back in time. They may not even consider themselves a ’50s-style diner—their meatloaf sandwiches and tuna casseroles also recall the 1930s and ’40s—but, whatever they are, they’re not of this era. Breakfast is served all day, including oatmeal and pancakes with real maple syrup, with espresso perhaps the only thing to remind you what time it is.
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Fabulous Veggie Burgers and Shakes
It’s just my luck that I always seem to crave their veggie burgers and Oreo shakes on Mondays, the one day they’re closed. As long as you remember that, and remember to come with a book or a good...
It’s just my luck that I always seem to crave their veggie burgers and Oreo shakes on Mondays, the one day they’re closed. As long as you remember that, and remember to come with a book or a good conversationalist, you should be happy with your experience. The only complaint I’ve heard from my friends is about the long wait, but once you’ve tasted their food I expect you’ll understand why Red Mill is always so busy.
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Seattle’s Oldest Vegetarian Restaurant
The sunlight comes from the front walls of the two dining rooms, which are all window. Somehow it always seems sunny in here, even when the day is overcast. When I was a vegan, I had trouble deciding...
The sunlight comes from the front walls of the two dining rooms, which are all window. Somehow it always seems sunny in here, even when the day is overcast. When I was a vegan, I had trouble deciding between the blushing lettuce salad with lemon tahini dressing (tahini has a tang sorely lacking in cheeseless diets) and the tostada (which normally came with cheese but could be made without). Whichever I chose, I always ordered a smoothie or one of the sugarless desserts. Breakfast is delicious and served all day.
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Yes, it’s true.
I’ve read the other reviews, and it’s true what they say: this vegetarian restaurant—one of Seattle’s oldest—is run by the Seattle Sri Chinmoy Centre; in fact, their name was "given" to them by...
I’ve read the other reviews, and it’s true what they say: this vegetarian restaurant—one of Seattle’s oldest—is run by the Seattle Sri Chinmoy Centre; in fact, their name was "given" to them by Chinmoy himself. Silence-Heart-Nest, by serving healthful and tasty meals, strives to provide its customers "delicious food that satisfies both inwardly and outwardly, combined with a peaceful atmosphere." The female servers wear saris, and Indian music plays on the stereo. Most of the food is Indian but there are also American and international dishes, all vegetarian, with vegan dishes marked by a "v" on the menu, and wheat-free options. Desserts are sweetened with alternatives to white sugar.
No, the five stars are not to protect my soul from rebirth as an Untouchable; despite my teasing, I like the food, and I find the staff warm-loving-kind.
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