CityGuru I Drew Morrison I Exclusive Seattle VIP Experiences

Pie Always Pie.

It's that time of year. Pie, always seems to be more readily available.  That or I'm just thinking that it is.

The smells, as you walk past each bakery, aisle. or table where fresh pie has been delivered is intoxicating and almost without fail I find myself ordering pie almost daily at times.

You could call me addicted.  But with so many flavors, what is my main addiction?  Crust?  Fresh Fruit?  Sugary top? Whipped cream?  Candied pecans?... PPUMMPPPKIN...?

What is your favorite pie?

More importantly.  What is your exercise routine this year to keep the pounds from packing on, as you pack in your favorite pie(s)?

Me?  Well, I dedicate myself to running 1 mile for each piece of pie I consume... CRAP.  That will be a lot of miles.  Ergh...well, for love and fillings, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Pie on my friends.  Post any favorite recipes you may have.  I promise to consume as many as I can, while sharing of course. Speaking of which.  Share your pie with a Vet today.  We all know they deserve much more.  But sit down, say hi and hear their story.  I did this morning and it made my day.  Thank you for your service.

What is that you want?

It's been a long while since my last post.  I've never been that good at writing, so go figure that it's the first thing to go when I get busy.

My question, "What is it that you want?"  I ask this to myself quite often.  Not in the context that you may think however.

Like many of us socially-plugged in fiends, I find myself on Facebook posting my food, commenting to friends and scoping out what's trending.  Doing so is not free from distraction; ads.  They pop up in my feed and on the side.  Some make sense, others I'm often interestingly perplexed about.

I've read several times that Facebook tracks what we click and view and then determines what ads to put in front of us.  If this is true, then what I click, like and view is definitely a 180 degree difference from what I am truly into or enjoy in real life.

Next time you're on Facebook, take a look at the ads.  Do they make sense, or are they as left field as mine?  If you're the latter, maybe you can help me out.  Because according to Facebook. I have no idea what the hell I truly want.

Why I Love Snack Time

Do you remember as kids, snack time?  You know, right before you'd roll out the mats for that ensuring nap time (ah, the good ole days).

If memory serves me right, snack time then consisted of some fruits, maybe a pudding pack and milk.  On special days we'd have some of the good stuff; sweets.

I think of my affection for snacks and I can't tell if it is because we were conditioned that snacking is OK, or if my body just cannot function without snacking all day long.

Regardless of the reason, as an adult.  I cannot live without snack time(s) now.  Counting the other day, I had no less then 14 times where I grazed aimlessly on candy, doughnuts, bread, chips or some other form of quick bite.

Now they say confession is good for the soul.  But I'd like to interject that snacking is.  I am rarely grumpy, can work long hours and I believe my super powers derive from the amount of sugars and carbs that I consume ( in that case, I am a super, super hero).

But, why do I love snack time?  You know.  Besides the fact that it is satisfying.  It always keeps my daily eating routine fresh by trying small bites, sometimes very unique with items that don't bore me or my stomach.  Maybe it's this that allows me to consume my other favorites consistently without feeling abused by the sheer volume.  I am going to be as bold to even say that snacking, no less then 14 times is healthy for you and will help you live a full and perfect life (quote me on that).

Favorite snacks?  Sweets, pastries, jerky, nuts, crackers,...basically, anything I can eat in a few minutes or in a few bites.

Favorite places?  I haven't selected just one yet or even just a handful.  I feel like most places can offer you a great menu of snacks when you need them; even the local 7/11.

So.  Next time you're just sitting around, walking to a meeting or hell, in a meeting.  Reach into your bag.  Pull out a bag of corn nuts or freshly made eclair and snack away.  Snack away.

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Breakfast for Dinner

It could be the best oxymoron on earth.  Truly.  Eggs, bacon, pancakes, chicken-fried steak, bacon (yes, again).  It doesn't seem to matter your favorite combination or how you cook it, breakfast for dinner is almost as special as Christmas.

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I think one thing that helps keep it such an unique and exciting meal option is because of the rarity.  I love things like pizza, burgers and chips and eat those almost daily.  Yet, I am not sure if I could eat breakfast every night for dinner (the irony being that I can eat breakfast every morning for well...breakfast).

But you know.  As I write this.  I realized I have never tried to eat breakfast for dinner in any consistency.  I wonder.  Is it like Vegas and too much of it is not a good thing? Or, would I fall helplessly in love with breakfast for dinner?

I feel a challenge coming on and will have to try it out for a week.  I may be thought of as genius or just plain crazy.  Either way.  At least I'll be eating good.

My favorite places for breakfast
1.) Home (yes, I do cook pretty damn well)
2.) CJ's (not open for dinner sadly)
3.) 5 Spot
4.) Boat Street
5.) Americana
6.) Geraldines
7.) Portage Bay
8.) Ma'Ono
9.) Lola
10.) Nook
11.) Biscuit Bitch (god this place is good)
12.) Lost Lake

There they are. NO real order (except for number 1).  Others will disagree, but I chose my locations for places that indulge us with hearty servings, home made ingredients (to the best of my knowledge) and that this feels like home type of meal.  Breakfast doesn't need to be fancy to me.  Just straightforward.

Add it to my list: Madison Kitchen

Damn, this place is cute.  Yes.  I'm a man and said cute.  But Madison Kitchen is all that and more.  I pride myself on having visited nearly every place in Seattle, so when Madison Kitchen was suggested for a business meeting, I was intensely curious to what this place may be like.

Now, it could have been the perfect assortment of mouth-watering snacks or the deli case with equally hunger curing items.  Or just how perfectly simple the decor and feel was.  It literally is a place where you can meet for business and in the same breath, get lost in conversation with a friend.

I think for a city that prides itself on having a plethora  of cafes and coffee shops, many that are often too loud, too busy (decorations and in seating) or just to average.  It's nice to walk into one that doesn't seem to apologize for being anything more or less then what it was set out to be;  the cafe around the corner.

Madison park, it's been ages since I've visited you.  But now, it seems I'd like to rejuvenate my need to come by more often.

My Favorite Coffee for People Watching

I am not a coffee connoisseur.  Truth be told.  It almost all tastes the same to me.  Now I can tell the difference between Folgers and some exclusive brew that was extracted from a $100,000 machine.  But you know.  Coffee just isn't one of those things that makes me super excited to drink (more of a tea guy anyway).

This however does not extract me from really enjoying a good cup of joe. But what makes me enthused about such isn't so much the coffee as it is the experience that goes along with it.

If you're like me.  Having a $3.00 Americano (or a $5.00 latte) is best served with interesting, crazy, funny people entering in and out of ear shot.

So, my favorite coffee?  Here are a few places for them:

• Seattle Coffee Works, near Pike Place Market.  Grab a cookie, a latte and watch everything around you. 
• Starbucks, Pacific Place Mall.  You get the Nordy's crowd and everyone is just so damn beautiful.
• Cherry St. Coffee, near Mud Bay in Belltown.  It's a hipster group that works there, but they're pretty nice.
• Espresso Vivace, Cap Hill.  The pastries are fantastic and it's Cap Hill.  It's always a show.
• Bang Bang Cafe, Belltown.  Amazing burritos and the traffic from Western Avenue brings everyone by.
• Victrola, Cap Hill.  Sit outside, grab one of their herbal teas and watch what rolls down Pike St.  You'll love it. 

On a sunny day like this.  Take a break from work. Recharge and just enjoy people at their most interesting.