Technically it’s still fall, but we got one of those overpriced red cup beverages at Starbucks yesterday, so we say it’s time to talk about the winter. The Winter Beer Festival is coming to Seattle in just a few weeks on December 4 and 5. The beer may be cold, but after a few samples, you’ll be feeling nice and toasty.

Things will take place at Hale’s Palladium within Hale’s Ales Brewery, and the tasting is open on Friday evening from 5 to 10pm and on Saturday afternoon from 1 to 10pm. Tickets are $25—save $2 for getting them in advance—and they’ll get you a tasting glass along with six 5.5 ounce samples. That’s a lot more than the usual beer festival offering, so be sure to pace yourself and savor the flavors. ]]> kjb 2009-11-13T11:24:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/12/141845/29

Even when the grand prize eludes them, Top Chef alums often find a way to get the maximum mileage out of their fifteen minutes. Take, for example, Robin Leventhal, who didn't earn many popularity points with her fellow cast mates, but did manage to land an Executive Chef gig at Seattle's See Sound Lounge in early October. A simple panna cotta proved to be Leventhal's Achilles' heel on the show, so it's a good thing that there aren't many desserts on See Sound's menu, aside from a couple ice cream sandwiches and the silly inclusion of candied orange peel.

See Sound talks up their new chef's pseudo-celebrity stature on their website, declaring with pride, "The show is extremely popular. Take heed, watching it makes you hungry!" However, it's going to take more than a paltry self-endorsement to convince us of the restaurant's culinary cred. In our experience, the focus of restaurant/lounges tend to be promoting a cool, sexy atmosphere, not quality dishes. Pre-judging? Maybe, but let's take a closer look at what's on the menu for more. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-12T14:29:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/5/8182/61673

Pumpkin season is upon us. Most places are now filled with orange displays, the convenience store is pushing their pumpkin cappuccino things, and of course there’s plenty of candy. We’re all about celebrating Halloween even if it is still an entire month until the big day, especially if it involves some special holiday beverages. One brewery in Seattle knows that there’s only one way to truly get the season underway, and that is with a pumpkin beer festival.

The Elysian Brewing Company is putting the final preparations in place for The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival. Things will be taking place this weekend, October 10 and 11, at the brewery’s Capitol Hill location. There will be plenty of pumpkin beers to help lager lovers get their fix and celebrate the season. The brewery will be honoring nine of their own beers, including The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Hansel and Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner, and Night Owl. There will be concoctions from other breweries as well including Southern Tier, Rock Bottom, and Dogfish Head. ]]> kjb 2009-10-05T14:43:54-05:00 47.6140330 -122.31571 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/18/82111/9731

Get out your tissues ladies. Love Happens, a new romantic dramedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart, opens in theaters today. The movie isn't getting the best reviews from critics but we give its setting, Seattle, four stars.

Where to Stay:
In the beginning of the movie, Aaron Eckhart walks from Pike Place to the Hyatt Regency, in the rain of course. But the Hyatt in the movie is actually in Vancouver, where most of the movie was made. Seattle does have their own Hyatt though, the Grand Hyatt, located downtown at 721 Pine St. Keeping with the Love Happens theme, the Grand Hyatt Seattle offers an Amour Package that includes accommodations, in-room breakfast for two, champagne, chocolates, bath salts and a 3 pm check out. And just like in life, all of that love comes at a price, the package starts around $385 a night. ]]> cmb 2009-09-18T09:18:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/27/81018/2003

If hot air balloons and chuck wagons aren’t in your plans for Labor Day, there’s still plenty of other ideas for you to waste away your holiday weekend.

One of the best festivals of the year is Bumbershoot 2009, and it’s conveniently taking place at Seattle Center from September 5-7. Film, theatre, arts, and of course music, will all be yours to enjoy. So grab a triple venti something or other and hit the festival running. ]]> kjb 2009-08-27T15:49:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/18/8058/86269

Water—especially rain—is one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of Seattle. Despite all this water, underwater activiies are not exactly as synonymous with Seattle. That’s slowly changing thanks to a local Scuba club and their shore dive adventures into Puget Sound.

The Scuba Schools Group has a location in Seattle, and they’d be happy to have you join them in one of their club dives. Don’t worry though, there’s no secret handshake or membership dues at this club, just a bunch of people enjoying the underwater universe. Best of all, the club dives are free, so just bring your gear and get going. Just make sure you have some experience doing cold water dives, because even though its summer, the water is a little chilly.

On August 29, the dive crew will be hitting up the Alki Junkpile. It’s kind of an artificial reef, Seattle-style, where they’ve seen some “cute” grunt sculpin on recent dives. If you can’t make it to that dive, there’s also one planned off the Keystone Jetty on September 27. You’ll be burning through your digital camera battery as you snap off pictures of rockfish and other critters. There’ll be a cookout after the dive, so be a pal and bring something to throw on the grill.

Related Stories:
· Seattle Scuba Shore Diving [Official Site]
· Say Mazel Tov To Underwater Weddings [Jaunted]
· Scuba coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Dan Hershman] ]]> kjb 2009-08-18T15:39:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/10/73031/9451

Seattle is famous for their weather and their coffee, but they've slowly been making their way onto the beer scene as well. After all, they aren't too far away from Portland, a city that has more breweries than anywhere else in the country. To celebrate this new beer fame, they’re welcoming one and all to the Seattle International Beer Festival.

On July 3-5, hop heads and beer bellies from around the country will gather at the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheatre to test out the latest and greatest from the world of beer. There will be over 150 varieties on tap and in bottles just waiting for you to sample them. We just hope there aren’t too many coffee-flavored porters hanging around, because those are less than tasty.

Tickets are $20, a price that includes admission, tasting glass, live music and ten beer tickets. Unfortunately unlimited samples aren’t available here, so you’ll need to buy more tickets for $1 each if you’re still thirsty. Also, depending on the “swank factor”—their words not ours—your sample can cost between one and four tickets. For those early risers, there’s a Happy Hour between noon and 1:00 pm where you’ll get five extra beer tickets.

Once you’ve paid for your ticket, you are welcome to visit all three days of the festival; there’s no re-entry fees. So feel free to bring your dog the next day—they’re welcome inside— so you have someone to gripe to about your hangover.

Related Stories:
· Seattle International Beerfest [Official Site]
· Trips We Love: The Year in Beer [Jaunted]
· Beer coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Official Site] ]]> kjb 2009-06-10T12:22:09-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/