Charles Koh
Seattle’s brief, brilliant summers have returned, and with them comes a fresh reason to wander the cobblestones of Pike Place Market—our city’s beating, briny heart. The market hums all year, of course, but nothing compares to that first warm gust off Elliott Bay: salmon drummers thumping in cadence, bouquets of sweet peas perfuming the arcade, and sunlight gilding every pike-place peach.
A Park and a Flyover, Reimagined
Start your stroll at the newly revamped Victor Steinbrueck Park. Once a patch of patchy grass, it’s now a lush knoll of emerald turf rolling toward postcard-worthy views of sailboats and Olympic peaks. From there, a short jaunt delivers you onto Seattle’s most ambitious civic project in decades: the sleek, curving flyover that threads the market to the reborn waterfront. It’s a pedestrian symphony—part urban catwalk, part front-row ferry-watching perch—proving that thoughtful public works can still make a city swoon.
From Seatown FishFry to Mr. Fish
Just beyond the market’s southern edge, at Western Avenue and Virginia Street, Tom Douglas’s long-loved Seatown FishFry is shedding its sea-salted skin and resurfacing as Mr. Fish. Fun fact: this brick-and-mortar was actually Starbucks No. 1 before the coffee titan hopped a few doors south—history you can practically taste in the walls.
Chef Eric Tanaka, culinary director Gretchen Geisness, and chef Brock Johnson are steering the menu with trademark whimsy. The classics remain—crisp-as-kiteboard sails halibut and chips, plus that velvety clam chowder that might single-handedly cure June-uary drizzle. New to the party: an ode to Alaska with snowy clusters of king crab, sweet Dungeness legs ready for drawn butter, sturdy-seared crab cakes, and a Salish Sea–salt roasted chicken that has no right being this juicy.
Loretta’s Vision, Amy’s Flourish
The facelift isn’t just on the plate. Tom’s daughter Loretta Douglas—equal parts general counsel and creative spark—has teamed up with longtime colleague and designer-extraordinaire Amy “Dreamcatcher” to rewrite the interior script. Think bright Northwest light, clean lines, and a shift from counter-grab to convivial table service. It’s modern enough for TikTok, comforting enough for a mid-market lunch break, and, as Tom jokes, “refreshing to an old codger like me.”
Why We’ll Be First in Line
- Local Legacy, New Chapter – Few restaurants can claim Pike Place lineage and Starbucks origin lore.
- Crab for Days – Snow, Dungeness, cakes—the Pacific’s triple threat.
- Park-to-Plate Stroll – Work up an appetite wandering Steinbrueck Park’s grassy waves.
- Design with Soul – Loretta and Amy prove minimalism can still feel warm, like driftwood after high tide.
Summer’s clock is ticking, Seattle. Grab your shades, cue the gull soundtrack, and say hello to Mr. Fish—the freshest face on Western Avenue, ready to remind us why the market will always be the Soul of Seattle.
