YOU CAN MAKE AN EVENING OF IT BY COMING DOWN EARLY AND HAVING DINNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
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Historic Columbia City, about a half mile south of Genesee Street on Rainier Avenue South, has a great selection of restaurants. Across from the library on Rainier is Pho Hoa, the local source for Vietnamese noodles. Haven't had authentic Mexican food recently? Try Taquiera los Hernandos. They've got honest cooked on the spot tacos with your choice of meat, grilled onions, an amazing homemade salsa and fresh lime and cilantro. $1.25 each. You can get Mexican sodas there, too. Find them in the white truck parked in the lot next to the Bank of America. A few blocks south of there you'll find La Medusa, the only Sicilian restaurant in town. Continue south on Rainier and look for the tiny storefront with the big red neon sign in the window: Roy's BBQ. Roy serves homemade, melt in your mouth southern BBQ with a kick.
On the corner of Rainier and Hudson, in the space where Salumeria on Hudson used to be, you'll find Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria. Authentic Neapolitan pizza, salads, and desserts to die for. Eat in or take out. A couple storefronts to the north of Tutta Bella, the Columbia City Ale House is still going strong. The Ale House is part of the 74th Street Ale House family, which is well-known for good food and great ales.
Columbia City's newest restaurant, El Sombrero, is in the next block to the north of the Alehouse. Family owned and run, El Sombrero offers traditional Mexican fare at very reasonable prices.
The best Ethiopian food in Seattle is still served at Fasica, a half block east of Rainier on South Edmunds Street. There's a Starbucks on Rainier too, but the cool people have coffee at Lottie Mott's Coffeehouse, on the corner of Rainier and South Ferdinand Street. Lottie Mott's is the former home of the 2nd Friday Old-Time Music Session and the place where the idea of the Friday Night Square Dance first originated.
Chris' Louisiana Style Food is a tiny eatery just south of Genesee Street on Rainier, next to the Lucky Devil Tattoo Parlor. This is homestyle cooking at it's best. The owner/chef is retired so the restaurant is open only until mid-late afternoon, but it's well worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood. Friday is gumbo day. Make sure you get sides of greens and hush puppies.
Lee's Chinese Restaurant at 50th and Genesee offers Chinese and Thai food. Next door to Lee's is Both Ways Cafe. Wonderful seasonal food and homemade pastries! Past the hall at the top of the 50th Ave So hill there's a PCC where you can get take-out for a lakeside picnic. Pizzutos is back in their old location, across the street from PCC. This is family style Italian food at its best. Pizza Rio, one block south of PCC on South Dawson, is the place to go if you're craving an east coast kind of pizza. They deliver, too. If you're in the neighborhood early try Cafe Luna for coffee, sandwiches and pastry. Just the thing for a late lunch. They're located in the curved storefront on the east side of the main street.
