Author: Sarah & Daytona

Neither one of us work in Downtown Seattle, but if we did, we’d be at Belle Epicurean more days than not. This charming patisserie makes us think about being in Paris, which is fitting since its founder, Carolyn Bianchi Ferguson, studied at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

The checkered floors and marbled tabletops, white bistro tables outside and the delectable pastries are just right for inspiring creativity, and we can imagine ourselves sharing a cup of coffee with Hemingway or Fitzgerald.

Food and drink
Don’t miss the brioche buns, particularly the bun of the month. One memorable monthly special was coconut cream with coconut flakes, nutmeg and rum. The brioche buns have a savory bite but are not salty. Nor are they too sweet. They have good texture: They’re flaky, crispy, dense to the right point, moist, and have just the right amount of fluffiness. They’re a good companion pastry, and we suggest ordering one with coffee and breakfast, or as an afternoon snack with an espresso or cup of tea. Or if you’re looking for something more substantial, take a look at the lunch menu.

Location and atmosphere
The style is French sophisticated, with tiled checkerboard floor, tapestry, and gilded frames. Grab a seat toward the back, near the entrance to the Fairmont, if you’re looking for a peaceful spot that’s tucked away. We prefer the bar tables by the entrance, which offer a window to the outside world.

At 2 pm on a Saturday when we were there, it wasn’t too busy. There were a few people inside who cleared out pretty quickly. We seemed to be the only ones lingering. The music was light, and varied from jazz to smooth rock and oldies. Other ambient noise came from the hum of the refrigerated pastry cases, the chiming bell when people entered, and happy welcoming hellos. Overall, it has just the right amount of bustle for someone looking for some destination inspiration.

Writability
With small tables, this is a good place to come solo, as you can’t spread out. Or bring a writing partner and a pad of paper for brainstorming. We can’t imagine spending more than a half an hour to 45 minutes writing here, so we’d recommend leaving the laptop at home and opt for the pad of paper.

Purchased presence
This being a lunch spot as well as patisserie, we’d say let your order dictate how much time you spend. If you’re just coming for a cup of coffee and a pastry, you probably won’t want to spend as much time as if you were ordering lunch. In a nutshell, use your common sense and courtesy.

Price: $$

Parking:
Street parking and nearby garages. Expect to pay.

Writer’s tip
There are no apparent outlets, so if you bring your laptop, come fully charged. Or just bring a pad of paper.

If we worked downtown, we’d love to take a break and walk a few blocks here in the fresh air, then come here and enter another world for a while.

Find it
Belle Epicurean
1206 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
www.belleepicurean.com

Autumn in Seattle can be beautiful. Despite the requisite dreary days, the sun frequently breaks through, easing us into the new season and the colder months ahead.

This particular Saturday was a sandals and no coat kind of day. Glorious. And when the sun comes out, so do all the Seattleites, taking advantage of every last drop of sunshine.

And what better way to enjoy it than with some macarons from Ballard’s Honoré Artisan Bakery? On this sunny Saturday morning at 10:00, there were a couple people in line, ordering macarons–their specialty, in our opinion–and tarts, lattes, and chais. Not bad, considering the popularity of this place. There was one brief moment when no one was in line, and then five minutes later a line stretched out the door. That stream continued the rest of our visit. Someone told us that when the nearby Cafe Besalu is closed, Honoré is packed, and vice versa.

We also noticed a steady stream of families, parents with toddlers and the family dog patiently waiting out front. Macarons (more on them in a bit) are kid friendly with their bright colors and size, a bit bigger than a silver dollar, makes them perfect for little hands and mouths. We imagine the lack of stickiness is also a plus. On this sunny morning we saw several moms sitting in the chairs outside with their kids enjoying the brightly-colored cookies.

Food and drink
One word: Macarons. They’re the star of the show. You’ll find normal flavors such as the fudge-like chocolate, raspberry, pistachio and coffee. You’ll also come across fun, creative flavors like lavender and chili chocolate.

Biting into the lavender macaron, it’s chewy and dense, yet light and airy with a sweet, almost powdery floral essence. The chili chocolate one—bright pink with brown filling—is spicy; they’re definitely not holding back on the spice. It’s fun. The chocolate is a pleasant intro, then–bam!–you get the spice that warms the whole mouth with its heat.

In addition to the standard assortment of coffee-shop beverages–espresso, cappucinos, steamers, and the like–they serve Dry Soda in a variety of flavors and fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices. The baristas create works of art with the foam, and if you like your Chai on the spicy side, you’ll find it to your liking here.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the shelves to the right of the counter. Bring home some locally made honey while you’re there.

Location and atmosphere
Situated next to Delancy (one of our favorite places to get a classic pizza pie), Honore is nestled within a residential pocket of resturants and shops; a signature set up for a Ballard business.

Amid the happy sound of espresso, the layered aroma of warm butter in mid-bake, stepping in the door of Honore brings about the anticipation of that special moment when the pastries are pulled out of the oven at the precise instant of golden brown perfection.

The kitchen takes up most of the space, making the public area in front rather cozy. And rightly so. With all the pastry magic that happens in such tight quarters, we expect nothing less than a complete dedication of space and resources to their delicious craft.

Mixing with the aroma of warm flaky crusts is light music. On this particular Saturday it’s jazz. It’s hardly noticeable with the sound of friendly banter between patron and barista, the chatter of customers, kids playing and espresso machines. It’s a happy kind of white noise.

Despit the crowd, it’s mellow and laid back, a good place to go on a late morning when you’re waking up slowly and want some time to be stimulated by activity but still have space to let yourself think. And while it may seem tight, we have always found a place to sit.

With such a great street presence, our favorite spot in the bakery (besides at the front counter ordering another macaron) is at a window seat where we can sink in to bakery bliss and watch people go by.

This is also the sort of place where you might run into someone you know. Back in January Daytona ran into a writer she knew from work. On this particular morning she ran into an old friend from high school who now lives in the neighborhood.

Writability

Bring a paper and pen and come for a short power writing session. There isn’t much seating or space, which is why we suggest an abbreviated stay. Inside, the windows are lined with a counter and three stools on either side. Outside there are some adorondack chairs. Not the best place for a critique group session, but great for a quick brainstorm solo or with one or two friends.

Purchased presence
Be courteous and mindful of the crowd, don’t stay too long if you see a demand for seats. That’s why we suggest using this venue for power writing.

Price: $$
Price: $8.36 tab for 4 macarons, $1.90 a piece

Parking
Street parking only, though if you’re lucky you may find a spot right in front.

Writers’ tip
High on the family scale, Honoré is a great place to find urban families in action. Working on a fiction piece about an urban young couple with a young child? Come here and take notes. Writing an article and need quotes from someone who fits that demographic? Come here with your tape recorder.

Find it
Honoré Artisan Bakery
1413 NW 70th St
Seattle, Washington 98117

“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