Seattle Forever

Talaris is a convenient five-minute drive from the center of Wallingford, where there are bars, stores, numerous restaurants frequented by students, and a small indie movie theatre. It’s about 10-15 minutes to get to the Fremont area and l5-20 to Ballard. It was a bit of a trek to get to downtown Seattle (Pike Place, Belltown, etc.) but no more than 30-40 minutes, which seems like a small price to pay for a quiet place to sleep and relax.

Talaris was quite reasonable for the caliber of lodging—we paid in the vicinity of $150 per night for a room with two double beds, although you may want to check rates at http://www.talarisconferencecenter.com. We happened upon this undiscovered gem and liked it so much that we stayed for two extra nights! When I make my next trip to Seattle, I definitely plan to stay here again.

Volterra offers some traditional fare, like fettuccine with pesto and shrimp, but what sets the place apart is chef Don Curtiss’ willingness to take risks and create unexpected dishes. I can’t vouch for the rest of the menu, but in our meal, the risks certainly paid off. I highly enjoyed the sweet but subtle pear ravioli ($16), and my dining companion ordered the wild boar tenderloin ($19) with some apprehension, but consumed it with delight. Our waitress knew the subtleties of the menu and the wine list backwards and forwards and was a warm and welcome consultant on pairing the right wine with our meal.

The inside of the restaurant was quite loud, so if you’re not a fan of boisterous atmospheres you would do well to sit outside if the weather allows. We ate on the outdoor patio—my visit to Seattle was in late August and happened to be during a spell of excruciatingly beautiful weather. Volterra was the best possible place to enjoy it.

I definitely recommend Volterra for a celebratory occasion—an anniversary, a birthday—or for a very impressive date. The adventurous food and well-trained staff make a dinner at Volterra feel quite special.

There are two storefronts right next to each other—the flagship store and the warehouse. The flagship store delightfully bursts with classic items like tiny rubber monkeys wearing fez hats and offbeat action figures ranging from Oscar Wilde to Jesus. Along with these self-consciously ironic items, the store stocks an exciting rotation of bottom-dollar surplus curiosities. During my visit, I encountered goodies including test tubes, unlikely flavors of chewing gum, shiny metal tubes, and assorted styles of army jackets from assorted European armies.

The flagship store is probably the best place in the country to purchase a $2.50 sailor hat from a heavily tattooed cashier, and I felt lucky to be there. However, nothing could have prepared me for the warehouse next door. The warehouse is the land of bulk, a land of officially useless things sold for such low prices that it becomes extremely difficult to convince yourself that you don’t need to buy them. When I was there, they were hawking stylish photo albums for under a buck, and groovy metal lunchboxes for four dollars, but the real deal of them moment was seven dollars for a dozen stunning latex echidnas, which have provided my sister and myself with hours of joy as we arrange them into various Busby Berkeley-esque tableaus.

Of course, I recognize that not everyone finds joy in acquiring latex echidnas, so I also recognize that a visit to McPhee is not up everyone’s alley. If you’re not sure whether to go there while you’re in Seattle, you may wish to check out www.mcphee.com to get a good feel for the Archie aesthetic. If you’re sure you are going to visit, you may wish to check out www.mcphee.com anyway for current store hours, a map with directions, etc.