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Capitol Hill has become Seattle's major culinary destination. The greatest concentration of restaurants is in and around the Pike–Pine Corridor—Pike and Pine Streets running from Melrose Avenue to 15th Avenue. Überhip gastropubs like Quinn's and all-day cafés like Oddfellows are all the rage, as are smaller, posh new American and Italian-inspired eateries like Lark, Anchovies & Olives, and Cascina Spinasse. On the northern end of Broadway, Poppy is a delicious departure from standard menus, with its Indian-inspired thali (small amounts of different dish preparations served in small compartments on a large platter), while a wide variety of coffeehouses make the Hill downright destination-worthy.
Enormous bowls of handmade udon noodles in light, complex broths are the star of the show at this tiny shop just north of the Arboretum. Lunch specials and combination meals make it easy to sample multiple dishes, but if you only try one thing, make it the "signature beef" soup, with burdock root, pickled mustard, and those luxurious noodles. Along with noodle dishes, there's a surprisingly large menu of other Japanese specialties, including sushi rolls, salads, tofu, and rice bowls.
The main attraction here is the Lao burger: two meat patties—a mix of sirloin and pork belly—topped with provolone, pickled red onions, jaew bong (a spicy condiment), mayo, cilantro, and more pork belly. The menu also features Lao soup, salad, stew, noodles, vegetable curry, and sausage (the chef's mother's recipe)—cuisine with an Asian comfort-food vibe similar to Thai and Vietnamese, but its own distinctive spices. The warmly lit dining room is casual, lively, and a little hip.
Right in the center of the Pike–Pine universe, this huge, ultrahip space anchoring the Oddfellows Building, across from Cal Anderson Park, serves inspired American food from breakfast straight through to dinner. The day might start with biscuits and eggs or thick brioche French toast; later on you could opt for salmon nicoise salad, spaghetti and meatballs, or roast chicken. Service can be hit-or-miss, but the communal-style seating, Capitol Hill hipster-chic vibe, and festive music make this a fun place, whether you're watching the day go by or spending an evening out.
The waters off the Washington coast produce some of the world's tastiest shellfish. This cozy bar, located on a lively block between Starbucks Reserve and Melrose Market, is a great place to take a deep dive into the deliciousness. Along with local oysters, you can sample clams, mussels, crab, shrimp, and, if you're feeling adventurous, geoduck. (It's not all raw; there are steamed, stewed, and baked options.) The Taylor family has been farming shellfish for five generations, and they know their stuff. They also have bars in Lower Queen Anne and Pioneer Square, and their the Samish Bay farm makes a great day trip stop.
