I'm going there and need some good food to eat ranging from cheap and local goodness to an expensive unique experience. I know those areas are known for good food, so I want to hit the best spots.

Also any sites to see that I shouldn't miss.

TIA

Portland off the beaten path

Best Fish & Chips
Halibut's
NE Alberta
Alberta is a great section of town with lots of great inexpensive eateries. I love Por Que No Taqueria also. Amazing Tacos.

You like Music
Doug Fir Lounge
Restaurant/Bar/Lounge/Live Music - Check out their show schedule. They can have some big acts at times. Restaurant by Day, Lounge/Concert Hall at night. Cool Place to Hangout.
East Burnside

Brewpub
McMenamins - All parts of the city and surrounding areas, but each is Unique and has its own personality
Kennedy School is probably one of my favorites

Best View
Portland City Grill - Great for Dinner a little more expensive or just great for drinks
30th Floor of the US Bancorp Tower


Best Pizza
Hot Lips - Locations all over. The ingredients make the pizza.


If you are looking for anything particular let me know

Seattle

My favorite thing to do is head over to Woodenville and go wine/beer tasting

Start off at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
They have a great tour and amazing wines. Go on this tour and you will become a big fan. If in the summer, they might have concerts.

Across the street is Columbia Winery
This is more of just wine tasting, not really anything to tour.

Next Door is Redhook Brewery
If you go in the summer time, they have great tour guides, plenty of tastings and often concerts out in the grass. First go to the wineries and then finish it off here.

Make sure you go by Experience Music Project next to the Space Needle.

Local / cheap in Seattle:

Red Mill burgers in Phinney Ridge. Featured on Man v. Food, and named one of GQ's best burgers in the US.

Salumi - Mario Batali's dad's salumaria downtown, open for lunch. Expect big line.

Other places, more upscale and great:

Flying Fish in Belltown
Steelhead Diner near Pike's Place Market
Dahlia Lounge downtown

Going this weekend and have a rez at Wild Ginger. Heard it is great and will give a report.

Thanks yall! I like live blues music, so if yall know of places known for that please tell me! I'm definitely a traveler that likes to get off the beaten path but still wants to see all of the iconic parts that make the area famous.

FYI

Depending on when you are going, Blues Festival along the waterfront is July 2-5

It would help to know where you are going to be, but here are a few ideas:

Seattle Fine Dining:

-Canlis (prob. #1 fine dining in Seattle)

-Pallisades (on the water in Magnolia)

-The Six-Seven at the Edgewater Hotel (Seattle Waterfront)

Nice Restaurants:

-Ray's Boathouse (on the water in Ballard, large patio w/ good views). Love Ray's for Happy Hour...

-Daniel's Broiler (go to the one in Leschi for views across lake Washington toward the Cascades). The Leschi Market across the street had some good deli items.

-Sky City at the Space Needle. I wouldn't call it the most amazing food, but the view................

-Etta's (near Pike Place Market). Owned by the same guy (Tom Douglas) who runs Dahlia (mentioned earlier) and Lola - all good choices...

-Il Bistro (Pike Place Market) Best Italian I've had.

-The Icon Grill (Downtown) American comfort food like you've never had it...

-Bastille (Ballard) Excellent food. Large patio for a nice day. I go here with my girlfriend a lot.

Local Flavor:

-King's Hardwear (Ballard). Frequented by the guys in Soundgarden.

-Circa (West Seattle). If you will be near Alki, make the trip into West Seattle to Circa. Unassuming place with AMAZING food!

-Red Mill...gawd, I'm getting hungry...

-North Lake Tavern (Lake Union, near UW) Good pizza.



There are also lots of farmer's markets with fresh food made with ingredients from the Northwest.

HTH

[This message has been edited by Pierce County Ag (edited 5/21/2010 3:53p).]

For sightseeing: urban or natural? How long are you willing to drive? Do you want any recommendations for road trips?

The Seattle Underground tour is pretty interesting.

We went to Seattle for the first stop on our honeymoon. Loved it....we stayed at the Inn at the Market.

Two things from above that I am going to blow up. Six Seven was extremely overrated and over priced, although the view was fantastic.

The other was the Music project. I was disappointed with it. I'm not sure what I expected, but that wasn't it. I guess I wanted to see more exhibits rather than just random clippings/posters from Pacific NW bands.

But I did get to see Mix-a-lot's fur coat....

Just got back from Seattle. Wild Ginger was very good. Beautiful space, great food, drinks and service. Only complaint (and it is a minor one) was no music. The place begged for some background ambiance lounge music.

Also went to Lowell's in the market for lunch with a view and Belltown Pizza for late-night pie.

Only disappointment - my plan to hit Red Mill on Sunday before heading to the airport was foiled by a 12:00 instead of 11:00 open time. Went to Skylark Cafe in West Seattle instead, which was a cool little spot.

Too bad about the Six Seven... I go there when they're doing Dine Out Seattle and it's always been pretty good.

It might have been the build up...we had heard tons of great things about it...just didn't live up to the hype.

My favorite meal in Seattle (aside from the morning raspberries we picked up at the market and ate over looking the sound) was at a little Vietnamese place...can't remember the name, but it was outstanding....I'll have to see if my wife can remember.

In portland, just an fyi, the street cars are all free if you take them within the downtown area. So, it makes it easy to get around in there...

Thanks yall I'm road tripping it up there so there's basically no distance too far to drive for anything since it's already a 6,000 mile trip.

In that case, I wouldn't miss Paradise, Mount Rainier. If you have more time for a trip out to the peninsula, I wouldn't miss Shi Shi Beach (pronounced Shy Shy) or Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park (a World Heritage Site). Also, Neah Bay is the most northwesterly point in the Lower 48. Have lots of time? Then, tour the San Juan Islands.

I would stop by Mt. St. Helens then and if you have time, hike the rim. At least go to Johnson Observatory.

On I-84 along the Columbia Gorge is Multnomah Falls and if you have time take the Waterfall Highway and you can high to numerous waterfalls along the way.

My favorite is Punch Bowl, Eagle Creek.

Johnston Ridge at Mt. St. Helens is definitely worth the trip. Order your permits now if you want to get near the crater... Early season (until early July) be ready for lingering areas of snow.

I think the Windy Ridge viewpoint (the closest to the volcano) will be open this summer. Be sure to check road conditions and area closures before going to Mt. St. Helens.

Well we are hiking Punch Bowl and camping in Olympic National Park already, so glad I picked a few good places to go! I'll have to see about St. Helens.

For Punch Bowl, Typically you can only look at it from above on the trail and bridge, but if you take the unofficial trail down you can get right down there and layout on the big rock if you want.

Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely up for getting off the trail... as long as I can climb back up it!