GrassRoutes Guides
(Click on covers for where to buy)
“Forging a new standard.” -Oakland Tribune
“Deftly compiled and highly recommended.” -Midwest Book Review
“Like toting along a local eco-minded friend on your travels.” – The Virtuous Traveler
“For travelers looking for the real deal for creative and engaging activities.” – National Geographic Traveler Magazine
Latest Title
June 2010
I’m delighted about the most recent GrassRoutes Guide – it’s to the Emerald City, Seattle! The chapters include things like Up Early, Coffee Time, Bookish, Farm to Table, Hang Out, Explore, Weekend, Kiddlywinks, Create, Re-Find, Pike Place Market, Film Buffs, Spectators, Sweet Tooth, Volunteer – even a section on Urban Eco Resources that includes alternative fuel stops and community-supported banks, plus a full annual calendar of events. Here are a few excerpts:
Weekend chapter, Earth and Ocean: “When Earth and Ocean chef Adam Stevenson took me into his meat locker and I saw the glint in his eye when he pulled out his horse-bone utensil to check the doneness of his coppa, I knew I had just met one inspired guy who loves what he does. And I love what he does. In fact, pitted against even the established talent of other top Seattle charcuteries like Salumi, Adam recently came out on top when he added fennel pollen to his salami and special aged spices to his aforementioned coppa. The rest of the menu, and the supernal wine list managed by sommelier April Pogue, is nothing to shake a stick at. Mackerel gets fancy with tender poaching and wasabi-soy glaze, while simple salads come alive with fine cheeses and other elegant dressings…”
Coffee Time chapter, Green Bean Coffeehouse: “Greenwood is a great hideaway just north of Wallingford that is home to the community-based, nonprofit Green Bean Coffeehouse. It goes without saying that the house-roasted coffee comes from beans grown in the shade of native South American trees, rather than on clear-cut acres, and the ouse-made granola alone is worth the trip. Each month a new activist or issue theme is featured, and the community events hovering over related subjects scatter the calendar. Bring your children so they can play with the handmade children’s toys at the back of the seating area…”
Casual Night Out chapter, Cafe Flora: “Inside the twinkling atrium beside the bubbling fountain, you can dine comfortably even in the midst of winter. But the bounty of the colder months will still be brought to your table. You can order fried ginger-yam ravioli with a julienne of Asian vegetables or wild mushroom and hazelnut farro as hearty entrees, together with a bottle of biodynamic Pacific Northwest pinot and a sweet finish of tantalizing vegan carrot cake (you won’t believe it’s dairy free)…”
Re-Find chapter, Deluxe Junk (no web): “From Bakelite bracelets for $1 through to egg-shaped lounge chairs for $1,000, Deluxe Junk runs the deluxe gamut. If you’re like me and can’t live without several typewriters, then you can certainly set your heart on one found here. ended up with a priceless stack of school photos from the 1950s all signed with notes to someone named Christie – I can’t wait to use them in a future art project. Don’t expect things to be organized; after all, the work “Junk” in the store’s name means something…”
Sweet Tooth chapter, Cafe Besalu (no web): “When a cafe is open only half the week for a few hours a day and has lines running out the door onto the sidewalk, you know something special is going on. Cafe Besalu is tiny, it’s hard to find a seat, and it there’s any music or ambiance at all, it’s drowned out by the crowd, but people come here from all over Seattle to experience the best French pastries you can get without a passport. Pretty much everything you see here was baked hours or minutes ago, and the staff constantly replenishes the display case with pastries and croissants fresh from the oven. Even after eating here several times a week for a few months, I’m still blown away by the Gruyere and caramelized onion pastry and the various fruit Danishes and tarts made from seasonal fruits like apples, pears, plums, and apricots…”
…and much more!
Current Titles
Upcoming Titles
August 2010
Future Titles
GrassRoutes Guide to Central California Wine Country
GrassRoutes Guide to Los Angeles
GrassRoutes Guide to New Orleans
GrassRoutes Guide to Brooklyn
GrassRoutes Guide to Edible Gardening
GrassRoutes Cookbook