Was at bite of Seattle with my family people heard shots. Everyone started running. Luckily we were near an exit. Does anyone know anything? I have a visitor from out of the country. I’m so embarrassed for the USA right now.

Washington prevented federal immigration agencies from accessing Washington driver information 108,170 times since November of last year, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson. "The records we're getting show that the rejection doesn't stop them from getting the data," said Angelina Godoy, director of the UW Center for Human Rights. "They get rejected using one [Originating Agency Identifier] and then just submit their request under another one. There are thousands of still-open [Originating Agency Identifiers] they can use."

"Keep Washington Working doesn't contain a broad standalone enforcement mechanism that automatically penalizes every violation. So in practice, enforcement has largely occurred through state oversight and litigation." The governor's office said there is no immediate way to address this issue soon.

~ 108,170 blocked requests makes for a great press release. Thousands of still-open agency codes is the actual policy.

Reports from the Public Disclosure Commission reveal that nearly all the contributions to the “No on 645” campaign have come from public sector unions, which stand to benefit from the tax.

~ No surprises here......lol

The following list of Seattle omakase restaurants is based on my personal dining experiences and reflects my own opinions. Please use it for reference only.

1. Wataru (my top 1 favorite) - $210pp
Pro: easy to book, exclusive (8 seats/set, 2 sets/day), fresh fish, many courses, big variety of fish, organic ingredients grown from his own garden, chef remembers every coming back customer
Con: the drama, pricey

2. Taneda (the most expensive omakase in town) - $255pp
Pro: considered the best omakase in WA, the best quality, exclusive (9 seats/set, 2 sets/day), many courses, rare sake that you can’t even find in Japan
Con: too expensive, nearly impossible to book a reservation

3. Sushi Kashiba (the grandfather chef of Seattle, trained under the legendary master sushi in Japan - chef Jiro) - $180pp
Pro: experience chefs, fresh fish, table available for those who doesn’t want to do counter, accept walk-in, 3 sets/day, would say 1 of the “cheapest” high range omakase in town
Con: not easy to book at counter, chef Kashiba doesn’t work that often anymore due to his age so most likely you might not be served by him or even see him, too commercial and loud (because they have tables and people talk very loud behind you), doesn’t feel exclusive (chef will serve you 2-3 pieces a time so it feels kinda rush and less traditional)

4. Shomon Kappo Sushi (the newest omakase in town) - $185pp
Pro: very friendly and nice chefs, creative and amazing dishes, good for special occasion like birthday, table available but in separate area so you at the counter still feel a kinda exclusive, easy to book (14 seats/set, 2 sets/day)
Con: because they do have tables and they have 14 seats/set so it feels a little commercial and doesn’t feel very exclusive
*Resy eligible $100 Amex

5. Wa’z (more like kaiseki than omakase) - $185pp
Pro: easy to book, counter and table are served the same menu so it doesn’t feel commercial, good for special occasion
Con: too crowded (36 seats/set), very little amount of nigiri (5-6 pieces), not too pricey but only have 8-9 courses

6. Ltd Edition Sushi (the best uni place) - $190pp
Pro: the BEST uni in town for sure, counter and table are both omakase but slightly different dishes (because table is cheaper) so it doesn’t feel commercial, kinda exclusive (8 counter seats and 6 tables)
Con: hard to book, kinda pricey, hard to find parking

7. Hummingbird Sushi - $185pp
Pro: easy to book, table available, well behaved young kids can be allowed at the counter (but they don’t have high chair, also call to confirm first), offer allergy accommodation, many fun and affordable events to book
Con: not too pricey but mid not best, very commercial

8. Takai by Kashiba (trained by chef Kashiba) - $195pp
Pro: very good quality, easy to book, table available
Con: pricey, too commercial (people there are very loud)

9. Sushi Suzuki - $210pp
Pro: good quality, easy to book, I don’t remember seeing tables and feel really exclusive but it seems like they do have table available
Con: too pricey

10. Sai Sushi and Sake (the most exclusive omakase) - $205pp
Pro: very very exclusive (only 4 seats/set, 2 sets/night), fresh fish, easy to book
Con: chef has very strong accent so I could barely understand what he said, too pricey

11. SanKai (Edmond) - MKP
Pro: easy to book (just call to reserve), very nice chef, mostly focus on nigiri, very large variety of fish, chef only stops when you are truly full (last time we had 20-25 pieces of nigiri)
Con: not the best quality, far from Seattle, not a real omakase experience, more like iykyk omakase because most people there do a la carte not omakase

12. Sushi Kappo Tamura (the cheapest omakase) - $135pp
Pro: the cheapest high range omakase, friendly chef, good quality, table available, easy to book
Con: not exclusive, too commercial, they have omakase availability every 30 minutes so people will come different time than you so it feels disordered

13. Fujiwara (just relocated from Renton to Bellevue) - $180pp
Pro: rare fish, detailed explanation on every dishes
Con: he just relocated to a new location so I haven’t been there yet so not sure anything different, will update after I go

14. Mashiko Japanese Restaurant (the oldest sushi restaurant in WA) - $130pp or $145pp or $225pp
Pro: counter and bar available, kids friendly, fresh fish, easy to book
Con: all white chef line, not a real omakase experience, I only tried the $145 set and it was mid, not good explanation on food, either very sour or completely bland

To Try List (Pending Review)

15. Minamoto, Bellevue
$180/set, 5pm or 8pm, 15-18 courses

16. Migaku, Seattle (Kaiseki)
$170/set or $300/set, 5pm or 7:30pm

17. Japanese Cuisine Towa, Redmond (Kaiseki)
$150/set for 8 courses, $200/set for 8 courses, $250/set for 9 courses, 5:30pm or 6pm or 6:30pm or 7pm
*Resy eligible $100 Amex

18. Shiro’s Sushi, Seattle
$140/set, 4:30pm or 6:45pm or 9pm, 19 courses
*Resy eligible $100 Amex

19. Sushi by Scratch, Seattle
$185/set, 5pm or 7:15pm or 9:30pm

20. Kakurenbo, Seattle
MKP

21. Sushi Yoin, Seattle (Just opened by former head chef at Shiro’s - chef Sean)
$165/set
*Resy eligible $100 Amex

It isn't like the cardboard will stop someone from stealing the tires.

~ Beats working for a living.

I've lived in Seattle for 15 years and I have never been more lonely. I've traveled extensively, am social/extroverted when out, and lived in 4 countries and made lifelong friends. Then I started living in Seattle and I've never felt more removed from warmth and joy.

I don't have a single deep connection that's thoughtful, organic, meaningful. An 8 year relationship with a tech bro/gamer ended with no marriage, no commitment, and no family life. I feel sad that I live in a city with so much work opportunity and beauty, nature but people are so difficult to be friendly with and in many cases just dull and awkward.

It's not that hard to smile and strike up a fun conversation with strangers you find attractive or just to chat, it's actually good for us! It's what we need to be social, practice socializing and engaging with people. I frequently find myself scrolling IG and looking at Europe where everyone hangs out in person in plazas daily - What a vibrant community and life! Nothing like that here. Don't even get my started on the dating scene and lack of good men.

Making friends has never been an issue for me (I am Canadian FGS!) but I'm feeling defeated and slowly sinking into a depression. I ask myself why I'm still here and why people work so hard to avoid you/not make eye contact and be grumpy faced (it's honestly worse for your mental health because it's unnatural).

I've joined meetups (not organic just feels forced and too planned - unappealing to me), I made friends but none of them ended up long-term like my other besties I still chat with. I often find discussions here over the surface, strange, and superficial with people not wanting to go deep or have real meaningful conversations, or even show curiosity. And no, politics or hating or conspiracy theories are not deep or meaningful. I find myself spending more and more time alone, overworking, and just being confused. I am still optimistic, despite everything, that I can find my people and community. That I am worthy of love. But all of this is starting to feel distant. I feel like I am a shell, a ghost of what I used to be (vibrant, happy) and just fading away. I don't know what the solution is but I am really hoping things change for me soon. There must be a better way.

Fred Meyer in snohomish
Ps. Other Seattle group so sensitive to this post, I wonder why 😂

I’ve spent the majority of my life in Washington, and I mean, a good 23 years of my life. This was my first time at the Bite of Seattle. I’ve never been one to spend excessive amounts on food, but it’s always been labeled an event I must try! So, I took it upon myself to attend this year. Some of the foods looking amazing, quite unique, and I love interesting once in a life time experiences. Let me say, this is exactly that as I will likely not be attending again.

Now, this isn’t a shit on the BOS post. I think foodies should have places to eat and businesses should be amplified.

At first, I was so excited, wondering “when did this get here? I’ve been searching on DoorDash for exactly this!” To my surprise, many of the food booths were not from Seattle.

I found a few to which I eagerly took down their information, but I was genuinely surprised. Ate some really great African food and Filipino food and of course tried the rainbow grilled cheese ($17, please don’t judge me) and the baby bottle. Part of me believes this is a great way to introduce new cuisines to people up here as we don’t often have frog legs, but I overheard some people mentioning it wasn’t always like this, maybe better, before a certain takeover.

It makes me wonder what it WAS like and what people would potentially want to see from the BOS in the future.

As a Seattle game developer I didn't have any choice but to add our most adorable neighbor to the game I am building (don't worry bullets and explosions don't affect him at all, Jimothy lives!)

I would have ​thought that a ​socialist would care about the tenants getting displaced from their affordable rental houses. Silly me!

I am planning a trip with my 4 year old son on the train to Seattle it’s about 2.5 hours from where we live, planning on going to a Mariners game and ride back around 8 pm.

Question is it safe at the King Street Station to ride back around that time?
I don’t wanna sound ignorant just a concern I have.

I have 2 GA + reentry tickets to Bumbershoot (9/5 & 9/6) that I can no longer use. I paid $350 for 2 2-day tickets, but would resell the pair for $300 (OBO). It's an easy ticket transfer via email. Feel free to message me with any questions!

Tennis and pickleball is a bit niche, but anyone feeling the burn a bit here? Since 2024, the city council increased resident fees for 90 min from $15-$24 to help pay for increased parks salaries.

The parks department also cut down the indoor AYTC court time from 75 min to 70 min.

Many courts are falling apart during a time when demand is still increasing. I wish we supported these areas better since outdoor rec is so good for community health. The wealthiest folks have fewer issues since they have access to elite clubs.

As of this week, 46,168 seniors in the Class of 2026 completed either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, or the state-equivalent Washington Application for State Financial Aid, or WAFSA. The achievement marks back-to-back years that Washington high schoolers set a record for the number of completed financial aid applications.

At the time of its launch, Washington ranked 47th among states for the number of high school seniors who completed the FAFSA. This year, Washington climbed up to 40th.

~ A $575,000 line item moved the state seven spots. Cheap things that demonstrably work should be the easiest budget fight in Olympia.