There are so many places to eat and so many things to do in my home city, but this is a great starting point. I really tried to take dietary restrictions into consideration and I truly hope this helps! PLEASE CHIME IN!!! I know how many of you live in Seattle, please help me out and leave your own favorite places to eat and stuff to do in the comments! I will also update this regularly as I discover new favorites!

Also if you go to the bottom of the page you get my husband Pete’s guide to the Pike Place Market- his favorite spot. It’s not entirely allergy friendly, but then again, neither is Pete!

OK!! Here we go in no particular order….

Bounty Kitchen– (Queen Anne) Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner this is one of our favorite places. Everything on the menu is healthy and labeled (GF, NF, V, VG, etc.). They have gluten free pancakes and avocado toast, HUGE amazing salads, fresh homemade soup every day, and delicious hot dishes. Also their homemade kombucha is top notch and the owners (Meg and Russ) created a massively instagram friendly vibe. You will find me with Pete and the kids brunching at the picnic table with the dog outside, like pretty much all the time.

How To Cook A Wolf– (Queen Anne)  This is a Friday date night staple for us. In fact, if you go, there is a high likelihood you will see Pete and I at the bar eating and drinking one of their bartender Joey’s delicious cocktails! Chef Nicole rules the kitchen and sends out fresh rustic Italian small plates made for sharing. They are incredibly accommodating with my food allergies, and I always leave full and happy. (I always order their ever changing crudo dishes- my favorite!)

Jade Garden for Dim Sum- (International District) If you have food allergies as opposed to sensitivities, this is not the place for you. But if you have no food issues or a little wiggle room, this is where you want to go to dim-sum. I get the Gai-Lan(Chinese Broccoli )-with no sauce, sticky rice, and the long noodles which are all rice vs the dumpling wrappers made with wheat.

Taylor Shellfish– (they have a lot of them- my favorite is Capitol Hill) Assuming you have no shellfish allergies, and came to Seattle looking for amazing fresh shellfish, this is as good as it gets. Lunch on the weekends can be platters of sweet fresh oysters and a bottle or rose, plus great homemade chowders (tomato based non-dairy for me please!) in the winter. Also amazing as a pre-dinner stop before you hit Mamnoon across the street or Stateside around the Corner(see below).

Mamnoon -(Capitol Hill)Amazing modern Middle Eastern food. Their hummus is the creamiest you ever had and if you can eat the pita you are so lucky! If not (like me!) they will bring you a plate of crudité for the hummus and the amazing olive oil and zatar that they bring. Muhammara, baba ganoush and dolmeh (ask for no yogurt sauce) are all allergy friendly and then just ask them for help on ordering an entrée based on your dietary restrictions- they have always been awesome for me!

If you don’t want to go for the whole dinner, then try their sister restaurants Mbar (Southlake Union) for drinks, snacks and stellar views or Mamnoon Street (Downtown) for awesome casual lunch and takeout.

Stateside– (Capitol Hill) Almost everything on the menu is gluten free. Their chef is GF and built the menu accordingly, which is lucky for those of us who want that and undetectable for those who aren’t thinking about it. The Master Stock Crispy Chicken is everything.

Staple & Fancy (Ballard) and go to Walrus and Carpenter prior (next door): Walrus and Carpenter have killer drinks and they get their oysters from Taylor Shellfish- so they are on point. They also have beautiful, fresh and seasonal small plates- so you could make a full meal there. But Pete and I like to do oysters and drinks there and then go next door to Staple and Fancy.

Staple and Fancy is simple Italian inspired seasonal food that is amazing. If you are lucky you will get to chat with their chef David (who is totally awesome) and enjoy great drinks and a really cool space. The menu us always changing, just let them know what your dietary restrictions are and they will hook you up!

Ba Bar– (Capitol Hill, South Lake Union and University Village) Ok, this is another family favorite that we go at least a few times a month. Elevated Vietnamese Food. Everything is labeled (GF, V, VG) Start your meal with one of their great cocktails or a whole coconut with a straw in it! We LOVE Crispy Imperial Rolls, Hue Dumplings and Rice Tamales to start and then I go for a Vermicelli Bowl or the Pho (I always get the Pho Ga with no egg), which is so fragrant and delicious I can’t believe it. They have three locations

Sam’s Tavern (South Lake Union): It’s a bar- so no kids, but OMG. Best burgers and steak fries ever. Pete tells me the burger buns are off the charts and he adds a fried egg to his too- but even without buns and fried eggs, the burgers are so damn good. It’s really casual and it seems like they won’t care what you want, but they are actually SO NICE and super accommodating. Like I will order a Jameson on the rocks and a cheeseburger with no bun, no cheese and no sauce (insert cry laughing emoji face) and then add avocado and bacon and take the whole thing in a lettuce wrap. High maintenance and they are totally cool with it. Plus, take them up on the bottomless fries which are seriously, seriously good. If you have ever had Red Robin fries- they are exactly the same (to me that is a good thing). Also- great for a hangover brunch where you can order one of their famous Blood Mary’s.

Uneeda burger: (Wallingford) Casual and basically gourmet fast food. Super family friendly and REALLY good. High quality ingredients in their burgers (you can also get these in a lettuce wrap). Pia always gets the Portobello veggie burger and loves it. They have a celiac friendly fryer (BONUS!!) and make amazing fries and sweet potato fries.

Chavez– (Capitol Hill)I guess you would call this fancy Mexican Food? You can tell them you if you are gluten-free right off the bat and they will give you a run-down of your options. (Obviously tell them about any other stuff too!)

I always go for the ceviche and the guacamole selection is ON-POINT! Also, I love all of the Salsas and pretty much every type of Taco. Pete gets the Carne Asada. Don’t forget about their amazing cocktails!

Mezcaleria Oaxaca– (Queen Anne, Ballard and Capitol Hill- menu changes depending on location)If you are looking for something a little more casual in the Mexican Department try this- it is so good and we go to the Queen Anne location all the time. Like ALL the time. Their chips come out crispy and hot and you can load up at their salsa bar (I like the green salsa best!) In the cold months you must get the pozole and otherwise everything is so good.

Sushi Kashiba -(Pike Place Market) This is not your average sushi place at all- this is a whole experience and the sushi is an art form. They do ask about allergies and they will absolutely accommodate you, but they are not quite as enthusiastic about it as other places. However, it’s worth it- the Nigiri and house specialties are the best.

Crow –(Lower Queen Anne)- this is another place that Pete and I have been coming for 12 years since it opened and it has seriously never waivered in how consistently good it is. The starters and salads and most of the entrees rotate every season, but there are two entrees that have never left and there is a reason why! I always get the Pan Roasted Chicken that is wrapped in Prosciutto and it is always perfectly crispy- just ask for it dairy free if you have an allergy. If you don’t have to worry about it the Lasagna is dreamy.

Sitka & Spruce-   (Capitol Hill) Lunch is my favorite, but dinner is phenomenal too. The light and the décor are absolutely gorgeous and you can’t take a bad instagram photo in there during day-light hours. The menu is constantly rotating so just let them know what you need. Be sure to give yourself extra time to wander through the Melrose Market Building in which it is housed (same as Taylor Shellfish).

Canlis– (North End of Queen Anne) If you want a REAL Seattle experience, then you have to have dinner at this deeply loved Seattle Institution.  It is equal parts local history, and one of the best restaurants in the nation. They are also the recent winners of the James Beard Wine program and their chef Brady Williams was nominated as a James Beard Rising Star this year. It is for sure the best view in the city and the best service I have maybe ever experienced anywhere (and I have traveled a lot).  It is definitely a special occasion restaurant, because the experience is so special and the prices are steep. But occasionally Pete and I also love to come here for date nights or with friends and sit in the bar. If you aren’t drinking wine, then have their bar tenders (that are SO talented) hook you up with one of the most ingenious cocktails ever. Even their martini’s have delicious house infused olives (I could eat a whole bowl) and their mocktails served in vintage tiki glasses make our girls swoon. They are also HIGHLY accommodating for all of our allergies, but I recommend calling ahead and letting them know about your allergies when you make your reservation.

Activities:

– Take a float plane to the San Juan Islands or Roche Harbor.

– Drive to Snoqualmie Falls, eat brunch at Salish Lodge and hike to the waterfall.

– Go golfing at Harbour Pointe or Chambers Bay.

– Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island (go for brunch, lunch or even dinner.)

– Go to a Mariners game at Safeco field, a Sounders Game or a Seahawks game, Seattle fans are CRAZY!!!

-Obviously you have to go to Pike Place Market and buy yourself some gorgeous flowers, ogle the produce and eat everything! Pete’s favorites are below!

-Walk the Olympic Sculpture Garden.

-Visit famous Kerry Park to see the gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline and then wander down to the “wedding park” at the end of West Highland and have a picnic. You will probably see me walking my dog while you do!

-Go visit the Chihuly garden and museum of glass- Seattle’s most famous artist has his beautiful work on full display!

Other mentions on places to eat!!

Lunch:

– HK Dim Sum (A hike, but worth the drive)

– Matt’s in the Market

– Copal

– The London Plane

– Il Corvo

– Bol Pho Bistro

Dinner:

– Westward (or get drinks and sit in the adirondak chairs next to the bon-fire down on lake union)

– Manolin

– Joule

– Bar del Corso

– Omega Ouzeri

– Bar Cantinetta

PETE’s Guide to Pike Place Market:

Vegetables = Socio’s

Charcuterie, Cheese, Oils, Spreads, Pastas = DeLaurenti

Just Cheese = Quality Cheese

Meat (like a butcher) = Don & Joe’s (right next to the guys that throw the fish) and Dots (has some charcuterie)

Spices = Market Spice (right across from the guys that throw the fish) or World Spice (just below on Western)

Truffle Salts and Oils = La Buona Tavola Truffle Cafe

Fish = anywhere really (Pure Food Fish, City Fish, Pike Place Fish, Jacks)

Cookies = Three Girls Bakery (in the market since 1912)

Morning Muffins, Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and Coffee to walk around = Cinnamon Works

Doughnuts = Daily Dozen Doughnuts (mini donuts freshly made on the spot)

Best Piroshky outside of Russia = Piroshky-Piroshky (right next door to the first Starbucks store)

Baked Hum Bao as big as your head stuffed with pork = Mee-Sum

Other Stuff to do in the Market:

Have lunch with a view = Matt’s in the Market, Copa Cabana (Bolivian and Spanish) OR Pink Door (Italian)

Drink everything at Radiator Whiskey.

Brunch = Cafe Campagne (Croque Madam is the best ever)

Dinner = Matt’s in the Market, Sushi Kashiba, Pink Door, Chan, Le Pichet