The Cherry Story

This week, I talked with author Livia Blackburne and Seattle-based illustrator Julia Kuo about their beautiful new picture book, Bing’s Cherries. The story traces the origins of the Bing cherry through a young girl imagining the life of Ah Bing, the Chinese immigrant who cultivated the fruit. It moves between fact and folklore, allowing the story to become a kind of mythology. One detail I love, both in the book and in our conversation, is that cherries don’t come alone; they show up in pairs or clusters, each one part of a little family, which I will probably think about every time I eat cherries now.

The cherry blossoms at the University of Washington are peaking, and my family went this year like we always do. Our annual tradition is to walk up to the Burke Museum afterward, where we see and listen to the stories the natural history museum tells about people, Indigenous cultures, our effect on the land and water, and animals. Blackburne and Kuo’s book fits into that space, taking something familiar—a fruit you can buy at any grocery store—and giving it a backstory while also making a case for paying attention to the names and stories we think we already know. More on the book later.

A Night with Iceland

Last week the Taste of Iceland kickoff party at Palace Kitchen was notable from the start, with Icelandic artists, musicians, chefs, astronomers, and comedians all in one room having conversations that quickly became open and personal. What stayed with me most is how much they all love their country and how happy they are to share it.

We ate poached cod loin with mussels and apple-fennel salad, lamb rump steak with plum-creamed barley, and bowls of skyr with blueberries and sorrel granita, made by Icelandic Chef Ísak Aron Jóhannsson—who stayed calm and easygoing all night, moving between the kitchen and the party—and Palace Kitchen chef Ron Anderson.

I chatted with astronomer Sævar Helgi Bragason about the total solar eclipse visible from Reykjavík this August. It will be the first one seen there since 1433. When I asked how we know that, he said, “We know exactly where the moon has been, and where it will be.” I love that answer. I love how science and math can sound so poetic sometimes. He told me he’s seen four total solar eclipses and cried every time. I also tried VR for the first time, looking up at the northern lights, with pinks and greens fluttering across the sky. One of the Icelanders admitted they might peek out at the sky during the aurora borealis for a minute, then close the curtain and go back to whatever they were doing. It’s fascinating to imagine something so beautiful becoming ordinary.

Executive Chef Conny Andersson and Chef de Cuisine Jonathan De Paz.

Photo by Joshua Perez

Counter Culture

Dinner can be really fun when you get to see how it all comes together without having to lift a finger, so I was intrigued to hear that Salt Harvest, inside Populus Seattle, is now offering a chef’s counter experience called A Taste of Salt Harvest, with just nine seats. The five-course meal is built around Pacific Northwest ingredients and changes daily depending on what’s fresh. Executive Chef Conny Andersson and the team guide guests through each course as it’s prepared, talking through the ingredients, sourcing, and open-fire cooking behind it. Reservations are required, and the experience is $125 per person.

The new after-work hangout for friends in South Lake Union.

Photo by Chris Von Holle / Flight Club

Game On

Flight Club in South Lake Union opened this week, and after a very packed preview night party, it’s already clear this is going to be a hit. The concept takes a game most of us associate with dive bars and bad math and turns it into a fun night out. You scan a QR code and the system handles the rest, tracking every throw on a large screen. It even sends funny little replay clips to your phone. Between the food, the drinks, and the fact that you’re doing something, not just sitting there, it’s very much in the running for my next birthday party.

From the current production of Mary Jane at Seattle Rep: Anteia Delaney, Brenda Joyner, and Shaunyce Omar. The show runs through April 19.

Photo by Sayed Alamy

Rep Check

A new Seattle Rep season always gives me something to look forward to, and this one has a lot going for it. The 2026/27 lineup came out this week. I’m especially curious about Amadeus. I’ve never seen it before (I know, I know), and I’ve only ever heard the best things about it. Peter Pan Goes Wrong sounds like a goofy one for families. I’m also really happy to see Seattle playwright Keiko Green in the mix with You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!, a dark family story with drag, climate anxiety, Greta Thunberg, and a stage-four cancer diagnosis somehow all in the same play. It sounds wild, sad, and funny. And there are still a few more days to catch another play by Green, Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story, at Seattle Children’s Theatre, which you can read about here.