If you have sticker shock at the grocery store, you’re not alone. In Seattle, the cost of groceries is about 30% higher today than before the pandemic. 

Those high prices are straining family budgets and causing many people to change how they shop.

Today, a special episode brought to us by our friends at Booming

GUESTS:
Rebecca Chobat, Dollar Tree Dinners
James McCafferty, Director of Western Washington University's Center for Economic and Business Research

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Become a member today at kuow.org/eats.

Seattle Eats is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. 

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Seattle is a haven for coffee fans. And the price of that fandom just got a whole lot more expensive. Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh speaks with Seattle Times Business reporter Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton to find out why jitter juice prices are skyrocketing. But don’t fret, they also share some good-cheap coffee spots and tips for navigating the high priced bean juice landscape.  

Read more about rising coffee prices in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seattle-a-coffee-haven-is-watching-java-prices-spike-why/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• The Seattle Grind, Seattle Center
• Herkimer Coffee, Capitol Hill, SLU, and U-District
• Espresso Vivace, Capitol Hill
• Push/Pull, Central District
• Stella Deli and Market, Lower Queen Anne

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Seattle food lovers flock to Richmond, BC, Bellevue is steadily becoming home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and authentic Chinese food. The dishes you’ll find there tell the story of a community cooking for itself, not just the tourists. From braised goose to smoked tea duck, Tan highlights the regional specialties worth crossing the 520 bridge for.

Read more of Tan’s reporting on the Bellevue food scene here: How Bellevue became an international hub for Chinese food | The Seattle Times 

And here: Bellevue’s best Chinese restaurants: 10 picks from our food team | The Seattle Times 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Mr. Huang Claypot Braised Chicken
• Master Bing
• Nuodle
• Shaoshan Impression 
• Little Garden Restaurant 
• Dan Gui Sichuan Cuisine
• Looking for Chai

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From hot pot to dim sum to made-to-order crepes, T&T Supermarket is a treasure trove of delicious food. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, tried 300 items and shares his favorites with KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood.

Read more about T&T Supermarket in The Seattle Times:

T&T Supermarket: 12 best things to eat from the Asian grocery chain 

How T&T’s Bellevue food court became our writer’s office for a year 

More stories about T&T Supermarket

Recommendations in this episode:

• Mango anything (seriously)
• Portuguese Custard Tarts
• Taiwanese sticky rice rolls
• Peking Duck Kits
• Fried Fish Skins

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Seattle is a big coffee town. It's also known for its literary scene. So it's only natural that reading and coffee go hand-in-hand. Seattle Times arts and economy reporter Margo Vansynghel joins Tan to share her favorite cozy coffee shops to grab a warm beverage and read a good book. 

Read more about cozy coffee shops in The Seattle Times: 

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/6-cozy-seattle-coffeeshops-that-are-great-for-reading/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Open Form
• Espresso Vivace
• C&P Coffee Company
• Yeobo Cafe and Bar
• KUOW Book Club

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 When it comes to writing about Tacoma’s bar scene, Seattle Times food and drink writer, Tan Vinh almost ran out of ink. From kitschy tiki bars to serious cocktails, there is plenty to drink and even better food to wash it all down with.

Kristine Sherred, a food reporter at The Tacoma News Tribune, joins Tan for a bar hopping chat about her neck of the woods.

Read all ten of Tan’s picks and more on the Tacoma food scene at The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/10-great-tacoma-bars-that-our-drinks-writer-loves/ 

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/3-great-tacoma-spots-to-try-in-a-city-of-restaurant-possibilities/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Proof
• Field Bar + Bottle
• Parky’s Pizza Bar
• Da Tiki Hut
• Bonus from Kristine: Cider & Cedar

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stadium food can be a letdown. Many sports games and concerts are accompanied by soggy chicken fingers or cold burgers — at a premium price, of course. But the Seattle Seahawks and Lumen Field are making a big play for dining. They want 12s to see the stadium as a destination for dinner as well as a show. 

Tan and KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood sample new menu items on offer during the Hawks season and pick the three best items to eat at a game. 

Read more of Tan’s takes about stadium food in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/best-food-at-seahawks-games-new-dishes-land-at-lumen-field-in-2025/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• King’s Hawaiian BBQ — Rib Sandwich platter (serves 2-4 people)
  • $48.99 
  • Sections 120, 131, 305, 335
• Big Walt’s Kitchen — Flaming Hot Cheetos Chicken Tenders
  • $17.49
  • Sections 126, 214, 230
• ChungChun — Game Day Rice Hot Dog with Squid Ink and Spicy Half & Half Rice Hot Dog
  • $12.99 - $13.99
  • Section 323

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle Times food writers discuss a hot food neighborhood in South Seattle. From a very hyped pizza to neighborhood staple ban xeo you’ll learn how to order like a local …and a very meticulous food writer.

Read more about the Othello neighborhood eats in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/is-seattles-hottest-ak-pizza-worth-the-hype-and-more-good-food-in-othello/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• A.K. Pizza
• Nissi Banh
• Sma5h

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From fancy street food to, yes, even more pizza – Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh highlights the most anticipated restaurants of 2026 with two-time Emmy-winning journalist, filmmaker Thanh Tân. Plus, he gives tips on how to navigate the never-ending list of new restaurants from the best ones.

Read more about the top picks so far for 2026 in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/20-seattle-area-restaurants-and-bars-were-most-excited-about-in-2026/ 

Check out Second Wave with Thanh Tân’s episode on Pho: https://www.kuow.org/stories/pho-second-wave 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Roma Roma, Capitol Hill
• Tacos Cometa, Capitol Hill
• Ilmu, Bothell
• Baiana, Pike Place

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotesSubscribe today at seattletimes.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pizza, bagels, best date night spots and the unwritten rules of hot pot etiquette. Culinary luminaries J Kenji López-Alt and Rachel Belle covered a wide range of topics with Tan at Seattle Eats live event at Town Hall Seattle on November 10, 2025. 

Recommendations in this episode:

Favorite bagel spot

• Hey Bagel - University Village
• Backyard bagel - Fremont
• Mt. Bagel - Madison Valley

Favorite sandwich

• Post Alley Pizza - Pike Place Market - try the hoagie with side of hoagie jazz 
• Fortuna - Greenwood - mortadella sandwich
• Tivoli - Fremont - mortadella sandwich

Favorite pizza:

• Lupo - Fremont
• The Independent - Madison Park
• my friend derek’s - Tangletown
• AK Pizza - Othello 
• Ben’s Bread - Phinney Ridge
• Windy City Pie - Phinney Ridge 
• Sunny Hill - Ballard 

Best date night spot:

• The Tin Hat (Taco Tuesday) - Phinney Ridge
• Hattie’s Hat - Ballard
• Sushi Kappo Tamura - Eastlake
• Serafina - Eastlake
• Canlis - Queen Anne

Favorite third place

• Open Form - Capitol Hill
• Olympia Pizza III - Capitol Hill
• Metropolitan Grill - Downtown Seattle  
• Empire Roosters and Records - Columbia City
• Standard Brewing - Central District

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

• Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes
• Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.