Welcome to one of my favorite cities!! 😊 While it’s known for the constant rain, the Seattle summer weather is absolutely perfect - mid-70s, shining sun until 9PM, and minimal rain. What you wouldn’t expect, though, are the unique attractions, beautiful landscape, and some of the best food you’ll find around! See all the places I went below…
Okay, but first, dessert - who said dessert can't come first?! Molly Moon's, one of Seattle's most popular ice cream shops, was the first on my list.
According to their website, their Yeti ice cream flavor is their signature sweet cream ice cream, but swirled with vanilla bean caramel and "yeti" granola, which are both made in-house, along with Theo chocolate bits. They make the creamiest ice cream, and knowing that everything is sourced locally, with no artificial additives, makes this ice cream even more lovable!!
SOUP-er good! Din Tai Fung (DTF), an international Shanghainese food chain originating from Taiwan that specializes in xiaolongbao (XLB), better known as soup dumplings. This restaurant is one of my favorites from Asia, as my dad introduced it to me on our trip to China in 2018. I had always been a fan of xiaolongbao, but there's something so special about the way DTF prepares their ultra-thin wrappers and piping hot soup inside. While DTF is pricy for xiaolongbao, many will agree that indulging in these small dumplings of heaven are worth it. Please, DTF, come to the East Coast.
I got just the plain Kurobata pork soup dumplings (the cheapest XLB option), but they also sell crab + pork ones that are my favorite kind. DTF also serves an even more indulgent option - the truffle Kurobata pork ones. If you love the unique taste of truffle, these are definitely for you.
Banana - ooo - nana. 🍌 Portage Bay Cafe is a very popular local Seattle brunch chain that serves a wide variety of benedicts, French toasts, pancakes, eggs, + assorted breakfast staples. Known for their breakfast bar, customers that order off the "breakfast bar" section are able to top their meal off with a "selection of seasonal fruit, nuts, & whipped cream". I ordered the bananas foster french toast and topped it off with their fresh strawberries - so apPEELing 😋
I lava chocolate lava cakes!!
And Hot Cakes serves up a GOOOOOD one. They are a dessert shop serving up the highest quality molten chocolate cakes, cookies, thick milkshakes, and warm dessert drinks. Their original cake, which was first served back in 2008, the Dark Decadence, is crafted with Theo chocolate, dry-burned caramel, nib toffee, + vanilla ice cream. They pride themselves on their dry-burned caramel, which takes long periods of intense concentration and patience (you can read more about it here). It's worth it though - you can taste the quality in each bite of this cake + its sidekicks. A must-stop when in Seattle!
To kick-off Intern Family Weekend, Facebook Seattle hosted a Kick-Off Social. We enjoyed appetizers (which we easily turned into a meal) provided by Facebook catering. All the hype about the Facebook cafeterias is for a reason - they're redefining the term cafeteria. Facebook offices also include microkitchens on every floor, where employees are allowed to grab snacks + drinks as they please.
Antonia stayed at the University of Washington over the summer, making University Village a convenient stop. UVillage is an open-air shopping complex, with numerous gourmet eateries + shops. It's easily one of the most beautiful shopping centers I've been to.
Let me just start off by saying how BEAUTIFUL the Facebook campus is. Here's just a few photos:
Just wow, right? 😍
You can even see the Space Needle from the rooftop, among many other Seattle attractions. Seriously, Facebook Seattle is a real destination if you get the chance!!
We checked out the original Starbucks and tried the Pike Place blend and blackberry lemonade iced tea. Pike Place had a wide variety of local artisan shops and a fish market, which were all fun to explore.
This is the first Starbucks Roastery in the world, where they opened in 2014 in the vibrant Capitol Hill district. They create super innovative drinks and serve up pastries. Try to stop by here before you get a lava cake from Hot Cakes!
The artwork here is absolutely stunning and pops with color everywhere - I'm seriously obsessed with the art here!
...but I mean, if you didn't see the Space Needle, did you see Seattle?
Seattle has a ton to see, with lots of modern aspects, but still retaining the incredible history of the Pacific Northwest. I went to Seattle to visit my older sister, Antonia, at her internship, but if you’re just looking for a relaxing vacation getaway, don’t sleep on Seattle!!
See you soon,
Carissa 😊