The Bellevue Pasta & Co offers an eat-in menu that features sandwiches, soups, paninis, a variety of wines from the northwest vineyards, fresh meats and cheeses and other Italian goodies. Pasta & Co has been around since 1985, and this particular location has been a mainstay of downtown Bellevue since the early 1990s. The store features four interior dining tables with a bar counter at the window with about six stools. There are also two outdoor tables, open when weather permits.
In the mood for a little sugar? Sweet Factory will satisfy even the sweetest tooth. From chocolate to jelly beans, guests can find just about any kind of candy imaginable in one bright and colorful store.
Offering bulk sales, candy is sold by the pound and stored in custom-designed bins. Sweet Factory replenishes their stock daily, so customers get only the freshest product. In addition to the usual candies, Sweet Factory also offers nuts and dried fruits, chocolate-covered products such as raisins, pretzels, gummy bears and nuts and sugar-free products. Sweet Factory also carries a selection of prepackaged candy.
Theo Chocolate Factory, which opened in 2006 as the country's first organic fair trade-certified cocoa producer, makes award-winning chocolates in the quirky Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. The company is a true chocolate maker, handling every step from bean to bar. This fabulous hidden gem offers tours, tastings, a retail shop and a variety of events hosted by expert Theo chocolatiers. It's an ideal attraction for chocolate lovers of all ages, popular with locals as well as visitors.
Parking and public transportation at Theo Chocolate
You'll find lots of street parking throughout the neighborhood, though you may want to arrive before 10 a.m. if you come on a Sunday, as the Fremont Market is held just a few blocks away. U-Park also offers 12 secure parking lots nearby. The factory is easily accessible via public transportation from downtown Seattle and other points throughout the area. Metro Transit Route 28 from 3rd Avenue and Madison Street downtown offers a direct trip that will get you there in 20 minutes.
Best and worst time to go to Theo Chocolate
If you'd like the opportunity to see the factory in full operation, you'll want to go on a weekday, ideally just after it opens to the public at 10 a.m., though there is no guarantee that it will be running at any given time. The worst time to go is on the weekend during June, July, and August, as the factory is not likely to be running and you'll have to contend with a fairly big crowd of visitors as well.
Admission to Theo Chocolate
Admission for a public tour is less than $12 for visitors of all ages. Private tours are also available for groups of up to 25 people with a similar cost for admission per person.
Must see/do at Theo Chocolate
When visiting Theo Chocolate, taking the tour is really a must as you'll get a fascinating look at how chocolate is made, including everything from how the cacao beans are processed to how it becomes a chocolate bar as well as how the company started the revolution for fair trade and organic ingredients for its products. Don't miss out on the samples of ganache as it's the only place you can try it straight out of the kitchen. Purchasing some of the high quality chocolate products in the retail shop is also a must as it makes for ideal souvenirs and gifts to bring back home.
Other places to visit nearby Theo Chocolate
If you arrive on a Sunday, the Fremont Sunday Market is just around the corner, offering the chance to purchase all sorts of treasures, including antiques, artisan goods, fresh produce and more. You can also sample some of the city's very best food trucks here. In between the market and the chocolate factory, you'll see the neighborhood's dinosaurs – a pair of friendly topiary Apatosauruses. If you want to work off all of those chocolate samples, take a stroll on the Burke-Gilman Trail which follows the north bank of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
Insider tip for visitors to Theo Chocolate
When you enter the first room on the tour, try to sit near the entrance. When your guide hands out samples, not only will you get first pick, but you can be sure other visitors haven't handled any of the chocolates.
Author's bio: K.C. Dermody is a travel writer living in the Seattle area with hundreds of travel articles both online and in print. She has traveled the world and is the author of 'Best Travel Guide for First Time Visitors to Ireland,' but especially loves showing off the beautiful region she resides in.
Fran's Chocolates is a world of neatly arranged and delicious-looking chocolates. This is the sister location to Fran's in Seattle. This store offers a range of chocolates - from the famed salted chocolate, to hot cocoa mix - plus a selection of port wines meant to be paired with the confections. Chocolates are sold in gift boxes, bars or in bulk.
Harbor Greens LLC is a hidden treasure nestled next to the Forza Coffee Shop/Wine Bar on Olympic Drive. This market features a wide variety of local and fresh products. The atmosphere is warm and exceedingly welcoming, and guests are greeted with a hearty hello upon arrival. Meticulous presentation characterizes the selection of fresh produce, and an in-house butcher is on hand to make suggestions about the all-natural meat and fresh fish selection.
Pike Place Market may be the most iconic Seattle destination of them all, next to the Space Needle anyway. This quintessential Pacific Northwest experience is one of the most exciting markets you'll find in America, offering not only what you'd probably expect, like fresh produce, flowers and seafood, but rows and rows of vendors selling unique and delicious foods, handmade arts and crafts, vintage goods, and a wide range of entertainment. It's not just tourists who enjoy the sights and sounds of street performers, the interesting and sometimes eccentric characters, and watching the fishmongers toss the fresh catch of the day. This is a local treasure, with many Seattleites who work downtown stopping in to pick up veggies for dinner or one of the many colorful bouquets of flowers.
Parking and public transportation
The market can be easily reached by public transport from Sea-Tac Airport as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. The Metro will drop you off near Pike Place Market at Pine Street or First Avenue, while the Westlake Sound Transit Light Rail Station is just four blocks away. Parking downtown can be challenging and expensive, but you'll almost always find inexpensive metered spaces available just below the market directly across from the Seattle Aquarium on the east side of the 1500 block of Alaskan Way.
Best and worst time to go to Pike Place Market
The very best time to go is early in the morning, just before 9:30 a.m. as the vendors are getting ready to start their day, whether you're here on a weekday or the weekend. Wait just a couple hours longer and you'll likely have to contend with hordes of tourists, making the overall experience not nearly as pleasant. This is especially true in June, July and August when cruise ships come into Elliott Bay, bringing thousands of tourists who spill out onto the streets of Seattle, and Pike Place Market.
Admission to Pike Place Market
There is no cost to get into Pike Place Market, although there are plenty of things to spend your money on if you want to, including dining at fantastic eateries and shopping for souvenirs. The great thing about the Market, is that there is also a ton to do for free for those who are on a tight budget, such as watching amazingly talented buskers like Carl, who balances a guitar on his chin while strumming another.
Must-Dos at Pike Place Market
Don't miss trying the incredible array of delicious food samples, especially the smoked salmon at Pure Food Fish Market. It's entirely possible to leave completely full just from those fantastic morsels. "Sleepless in Seattle" fans might want to enjoy a tasty meal along with magnificent Puget Sound views at the Athenian Inn, which made a brief but very memorable appearance in the 1993 romantic comedy. If you want to gaze upon something that most tourists miss, head to the Market Theater Gum Wall which has been collecting gum for more than two decades – this is an official attraction, both loathed and loved by Seattleites.
Other places to visit near Pike Place Market
While you're here, don't miss the chance to descend the steep stairway to the waterfront and take a ride on one of Seattle's newest attractions, the Seattle Great Wheel. This is one of the largest in the U.S., with riders treated to stunning views of the Sound and the Olympic Mountain Range. On a clear day, Mount Rainer and the surrounding peaks of the Cascades even come into view. The Seattle Aquarium, just a short stroll away, is home to a Giant Pacific Octopus, fur seals, harbor seals, sea otters and much more.
Insider tips for visitors to Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is quite famously the home of the very first Starbucks. It's located about midway through the Market, just across from the Main Arcade, but there is really no reason to go here just to stand in line with a gazillion other tourists for the same cup of coffee you can get almost anywhere. Save your money, take a selfie in front of the sign and enjoy the random buskers entertaining the crowd.
Author's bio: K.C. Dermody is a travel writer living in the Seattle area with hundreds of travel articles both online and in print. She has traveled the world and is the author of 'Best Travel Guide for First Time Visitors to Ireland,' but especially loves showing off the beautiful region she resides in.
This GNC in the Commons of Issaquah supplies a variety of vitamins and health supplements. Energy bars and snack foods are sold by the register and protein powder is found near the front of the store. For a complete listing of available products, see the store's selections online.
