Capitol Hill’s vegetarian noodle bistro offers a variety of vegan-friendly dishes.

As an “opportunistic vegan,” I always look for new vegan spots to hit up in Seattle. Our town has long been known for its underground slew of conscious eaters. As a result, a number of Seatown eateries offer vegan options – or, in some cases, full menus. Non-vegans don’t have to worry, though — vegans know how to dance with this thing called flavor.

A sweet, chilly kick to help you hurdle the holiday hump.

The holidays are coming — and with them, my thoughts turn to the boozy confections I’ll make to stay relatively pain-free through the season. I like the idea of concocting beverages that are deceptively guilt-free, and what could be more innocent than a root beer float? Never mind the fact that the recipe uses Root liquor with the same potency of bourbon — if you won’t tell, I won’t.

Fireside Cellars wants to lend you a holiday hand.

Comedian Maria Bamford, also known as “Crazy Target Lady,” manically embodies one tip for the holiday shopping season that kicked off last Friday — participants must be fit, fixated and freaking into it. Beyond the shopping and the party-going, the holidays often require a steady pace of preparedness. One misstep could end in a misshapen gingerbread house, a cranberry cocktail gone sour or even ::gasp:: an accidentally charred bird.