Taste: Lebanese-Mexican Situ Tacos
Local musician Lupe Flores first began slinging tacos pop-up style long before Covid made everyone a baker. She gained such a following that she ended up installing a permanent shop at Belltown bar Jupiter. Her crispy fried-to-perfection tacos pay homage to her Grandmother who was half Mexican-half Lebanese who taught her how to cook, and Flores experiments with unexpected taco fillings from both cultures like Lebanese brown butter beef, creamy garlic potatoes, and spicy cauliflower. Did we mention her crispy tacos are often served with a soup? Perfect fall comfort food at its finest.
Try: Saddle up to the (new) bar at The Fairmont Olympic
If prolonged social isolation has you jonesing for a good bar hang, why not make it a classy affair? May we suggest the newly refurbished Fairmont Olympic hotel, which now houses a gorgeous circular-ish bar in what was once a rather vacuous lobby. We happened upon this beauty of a bar (that at first seemed like a mirage), and stayed for far more than just one drink. The cocktails are on point, the staff is friendly, and the din of tourist banter almost makes you feel like you’re on your own proper cocktail safari. The food is well orchestrated too. A bowl of ice-cold oysters, a perfect steak frites, and a crab cake served with a tart, crunchy slaw all simply hit the spot.
Watch: SiFF’s first DocFest
Tickets have just gone on sale for Siff’s first-ever DocFest. This inaugural festival will showcase the best and brightest documentary films and talent. The festival’s opening film, A-ha: The Movie, is a story of the 1980s Norwegian trio’s hit "Take On Me," and its impact on the synth-pop musical landscape, will screen September 30 at 7:00pm at SIFF Cinema Egyptian. Additional films include Flee, the award-winning animated story of a child refugee from Afghanistan’s journey to Denmark, and The Rescue, which relates the 2018 dramatic rescue of a boys’ soccer team trapped deep inside a flooded cave in Thailand. The festival will run September 30th through October 4th. More details can be found here.