Pike Place Market is the epitome of tradition in Seattle. An enterprise that has been in existence since 1907, the market is an avenue for both locals and tourists to enjoy. Pike Place sells garden-fresh flowers, fruit and meat, as well as handmade crafts but it is also home to great food. Although the market does have sit-down waiter service restaurants this post focuses on the good grub you can quickly get while you walk around the market.

Piroshky Piroshky

Piroshky Piroshky is a delicious Russian bakery in the market that offers its clients an array of sweet and savory filled baked pastries. At this bakery try items like cherry white chocolate rolls or bacon, hash brown, egg and cheese pastries. All the delicacies are handmade daily  and reasonably priced. Even though the bakery is small, there are plenty of options for any palate. Try and get there early on the weekends because the lines can be long but it is well worth the wait.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Beecher’s has been a part of the market since 2003 and its flagship location in Seattle has made way for other Beecher locations to open in various cities. Beecher’s is an experience within the market, come by and see firsthand the process of cheese making through the venue’s massive glass walls. The average market goer cannot resist the free samples of cheese curds and friendly staff. The menu items feature cheesy choices like grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese and the eatery sells gift baskets for those looking for something to bring home as a memento. Seating is limited here so you may have to take your cheese to go but don’t worry it’s so delicious it won’t take very long to consume.

Pike Place Chowder

Who doesn’t love a hot cup of soup on a rainy day? How about a delicious chowder in a sourdough bowl? Welcome to Pike Place Chowder, an establishment that serves up the Northwest’s best soups. Pike Place Chowder offers an assortment of chowder such as smoked salmon, Manhattan clam chowder, and seafood bisque, all worthy of trying. The Market Chowder is an ever-rotating option, made daily from fresh local ingredients found right there in the market itself. With its success, the eatery does offer catering across the United States but the true experience is sitting in the market while the rain spits and you sip.

First Starbucks

What Seattle post would be complete without Starbucks? Yes, there are over 11,000 Starbucks in the United States but there is only one first Starbucks. Opened in 1971 the original Starbucks still stands in Pike Place Market serving coffee and pastries to its visitors. The store stocks special original Starbucks merchandise that feature the first Starbucks logo and bragging rights when you return home with your 1971 thermos. An experience and a piece of history, Starbucks, although now a big corporation does pay homage to its roots in the market.

These cafes bring originality and delectableness to the market but it is truly the character of the owner’s and the visitors who venture here to keep the spirit alive. Any trip to Seattle should include more than one visit to the market and maybe even more than one sourdough soup bowl too. One can always visit a Seattle Museum and then come back for a quick bite at any of these stop-and- go options. Relish the options of fresh, local eats and save room because the market has equally scrumptious dessert choices.