Pike Place Chowder (Seattle, Washington)

1530 Post Alley
Seattle, WA 98101
206.267.2537
www.pikeplacechowder.com

Seattle is best known for the Space Needle, the Public Market, original Starbucks, Nirvana, and rainy-cold weather. Southern Californians are definitely not used to the cold weather of Northern neighbors. One of our first stops was the Public Market, and as we were walking around freezing our you know whats off, we figured what better way to warm us up then some chowder.

With a selection of about 5 to 6 chowders to choose from, we sampled a few of them and although all tasty, we settled on a cup of the New England Clam Chowder. Continuing on with the trend of award winning foods, Pike Place Chowder proudly displays its numerous awards over the years for the satisfying soups and chow worthy chowders.

The chowder had an ideal texture that wasn't runny nor was it super thick either. The chowder had the taste of clam that wasn't overwhelming and nuances of bacon flavor along with other secret spices. I like the proportion of clams to other ingredients making each spoonful a body warming and delicious treat!

Beecher's Handmade Cheese (Seattle, Washington)

1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
206.956.1964
http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/

As a tourist visiting Seattle, one of the main attractions of the Seattle area is Pike Place. Within Pike Place is the original Starbucks, Pike Place Fish Market, and a multitude of other places to browse and to eat. Beecher's Handmade Cheese is one of the places that lures in tourists like Medusa. Can't... stop.... staring..... at the beautiful cheeses....

Not only does Beecher's sell artisanal handmade cheeses but they also sell grilled sandwiches and what I usually come here is for their "World's Best" Mac and Cheese. World's Best?? Quite a claim, don't you think? I'll be the judge of that.

Mac and Cheese – creamy blend of Flagship, Just Jack, penne pasta and spices (5)
The pasta's texture isn't too mushy like you would think it would. Instead of the traditional elbow noodles, Beecher's likes to use penne pasta. I think this is a good move on their part. Larger pieces that are easier to eat and are able to be stuffed with cheese. The blend of cheeses works really well too that has a excellent cheesy taste and texture. This definitely is not that powdered mac and cheese we all grew up eating.

World's Best? Still not sure about that claim. Haven't tried all the mac and cheeses in the world, but I might give it the "One of the best mac and cheeses that I have ever tasted in the Seattle, maybe even possibly in the West Coast" title. Quite a mouthful for an award, but this is my blog and I can give any award I want.