local eats: u district cafes

after studying at the uw for four years, my time in the u district is soon coming to an end, but before I go I want to share my favorite places and spaces. With the ave and other nearby areas, the u district is a paved paradise of foodie heaven. there are bad restaurants and bars--oh, and when they're bad, they're really bad--but i want to highlight the food, cafes, and bars that i've made memories in. i want to talk about my personal food gems here in u district in this little local eats series on my blog before i have to say 'good-bye' for a little while.

i don't think i'll be fitting all my favorite u district cafes in this post, so they may just popping up on the blog every now and then on my blog. the best places have great ambience, and most importantly great coffee, so don't think any of the starbucks are going to make the cut. you might be thinking, 'what? how can this be? starbucks is the seattle coffee go-to.' this is just not so for me. one of the very cool things about seattle is that everyday inhabitants are coffee connoisseurs simply because of the ubiquity of cafes. and one thing the plethora of caffeine fixes do is hone the seattlite's ability to know good coffee when he or she tastes it. anyone can snobbily customize their coffee order with a bunch of minuscule modifications that do probably very little to enhance the coffee itself. if you're at a great cafe, the baristas will know what to do and if it's quality coffee then all the better to let it be the smokey or earthy or deep, dark coffee that it is. if you're masking coffee with soy this and/or pumps of flavors then it's likely the coffee can't be all that tasty on its own. that said, i want to start with a quaint favorite, the ugly mug cafe, where i'm actually blogging this post at the moment.

check out more pics from my instagram, rosink.

the ugly mug is just off the ave on 43rd. perfect for avoiding the usually busy ave cafe spots since it's not in the middle of pedestrian traffic, but it is small and cozy so 20 people make it crowded in here pretty easily. for some reason i like that. it prevents hoards of groups coming in here at one time. if you're with more than 5 people don't bother. this place is made for the quiet studying, laid back friend chatters, and cool bloggers (haha...). the ugly mug makes you feel at home on a rainy day, which, let's be honest, is most days in seattle. (the blog Seattle Coffee Scene describe the ambiance perfectly, too.) other than locale and environment, their menu is also delicious and at a decent (and predictable) city price. i haven't tried all their breakfast or lunch sandwiches, soups, or salads but the fact that they have these things and that they're home-made puts them a step above most coffee shops. also, two words: bulgogi sub.

now let's talk brew. i don't know what roast they use here but it never disappoints and with drinks like lavendar chai tea, earl grey milk tea, ovaltine latte, and white satin mochas failure to be tasty is an impossibility.

final words: if you're in the u district, skip starbucks and go to the ugly mug cafe for great local food, soul-warming coffee, and a peaceful place to relax or catch up with friends.

agua verde cafe

if you have time, walk down to the agua verde cafe to-go window on boat street by the lake. foggy lake views accompany the morning cup of mexican mocha you would get along with a massively delicious breakfast burrito. a friendly barista always greets you at the window which is generally much-needed every groggy morning that i wake up. and when i feel like switching up my basic americano order, i get the horchata latte here. warming, yummy, and authentic-- a perfect trio of adjectives, no? i recommend experiencing this fun blend of seattle-mexican coffee fusion if you have a leisurely day in the u district.