I’m not a big internet radio fan, but I’ll tune in every so often when all 80gb worth of tunes on the iPod seem to all suck. Oh you know those day. It turned out to be a blessing that the rental car in Seattle didn’t have an iPod adapter. Karen hit the scan button on the radio dash a few times before we landed on KEXP playing Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” followed later on with an interview with Mando Diao, followed by some more rockin tunes. Like most public radio stations, the signal was pretty weak, but did last for most of the 2 and half hour drive out to Olympia National Park. Luckily their interweb signal is strong, and I can get KEXP back here in New York.

[KEXP 90.3FM]

When Gridskipper posted about the Rem Koolhaas designed central library, I immediately added it to my list of Seattle must-sees. I must say, I wasn’t disappointed one bit. The exterior was quite impressive, and I’m totally in love with the metal shelves and railings. There are even art installations around the space including a video projection on one of the neon colored escalators. The neon green elevators are also worth a ride, even if it’s only for being in a tight space that is slime green. I want so much to have a reason to drop in every now and then and be part of one of the most read cities in America, that I was considering signing up for a library card.

If you’re a design nerd or love the retro sign porn, Seattle is the place to be. You can spend days just admiring and photographing the old paint jobs on the side of buildings, mid-century neon lit signs, and crusty old signs from by-gone eras. Rest of the Seattle pics are here.

Besides coffee, Seattle-ites seem to love the South East Asian cuisine. The ubiquitous Vietnamese pho joints and Thai restaurants provide excellent cheap eats for cheapskates like myself. As always, some are better than others, so here are the ones that are worth every lemongrass and basil.

Pho Cyclo , 406 Broadway East, Capitol Hill, has a very basic menu of pho, rice, and noodle dishes. Add an order of spring rolls to any of the entrees, and wash it down with a Vietnamese iced coffee to stuff yourself silly.

Than Brothers Restaurant, multiple locations, is a family-run chain of bare-bones pho only restaurants. Seat yourself, then choose between chicken, beef, or veggies to top off your bowl. If you opt for beef, you get to choose again from a long list of edible cow parts that include Vietnamese specialties like tendon and tripe. Pho’ Shizzle!

Kwanjai Thai, 469 North 36th Street, Fremont, is near the end of the main drag or North 36th Street in Fremont. It’s housed inside, well… a house. You might even feel like you’re a guest at the house. The menu is the usual pad thai, pad see ew. Seafood items are market prices so expect to pay more for those. For about $10, you’ll have a decent meal and plenty of cash leftover for a pint or 2 at the many nearby bars.

[photo by: Federico Mena-Quintero]

I admit it. I made my way downtown, walked down Pine Street to seek out that Public Market market sign. Not for nothing, it’s a great piece of typography. Having snapped the requisite photo, I went inside to have a look-see. The place is nothing more than a tourist stop as there were more tsotchkes shops selling tourist junk than grocery stands. Was there anyone there actually buying fish for dinner? We made our way out and went to seek out the first Starbucks across the way. I don’t hate Starbucks, but it was pretty interesting to see the place where their world domination started. The queue was outrageous so I skipped out on trying the Pike Place blend. Taking Lonely Planet up on a recommendation, we hit Pirotsky & Pirotsky to for a yummy mozzarella and broccoli pastry. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t filling either. In search of more food, we hit the corner cheese joint Beechers Cheese for their $5.75 flagship jack cheese sandwich made of jack cheese, tomatos, and Beecher’s spread. It was extra small, but the flavor was ginormous, and the best tasting grilled cheese I’ve ever had.

[Beechers' Handmade Cheese, 1600 Pike Place, Seattle]

Oh Seattle, it’s one aching week away. The trip next week will overtake the jaunt to St. John as the easiest trip we would’ve have taken. There won’t be a language problem, prices are pretty decent, and transportation is pretty straightforward. I think they take New York dollars there too. The adventures, at least during the Seattle portion, will definitely involve looking for coffee, though from what I hear we’re guaranteed to have a decent cup no matter where we wind up. From perusing Gridskipper during precious work hours, I found two joints that are must visits: People’s Republic of Koffee where I can get caffeinated and inked up, and Cowgirl Espresso where my coffee is served stacked.

[photo by: donotgiveup.net]