Occasionally my partner sweetly suggests that we buy salmon to cook for dinner, and every time he does so my inner Pacific Northwest food snob kicks in. Because I spent most of my life in the Seattle area, and because I now live in Colorado, which–just to be clear–could not be more landlocked, I always turn up my nose at eating seafood. “Are you kidding me?” I always scoff at him, sounding like a real brat. “I’m from Seattle.”
With the exception of river trout, eating fish in Colorado simply cannot compare to eating fish in Washington State. Eating good salmon or oysters in the Pacific Northwest is like eating mermaid ambrosia pulled straight from the sea and plopped directly onto your plate–so fresh, briny, and rich.
My summers growing up in Washington revolved around food. My parents’ yard overflowed with wild raspberries and blackberries. We spent many days on the Puget Sound digging for razor clams to fry or bake or add to linguine or chowder. On more ambitious days, we lay on our bellies during low tide and shove our hands deep into the mud to catch geoducks. One summer, I remember going to the Ballard farmers market and buying enormous baskets of snap peas and marionberries, then sitting on the street curb and eating every last pea and berry in one sitting. I remember the produce tasted like actual sunshine.
My mouth is watering writing this blog post right now.
I’m not the only one who feels that the Puget Sound area is home to some of the best food in the country. Zagat ranks Seattle as the fifth most exciting city in the country for food. US News ranks Seattle as the eighth best city in the country for foodies. And Condé Nast ranks Seattle as the number one best city in the country for seafood.
To help you take advantage of living in such an abundant and delicious food scene, here is a list of some of the farmers markets in the area. Just as Washington’s strawberries are starting to ripen into red bursts of sugary goodness, many markets open this coming weekend or next weekend. For more information, check out the Seattle Farmer’s Market website. Or, check out the Seattle Times’ complete list of Puget Sound area markets.
As always, for more information about real estate in the area, get in touch with Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or (425) 502-5397.
Mill Creek Farmers Market
Fridays, 12-5pm
Mill Creek City Hall North, 15720 Main St., Mill Creek
Bothell Farmers Market–opens June 1st
Fridays, 12-6pm
Country Village, 23718 Bothell-Everett Highway, Bothell
Everett Farmers Markets
Sundays 11am-4pm
Port of Everett Boxcar Park, 615 13th St., Everett; also 4-8 pm
Wednesdays, 4-8pm, May 23-Sept. 26
Everett Station Transit Center, 2333 32nd St., Everett
Snohomish Farmers Market
Thursdays, 3-7pm
Cedar Avenue and Pearl Street, Snohomish
Lake Forest Park Farmers Market
Sundays,10am-3pm
Third Place Commons, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park
Edmonds Garden Market/Summer Market
Saturdays 9am-2pm through June 9
Fifth Avenue and Bell Street, Edmonds
Saturdays, 9am-3pm, starting June 16th
Fifth Avenue and Main Street, Edmonds
Tacoma Farmers Markets
Thursdays, 10am-3pm
Broadway between South 9th and South 11th Streets, Tacoma
Sundays 10am-3pm, starting June 30
5005 Ruston Way
Tuesdays 3-7pm, starting June 5
3500 McKinley Ave. E., Tacoma
Columbia City Farmers Market
Wednesdays, 3-7pm
37th Avenue South and South Edmunds Street, Seattle
Wallingford Farmers Market
Wednesdays 3-7pm
Meridian Park, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle
Lake City Farmers Market–opens June 7th
Thursdays, 3-7pm
Northeast 125th Street and 28th Avenue Northeast, Seattle
Madrona Farmers Market
Fridays, 3-7pm
Madrona Grocery Outlet parking lot, 1126 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Seattle
Phinney Farmers Market–opens June 1st
Fridays, 3:30-7:30pm
Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle
University District Farmers Market
Saturdays 9am-2pm
University Way & N.E. 50th Ave., Seattle
Magnolia Farmers Market–opens June 2
Saturdays, 10am-2pm
33rd Avenue West and West McGraw Street, Seattle
Capitol Hill Farmers Market
Sundays, 11am-3pm
Broadway and East Pine Street, Seattle Community College Campus, Seattle
Queen Anne Farmers Market–opens June 7th
Thursdays, 3-7:30pm
West Crockett Street and Queen Anne Avenue North, Seattle
West Seattle Farmers Market
Sundays, 10am-2pm
Southwest Alaska Street and California Avenue Southwest, Seattle
Ballard Farmers Market
Sundays, 10am-3pm
Ballard Avenue Northwest and 22nd Avenue Northwest, Seattle
Curious about a property near one of these markets? Call us today to find your new home: #425-502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com