Dorkadia’s Local’s Guide to PAX Prime City Guide

With PAX Prime being a short few days away, all of us are starting to get trigger happy to play some new games (who’s with me on running directly to check out Oculus Rift and the Omni?). I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite tips for navigating around Seattle during PAX since I live here and all! This PAX Prime city guide is by NO MEANS comprehensive; just some ideas for those trying to find something new while here during PAX this year, or if you’re not familiar with Seattle!

This is the first year that bunches of the theaters will be outside of the convention center, so there are going to be a lot more of us out on the streets! If you’re going to be out and about town, you might as well try to catch a break out there rather than trekking back up to the convention center to wait in line for Tully’s coffee there, right?

Seattle is more than the Space Needle, guys who throw fish, and Starbucks. I’ve lived in the downtown area now for 4 years, and lived in Seattle for 4 years before that. It’s a beautiful city, and really quite easy to get around (i.e – you’re not screwed if you don’t have a car)! I’ve read a few folks who are really concerned about their safety here, and let me throw my two cents in here: you’re going to be fine. PAX and the majority of places in downtown are in the financial district, or areas that are usually crawling with people and locals and tourists; you’re not going to get snagged down a dark alley, mugged for your PAX badge, or murdered in your sleep. “But Megan, this other person told me that there are really bad neighborhoods down there!” Okay yes, if it will make you feel better, maybe you should avoid the Pioneer Square area super late at night – the mixture of a few homeless people and a lot of bars in the area lead to scuffles and the coppers coming out regularly. But HONESTLY – the worst that will happen is that someone might ask you for a couple of bucks, or just your change, and that’s all. Just keep walkin’ 🙂

Since most of us are going to be downtown and stay there during all 4 days, here are my suggestions on where to catch a breather and some food out and about from the convention center:

For Lunch:

• Ruth’s Chris – I got this tip from a good friend of mine last year. I would never have thought to come here on my own because I would have expected it to be crazy expensive, but it’s only a few bucks more than you would have spent at a few other joints around town. It also has a full bar if you need to fortify yourself for the coming walk back to the expo hall! Expect maybe $20 – 25 per person. (http://www.ruthschris.com/Restaurant-Locations/seattle)
• Veggie Grill – If you’re looking for a place with a bit less meat, I highly recommend Veggie Grill. Entirely vegetarian, with lots more options than just a salad. (http://www.veggiegrill.com/)
• Tap House Grill – Pub food and over 160 beers on tap. Portions are pretty big (might think of splitting a plate with someone and saving a few bucks so you don’t have to carry leftover food with you around PAX), and a full bar and TONS of beer. Best thing – you can ask your server if you can just get a taster of a beer to try it out. No use wasting a full beer if you’re picking something just by name alone! (I personally recommend the Elysian Dragons Tooth Stout) (http://taphousegrill.com/)
• Gordon Biersch – At the top of the Pacific Place shopping center, there will usually be a good crowd of people here, but still – good general pub food, and they can accommodate large groups of people. Be prepared if you get the garlic fries, there is the chance that they will put ALL the garlic on those fries. (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/)
• Mexico – Also at the top of the Pacific Place shopping center, Mexico has tex-mex style food that yet again, big portions and is okay in price. For faster in and out service (provided you are over 21) snag a table directly to your left when you enter in the bar area. They carry a full menu there, and are pretty quick to serve!  (http://www.eatatmexico.com/enter.html)
• Jimmy Johns – If what you want is the quickest way to get a sandwich into your belly and back on the road to hit the next panel, this is your place.  They’re crazy fast at making sandwiches and very close by to the con. You can even save yourself the 5 minutes it takes them to make your food by checking out their website or app and ordering for pickup as you walk there! (https://www.jimmyjohns.com/)

For Dinner (you’ll see some duplicates here!):

• Tap House Grill – Pub food and over 160 beers on tap. This is a pretty popular place, and it can be over an hour to two hours wait to grab a table with your friends. Plus side is, if you’re waiting in the small lobby area or at the bar, you can still order drinks (and full menu at the bar), down side – no reservations. If you’re like us and trying to find a table where all for sure 7 but could be up to 19 of you can grab food, just know everyone else here is trying to do the same. (http://taphousegrill.com/)
• Gordon Biersch – Slightly less people than at Tap House, and there is the added bonus that they have a back room with large tables that can fit your party of 22 friends (I wouldn’t mention to your server that you only know for sure 9 will be there, but it could be 22 – just ask for the table for 20, and smile apologetically when only 16 show up!). (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/)
• Mexico – Again, if you can – cram your friends into the bar area (if you’re 21 plus) – much faster service and you can play musical chairs at your will!  (http://www.eatatmexico.com/enter.html)
• Serious Pie – Local darling chef Tom Douglas has a slew of restaurants around Seattle, and if you’re looking for something a bit out of the 4 block radius of the convention center, I suggest you give this a try! Flat wood fired pizza with really good fresh ingredients that you wouldn’t necessarily find at round table pizza. Seating is communal, so you’re going to be at a table with your party, but you might be sitting next to another group. I’m sure you’ll find more nerds around to chat with even if they aren’t wearing PAX badges! (http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=serious-pie) Added bonus, you can make reservations ahead here!
•  Brave Horse Tavern – Another Tom Douglas restaurant, that is all about the dead red meat. Tom Douglas likes to play with a few ingredients that you wouldn’t necessarily have lying around at home, so dive in and give it a whirl! My personal suggestion is to avoid this place on Friday night – it sits directly on the Amazon.com campus, and will be SUPER full during happy hour; though you can make reservations! (http://bravehorsetavern.com/index.php?page=main-menu)
• Blue C Sushi – There is decent sushi. It comes to you on a conveyor belt. I LOVE this! Also, I’ve suggested some pretty heavy fare up here, so this is definitely lighter and even vegetarian and gluten free friendly. You’ll be in with some crowds, so might be an easier bet if you’re only trying to find a place for you and a couple of friends to grab a bite! (http://www.bluecsushi.com/)
• Pink Door – Closer down to the Pike Place Market area, and some tasty Italian inspired food, the Pink Door is fun and often has live entertainment (you can generally expect on a weekend evening to catch a trapeze artist swinging from their ceiling!) (http://thepinkdoor.net/)
• Knee High Stocking Co – Looking for something different? Head up to Capitol Hill to find my particularly favorite Speakeasy. Lots of fun drinks, decor to make the steampunk fanatic in me swoon, and a super secret place (and by that I mean, there isn’t a sign on the door and you can only get in by reservation only via text messages!) Check out their page and see! (http://www.kneehighstocking.com/)

Getting around town as I mentioned, is really quite easy. If you’re staying downtown, you can walk to the convention and easily hit any major restaurant or theater around. Google Maps is your friend to give you directions – including the bus! – on how to get from one place to another. If you’re outside this area – make sure to keep a few bucks on you to hop the public transportation systems:

•  Download OneBusAway app – Once you’ve figured out what bus you need, OneBusAway is handy to tell you exactly how long it will be until your ride actually shows up.
• Take the Streetcar (The SLUT) – Rumor has it, this was first branded the South Lake Union Trolley – and since then everyone giggles that we like to ride the SLUT. On at 15 minute cycle, this trolley will pick you up from Westlake shopping center, and take you to South Lake Union (where you’ll find one of the locations for Serious Pie, Brave Horse Tavern, and a really pretty HUGE lake!)
• Light rail – Going to / from the airport? The light rail is way cheaper than a cab, and pretty easy to catch. Get to the tunnel  under the Nordstroms building downtown, and the light rail should take you directly to the airport in about 30ish minutes.
• Download the UBER app – (Pro Tip: Use the promo code: 02y9q to get $10 off your first ride!) We do have cabs in Seattle, but they aren’t always the most prolific when you want them. Uber is a car service that will note your location via the GPS in your phone, send a car to get you (depending on your location it could be a town car, SUV, hybrid vehicle, or even a cab), and bill directly to the card you set up on your account. Tip is already included – you can just hop and and out!

MARIJWHATNOW? One last note! Yes, we’re one of two states to decriminalize marijuana! That said – we’re still in that one year grace period where the state is trying to figure “well, now what?”. Here’s the deal – you can carry up to an ounce on you, and you can smoke in private. Treat pot like the open container rules for booze; you can’t walk around town enjoying it, and if you do so outside where a copper finds you, you will get a civil infraction (ie a ticket) rather than being arrested. Check out the Seattle PD site on this, that even includes a nice TL;DR section! (http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/11/09/marijwhatnow-a-guide-to-legal-marijuana-use-in-seattle/)

Like I said, this guide is FAR from comprehensive, but it’s what I like to cover with my friends who come in for PAX each year. If you think we missed something good, let me know and I’ll update the page! I’m super looking forward to seeing everyone this coming weekend! 🙂