The holiday season is a great time to hit happy hour with co-workers, friends or out-of-town visitors. But where should you go? Tan and friends of Seattle Eats share their favorite happy hour spots. 

Happy Hour recommendations: 

• Lupe Situ Tacos (Ballard, all day Mondays) – Bethany Jean Clement
• Vindictive Wings (Belltown, 99c Wing Wednesdays) — Jackie Varriano
• Rumba (Capitol Hill) – Adam Weintraub
• Oyster Happy Hour at The Garrison (Ballard) Half Shell (Pike Place) Taylor’s Shellfish and  Kokkaku (Wallingford) –Rachel Belle 
• Tamari Bar –  (Capitol Hill) Trevor Lenzmeier 
• Donna’s (Capitol Hill, every day from 4-6PM and 10PM-12am) –Brandi Fullwood 
• Rockcreek (Fremont and Kirkland) –Tan Vinh 

 

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.

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This is an excerpt from Tan’s conversation with J Kenji Lopez-Alt and Rachel Belle about their Thanksgiving meal preparation tips. But mostly it’s about green bean casserole.This was recorded at a Seattle Eats live event at Town Hall Seattle on Nov 10, 2025.

References from this episode:

• The recipe for Tan’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish, green bean casserole.
• In Memory of Dorkus Reilly inventor of the green bean casserole

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.

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Every year it seems like there’s a new way to make the dry, beige Thanksgiving turkey taste…better. Deep fried, spatchcocking, herb butters. But what about a Seattle way? Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, sits down with Taichi Kitamura, chef and co-owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura to talk about his teriyaki turkey twist. Plus, this recipe revolutionary comes with sides!

Read more about teriyaki turkey (and grab a special bonus recipe) in The Seattle Times here.

Recommendations for sides:

• Steamy, hot rice
• Kenji Lopez-Alt’s roasted potatoes
• Green bean salad with sesame
• Peach cobbler

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.

 

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The food scene in Phinney Ridge is popping off. There are long lines for pizza, shrimp sandwiches and Italian delis. The biggest challenge is finding a place to park. Seattle Times food writers, Tan Vinh and Jackie Varriano, highlight the neighborhood spots so good you won’t even care about driving around the block five times to find parking.

Read more about this hot food neighborhoods in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:

• Ben’s Bread (particularly pizza night)
• Grillbird/Salad Party
• Fortuna
• Roy Thai
• Sweet Bakery

BONUS! Steve's Famous Pizza is coming to Phinney Ridge: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/stevies-famous-will-open-third-pizzeria-in-this-seattle-neighborhood/ 

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.

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The fine dining spots are nixing their prix fixe menus in favor of a more casual model. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, talks with producer Brandi Fullwood about why these changes are helping keep doors open. Plus, Tan shares why change is good for customer’s wallets and appetites.

Read more about changes in high end dining in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/in-seattle-prix-fixe-menus-are-out-lower-price-points-are-en-vogue/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Bateau, Capital Hill
• Tomo, White Center
• Off Alley, Columbia City

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.

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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.

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If it seems like the best bites around town are gourmet twists on fast food classics, well, you’re onto something. Seattle Times writers Tan Vinh and David Gutman share their latest food finds from around Seattle– including what Gutman calls the best cheap breakfast sandwich in the city. Tan shares his pick for the best nachos in the entire Pacific Northwest. 

Recommendations in this episode:

• Ken’s Market, Greenwood for $3.99 breakfast sandwich 
• Grillbird, Phinney Ridge for a shrimp forward fast food twist
• Due Cucina, Capitol Hill for fast casual pasta
• Ben’s Bread, Phinney Ridge for chef-y cheese crackers
• Friendship BBQ, Haller Lake for tiny, juicy lambs skewers
• Delille Cellars, Woodinville for glistening, bougie nachos with carnitas

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.

 

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Tan Vinh has been a food journalist and restaurant critic for 12 years. Some parts of the job are glamorous (Eating for work! Meals on the company card!) But...there are loads of ups and downs that don’t make it onto the front page. Today, Tan answers questions from listeners about being a food critic — from how he picks restaurants to review, to dealing with heartburn on the job. Plus, he shares tips on how to see Seattle’s restaurant scene through the eyes of a critic.

Read more about being a critic in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/life-of-a-food-critic-our-writer-takes-readers-behind-the-scenes/

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.

Two big-name Washington breweries have expanded with new locations in Seattle, complete with food offerings from local chefs. Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh explains how the news points to two trends shaping the city’s brewery scene. He's joined by Seattle Times editor Trevor Lenzmeier! 

Plus, a listener tells us about his favorite family friendly (and dog friendly) spots to check out. 

Tell us about your favorite neighborhood hang out! Email us at [email protected] 

Read Tan’s coverage of brewery expansions and follow the saga of Sushi by Scratch in The Seattle Times.

Family-friendly beer tasting rooms with great food:

• Aslan Brewing with seafood by Ethan Stowell (Tangletown, not yet open)
• Ruben’s Brews with fish and chips (Downtown, not yet open)
• Project 9 Brewing with food from Mexican Seoul (Roosevelt)
• Figurehead Brewing with food from Midnite Ramen and Nanking Ramen (Fremont)
• Fair Isle Brewing with Tacos Extranjeros (Ballard)
• Holy Mountain Brewing with a pasta pop-up (Phinney Ridge)

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’s restaurant scene is playing chess, not checkers. And the latest moves reveal what is actually thriving in this economy. Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh and editor Trevor Lenzmeier break down the openings focused on sandwiches and fast-casual small plates, while large format restaurants and fine dining spots are closing or pivoting.

Read more about openings, closures, and pivots in The Seattle Times:

•  https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/why-5-seattle-area-restaurants-are-pivoting-or-closing-in-2025/ 
• https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/seabird-acclaimed-bainbridge-island-restaurant-will-close-next-month/ 
• https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/mamnoon-to-close-after-13-years-as-capitol-hills-levantine-restaurant/ 

Recommendations in this episode:

• M Bar, South Lake Union
• Beast and Cleaver, Ballard area
• Communion, Central District
• Fortuna Bottega, Greenwood/Phinney Ridge
• Occhi Belli, Wallingford

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 kind of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.