Fish Wednesday: Johnny Cash Edition

The Man in Blue plays Johnny Cash songs on a big guitar in Post Alley. He’s a smiling guy and has a deep voice and he’s not half bad. He played a respectable Walk the Line – that was preceded by the classic Folsom Prison Blues. Johnny Cash makes a suitable soundtrack for eating chowder in Post Alley under a typically gray Seattle sky. “I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when…” I’m just sayin. (Though I do know for a fact I saw it on Sunday, last.)

I had the Market Chowder. It’s new on the menu at Pike Place Chowder where they pride themselves on their award winning concotions. The Market Chowder is made with crab, oysters, and chorizo. I eyed the chicken corn chowder for a bit, but it’s Fish Wednesday and corn chowder just doesn’t cut it. I wasn’t sorry – my soup was creamy and delicious. I wanted more.

I’d never eaten at Market Chowder before though I have been to the next Fish Wednesday stop any number of times. Jack’s Fish Spot is one of my favorite places. Whenever I’m feeling like Seattle is just too much, man, I head down to the market and sit at the counter at Jack’s. I get fish and chips and chat up the boys, who always ask me where I’m from as though I’m not a local. Today, instead of fish and chips, I had the seafood cocktail, made up of Jack’s smoked salmon and plenty of celery. It seemed a shame to spoil it with red cocktail sauce, but the sauce had a horseradishy bite to it, so it was a worthy addition.

I was wandering downtown Seattle – and stopping to sample goodies at various locations – because I’m writing a piece about Bronwyn Gerberding’s Seattle Food Tours. As a local, I’ll admit I was a bit of a skeptic about how much I’d get out of it, but I enjoyed the tour. I learned a few things, I had a moment of nostalgia on the sidewalk between Mama’s and the Lava Lounge, I chatted with a spry 80ish lady in sequined jeans about her son’s divorce, and I had some righteous snackage. All in all, a grand morning.

If you’ve got visitors in Seattle who are serious foodies or who’d just like to learn about where to eat locally, you might want to send them off for a few hours with the charming and well-informed Bronwyn. It makes for a lovely morning and will give you fine ideas about where to eat that night. It’s not a difficult walk, though there are stairs (heads up for folks with mobility issues). Little ones might be bored, but it’s probably okay for teenagers who are interested in food from more than purely a fuel point of view.

My dogs were a tired when I got back home, but I walked from my place to meet the group and then, back again. The tour alone is two miles of very easy walking. It takes about two and a half hours.

Regrets? Only one. I forgot, while standing at Jack’s seafood counter, to pick up some ahi to have for dinner. What was I thinking? After all, it’s Fish Wednesday!