As Fresh as it Gets

Where in Seattle can you find the freshest foods from over 50 different farmers year round? Just come to the corner of University Way and NE 50th in the U District and feast your eyes on the magnificent array of farm-fresh food that awaits you. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., you can find a delightful variety of local, seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables from both sides of the state, herbs, wild mushrooms, fresh farmstead cheeses, free-range chicken and eggs, pastured organic beef, pork, fresh oysters and salmon, nuts, ciders, honey, fresh cut flowers, nursery stock, fresh bread and other baked goods, as well as numerous jams, fruits spreads and condiments from local farm-grown products.

The U District farmers market is the oldest and largest farmers-only market in the city of Seattle. That makes it a pretty good bet for those who are interested in getting the freshest food possible while supporting local farmers, which seems to be a big priority for those who live in or around the U District. You won't find quite the variety as you do at the grocery store, but you can sleep easily knowing where your food came from and what is- or isn't -in it.

Farmers markets often revolve around a sense of community. At the U District farmers market, this is definitely the case. It is a central place where those of all social statuses can commune and shop together, sans fluorescent lighting and grumpy check-out clerks. A short walk from campus, students can come to buy groceries and to sample new products. For those with very low income, many vendors accept food stamps as a means of paying. In addition, there is the shopper-farmer relationship that doesn't exist at QFC or Safeway.

If you care about what goes into your body and where your food comes from, the U District farmers market is worth the trip to find the best selection of quality locally grown food in Seattle. Just don't go looking for strawberries in March!

More information:

Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance

Greenlight Magazine's Top 10 Farmers Markets in America

Thaiger Room

This evening I dragged my roommate down to the Ave. In search of a Thai restaurant that would satisfy our cravings, we ended up at Thaiger Room, which is located somewhere between 43rd and 42nd.

Upon entering my first thought was, "teriyaki joint?" but then the host waved us to the back of the restaurant, which looked a bit more appropriate.

The ambience wasn't exactly delightful- one reviewer wrote that it "feels like dining in a prison with IKEA lighting." However, I wasn't really bothered by this aspect, being starving and all.

Since I happened to be buying the dinner, I was pleased to discover that practically all of the entrees were in the 6 to 7 dollar range. Our dinner for two ended up being a mere $15.60, plus tip of course. It was worth it, too. The portions were big enough for two people to share- we'll be eating the leftovers another day.

The food itself was truly delicious. I ordered the red curry and was surprised to see it served on the same plate as the rice. This proved to be very convenient for mixing the two together- normally you have to spoon the curry onto the rice, which can be both time consuming and messy, or resulting in the dreaded "soggy rice" syndrome.

My roommate ordered the phad thai with tofu, which was also quite savory (she let me try some). Not necessarily the "end all be all" of phad thai, but then, I've had a lot of phad thai. And I must say that it was very good for my palate.

The service was not bad, either: it took a little over ten minutes for our food to come out. The waitstaff seemed friendly enough, and my water glass was refilled to my satisfaction.

Thaiger Room is similar to the average restaurant found in the U District: cheap. But it also tastes very, very good. Students and anyone else on a budget who also want to please their tastebuds should definitely give it a try.

Overall, the experience was a positive one. Good food + little money spent is enough to make me come again. I would recommend Thaiger Room to anyone who is looking for a fairly cheap but still edible meal.

read other reviews of Thaiger Room: http://www.yelp.com/biz/thaiger-room-seattle
http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/34964726/seattle_wa/thaiger_room.html
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/1/4110/Seattle/University-District-restaurants/Thaiger-Room.html

Welcome!

Hello friends! I would like to explain a bit about my blog. I am writing this as a part of an assignment for my journalism class, the assignment being to report on a neighborhood in Seattle. I was chosen to write about the U District...ergo View from the U! I hope that you will enjoy my findings.

For my first post, I'd like to highlight a unique business called "Jogs For Dogs", a dog running company that began in the U District and has spread its business throughout Seattle. Brendan Fahey, a UW grad, is the founder and main operator of the company that began in March 2007.

As the "first and only" dog running company in Seattle, Jogs For Dogs is unlike other dog walking and dog care services. According to their website, the business is committed to getting your pooch physically fit, with a workout plan tailored specifically to the fitness level of the dog.

"Jogs For Dogs is unique to Seattle because we are pretty much the only company that focuses directly on running dogs (not walking, or dog parks, etc), so we have very dedicated clients and employees," says Fahey.

The employees at Jogs For Dogs are all-around athletes, and either college students or graduates, mostly from the University of Washington. They are all dog lovers too, based on their profiles on the company's website.

Many of the people who come to Jogs For Dogs are busy professionals or Seattleites who are unable to give their dogs a workout themselves. With its sixteen runners, the business currently has a clientèle base of thirty customers.

The price for a fit pooch isn't cheap: $110 per week if you choose to have your dog run Monday-Friday. The cost per run goes up when you choose less days. Each run takes approximately 1 hour, with time allotted for warm up, cool down, and potty breaks.

The company admits to being a bit pricey, but claims the extra dough is worth it for the sake of your dog:

"We go the extra mile (literally, sometimes two or three) to give you and your dog the most professional, personalized, high quality service possible," the website reads.

So how did Fahey come up with the idea for the business? He claims to have stayed in shape and gotten his "dog fix" by running with his friends' dogs throughout high school and college, but never thought of it as a business opportunity.

"I graduated from UW in the summer of 2006 then went off for a while and traveled. When I got home I was convinced that I needed to get a "real" job and begin being a 'grown up'."

After a brief stint with real life he started to really think about what truly made him happy.

"One night I went to bed and started thinking about all the things I like (sailing, skiing, mountains, animals, running, dogs, etc.). Then I wrote a few of them down and started to combine them. Skiing and sailing...not so good. Dogs and running...how about Jogs For Dogs? And that is pretty much how it started."

Fahey claims that the business is in no way successful yet, and that there are new challenges every day.

"A month ago I tore my meniscus in my left knee so I'm out of commission for a while which is a bummer. But it's forced me to focus more on growing the business."

Speaking of growing, the company recently began a program where U Village shoppers can bring their dogs to run while they shop. More information is available on their website.

If you are interested in learning more about Jogs For Dogs, check out www.jogsfordogs.com or email Brendan at info@jogsfordogs.com.