Holly James Salon and Spa, Kirkland

When I was in junior high I hired a beautician to apply my makeup for my school's famous ninth grade spring dance. The beautician had recently moved to Seattle from Dallas and declared it her mission to beautify the women of the entire Pacific Northwest, one sweep of her mascara wand at a time. "Y'all are so grungy here," she announced while applying foundation to my cheeks. "Before I moved here I never even heard...

Portage Bay Cafe, U-District

If you want to eat breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe on a weekend, get there early. If you arrive much later than 9:00 am you will be forced to stand in a long yet narrow entryway, crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers for forty minutes while you wait for a table. This holding pattern can become incredibly awkward when people need to enter and exit through the front door or go down the hallway to use the...