February 2021
Rearview Mirror: Big Laughs at Seattle Rep, a Sloth Surprise, and a Good Read
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
AGREE TO DISAGREE Earlier this week, I took my teenage daughter to see Eureka Day at Seattle Rep, and we both loved it. Jonathan Spector’s Tony-winning comedy is set at a progressive private school in Berkeley, where the people in charge insist on reaching agreement before making decisions. Then a case of mumps forces a…
Restaurant Roundup: Hey Bagel Heads West and Squash Dessert Cravings
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
It’s your birthday? Congratulations on another trip around the sun. Don’t worry, we won’t ambush you with singing waitstaff, but there are plenty of ways Seattle restaurants can make your special day even more memorable, from intimate settings for private celebrations to that dish you won’t stop thinking about for the next 365 days (like…
Studio Sessions: Kelly Bjork
Fresh off the opening of a solo gallery show, Kelly Bjork talks working in pencil, the turning point in their career, and staying authentic in their art.
A longtime fixture in the local art scene, Kelly Bjork creates works that are intimate, relatable, and that hum with emotion. Working with pencil and paint, Bjork’s illustrations—often vibrantly colored and patterned—give viewers a glance into scenes of domesticity, highlighting simple moments between humans (or between a human and a place) that make up daily…
Rachel Marsh Knows a Good Joke Takes Work
The Bothell-raised actor talks about trusting her comic instincts and making a beloved character her own in the new rom-com The Love Hypothesis.
Rachel Marsh, who grew up in Bothell, has been building an eclectic résumé with roles in Prime Video’s Fallout and Hulu’s Adults. Now she’s stepping into the romantic-comedy spotlight with The Love Hypothesis, which began streaming on Prime Video Sept. 23. Based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling 2021 novel, the film stars Lili Reinhart as Olive…
The Cult of Family Worship Center
The Portland band sounds like a long-lost '70s relic, right down to the mysterious religious backstory.
The internet may never be able to replicate the experience of digging through a box of vinyl and pulling out something completely inexplicable, something that might have only ever been heard by a few dozen people. In those albums, you can sense an untold story. Such private presses, what one might uncharitably call “vanity projects,”…
What’s on Screen at Diwa Filipino Film Festival
Family histories, migrant stories, political struggles, ghosts, romance, and an unexpected dose of comedy shape this year’s lineup.
Before Adrian Alarilla had an international film lineup to consider, there was a loft at Seattle Center to fill. Organizers of the Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival—part of the Festál series—wanted to expand their arts programming and make better use of the Armory’s upstairs space. A friend suggested adding movies and recommended Alarilla to lead the effort….
WALKDONTRUN Offers a Different Way to See Downtown
The one-day art festival brings new life to familiar corners of the city.
How often do you linger in the central business district of downtown on the weekend? If you’re like me, not terribly often. Certain blocks can feel a little forlorn once the weekday workers empty out—or perhaps not forlorn so much as waiting for their purpose. On Saturday, September 19, plenty of new purpose flourished (and…
Pacific Northwest Ballet Opens Its Season with Heart
Serenade pairs Balanchine’s romantic sweep with a revealing new work by Jessica Lang and a jubilant finale from Alexei Ratmansky.
Finding stillness can be challenging. To pause without scrolling or anticipating the next thing on a to-do list, especially at the change of the seasons. It is well-timed, then, that Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2026-27 season-opening program Serenade is rich in sensory experiences: light, color, movement, stillness—and the value of the calm spaces in between. The…
The Burger That Saved My Marriage
When a closure on I-405 derails date night, Great State Burger comes to the rescue.
The plan was flawless, which, as every married person knows, meant it was immediately in danger. In an earnest attempt to be a good husband, I had arranged a Saturday night date in Bellevue: dinner at Fogo de Chao, followed by a movie at Cinemark in Lincoln Square. I made the reservation and bought tickets….
5 Cozy Fall Outings
Sweater weather is here. These five adventures make a strong case for getting out and embracing it.
Autumn is the absolute best. I start pulling out sweaters and scarves before the weather even remotely justifies it, then spend weeks happily overdressed. I love the whole production—noodle soups, spicy drinks, crunchy leaves, dark afternoons, fogged-up windows. Bring it on! Here are five ways to make the most of every minute. 1. Dates after…
Restaurant Roundup: Haunted Cocktails and Free Chicken
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
And then there were three. Tutta Bella will close its downtown and Columbia City pizzerias on Oct. 2, leaving just the shops in Wallingford, Bellevue, and Issaquah. The move to shutter its flagship location on Rainier Avenue South ends a 22-year run, and further solidifies the company’s plans to focus on grab-and-go Neapolitan-style pies, pastas,…
All Aboard! Amtrak’s New Airo Trains Arrive This Fall
The long-awaited fleet makes its Pacific Northwest debut Sept. 30 on the Amtrak Cascades route.
A date that Pacific Northwest train riders and advocates have long awaited is finally nigh. Amtrak’s sleek, amenity-packed new trains will debut on the Cascades intercity route on Sept. 30. Amtrak leaders previewed the launch of commercial service of the “Airo” fleet in an event streamed live on YouTube Thursday. “This is one of the…