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My wife and I chose Dr. Bowe on the strength of Peter S.'s Judy's Book recommendation, and we're so glad we did. As anyone who'd been a first-time parent knows, infants are full of little health...
My wife and I chose Dr. Bowe on the strength of Peter S.'s Judy's Book recommendation, and we're so glad we did. As anyone who'd been a first-time parent knows, infants are full of little health surprises, most of which are routine once you know what's going on, but scary for a first-timer.
Not only is Dr. Bowe a great doc - just as Peter described - his office makes the whole process of infant health care an almost-pleasant experience. Whenever we call the office, we get informed and helpful advice over the phone - not just a promise to call back later. And whenever it sounds like we need to bring our son in on short notice, they've been great about making room on the schedule - often that same day.
We haven't worked with other pediatricians, and this is our first child, so we don't have much data to compare by, but our experience with Dr. Bowe and his office has exceeded our expectations.
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My business partner and I have been working with David for almost two years now, and I can't recommend him more highly for interpersonal communication and self-awareness coaching.
We first...
My business partner and I have been working with David for almost two years now, and I can't recommend him more highly for interpersonal communication and self-awareness coaching.
We first engaged David after nterviewing several different therpaists with varying degrees of experience. Although he was both the youngest practicioner we met with, and had the least direct experience with business partnership issues, he's been an extremely effective advisor and counselor through all the ups and downs of starting a new business.
No matter who you choose to work with, I strongly recommend that you interview several possible therapists before making your choice. Trust and effective communications are key ingredients in an effective therapy relationship, and both depend a great deal on interpersonal chemistry - something you can't evaluate without a face-to-face interaction.
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At the high end, new restaurants tend to flame out pretty quickly. After the initial rush of local buzz and gushing reviews, cracks start to appear - usually driven by real gaps between lofty...
At the high end, new restaurants tend to flame out pretty quickly. After the initial rush of local buzz and gushing reviews, cracks start to appear - usually driven by real gaps between lofty prices (and expectations) and the inconsistencies that tend to bedevil such a complex product.
So when a restaurant starts out great and stays that way, it's something to celebrate -- especially in a town with relatively few strong contenders.
My wife and I have eaten at Zoe a half-dozen times over the past several years (most recently this past Saturday night), and our respect for the place has only grown as Scott Staples and his crew have delivered a great experience, time after time. From food to service to wine to overall ambiance, Zoe is the Energizer bunny of Seattle's best restaurants, still going strong long after many of its flashier contemporaries have fallen on hard times.
As some previous reviewers have noted, the experience at Zoe isn't about flash or "high concept" cooking, and that's exactly the point. Doing something difficult very well night after night is what separates the great from the well-promoted, and Zoe has earned its place on the list.
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No matter what kind of chocolate you crave - from super-dark solid chocolate, to hand-dipped truffles, to caramel, nut & nougat confections, Fran's Chocolates is hands-down the best in town.
My...
No matter what kind of chocolate you crave - from super-dark solid chocolate, to hand-dipped truffles, to caramel, nut & nougat confections, Fran's Chocolates is hands-down the best in town.
My wife and I first bought Fran's little bags of dark chocolate hearts as a place-setting gift for our wedding. The extras went into a 'chocolate jar' in the kitchen, and our Fran's habit was born. Five years later, that chocolate jar is a kitchen fixture, and Fran's U-Village store is a regular stop on our grocery runs. We've tried nearly everything they make -- we especially love their Gold Bar, a tiny caramel and almond bar wrapped in a thick layer of dark chocolate -- but the little hearts are the perfect bite-sized treat.
The only downside to our Fran's habit is the fact that I can no longer eat ordinary chocolate candy -- I'm so used to the smooth texture and bittersweet taste of Fran's that run-of-the-mill chocolate just doesn't compare.
If chocolate's on your list -- and with Valentine's Day on the horizon, how couldn't it be -- Fran's is by far your best local bet.
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OK, I know Fremont isn't Wallingford, but what's a few blocks between friends?
Sound Mind & Body is a big, clean, well-managed and reasonably-priced gym located right on the Burke Gilman trail...
OK, I know Fremont isn't Wallingford, but what's a few blocks between friends?
Sound Mind & Body is a big, clean, well-managed and reasonably-priced gym located right on the Burke Gilman trail (just a 5-minute ride or 15-minute jog from anywhere in Wallingford).
In addition to the usual gym features (treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, free weights, weight machines, etc.), they have several different workout spaces devoted to different kinds of classes (step aerobics, yoga, etc.).
The standout offering - at least in terms of local buzz - is the ski conditioning class. My wife and I took the class our first winter in Seattle and it more than lived up to its billing (I'm pretty dedicated about my fitness, and I hadn't worked out that hard since college).
So if crossing the border into Fremont doesn't give you the heebie-jeebies, SMB is your best bet.
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As any self-respecting local style hound will tell you, when it comes to unique & high-quality men's apparel, Seattle can be a very disappointing place to shop.
This is not to say that...
As any self-respecting local style hound will tell you, when it comes to unique & high-quality men's apparel, Seattle can be a very disappointing place to shop.
This is not to say that Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers and similar mass-market retailers don't offer a wide selection of well-regarded brands. It's probably just a reflection of our laid-back local culture - where khakis, loafers and a button-down shirt can take you from the office to dinner to a night on the town without a second look.
But if you're accustomed to the choices offered on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, or Union Square in San Francisco, you're likely to be disappointed by pretty much everything the mainstream retailers have to offer.
So if you take pleasure in fine materials, thoughtful styling and careful craftsmanship - in anything from t-shirts to suits - there's a short list of local retailers you need to know about, and Butch Blum should be at the top of that list. Instead of buying every item from every major brand, the buyers at Butch Blum act like style curators, hand-picking the best assortment of items from a select group of ateliers. They also back up their selection with amazing service - from honest advice on the sales floor to excellent tailoring and personalized follw-ups when hard-to-find items come in.
I don't shop often, but when I do I typically have a specific item in mind, and more often than not Butch Blum is the only place in town that has it. I learned this lesson the hard way when I bought my last suit. I needed a dark suit for an evening event, but I wanted a 3-button jacket (rather than the usual American-style 2-button), with no center vent, in a charcoal wool that would travel well and be wearable across several seasons. I visited every major men's retailer in town, and none of them - except Butch Blum - even knew what I was talking about, much less had the right item available. Not only did Butch Blum know what I wanted, they had it in stock - a remarkable feat for a store that caries a fraction of the inventory of any of the major retailers. Not only that - their on-site tailoring service made the final adjustments in time for me to fly out later that week.
Don't take my word for it - just walk in and see for yourself (and get your name on the mailing list - they have regular sales that can bring their sometimes-lofty prices into a more reasoable range).
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Seattle pizza fans have been blessed with a recent bloom of high-quality pizza joints -- where 'quality' is (subjectively) defined as thin-crust, wood-fired, 'Neapolitan-style' pies. The original...
Seattle pizza fans have been blessed with a recent bloom of high-quality pizza joints -- where 'quality' is (subjectively) defined as thin-crust, wood-fired, 'Neapolitan-style' pies. The original Tutta Bella, down in Columbia City, led the charge, followed recently by the excellent Via Tribunali on Capitol Hill. Now Tutta Bella has brought its simple-but-winning formula to North Seattle with a huge new storefront on Stone Way, just south of 45th.
Like the original Tutta Bella, this outpost serves wonderfully light, thin crust pizza, baked in wood-fired ovens according to the strict guidelines laid out by the Neapolitan pizza bakers guild. Unlike the original, the new store can seat (I'm guessing) 150 diners at a time, with table service instead of the cafeteria-style ordering offered at the Columbia City location.
If you don't love pizza, Tutta Bella's offerings are limited - Italian flatbread, some decent salads and a short dessert menu. But if excellent pizza in a convivial atmosphere is what you're after, Tutta Bella is the best new pick north of the Ship Canal.
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After several disasspointing interactions with Corry's Cleaning, my wife and I switched to Ramona Cleaners (on the corner of Wallingford Ave and 40th) several years ago, and have been very happy...
After several disasspointing interactions with Corry's Cleaning, my wife and I switched to Ramona Cleaners (on the corner of Wallingford Ave and 40th) several years ago, and have been very happy with their service.
They're not extraordinary for what they do - they get your clothes clean as promised, on time, for a fair price - but for what they *don't* do: they don't break buttons, your clothes don't mysteriously disappear, they don't deliver 'clean' clothes with mysterious new stains on them, etc.
It's not exactly Greenlake, but if you shop at the Wallingford QFC, they're just a few blocks south and worth a detour.
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Whenever I'm leaving town for more than 24 hours, MasterPark is my preferred off-site lot. They have three lots - A, B, and C - and while the first two are slightly closer, they all have efficient...
Whenever I'm leaving town for more than 24 hours, MasterPark is my preferred off-site lot. They have three lots - A, B, and C - and while the first two are slightly closer, they all have efficient shuttle service, and Lot C offers the best pricing (typically $8-$9 per day).
While there are many other offsite lots to choose among, MasterPark offers a great combination of: secure lots, efficient transfers, clean & well-lighted drop-off centers, plus online reservations (a good idea for high-volume holidays) and discounts for Web users and regular customers.
Always take a look at their website for current discounts - just print the coupon and present it when you pay: http://masterparking.com/
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When the Seattle P-I recently featured Judy's Book in a article about Seattle-area Web 2.0 companies, they dispatched Scott Eklund to visit our offices and capture some images for use in the...
When the Seattle P-I recently featured Judy's Book in a article about Seattle-area Web 2.0 companies, they dispatched Scott Eklund to visit our offices and capture some images for use in the article. With a minimum of fuss and setup, Scott started shooting, and in just 15 minutes recorded dozens of candid images that captured the informal spirit of our office and our team. The shot that ultimately ran in the article reflects his improvisational and playful approach - he grabbed a nearby floor lamp and worked it in both as a lighting source, and as a fun and suprising visual element in the shot.
In addition to dashing out on short notice for the P-I, Scott also shoots for local magazines, does corporate portrait and candid photography, and even shoots the occasional wedding (where I imagine his speed and creativity would be very effective at capturing the spirit of the event). Based on our brief-but-effective experience with his services, I'm delighted to be able to recommend him to the local Judy's Book community.
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