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Finally, a Pumpkin Spice Latte That’s Actually Good

Go to Anchorhead, drink this latte and revel in the sweater weather.

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Every fall, I suffer an amnesiac episode and think that maybe this year will be the one I buy into Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte hysteria. And every fall, I suffer through exactly one saccharine-yet-mysteriously-bitter pumpkin spice latte and wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

Now, I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum, as my kid says. There are legions of PSL fans, and I think we can likely credit the beverage—even more than its predecessor and rightful idol actual pumpkin pie—for launching the flavor profile of a million processed foods. (Read this Eater rundown of 65 pumpkin spice foods you should definitely not be eating.)

But since this is Seattle, there’s no reason to drink a coffee beverage that is not your personal version of optimal deliciousness. And I’m here to tell you that whether or not you’re in love with Starbucks’ PSL, there’s a better pumpkin spice latte in town: Anchorhead’s pumpkin stuff latte. OK, maybe “pumpkin stuff” sounds dubious. But the downtown coffee shop’s house-made syrup is an all-natural concoction made of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, allspice, vanilla bean paste, brown sugar and maple. Combined with espresso and milk, it’s very subtly sweet and richly spiced. I dare say the pumpkin is not even necessary. It’s essentially the antithesis of the PSL—and I think that’s a good thing.

Should our warm weather of yesterday recur—I’m not hopeful—staff at Anchorhead say it’s really great iced as well as hot. 

Opening Night: Is Ethan Stowell’s Cut Club Happy Hour Going to Solve the Affordability Crisis?

Opening Night: Is Ethan Stowell’s Cut Club Happy Hour Going to Solve the Affordability Crisis?

At Cut Club, the longtime Seattle restaurateur is going old-school, with steaks made for sharing, no service charges, and a happy hour where $12 still buys dinner. 

Cut Club, the new steakhouse inside downtown’s Hotel Max, feels like a restaurant from the not-too-distant past. The menu leans comfortable rather than ambitious or world-spanning. It serves a typical lineup of steak cuts, some traditional sides like oysters, prawn cocktail, and wedge salad, and some cocktails that are between $15 and $20. There’s a…

Outside the Box: Gourmondo Founder Launches Olivina

Outside the Box: Gourmondo Founder Launches Olivina

Alissa Leinonen’s new venture brings her seasonal, Northwest approach to weddings, milestone celebrations, and elevated events.

After 30 years, Alissa Leinonen—founder of renowned catering and box-lunch company, Gourmondo—has launched a new venture. Called Olivina, the new luxury catering and events company focuses on highly personalized, elevated experiences ranging from weddings or other milestone celebrations to corporate gatherings. What started with $4,000 from a refinanced car (and a tiny café in Pike…

7 Washington Fall Festivals Worth the Drive

7 Washington Fall Festivals Worth the Drive

Autumn is back. Celebrate with fresh-hop beer, apple harvests, returning salmon, cranberries, and more. 

Explore 7 fun Washington fall festivals worth the drive, from Leavenworth's Autumn Leaf Festival and Issaquah Salmon Days to CrabFest and Fresh Hop Ale.

Restaurant Roundup: Brunch With a Side of History, Cardamom Lattes, and Chiew Chiew

Restaurant Roundup: Brunch With a Side of History, Cardamom Lattes, and Chiew Chiew

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Hope you’re hungry for a history lesson. Oliver’s, the cocktail lounge inside downtown’s Mayflower Park Hotel, was a Bartell Drugs store during Prohibition before becoming the city’s first hotel bar in the late 1940s—the Carousel Room, named for the carousel horses hung from the ceiling. When Washington repealed the rule forbidding the service of hard…