KEITH EATS EVERYTHING
AT PIKE PLACE MARKET
JESSICA THE SEATTLELITE
Pike Place Market has a special place in my heart. It always has. I was born and raised in a small little town called Mukilteo, an hour north of Seattle. Growing up, I always dreamt bigger. So fast forward to getting my license at 16 years old and driving my trusty 2008 Prius around (the one I'm still driving around to this day), my whole goal was to spend as much time in Seattle as possible. With attending Seattle Central for a few years and working at Nordstrom Flagship in my teens, I felt like a true Seattleite. But my Pike Place story began when I was 22 and started working at The Pink Door in Post Alley.
As a few people know, my background is mainly in the culinary world. I took some culinary classes at Seattle Central, spent some time at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and worked in numerous Seattle kitchens over the years. In fact, I bought my very first professional knife from the Sur La Table at Pike Place.
But really my life blossomed when I started working at The Pink Door. I pushed myself to my absolute limit with a 200 sq foot kitchen, we easily pushed out 600 covers a night during the summer, we were whipping up classic Italian food and the grind wasn't for the faint of heart. I absolutely LOVED it. I even found my future husband in that small but mighty kitchen. One of my fondest moments of Pike Place was when I worked the pastry department and arrived 4-5am where I could roam around the quiet market before Seattle really woke up. I loved the sounds, the smell of pastries from Le Panier and the sense of belonging.
But there’s so much more to appreciate about Pike Place than just one business. I wouldn’t do my Filipino ancestors justice if I didn’t bring up the legendary Oriental Mart that’s across from the big Pike Place sign. This Filipino restaurant has been open since the 70s and after 3 generations, this iconic spot received the America’s Classics Award by The James Beard Foundation in 2020. The recognition, representation and proper Filipino delicacies that are served up at Oriental Mart makes me SO proud to be from here. Joy buys our cookies and was one of our first supporters when we showed up at the market.
It's funny, with so many memories and deep emotional ties to Pike Place (I even got my engagement photos done here!), I’m still in awe that I made it back somehow.
Now at our Bite Society booth, my love for sharing good food at Pike Place hasn’t changed and I couldn’t choose a better reason as to why I’m once again finding that sense of belonging.
-Jessica Hawley (also known as JB)
What's the TOP Attraction at Pike Place Market?
Pinch me…IT’S US. We don’t throw fish. Our line to see our Flagship ORIGINAL Pike Place Market booth moves pretty quickly (for now), and we will give you as many cookie, chip, and snack samples as you can eat.
We have taken Stall #6. Historically a produce stand.
We are keeping it in food with Bite Society cookies, chips, snacks, and teas. The neighborhood is good. I get my hot water from Lowell’s when I arrive at the booth. My neighbor, Lina, who has been here for 60 years helps me roll up my awning, and I spend the day chatting food, giving out tasters, and pinching myself for our good luck.
As locals, we are discovering the market all over again. Did you know there is a daycare at the market? It was formed for market employees over 50 years ago. In addition to having its own garden, the market has a CSA called Pike Box. We find a new store, a new fact, a new maker daily.
Pinch us and visit us at Stall #6 in the main arcade.
-Lendy Hensley
