There are so many things that I will miss in Seattle. First and foremost, family living across the country. There is nothing better than hugging your kids in the flesh … as opposed to hugging them virtually. Then there is the food.

Seattle has this way of making gourmet food, even doughnuts accessible. Top Pot was a necessary go to both in the city and in Issaquah. Don’t you just love the Jetsonesque spacey look of this shop?

What else will I miss? Happy hour. Most of the restaurants serve alcohol in Seattle. They make a big deal of their bar scene. The Lost Pelican is one of those places that you walk into and feel an instant camaraderie. That comfortable neighborhood stay-a-while vibe was here.

The story goes; A family from New Orleans relocated to Seattle many years ago. They opened a restaurant, and then a second one. Time came down to the wire to find a name for the place. The owner noticed in Puget Sound, a brown pelican, native to Louisiana, he took it as a sign to call the place The Lost Pelican. The menu is full of tapas bar sized plates, at $5.00 a pop during happy hour. Our order of fried green tomatoes with spicy remoulade sauce was so good that we ordered a second plateful.

Yeah, I miss the bar scene in Seattle, and I miss those very unexpected southern fried green tomatoes.

One last thing I will miss is the myriad choices of Asian restaurants. There is one in Issaquah that particularly played into my emotional state and need for comfort food.  Mandarin Garden Chinese Restaurant offered up a menu I haven’t seen since the gritty, authentic scene of 1970’s New York City’s China Town neighborhood. A bowl of Shanghai noodle soup and an order of chow mein served over real crunchy fried noodles made me so happy. The retro decor didn’t hurt one bit either. The soup with the perfectly slurpy noodles and rich beef broth worked like an instant relaxing agent. Soup has a way of soothing what-ever ails you, especially if it is reminiscent of a flavor set deep in a happy memory. Yeah, I miss the food already. The kid? I missed her the minute I boarded the plane.