Furry Writers' Guild Forum

Rainfurrest 2015 - Sub-thread for outside con events

Cons and Events
#1

Hey folks! So a lot of y’all are coming in to Seattle, and having done some pretty great touristing in the past through the Seattle-Tacoma area, I thought I’d share some of the great things to do in/around the city.

Pike Place: An entire district of the city that’s block upon block of excellence, culminating in the Pike Place Market itself, which is basically every great farmers market you’ve ever been to, packed into a block-long building and filling over six stories. Plan a day and an evening around here, and bring money and an appetite. Also, flowers for sale here are RIDICULOUSLY cheap, in case you have a special someone who needs a bouquet.

Places to visit while you’re at Pike Place:

[ul][li]Piroshky Piroshky: Whether it’s savory or sweet you’re craving, this is the killer place. Amazing buns of all kinds with sweet and savory options. A bakery unlike any other, and very reasonably priced. Also very small, and very busy, you get in, you get something delicious, you get out.[/li]

[li]Le Panier: The best french bakery the city has. Pain au Chocolate (croissants with a chocolate middle) are absolutely not to be missed, and both Macarons and Gougiers that will leave you stunned. Pricey, but you’re paying for the very best you’ll ever put in your mouth.[/li]

[li]The Crab Pot: Come here HUNGRY for seafood. Their “Seafeasts” are what you want, with friends: You order one, they spread the wax paper across the table, and out comes the (literal!) buckets of food. They get poured out in front of you, and you dig in. The best place to eat yourself stupid on seafood, in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Great times.[/li]

[li]Starbucks #1: If you’re a Starbucks fan, here’s your pilgrimage point. The very first Starbucks they ever opened. There’s usually some wonderful live entertainment happening right outside every day.[/li][/ul]

Other attractions worth visiting in Seattle:

[ul][li]The Underground Tour: Want to find out about the hilariously inept and borderline criminal history of Seattle’s founding, and what happens when a bunch of rascals and scoundrels get together to build (and then rebuild!) a city? Of course you do. Take this tour, visit the literal physical underground of Seattle, and crack a grin at the stories of Seattle’s early history.[/li]

[li]Seattle Aquarium: Want to see a lot of otters? Of course you do. Also a lot of other things that live in the water and ocean. A great place for artists and writers alike to go and find inspiration for the aquatic.[/li]

[li]Woodland Park Zoo: Seattle’s humongous zoo. Go ahead and plan a full day around it; you still won’t get through all of it. Go to the website, see what’s going on the days you want to visit. [/li]

[li]Museum of Flight: Home of Boeing, Seattle has a fantastic flight museum. If aeronautics are your thing, this is the place to go! (Disclaimer: This is one of the few listings here that I haven’t been to myself, but many folks have assured me it’s awesome.)[/li][/ul]

Other attractions just around or just outside Seattle worth visiting:

[ul][li]Tacoma Museum of Glass: Featuring the biggest collection of Chihuly’s glass artwork anywhere in the world, this is a fantastic place to kill a day. This isn’t just a museum to come and stare at glass behind glass, either; their big ampitheatre is a working glass shop, working full-time with guest artists, creating beautiful glass artwork. Sit down and watch glass and color take shape. (This is my personal favorite place to visit!) [/li]

[li]The Rock Wood-fired Pizza: My favorite pizza joint in the States, they do premium quality American-style pizza, and serve drinks that come in plastic beach buckets. Don’t even think about driving after diving into one of those.[/li][/ul]

There’s lots more to recommend in and around Seattle, please add notes here of places you’re going to be and when, if you want to join up with your fellow FWG folks to see the sights!

#2

This seems like a good place for this.

I’m feeling lazy, but if someone wants to link something about the Duck Boat Tours, Pike Place Market, or the Space Needle thumbs up There are also even more amazing places to eat around Seattle- there’s a reason some folks consider it one of the great indie food meccas of the nation. Since the convention is taking place in SeaTac though, I’m not sure how many folks are willing to travel a half hour (sans rush hour) up north for a bite to eat >.>

#3

You would be surprised how far I am willing to travel for a bite to eat. ;D

A couple places I’ve been to in/around Seattle worth checking out, if one is a foodie:

Spur (a pub that does a bit of molecular gastronomy)
Poppy (very creative small plates)
Palace Kitchen (a quasi-casual place from celebrity chef Tom Douglas)
Zig Zag (a now-famous bar in Pike’s Place)

While the Starbucks at Pike Place has more historical significance, the Seattle Coffee Works near Pike Place actually has better coffee. Also, Top Pot Doughnuts (which has multiple locations) is almost as good as their reputation.

There’s also a place on the waterfront, Salty’s, that’s (in)famous for a huge and expensive Sunday brunch. I haven’t been in years – I think it’s good, just, well, an expensive brunch – but some friends seem to make it an annual tradition.

#4

So you wanna eat away from the hotel while you’re at the con?

|http://www.gallianoscucina.com/locations/seatac.html - Galliano’s Cucina is 4-5 minutes away, up from the convention hotel and right next door to a Grocery Store. It is a nice, quiet little Bistro that does good Italian and is well-priced for the meal. They do their own in-house sauces so expect some rich flavors.

http://www.arashiramen.com/ - Arashi Ramen, about what you’d expect. The broths are decent, the noodles are well done, but they upcharge for the little extras beyond what comes with the bowl. However, the garlic chicken appetizer is ADDICTIVE, and it’s worth the price. If you want traditional Ramen, this is the place to go.

http://www.indiancurrypalace.com/ - Yes, it’s an Indian Restaurant in a strip mall. While that sometimes is a red flag, in this case this place gets away from that right inside the door, and gives you a nice and comfortable feel. I usually judge a place like this by asking for a 1-star Butter Chicken, and this is some of the best I can find locally.

http://www.sarkujapan.com/ - Sarku of Japan is the best Mall Food Teriyaki I’ve ever had. Their grill is nice and seasoned, and while their veggies come off a little plain and butter-drowned, the teriyaki grill sauce more than makes up for it in my opinion. As a bonus, they make sushi on the cheap.

http://www.aztecamex.com/southcenter-azteca/ - Decent Mexican, a pretty good bar, and overall a nice place to eat. Bottomless bowls of fresh-made tortilla chips a bonus. It’s a family restaurant, so there might be children… but hey, bring your own!

http://www.mizukibuffet.net/ - It’s a bit steep for a buffet in my opinion, but it’s a got a lot going for it. Japanese, Chinese, and American food, flat iron steak, a full sushi bar, dessert bar, salad bar, and of course bottomless drinks. Good place to go if you want non-specified Asian with a large group. The original building was a jewelry store, oddly enough. Right next to a theater, if you want to hit a movie after tanking up!

Teriyaki Wok - No Website. It’s in the little strip-mall across from the Safeway that I mentioned with Galliano’s. While I love Sarku of Japan, I normally eat here. They’re good for the cost, and they also make a pretty good out of the package ramen bowl in-shop. Their noodles are better than you’ll get at the mall, and they’re pretty quick with any orders. Maybe I’m talking them up a little, but the old couple who work this place have always been nice to us.

#5

Yeah, the way things are looking, between my con schedule and trying to actually spend some time at my dealer’s room table to sign/sell, I probably won’t be leaving the hotel once I get there, except to go back to the airport on Monday. o_O In hindsight, I should have scheduled an extra day before or after to check out the zoo, but vacation time was limited. :frowning:

#6

I have to add on the place I go to every year at Pike’s Place:

Beecher’s Cheese is an amazing cheese factory with wonderful cheese curds. They also have a small cafe section where you can buy cheese related foods like mac n cheese or melts.

#7

Totally vouching for Sarku <3 There’s one less than a mile away from us and has become our go-to food when Spirit doesn’t feel like cooking X3

For folks staying for more than just the convention, I also recommend Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Their tram ride is a lot of fun, and Spirit had a blast on their ziplines.

On the same notion, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium always seems to have something going on. They were the major push in saving the red wolves, so though I don’t enjoy it as much as NWTrek, we still try to go at least once a year.

#8

For everyone staying at the hotel who WANTS good food, but does not believe they will get a chance to leave, this service will save your life.

https://2goservices.deliverycheckout.com/default.aspx

I have used them for years. They will deliver to the hotel, to your room as you need, you can even set delivery times. The staff are friendly, and the rate is decent on top of paying for the food itself. Our favorites off the list of places to deliver are A Pizza Mart, Mark Restaurant, BJ’s, Mayflower of China, Naan-N-Curry (Love this place), Plum Delicious, and Taco Del Mar.

#9

Is that the place you guys usually use Sunday evening RF?

#10

Yup.

#11

Is there a list somewhere of what’s within walking distance of the con? Conventions used to do that, but don’t seem to anymore.

#12

Walking distance of RF? laughs

#13

There’s 13 Coins which is down the road a bit. One of the other hotel’s restaurants. There’s also two Dennys. That’s about all I remember.

#14

The other day I ran a web search of places of interest to beer enthusiasts. The only one that came up as possibly within walking distance of RF was Sharp’s Roast House.

#15

I thought RF actually had a map last year, but I could be imagining it. But there’s just not very much in that area, unfortunately – maybe a dozen places, counting hotel restaurants, and about half of those are clustered nearly a mile south around the corner of Pacific Highway and 188th. If you want to get anywhere else you’re going to need a car or to take public transit. Which is actually pretty good in that area, to be fair, although it’s a little surprising to realize just how far away from Seattle the con actually is.

That’s a potential silver lining if RF is forced to move. (Not that they’d automatically end up somewhere better, but the trajectory of cons that get forced to move to bigger locations tends to be toward more urban centers.)

#16

It was there I was first introduced to the miracle that is Oregonzola. <3

#17

O.o

Is that how you people say Gorgonzola?

… oh my god it is.

#18

  1. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A0-eD6OCYAAa8XI.jpg

  2. I know what Gorgonzola is. Oregonzola is a regional variant of Gorgonzola that originated in the state of Oregon. It’s a very good soft creamy sweet blue cheese.

#19

<33333 I am looking forward to going here again.

#20

Ups. Sorry :frowning: