By
Guy Keltner
May 17, 2007
The borders are a bit hazy and the streets are suspiciously empty at times, but something about Belltown makes it a hot spot for hip bars, hot clubs and lively nights in Seattle. The place has personality, and not just the trite kind that attracts gawking tourists and the been-there-done-that hipsters that can be found littering the streets. This is part of Seattle's core, the epicenter, somewhat of a face to our fine, living, breathing town. The juxtaposition between the homeless and the bourgeois socialites exemplifies Seattle's bizarre love for individuality, and the clubs and bars each have a mind of their own.
— Guy Keltner
Cherry Street Coffee HouseCherry Street Coffee House, which is somewhat of an institution in Pioneer Square, opened a Belltown shop a few years back. While the coffee tends to be your standard cappuccino-mocha-lalala stuff, the great thing about this place is the service and the pastries. The staff is really nice and seems to get along quite well with each other — a surprise, especially on an early Sunday morning. The coffee house uses B&O baked goods exclusively, which are exceptional pastries for such an establishment. The most bizarre menu item is the Greek gyro, which, while it in no way comes close to the gyros at Aladdin Falafel, tastes surprisingly good. — Guy Keltner |
Cherry Street Coffee House 2121 1st Avenue (206) 441-5489 |
The CineramaA gem of the Belltown district, the Cinerama is worth a trip of its own. The only remaining Super Cinerama theater in the world, it houses the largest screen on this side of the Mississippi and is still relishing the recent renovations done by Seattle entrepreneur Paul Allen. The theater looks absolutely magnificent on the inside, with a retro feel and seating for 808 people. Blue and green Italian mosaic tile, grape purple and olive green wallpaper and richly patterned carpet can be found throughout the theater and the acoustic-patterning on the walls, which maximizes the effect of the films shown, looks gorgeous. More often than not, films you'd expect to see on the big screen are shown at the Cinerama, such as the Spiderman series or other action films, but in the past several years masterpieces such as Blade Runner have graced this illustrious screen. — Guy Keltner |
The Cinerama 2100 4th Avenue (206) 441-3080 |
Tom Douglas RestaurantsOkay, so Tom Douglas restaurants are by no means the most fitting place for college students to blow their money, but once you've been to one of these places, your life will have changed in some special sort of way. -- Chef Douglas has somewhat of monopoly on fine dining in Seattle and has achieved celebrity status on the Food Network with appearances on Iron Chef, among other great shows. Starting with the Dahlia Lounge in the late '80s, Tom has since opened several other establishments, including The Palace Kitchen and Etta's. -- Dahlia Lounge serves up a variety of Northwest-themed cuisine, with light emphasis on seafood and Asian influences. While the menu is quite pricey (an average date for two should probably run about $100), the food is well worth its cost, and Tom Douglas adds a certain wow factor to each of the seemingly traditional dishes on the menu. -- Etta's, the most affordable and casual of the Tom Douglas restaurants, specializes in seafood dishes. The crab cakes are the must-have dish here, and the entire menu puts an excellent twist on modern seafood. The restaurant looks out onto the waterfront, setting a fabulous mood for any lunch date or breakfast meeting, and is located right near Pike Place. — Guy Keltner |
Tom Douglas Restaurants Various Locations in Belltown Dahlia Lounge (206) 682-4142 The Palace Kitchen (206) 448-2001 Etta's (206) 443-6000 |
CJ's EateryCJ's is a great spot for breakfast, a perfect place to start off your day and also a fine establishment for a delicious sandwich. The ambience at CJ's is great on the weekends, and the service is good enough for any breakfast joint. Although the meals can get a little costly (all breakfast items are under $10, but not by much), the food is good and there is sporadic use of the always-amazing andouille sausage. While this is a place that can easily qualify for the typical family breakfast restaurant, it has a comfortable vibe that welcomes chattering friends, Pike Place Market shoppers and the occasional hipster who's too cool to share a table with anyone. Some of the dishes are served with an optional side of herbed red potatoes, a good bet, as well as the usual toast or English muffin. Don't forget to "celebrate the morning" with a nice mimosa, poinsettia, rose or dahlia, which are essentially champagne and fruit juice cocktails. — Guy Keltner |
CJ's Eatery 2619 1st Avenue (206) 728-1648 |
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