Seattle Food Tours- A Tom Douglas Inspired week
No one knows the food scene in Seattle better than Tom Douglas. Join me as I explore the Emerald City based on Tom’s long-running and beloved “Hot Stove Society” radio show and podcast for the ultimate in Seattle Food Tours.
Who is Tom Douglas and what is the Hot Stove Society?
Tom Douglas is the visionary chef behind such Seattle institutions like Dahlia Bakery, SeaTown, Palace Kitchen and Serious Pie. For over 25 years, he has hosted a weekly radio show on KIRO Radio called the Hot Stove Society. It is also broadcast as a podcast each week and I never miss a show.
*Chef Tom Douglas, winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, reviews the Puget Sound’s best restaurants, shares recipes based on a special weekly ingredient, and answers your burning culinary quandaries. * Apple Podcasts
If you want to know what is going on with the Seattle food scene- the Hot Stove is the place to go for the hot goss. Whether Tom has the latest chef on from new restaurants, old neighborhood favorites or PNW food creators and entrepreneurs, you always find out what is happening in the Puget Sound.
Each week Tom opens the two-hour show with a segment, “Taste of the Week”, where listeners hear about little eateries or events going on in town. It always feels I’m getting some insider information not found in magazines or online food guides which tend to be skewed by trends and social media influencers.
Listen to podcast each week here or attend in person like I did. It’s only $25 to attend, you are fed a fantastic breakfast and meet lots of other local foodies. Sign up HERE to attend a taping or a cooking class.
I followed Tom’s recommendations and went on a 3-day Hot Stove Foodie tour of Seattle:
Above- the actual stove from Tom’s childhood home in Delaware.
Below- The man himself at our taping. We were served rice flour carrot cake donuts from Dahlia bakery and hot coffee for starters. Then moved onto testing Tikka Masala sauces and a congee bowl for breakfast. So good!
Seattle Food Tours- The restaurants:
These are the restaurants we sampled and highly recommend based on hearing from the managers, owners, chefs or “taste of the week” segments.
- Cantinetta– local vibes- incredible pasta and cocktails
- Ray’s– incredible views of the Sound
- Six-Seven at the Edgewater Hotel- more views!
- Harry’s Beach House – fun seafood in a homey atmosphere on Alki Beach
- Hot Cakes– desserts and treats
- El Encanto at the Woodmark Hotel
- *Seatown Fishfry- Clam Chowder and fish and chips are fantastic. Outdoor seating.
- *Serious Pie- pizza, pizza and pizza
- *Dahlia Bakery- come for the coconut pie
- Macrina Bakery– we tried the Belltown shop
- *Tom Douglas Restaurant Group
Seattle Food Tours- Shops and Foodies spots to explore:
Every week I learn about shops for food lovers looking for the best in provisions for their home kitchen. Here are the stops I visited on my Foodie Tour:
- Chef Shop– Hard to find luxury pantry staples
- DeLaurenti Market – incredible selection of olive oils, deli goods, breads, wine and so much more. Grab a coffee while in Pike Place Market while shopping
- Champion Wine Cellars– Seattle oldest wine shop
- Seattle Caviar Co.
- Pike and Western Wines
- Kitchen & Market– Medina and Pike Market, local corner store offering to go meals
- Met Market– the ultimate in grocery shopping, deli, wines and more
- Pike Place Fish Market
And the entire show is recorded in a luxury hotel…
The most wonderful thing about the Hot Stove Society is the setting- a luxury boutique hotel tucked on 4th Ave the Hotel Andra. I was excepting to find the studio in some warehouse on a back alley- not at all. This is the perfect spot for a traveler looking to escape the summer Alaskan cruise crowds or a lovely spot for a staycation.
The kitchen is massive with shelves of kitchen wares, ovens and the set for the weekly radio show.
The hotel is on the north end of downtown or the Belltown area, right across from several Tom Douglas restaurants and within walking distance of many popular spots in downtown Seattle.
Seattle Food Tours: A few of Meggen’s Favorites:
And to top it off, here are just a few of my personal favorites. I have been visiting Seattle for the past 24 years, have two daughters married and living in Seattle and continue to love exploring everything the PNW has to offer. It is one of my favorite cities. Read more in my Seattle City Guide HERE.
- The Woodmark Hotel
- The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
- Woodinville Wine district- DeLille Cellars is a new favorite.
- The Barking Frog- Woodinville
- La Grand Bistro- Kirkland
- Pike Place Market
- Edgewater Hotel
- Carmines Bellevue
- Elliot Bay Bookshop
- Washington Park Arboretum
- Walrus and the Carpenter
- Serafina
- Tutta Bella
- How to Cook a Wolf
- Sur la Table- Pike Market
