Salumi

The Guys and I had an iconic Seattle Foodie day today... and I have not one picture to prove it.  We began by heading to Pike Place Market where The Guys both chewed and added gum to the gum wall... I did too.  Never done that.  Yuck.  I'd like to pass from EVER doing that again.  After that, we walked around Pike Place Market where I was careful to avoid all the munchies until I took them to Beecher's.  I mean, every kid needs Beecher's mac and cheese.  Trouble was... they couldn't decide between mac and cheese or grilled cheese.  So I got both.  Wrong decision.  They LOVED the mac and cheese... neither would eat the grilled cheese... which took forever to make and wasn't all that and a bag of chips at the end of the day.  Finally we ended with a stop at "my favorite produce stand" and that's as much as I can tell you about it... it's the place where they snap the bag open (though they didn't do that this time... sad).  Do you have any idea how much money I could spend at the market?  Yeah, me either.

After that, we headed to Pioneer Park (place? park place?  I can never remember...) where the legendary Salumi is.  At the request of The Critic, we went and were going to get several things to try out.  This was really hard for me.  First, the line to get in was easily a 45 min. wait and I had two squiggly worms with no where to sit, and not even the real promise of anything to eat at the end of it, because I'm not spending that much on cured pork for them when they won't appreciate the difference over pepperoni from a pillow bag.  Second, it was just so overwhelming!  Actual food, cut meats, warnings to not place slicing orders without 24 hour notice if there was a line, warnings that certain cuts required a professional slicer... it was nerve wracking! When I did finally manage to order (side note... when sandwiched between two gentlemen in a line, they will assume I am with one of them... even the poor 21 year-old guy behind me who was called "Dad" by the gal behind the counter, to which he responded "I'm mildly offended" and I said "I guess I just turned into a cradle robber?"), I was able to get a sample plate, opting to forego the cheese and olives since they aren't The Critic's thing and I'm not supposed to be eating cheese anyway (15 pounds lost, people!). 

Bottom line?  Delicious and quite the experience.  And someday I'm going back for gnocchi because, well, it MUST be done.