Romantic Restaurants, Getaway Places in Kirkland

"Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, rang in the new millennium with a cutting-edge and interactive music-themed institution. For its exterior, he envisioned a colorful and energetic collection of metal and aluminum – and who better to successfully bring it to life than Frank O. Gehry, architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. For some, this wavy, reflective metallic exterior is considered an eyesore; for others, it represents a creative blend of color and texture."

"Museum of Pop Culture, which is known locally as MoPOP, was initiated by Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder. The pop culture enthusiast envisioned a fun museum experience for the whole family. Seattle Center campus is home to both the Space Needle and adjacent MoPOP."

"The Museum of Popular Culture (or MoPOP) started life as the Experience Music Project. Its building, designed by Frank Gehry, is supposed to resemble deconstructed guitars. A post shared by Alina Kocięcka (@alinakoc) on Nov 13, 2017 at 3:21am PST"

"No first-timer’s trip to Seattle would be complete without visiting the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair, the Space Needle is a 605ft (184m) tower with a flying-saucer-shaped observation deck at the top, complete with unparalleled views of the city and Puget Sound. On clear days, you can see Mount Rainier, Washington State’s tallest mountain, and beyond."

"Towering more than 600 feet above the city, the Space Needle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seattle. It might even be one of the most famous places in the entire state of Washington. Originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle offers breathtaking views of mountains, rivers and islands."

"Another view in Seattle that’s hard to top is the one from Sky City—the rotating restaurant at the top of the Space Needle. Sure, it’s got a slightly touristy twinge to it, but where else are you going to get a complete 360-degree view of the city, lakes and Puget Sound?"

"The Seattle Art Museum is a more traditional art museum that features an extensive collection of works including, oil paintings, photography, watercolor, sculpture to name a few. While some of it may be a little too “high brow” from the younger set, there's plenty for kids to enjoy and interact with. Be sure to check out the Chase Open Studio, where you'll find everything you need to create your own piece of art inspired by major themes in SAM's current special exhibition, and the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center, which has been considered a "launchpad to explore works of art and spark creative learning"."

"The Seattle Art Museum is Seattle's premiere public art museum, showcasing more than 25,000 significant classic and modern artworks throughout three museum facilities in the city's downtown region. The museum operates its main downtown Seattle campus, along with Capitol Hill's Seattle Asian Art Museum and the open-air Olympic Sculpture Park on the city's Puget Sound waterfront. Notable collections include works by Italian painters such as Camille Pissarro and Luca Giordano, along with 20th-century American works by Mark Tobey and Jacob Lawrence and a substantial collection of Aboriginal Australian works."

"The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is actually a trio of museums that are scattered around the city. They all have different exhibits and activities, so depending on where you’re traveling and what you’re interested in seeing, you can hit up any of the three locations. The collections include everything from African paintings to Asian woodblocks and silkscreens."

"A new monthly supper club lets you subscribe to four weeks’ worth of meals that pencil out to $60-ish for each three-course dinner from one of the city’s most esteemed kitchens. Members choose a first, second, and third course each Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, and can opt for wine pairings and even a kids menu. Awww…if you join the supper club, you get to attend a “welcome back” party whenever the world approaches normal once again."

"Dan Bugge’s restaurant on the second floor of Pike Place Market is the closest thing Seattle has to an essential restaurant. Named for its original owner, Matt’s effortlessly combines Seattle’s winningest charms: views over market rooftops to the bay, freshest seafood, straightforward friendliness. Current chef Matt Fortner (yep, the name is pure coincidence) has taken the globally inflected menu in a subtly Italian direction."

"While smaller than nearby Discovery Park, Magnolia Park offers stunning water views from a grassy field. A post shared by Emily Lex (@jonesdesigncompany) on Jun 2, 2018 at 8:28pm PDT"

"A curious collection of 15 communist busts and statues, mostly Lenins – including Kazakhstan's tallest Lenin! – stands in a small park behind Hotel Semey. Spot the three Kirovs and one Karl Marx lurking among the Lenins."

"This motorcycle-themed American fare pub with “dang good sandwiches” is tucked in the alleyway behind Grand Central Bakery. There’s only one item on the kids’ menu – a slider with a side—but it comes in different forms: chicken, pork, veggie or grilled cheese. The regular menu has lots of options, and portions are plenty big to share with your littles."

"Don’t get Bryn Lumsden twisted: His all-day restaurant in Interbay isn’t the hipsterification of the classic American diner, though the long, marble-esque bar, modern light fixtures, and list of natural wines could suggest otherwise. The man whose Damn the Weather bar in Pioneer Square is one of the city’s coolest watering holes has preserved the romantic elements that make diners great—proletarian menu mainstays like burgers, melts, meatloaf, even rib eye steak—and folded in a contemporary drink program with funky Spanish ciders, a calvados old-fashioned, and, yes, bubbles, too."

"Modern diner and bar — little sister to Damn the Weather"Champagne Diner is so pretty inside, it’s like a dream. You know you’re in a diner here — the long counter with its swivel stools, the color-flecked tabletops, the dove-gray upholstered booths — but you don’t know exactly when or where. This...Mehr"

"This elegantly unexpected hangout in Interbay dispenses chilaquiles, fried chicken, benedicts, and all manner of morning cocktails on weekends from 9-3."

"West Seattle also has a thriving doughnut scene as well, and this takeout window and farmers market favorite is leading the way with hot, made-to order bites. With a rotating menu of weekly flavors, this shop makes living on that side of the bridge well worth it. Flavors available this week include coconut cream pie-inspired hole and an apple quince fritter with a honey glaze."

"location: West Seattle (get directions) | website | best for: fresh-made doughnuts with rotating seasonal flavors. This doughnut shop operates out of a commissary kitchen near some of the best restaurants in West Seattle. They announce their menu each week and you order ahead for Saturday morning pickup."

"There are a lot of absorbing stories hiding in Seattle’s past, and this museum in Lake Union Park’s Naval Reserve Armory building is perfectly equipped to tell them. The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is a wonderful resource, with a collection of more than four million pieces, only 2% of which can be shown at one time The core exhibition is True Northwest: The Seattle Journey, a complete chronology for the city via 25 “snapshots”, packed with artefacts and photography. You can delve into specific events like the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897, the foundation of Boeing in 1916 and the Red Scare Smith Act Trials of the 1950s."

"Opening hours: 10am to 5pm daily (10am to 8pm on Thursdays in July and August and every first Thursday of the month). Wish to know more about the city you’re visiting?. Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) offers you an insight into its rich and storied past."

"Discover Seattle’s rich history and explore its potential for the future at MOHAI. Permanent exhibits include Maritime Seattle, the Bezos Center for Innovation and True Northwest. The Kid-Struction Zone is a great place for kids to build and explore!"

"Chef Sara Eveland has worked in the Seattle food scene for 15 years. She started selling cookies out of Watson’s Counter in Ballard as a way to share something independent of the restaurants she works in. You can also find her cookies at popups like Chachis Pizza, Big Footlongs, and Good Shape Pizza."

"website | delivery radius: nationwide | best for: Classic cookies and cookie dough. Customers kept asking for one item from Brooke’s catering company menu: her cookies. She realized people loved her recipes for nostalgic cookie flavors like chocolate chip, so she decided to spin off a company named after her daughter."

"website | delivery radius: nationwide | best for: cookies, including vegan and gluten free. This Black-owned cookie company out of Kirkland was started by Michael, who became obsessed with developing the perfect chocolate chip cookies. When he realized that it’s difficult fo find a great cookie at 11 pm in most cities, he set out to make cookies that can last in the fridge or freezer for anytime the sweet tooth craving hits."

"location: Kirkland | website | best for: soft, chewy cookies that last awhile. This Black-owned cookie company operates out of a catering kitchen in a strip mall in Kirkland. Owner Michael Pinckney doesn’t have a storefront, but you can order online for pickup or get nationwide shipping."

"Decadent cookies (including vegan and gluten free creations) based in Kirkland, but shipped nationwide. You can also find them at some Seattle-area farmers markets."