Just a quick post from Seattle between oyster binges.

We’ve been in the Pacific Northwest, my first visit here but definitely not my last, for three days now, having arrived Tuesday afternoon. The ostensible purpose for our visit has been to attend the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools – yes, a bit farfetched from our usual business adventuring our way from restaurant to winery in Italy, but I do moonlight occasionally as a board member of a couple of organizations relating to private education – but the unofficial purpose has been to deplete the west coast of its entire stock of seafood. We have been doing our best to fulfill our duty.

Over the past three days (seven meals to be precise), we have inhaled literally dozens of oysters, washed them down with crisp, sparkling champagne and savored some incredible local culinary inventions. The food scene here is really outstanding.

Yesterday’s lunch was at a cozy pizza restaurant aptly called Serious Pie. It was some serious pie. We had two personal sized (if you are large person) pizzas – one with goat cheese, pears, bacon, shallots and a generous slather of extravirigin olive oil. The other was a rich fennel sausage with roasted peppers and fontina cheese. And tomato sauce, of course.

This is the sort of deliciousness that says “you have several meals left in this town. Come back. Tonight. And tomorrow.”

But we resisted the temptation, the Pizza Sirens beckoning us to wreck our ships along the ragu colored shoreline, promising us chewy, yeasty crust to slake our appetite. But always leave them wanting more, so I’m told.

I’m glad we resisted. It allowed us to portion our our dwindling supply of meals at other restaurants. We have been richly rewarded.

* * *

At today’s NAIS conference keynote address by Bill Gates we were welcomed to the Seattle-King County area by the County Executive. He urged us to visit the area’s sights and its restaurants and to spend money here. We have already obliged. I felt as though he was looking into my eyes, singling me out from the 4,000 plus attendees, nodding and smiling a little, knowing he would not have to propose a tax hike on his constituency, thanks to the revenue spike from the east.

You’re welcome, King County.

* * *

The County Exec then apologized to the assembled crowd for the weather, overcast, cold and a bit dreary. We have not found that to be the case in the multitude of restaurants we have occasioned during our stay here, but found the apology quite polite. People are so nice here.

And then, as we left the convention center this afternoon a funny thing happened. Actually, as we were sitting in Etta’s Restaurant near the waterfront, across from the amazing Pike’s Place market, enjoying (what else) two dozen oysters and some bubbly, it happened.

The fog burnt off and the clouds broke enough to reveal a pale blue sky. Very pale, almost white, but blue nonetheless. And as the squint inducing rays pierced the stratosphere and reached the ground for the first time since we arrived here seven meals ago the entire city was transformed. It was real. And it was spectacular.

Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo.

*     *     *

Sometimes the song is right. What a difference a day makes. In fact, that song is always right. But today, as we got our first glimpse of sun in a land that we had heretofore only known under shroud of gloom, it was undeniable. What a difference a day makes.

And that difference is you.

Ci vediamo!
Bill and Suzy