Sadly, you have missed the Seattle Cheese Festival for this year (it was in May), but that doesn't mean you can't get your fill of delicious curds. Your trek begins, as you might expect, at the Pike Place Market, one of the finest public markets in the country, just a few blocks from the W Seattle. There you'll find (in addition to those famous fish-throwers) Quality Cheese, in business since 1944 and offering one of the city's best selections; pick up some locally produced Grace's Olive Oil to go with some sharp Pecorino. Further down the market, visit Beecher's Handmade Cheese and sample their Flagship, a creamy cowsmilk round, or the peppercorn-studded Marco Polo, which took home a gold medal at this year's World Cheese Awards. They also carry the fine product of Estrella Family Creamery, among others.
One more stop in the Market: DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, with a dizzying array of more than 100 cheeses available year-round. While you settle on a slice or two, head upstairs into DeLaurenti's cellar for a bottle of wine or two to go with your feast. I recommend selecting a Pacific Northwest red, of course.
You'll be loaded down with bags by now, but before heading back to the hotel, run down to The Cheese Cellar, where you can pick up Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue, the world's only smoked blue cheese.
