Fancy is often embellished as a synonym for expensive. Although this is certainly the case in many circumstances, fancy isn’t too shabbily priced out for food and drink at the glamorous Fairmont Olympic Hotel downtown. While residing within the delicately papered walls lit by intricately assembled chandeliers might come at a steeper sum, indulging in your epicurean passions does not.
There’s something special to be said about Pacific Northwesterners and their fish. We’re scathing when it comes to salmon, we spurn crab from outside of our realm and we don’t like to buy halibut unless it’s lewdly expensive. And our wine? Pff, if it’s not from Washington (exception being Pinot)
Valentine’s Day oozes with sentiment from the greeting cards to the jewelry store commercials, with restaurants booking up weeks in advance and preparation skills are needed to be at their keenest.
A pintxo should not be confused with a tapa. The pintxo, a small plate or snack of Basque Country, Spain origin, is a hobnob – a conduit to socialize at a bar, tavern or restaurant and is thought to be the bedrock of Basque culture. The main difference between the two is simple – a pintxo is more often than not skewered by a toothpick.
The Restaurant: A jaded Northwesterner might view January with disdain for its rotten weather and post-holiday melancholy. Snow threatens closures, rain hisses down with a vengeance and wind chokingly whips in from the Sound. In pursuit of happiness, locals tend to seek out sunnier elements and warmer conditions, such as Mexican excursions and Caribbean island crawls.
“Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself,” Parisian designer Hubert de Givenchy told “Vogue” in 1985. With this in mind, Kirkland’s GEM Salon invites men, women and children of the Eastside to stop in for a visit — and possibly leave with a completely different look.
In today’s culture, the name Edith Piaf is often linked to French actress Marion Cotillard, who portrayed Piaf in the 2007 film, “La Vie en rose.” The role won Cotillard the Academy Award for Best Actress, and re-introduced the legendary singer to the American public.
Perched at the edge of Pike Place Market, Chocolate Box boasts selections from the best chocolatiers in the Northwest. The shop sells sweets, as well as a variety of Northwest wines and cheeses, at a sinfully affordable price.
Under the largest big-top tent on Earth, Cavalia prepares to dazzle audiences with an upcoming series of performances in Redmond. This French troupe of 38 human performers and 45 horses has charmed Seattleites since the show’s Northwest debut in 2004. Now, Cavalia has scheduled 25 shows in Marymoor Park from Wednesday, Jan. 18 to Sunday, Feb. 12.
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