Pappardelle's Pasta

Pappardelle's Pasta, which now has a large stall inside Pike Place market, is a dry pasta heaven. The endless medley of dry pastas, balsamic vinegars, salad dressings, and olive oils is a feast for the eyes.

IMO, their most fantastic product is their whole wheat orzo. Whole wheat orzo is virtually impossible to find, in general. And anything approaching Pappardelle's size and quality of the orzo is, I think, non-existent. The grains retain their large and beautiful jewel-like shape on cooking, and have such a rich, nutty flavor that you don't need much in the way of a coating sauce. I tossed the cooked orzo in olive oil over a medium flame, with lots of minced garlic, shallots, fresh chopped spinach and watercress, roasted chicken, and roasted red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Tasted FABULOUS.

Sisters Cafe

This little Mediterranean sandwich shop is one of our regular destinations for a light lunch on a Saturday afternoon at Pike Place. Our favorite is the "Nasruddin", marinated grilled eggplant and hummus sandwich, with an awesome olive paste, on crisp fresh slices of focaccia bread. They have great sides in the form of healthy salads with olive oil dressings. Everything is made fresh. The folks are friendly and the place is quintessentially a local store at Pike Place. The focaccia bread is so good that we often take home a slab with us. Tastes great with our homemade marinara.

Definitely a "go-to" for vegetarians and vegans, but the food is tasty enough to tempt all.

Lo Priore Brothers Pasta Bar

We were wandering aimlessly around Pike Place on one of these delicious, lazy Saturday mornings in late summer. Walking on Post Alley, and looking at the lunch crowd, we realized we were hungry, and walked inside the building. Immediately indoors is this unassuming little place called simply "Pasta Bar".

Never shy, we scanned the plates of the other customers, and everything looked appetizing. We ordered a ravioli and a fettuccine in alfredo and pesto, and joined the hungry summer throngs in tucking away the pasta. The flavors were so earthy and satisfying. We walked away with a lovely, warm sensation inside our tummies. We know we will keep coming back here.