Month: September 2010

“Come In. Sit Long. Drink Beer. Talk Much.”

So says the sign hanging over the kitchen in Naked City Taphouse in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. Here, the beer showcases the best of the Northwest, the wine is selected with care, and the food is exceptional beyond the normal pub grub.

The two of us spend our days in Greenwood, where we hold our day jobs, so Naked City is a natural fit for our post-work writing brainstorms. The sign above may as well be the motto for the inspiration we’ve found here. When the two of us publish our novels, we’re likely to include Naked City in the acknowledgments, for the time we’ve spent here letting our creativity brew.

Food

Best known for their beer and pretzels, Naked City also provides a full menu featuring locally produced artisan bread, house-made pickles, menu items for both carnivores and vegetarians, and selections for voracious appetites (a selection of hearty sandwiches) and nibblers (landjäger, sliders).

The beer is the focal point, with a comprehensive selection including a couple dozen options available on draught. They even brew their own beers. Come for the beer, but also try their great wines. While you’re not going to find Cayuse or Isenhower here, their small but well-chosen list will exceed your expectations for a pub, and their house wine–a pinot noir–around the $5 mark is definitely above average.

Our recommendations:

• Landjäger – Cut into thin slices and served with grainy mustard, it’s the perfect chomp to pair with a beer
• Reuben – This is possibly the healthiest reuben out there; at least it tastes like it. Full of flavor and packed thickly with meat, but not oozing with grease, Naked City has perfected the balance between decadence and restraint in this classic sandwich.
• Veggie sandwich – Not your average vegetable sandwich, stuffed with artichoke, asparagus, carrots and onions, this one comes on a pillowy bun from Essential Bakery (confirm fact) with a sauce so flavorful it’s hard to miss the meat. It’s sure to please both vegetarians and carnivores.
• Smoked cheese and tomato sandwich – Okay, maybe it’s not fair to mention an item that’s no longer on the menu, but I’m still holding out hope that a future menu revision will bring this delightful sandwich back. Open-faced on a wonderful bread, the Beechers smoked cheese was melted with slices of tomatoes was perfect simplicity, especially when paired with a salad with the house vinaigrette.

Location and atmosphere

Naked City boasts a traditional pub style with a few unique touches. With the typical mirrored bar backdrop reflecting the back bar with stacked glasses, the local art hung on the adjacent wall contributes a neighborhood flavor. What makes this venue even more notable are the two TVs hanging on both ends of the bar showing old black and white movies and ESPN. It provides a great mix. You can catch the tail end of Casablanca while waiting for the Sounders kick off.

In terms of volume and writability, the background air is mostly composed of subtle white noise of chatter and low, but not obnoxious music, in various genres from beat based to oldies. Nothing overwhelming. The decibels are high, but like all good white noise, easy to talk over. Some writers may consider it welcomed noise because enough is going on that one can sit and work in anonymity.
There is ample table seating for two-to four and two-sided bar seating. They will also accommodate larger parties for critique groups. It’s a family friendly establishment with high-chairs readily accessible.

Purchased presence

Purchased presence calls for at least a drink, maybe with some scrumptious food if time allows.

Writeability
With an underlying energy, this is the perfect venue for a person who works well with white noise. But if you are driven to distraction, this is not the place for you unless you can utilize it. It’s a good location for a writer who needs to get out of the house, get a jumpstart, or for someone who works best under the scrutiny of watchful eyes (whether the eyes care if you are working or not). We’ve found that, often times, looking busy leads you to be busy.  And if it’s enough of a distraction to hamper your work, perhaps you just need a break or you need to call a writing buddy to join you for some valid accountability. This is a great writing venue with a lot going on, one way or another, you can use the bustle to your advantage.

Set your own time frame and writing goals to get done – this is an excellent deadline destination. It’s also good if you need a short brainstorm session. 90 minutes – beer or wine or two, plus food like a sandwich and your piece can be done in the length of a soccer game.

Price: $$

Parking

Street parking is readily available if you’re willing to walk. While one can often find a spot on Greenwood Avenue virtually right in front, it can’t be guaranteed in this up-and-coming neighborhood. If you can’t find parking on Greenwood Ave, head north on Greenwood, turn right on 87th and travel a block east until you reach Phinney Avenue North. You’re likely to find a spot on the street between the Safeway parking lot and the apartments across the street.

Writers’ tip

Come equipped with a composition book and a pen with plenty of ink; the written word–rather than the typed–will flow as smoothly as the beer being poured from the taps. Laptops, while welcomed, erect the invisible don’t-disrupt-me-walls and clash with the convivial atmosphere here.

Find it
Naked City Taphouse
8564 Greenwood Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 838-6299
www.nakedcitybrewing.com

If we were going to choose any city in the country that would feel the most like our Seattle home, it would have to be Portland. It’s familiar enough, yet has its own distinct character, making it a great spot for a writing getaway. On a sunny Thursday in June, the two of us hopped in Sarah’s car and drove down I-5 for a day-long adventure in Portland.

After asking around for a great bakery or cafe, we walked through the doors of Pearl Bakery, a spot where locals told us other cafes get their pastries from. So, it must be good, right? We were pleasantly surprised–on a number of levels.

First, the shortbread was moist and crumbly and dense and perfect (we’re all about food, after all). Second, the setting–from the lighting, music, furniture arrangement, and overall ambiance–made for a great writing spot. So, with that, welcome to Nooks & Cranberries and our first Destination Inspiration post.

Food (first things first–writers need fuel to get them started)
We’re quite spoiled. Our hometown of Seattle is packed with delicious pastries, from the buttery, gooey twice-baked chocolate croissant at Bakery Nouveau (more on that in a future post) and the pain au chocolate at Cafe Besalu (OK, more on that, too). After tasting such marvelous baked creations, we’ve both come to the conclusion that it’s just not worth wasting calories on less-than-delicious treats. So with that, Pearl Bakery had to work hard to impress us.

The brownie, while nothing unique, was moist and chocolately, just as a brownie should be. However, it lacked the complexity and depth of a true artisanal pastry (although the raspberry was a nice touch). The shortbread, however, was spectacular. It exceeded our expectations with its crumbly texture that was moist, yet fell apart in the mouth with a delicate burst of salt and a smooth, buttery finish. Soft toward the middle, crispy toward the edges, the shortbread was neither too rich nor too dense. Yep, it was perfect. Lighter than a cookie yet denser than a cake, it could be considered the pound cake of shortbreads.

Sarah’s chai was exactly what one would expect from a cup of chai: the right amount of spice and sweetness. While nothing unique, outstanding, or noteworthy, it was a solid and traditional version that one can likely expect consistency from. It gave the impression that if Sarah were to order a second cup, she’d get the exact same thing. Come to think of it, that was also the case with Daytona’s cappuccino.

By the time we arrived in mid-afternoon, some of the shelves and spaces in the display were empty, indicating that items had been picked over. Breads and pastries must have already flown off the shelves. We weren’t surprised, though. Just take a look at these carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and candied lavender that Patrick and Ian are holding (below). Mouth-watering, right?

So, what does this have to do with writing, you might ask? Everything. Nooks & Cranberries is all about finding inspiration everywhere, from the pillow-padded bay window where you curl up with a journal to the coffee shop you hole up in with a laptop and earphones. But not just any coffee shop will do. If the pastries aren’t delicious, if the coffee is stale, we wouldn’t be in the mood to write; would you?

Location and atmosphere
In the Pearl District, at the corner of NW 9th Avenue and NW Couch Street, this gem is just blocks from Powell’s books, Diesel and one of our all time favorite stores, Anthropologie. Ample indoor and outside seating.
The atmosphere is Tuscan cottage meets Parisian café. Decorated with baguettes and other breads, a rustic wheat wreath, plus white hexagon tiled floor and pendant lights in white and art glass blue.
There is bar seating along sweeping windows and table seating framed out by single,  small pane warehouse windows. The high ceilings studded with pendant lights provide an open, airy atmosphere and, on a warm summer day, a lot of sunlight. This can be a good thing, but as my grandma used to say, all good things in moderation. After sitting in a warm sunshiny window and soaking it in…one may want to move as the heat becomes oppressive and the glare can make it hard to see your laptop screen.

The music is good for writability. It’s instrumental, classical, like what one would find on KING 98.1. On this particular day, the air was filled with something like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Very low key.

It’s a great place for meetings, whether you’re meeting for business or coming for an interview.

Despite visiting an hour or so before closing time, the bakery was clean and well kept, including the kitchen, which you can see into and observe the inner workings of the shop. Overall, it’s a clean, very transparent place, without seeming exposed or flashy.

Purchased presence
These people are gracious and welcoming. We feel you wouldn’t feel any pressure if you bought one drink and stayed here an afternoon. But then again, why not order seconds and tip well? After all, service is great and the baristas are friendly. No wonder Pearl Bakery seems full of regulars.

Price: $
– Shortbread – $1.50
– Brownie – $2
– Chai – around $3
– Cappuccino – around $3
– Totals: $5 or less per person, plus tip. Reasonable, no? After all, you don’t want to spend your entire advance on coffee and treats, do you?

Parking
Plenty of street parking, plus a parking lot across the street, which look like a paid lot (wonder if they validate or let customers park free?)

Writers’ tip
Come fully charged–outlets may be hard, if not impossible, to come across.

Find it
Pearl Bakery
102 NW 9th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
www.pearlbakery.com