67 Ways To Stay Sane This Winter

6 Ways to Volunteer This Season

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:33:00 -0800

If you've dreamed of being a carnie...
Work the Westlake Carousel Someone needs to take tickets, help kids board their trusty plastic steed, and eat powdered mini doughnuts. Volunteers may sign up on their own or in groups of six to 12; all proceeds from the holiday carousel benefit Treehouse, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of foster children. Thru Jan 1, morning, afternoon, and evening shifts available from 9am–10pm. 401 Pine St, treehouseforkids.org

If your green thumb is restless...
Bundle up and bust holly bushes Get out in the mist and help restore our parks. Green Seattle works to maintain 2,500 acres of forest within city limits and could always use a hand cleaning up, clearing invasive plants, and planting trees. BYO clippers and gloves if you have them. Year-round. greenseattle.org/events

If you play Santa’s elf at family parties...
Work a pop-up “Toy Store” The Lake City Holiday Project makes the season a little brighter for hundreds of underprivileged children each year. They’re looking for volunteers to staff Meadowbrook Community Care’s “toy store,” bagging gifts and notifying families for pickup. Dropoff donations are welcome as well. Thru Dec 17. 10005 32nd Ave NE, mc-care.org

If shopping is your bag...
Make care packages for the homeless The local YWCA Angeline’s has been helping homeless women find shelter since 1987. So the ladies can put their best foot forward, the YWCA is asking for holiday bags filled with everyday items (toiletries, crossword puzzle books, snacks) and treats like bus passes. Personal touches are encouraged. Drop off bags at YWCA Opportunity Place’s main desk by Dec 6. 2024 Third Ave, ywcaworks.org

If you’re a top chef...
Join the Chicken Soup Brigade The Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s year-round food program brings nutritional meals to Seattleites living with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Help by delivering groceries and home-cooked dinners door to door or take your culinary skills to the kitchen. Weekly shifts available. 1161 11th Ave N, llaa.org

If you buy your pet presents…
Be a petparazzi Purrfect Pals, a cat-adoption center that provides foster and hospice care for homeless felines, is pairing with PetSmart to make your pet’s holiday dream come true: Photos. With. Santa. They need volunteers to play St. Nick, wrangle cats, and take pictures—$5 from each photo goes to the cause. Santas must be 18 or older. Dec 1–16, shifts Sat & Sun 10:30–4:30. Suit and photo equipment provided at participating PetSmart stores, email volunteers@purrfectpals.org

If you can’t plan ahead…
Try one-stop philanthropy Visit flashvolunteer.org, seattleworks.org, or unitedway.org for round-the-clock volunteer options.

The 5 Most Decadent Appetizers in Seattle

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:27:00 -0800

Image: Courtesy Kate Baldwin

John Howie Steak
Double-fried bacon emerges from a bed of laughable greens.

5. Dungeness Deviled Eggs at Madison Park Conservatory
How can luscious whipped egg topped with fat hunks of Dungeness crab not be the best damn thing you ever ate, particularly when lavished with Spanish paprika? Let me qualify that Dungeness is frequently more interesting in theory than in practice, its charms being soft ones flavorwise, but for richness and—it has to be said—mouthfeel, this one rocks.

4. Foie Gras Sliders at RN74
There would be a riot if these little fellers left the menu at downtown’s happy hour haunt of choice, a Michael Mina chain that’s always better than one expects it to be. Preparations vary, but the general gist is a slice of the elegant unctuous duck liver (Hudson Valley, no less) presented between buns with caramelized onion and a sweet counterpoint like Bartlett pear. The sweets, the savories, the push and pull of textures—it’s just about perfect, every time.

3. Poutine at the Coterie Room
Poutine, you’ll agree, being a heart attack in edible form, is surely Canada’s revenge against its brazen neighbor to the south. That said, enjoy it while you’re young—preferably at the Coterie Room, which pulls it off with as much nuance and delicacy as can be applied to a dish made of French fries, cheese curds, and pork gravy. Here the gravy is flavorful with lots of braised pork, the cheese is crisp-fried Beecher’s curds, the fries are scattered with herbs, and on top sits a refreshing mess of frisky greens. Dig in!

2. Souffle Potato Crisps at Luc
What French fries only dream of being, Thierry Rautureau’s souffle potato crisps are softly puffed from within to create crisp-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the--inside pillows of, well, heaven. Apparently it’s hard-earned goodness—these babies are blanched and twice-fried over several hours—but all that labor yields a simply sensational product, so wicked that the fact they arrive with dipping aioli is hilarious.

1. Tempura Fried Kurobuta Bacon at John Howie Steak
Good luck ordering these puppies on the sly: They come, five slices to an order, poking vertically out of a tall glass (on a bed of laughable greens) as if to shout, “Oh yes, this slob was proud to order me!” But proud you will be when you discover that coating thick-cut, high-quality bacon with an angelic coat of tempura isn’t just some county-fair stunt; it’s genuinely good eating, especially when embellished with chili-edged maple sambal sauce and paired with the kind of libation that makes double-fried bacon the least of your worries.

No Malls Required

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 09:49:00 -0800

Image: Allie Spurlock

Blackbird Apothecary

For your bearded beau
5465 Leary Ave NW, blackbirdballard.com
Baxter of California shave set, $66

Image: Allie Spurlock

Curtis Steiner

For one-of-a-kinds
5349 Ballard Ave NW, curtissteiner.com
Handmade necklace with antique beads, $160

Image: Allie Spurlock

Clover Toys

For junior engineers
5333 Ballard Ave NW, clovertoys.com
Catamaran construction set by Haba, $35

Image: Allie Spurlock

Trouvaille

For the wannabe baker
5335 Ballard Ave NW, trouvailleluckyfind.com
Cinnamon– and honey-scented candle by Greenmarket Purveying Co., $22

Image: Allie Spurlock

Card Kingdom

For the big kids in your life
5105 Leary Ave NW, cardkingdom.com
Settlers of Catan board game, $38

Image: Allie Spurlock

Kavu

For snazzy outdoorsmen
5419 Ballard Ave NW, kavu.com
Colored canvas vest, $75

5 Oscar-Bait Films We Won’t Miss

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 09:26:00 -0800

Clockwise from top left: Zero Dark Thirty, The Hobbit, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Lincoln

Lincoln
The softly lit, sweepingly scored Oscar-bait drama about the 16th President’s fight to free the slaves could be classic Spielbergian melodrama. But if you don’t get chills listening to Daniel Day-Lewis—as an eerily on-the-nose Abe—say, “Shall we stop this bleeding?” you don’t have a pulse. In theaters now

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
First impression when Peter Jackson announced he was going back to Middle-earth for this Lord of the Rings prequel: Sweet! Then, upon hearing he’s wringing three movies out of a single book: Really? Then, after seeing the giant-, dwarf-, and wizard-filled trailer: My precious… Out Dec 14

Zero Dark Thirty
You hear “action flick about the hunt for an elusive terrorist mastermind” and think schlocky summer B movie. But when the director is Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) and the terrorist is Osama bin Laden, you realize this has the makings of high-stakes, high-tension drama. Out Dec 19

Django Unchained
Slaves! Bounty hunters! Blood-drenched cotton fields! Leonardo DiCaprio as a—wait, what?—skeezy plantation owner! Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino! Think of this revenge tale as the bugnuts yin to Lincoln’s yang. Out Dec 25

Les Misérables
The epic tearjerker of a stage play about a prisoner’s quest for redemption, adapted for the big screen by Academy Award–winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Russell Crowe…yeah, just go ahead and give it an Oscar now. Out Dec 25

10 Seattle Fireplace Bars

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:42:00 -0800

Bastille
The high round table in the front boasts a small but toasty fire pit, a great vantage point for watching passers-by on Ballard Avenue. Warm up with A Peacemaker, a roiling combination of applejack, amaro, and…apple butter. 5307 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-453-5014; bastilleseattle.com

Locöl
This beer and wine bar is so cozy, you can curl up in front of the gas fireplace in almost any seat in the house. Warm up with A glass of hot Theo chocolate with mulled Washington wine. 7902 35th Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-708-7725; locolseattle.com

Madrona Eatery and Alehouse
Sofas surrounding the fireplace share real estate with toys to keep kids occupied while parents turn their grateful attention to the impressive tap list. Warm up with Big Al Brewing’s Winter Warmer, a robust seasonal ale. 1138 34thAve, Madrona, 206-323-7807; madronaalehouse.com

Mulleady’s Irish Pub
The interior is pitch-perfect Irish pub, right down to the stacked stone fireplace—just a few feet away from the formidable talent behind the bar. Warm up with The Winter Rose, a blend of ginger liqueur, lemon juice, rosemary-Demerara syrup, hot water, and gin infused with Earl Grey tea. 3055 21st Ave W, Magnolia, 206-283-8843; mulleadyspub.com

Polar Bar at the Arctic Club Hotel
Settle into the velvet couches on either side of the tall hearth and be transported back to Seattle’s days as the gateway to the Klondike. Warm up with A classic Sazerac, made here with a splash of limoncello. 700 Third Ave, Downtown, 206-340-0340; domeroomseattle.com

Shelter Lounge
The long, rectangular fire pit on the enclosed patio means larger groups can stay warm while downing cold drinks. Warm up with Free s’mores! A table nearby has all the fixings for customers to create their own gooey dessert. 4910 Leary Ave NW, Ballard, 206-829-8568; theshelterlounge.com

Sorrento Hotel Fireside Room
The wood-paneled room off the lobby is the grande dame of Seattle fireplace bars. Sure, there’s afternoon tea, but such stately surroundings beg for hot whiskey drinks. Warm up with An apple malt toddy, made with Washington cider, whiskey, and maple syrup. 900 Madison St, First Hill, 206-343-6156; hotelsorrento.com

Sully’s Snowgoose Saloon
Pub meets chalet at this Phinney Ridge landmark. Score the six-person table directly in front of the lodge-appropriate hearth and get acquainted with the beer list. Warm up with A pint of roasty Black Butte Porter. 6119 Phinney Ave N, Phinney Ridge, 206-782-9231

Trace at W Seattle
The sleek fireplace at the center of the lounge is curved, covered in shiny steel plates, and flanked with faux leather banquettes for lounging with a cocktail. Warm up with The Blissful Ignorance, a liquefied take on chocolate-covered cherries, made with vodka, port, and Scrappy’s chocolate bitters. 1112 Fourth Ave, Downtown, 206-264-6060; traceseattle.com

Über Tavern
Forget chestnuts—beer and open flames are a far better combination. Ward off the chill with a much-coveted seat ’round the fire-pit table. Warm up with J. W. Lees Harvest Ale barley wine—with a whopping 11.5 percent alcohol content. 7517 Aurora Ave N, Greenlake, 206-782-2337; uberbier.com

67 Ways to Stay Sane This Winter

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:31:00 -0800

Inspired by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Image: Philip Cheaney

Spirit to the Max

Itinerary #1
For the well-intentioned but over-the-top holiday.
Start the old-fashioned Griswold family Christmas by chopping down your own tree: Tromp through the woods with (or, you know, without) a saw and a permit (fs.usda.gov) or skip the frostbite and cruise for tree farms in Issaquah. Trinity Tree Farm (trinitytreefarm.com) offers complimentary cocoa and cider and expert tree wranglers to lash that Douglas fir to the Subaru.✭ Watch electric bills spike. Garden d’Lights (gardendlights.org) strings half a million bulbs around Bellevue Botanical Garden every year, while the Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular in West Seattle (westseattlelights.com) syncs some 54,000 lights to music on 101.9 FM.✭ Pay tribute to crazy Cousin Eddie at one of Hotel 1000’s weekly Ugly Holiday Sweater Parties (hotel1000seattle.com). Battery-powered sweaters encouraged.✭ Avoid a holiday dinner disaster by attending the free Holiday Boot Camp at Willows Lodge in Woodinville (willowslodge.com). Barking Frog chefs share appetizer and dessert recipes, and a mixologist spices up your hot toddy.✭ Try this Seattle substitute for eggnog in a Bullwinkle mug: a blue blazer at Vessel (vesselseattle.com). This far flashier cocktail involves master mixer Jim Romdall setting your whiskey punch on fire.

Inspired by A Christmas Story

Image: Philip Cheaney

Gifts and Gags

Itinerary #2
For a celebration so nutty that shooting your eye out is an actual risk.
Find a good Santa who won’t shove a boot in your kid’s face. We hear the big guy at U Village has an extra twinkle in his eye, and the Wing Luke Museum has a sweet Asian American St. Nick. But the downtown Nordstrom’s Kris Kringle (shop.nordstrom.com) is still the best, inheriting the mantle from the old Frederick and Nelson snowbeard (who might have actually been Santa).✭ If the dogs get to the holiday turkey before you do, the next best thing is Wild Ginger’s signature fragrant duck with steamed buns and plum sauce (wildginger.net)—the bird is so tender you’ll forgive Fido and crew their transgressions. ✭ Triple dog dare someone to take the Polar Bear Dive (promotionevents.com) into Lake Washington after the Resolution Run 5k on New Year’s Day. Or just triple dog dare someone to get out of bed on New Year’s Day. ✭ Order this year’s Red Ryder BB Gun: the remote-controlled Syma S107/S107G helicopter (amazon.com) that you can fly indoors. Good luck wrestling the controller away from Dad. ✭ See a show at the house that fostered A Christmas Story: The Musical. Broadway’s Elf: The Musical arrives at 5th Avenue Theatre (5thavenue.org) on November 30—sadly, without a singing and dancing Will Ferrell.

Seattle comedian Emmett Montgomery has the cure to the winter blues in our original series, Seattle Winter and You. Episode 1: "Our Enemy, the Sun."

Inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Image: Philip Cheaney

The Grinch List

Itinerary #3
For those whose hearts are three sizes too small.
All those cheery holiday memories—all the noise, noise, noise. Why doesn’t anyone talk about the time the angry three-legged reindeer attacked the family? In Wing-It’s (wingitpresents.com) annual improv comedy show, Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas with bawdy retellings of audience members’ anecdotes. ✭ If you prefer Jack and Coke to milk and cookies, join the stumbling caravan of pub-crawling Santas as it spreads holiday sneer across Seattle on December 15. It’s Santarchy! ✭ The wholly unholy Christmas parody Wisemen returns to ACT (acttheatre.org), where the law firm of Goldberg, Frankenstein, and Murray investigates Joseph of Nazareth’s paternity suit and the shady corporate dealings of Santa Inc. ✭ How can we celebrate when the planet’s about to combust? SIFF Uptown honors the Mayan calendar with an Apocalypse Film Festival (siff.net) and—if we make it past December 21—a postapocalypse music video party. ✭ Even a Grinch breaks at some point. Indulge in some rare roast beast at John Howie Steak in Whovue (johnhowiesteak.com) and a little night music when the Whos sing carols—competitively—around Westlake Center in the Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition.

Inspired by A Charlie Brown Christmas

Image: Philip Cheaney

Heart-Warmers

Itinerary #4
For finding the true meaning of the season.
Our new favorite tradition is hearing the Jose Gonzales Trio (strawshop.org) cover Vince Guaraldi’s breezy jazz score to the Peanuts cartoon; Schroeder has nothing on piano man “Juicy” Gonzales. ✭ Take a spin around the Winterfest Ice Rink at Seattle Center (seattlecenter.com) or Bellevue’s outdoor Magic Season Ice Arena (magicseason.com), two reliable pop-ups that are notmade of polymer. Anyone wonder why Capitol Hill’s rink isn’t back for a second year? ✭ Rather than lecture like Linus, Black Nativity (stgpresents.org) relies on the poetry of Langston Hughes, choreography by Brooklyn’s Jamel Gaines, and the soaring refrains of Pastor Patrinell Wright and the Total Experience Gospel Choir to tell the tale of the baby in the manger. ✭ There’s no better time to rock Shermy’s zombie move or Violet’s awkward vogue than Lo-Fi’s soul nights (thelofi.net), when the dance floors are always packed and no one’s judging. ✭ Avoid crass commercialism with a spiritual concert: The Sunday-night Compline at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral (saintmarks.org) draws as many as 500 twentysomethings to quiet meditation with the monastic chants of the all-male choir.

Episode 2: "Books, Books, Books."

Inspired by a Christmas Tale

Image: Philip Cheaney

Ooh La La La La

Itinerary #5
For savoring the discreet charms of the French bourgeoisie.
For all black sheep returning home this season, dress to impress. Nothing says “I don’t need you!” like a pile of cashmere sweaters from Margaret O’Leary (margaretoleary.com). ✭ Soften the matriarch of the family by taking her to Georgian Tea at the Fairmont Olympic (fairmont.com/seattle), where even an in-law looks good in the soft glow of the chandeliers. Provence-inspired Boat Street Cafe (boatstreetcafe.com) sets a fine table for your Frenchie family reunion. ✭ Look like Catherine Deneuve (for a day at least) by letting Devan White at Shine in the Market (shineinthemarket.com) style your locks. Just ask for the “bourgeois housewife.” ✭ A day of decadence wouldn’t be complete without revisiting Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker (pnb.org) with its 187 dancers, storied Maurice Sendak sets and costumes, and Boeing--engineered Christmas tree that grows to 28 feet.

Episode 3: "Everything's Better When Wet."

Inspired by miracle on 34th Street

Image: Philip Cheaney

Child's Play

Itinerary #6
For kids, and adults who yearn to be kids.
The season officially starts on Black Friday with the Macy’s Holiday Parade (holidaysinseattle.com) wending through downtown Seattle’s shopping streets and, on the Eastside, with the man-size toy soldiers marching down Bellevue’s Snowflake Lane (magicseason.com). ✭ Lest you risk coming off as a crazy old codger, soothe yourself with a spa day at Salish Lodge and Spa (salishlodge.com), where complimentary soaking pools mean it’s always adult swim. ✭ Take the Kris Kringle diet and stock up on shortbread, chocolate chip, and gingerbread men at CookieFest. They’re made with love by the city’s top bakeries and culinary programs, and proceeds support Seattle Milk Fund (seattlemilkfund.org). ✭ We believe mightily in ACT’s A Christmas Carol (acttheatre.org), going strong in its 37th year, with veteran local actors rotating in as Scrooge and ghosts arriving via trapdoor in ever more creative ways. ✭ Even the most hardened six-year-old will hear angels singing when the Northwest Boychoir lends its voices to A Festival of Lessons and Carols with members of Northwest Sinfonia (seattlesymphony.org).

Episode 4: "Melting the Seattle Freeze."

Inspired by love actually

Image: Philip Cheaney

Pair Up

Itinerary #7
For those in search of a warm body for the coldest months of the year.
Hit on a politician. We hear former city council member Peter Steinbrueck might be available soon. ✭ Skip the coworker dalliance after the office party and try Grouper instead (joingrouper.com). It’s a by-invite social club that matches up your posse with their posse for drink dates. If you’re three guys, they send three girls…or three guys, depending on your preference. ✭ Whether you’re learning Portuguese (seattlelanguages.com) or how to play the drums (schoolofrock.com) to impress a love interest, it’s always a smart move to self-improve. ✭ Warm up on stouts at the Winter Beer Fest (Dec 7 & 8, washingtonbeer.com) while faking a British accent. It’s a good way to pick up Americans. ✭ Pickwick plays a dance-happy soul set on New Year’s Eve at Showbox at the Market (showboxonline.com). All you need to do is show up and, you know, bump into a new friend.