On a menu built around food people crave, poutine is a no-brainer. Says Tough, “A soulful, hearty, cold-weather dish, poutine fits the bill.” We couldn’t agree more. Read more.
Polar Plunge on New Year's Day http://www.seattle.gov/parks/aquatics/polarbearplunge.htm Read more.
Seattleites are lucky to have Evo in their city: You’ll get outfitted by experts who ski and ride 80-plus days a year. Read more.
Go see the Nutcracker Nov 25–Dec 27 (http://bit.ly/torlut) and Don Quixote Feb 3–12 (http://bit.ly/tvy3Gn). Read more.
Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker Dec 14–24 (http://bit.ly/u5wCFl) Read more.
Go see Tacoma City Ballet's old fashioned Russian Nutcracker Dec 10–21 (http://bit.ly/hcIxkX) Read more.
Every year, up to 100,000 snow geese travel 3,000 miles to Port Susan Bay. Flock to the flocks in February at Port Susan’s Snow Goose and Birding Festival (snowgoosefest.org). Read more.
Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday AleLight with orange peel, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Read more.
Jive Espresso StoutLocally roasted Kuma coffee meets chocolate malt in a stout that isn’t overly heavy. Read more.
Abominable Winter AleA dark winter ale with roasty and chocolate notes; another version comes aged in a bourbon barrel. Read more.
Three Skulls Ales Winter PoisonBlends highly alcoholic batches from this year and last, both boasting crystal and chocolate malts. Read more.
Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise, on display from February 9 through April 29, traces the rich relationship between the nineteenth-century artist and his adopted country. Read more.
This winter's hot toddy combines brandy, agave nectar, and allspice dram for that Christmasy spice flavor. An IPA beer float on top cools it down for added drinkability. Read more.
Skip from a 220-degree sauna room to a pool of chilly 45-degree water, get whacked by a bundle of leafy, aromatic branches in a traditional venik massage, end with vodka shots in the on-site lounge. Read more.
The Sorrento Hotel bar is classy, not stuffy, despite the wood-paneled walls that surround the fireplace. The hunting-club vibe makes it the ideal spot for scotch. Read more.
It can be difficult to snag a spot on the fireside leather couch at the Capitol Hill lounge, but the rotating art shows and occasional musical acts make up for the crowds. Read more.
A tiled counter and bench seating flank the flaming fire table in the airy, angular Ballard bar. Read more.
It’s the first full winter for West Seattle’s wine-heavy hangout, where local art hangs on the walls and West Seattleites curl up hearthside to wait for a table. Read more.
There are angled ceilings but still plenty of elbow room in the cozy top-floor bar at Salish Lodge and Spa, where there’s a roaring wood fire and a great view of the roaring waterfall. Read more.
Ice-skate outdoors—even when it’s raining—at the covered Capitol Hill Ice Rink in Cal Anderson Park. capitolhillicerink.com Read more.
Our best holiday light displays are in the mobile, month-long Christmas Ship Festival. argosycruises.com Read more.
Even after moving to posh KeyArena in 2009, Seattle U kept the price of admission dirt cheap. A smidge more than $30 will score you two tickets. // Rat City Rollergirls derby season begins January 21. Read more.
Whim W’Him /Since leaving PNB stardom in 2010, Olivier Wevers has focused on his sparkling dance company, bringing life to the Intiman during a dark theater season. Jan 20–22. Read more.
Oklahoma! /The old tunes are still there, but Spectrum Dance’s Donald Byrd updates the dance numbers with his gritty, emotionally rich choreography. Feb 3–Mar 4. Read more.
Chop Shop: Bodies of Work /The best of Northwest contemporary footwork gets a showcase in the fifth-annual Bellevuefest. Feb 11 & 12. Read more.
Teeth /Using video and live-generated music, the Portland troupe takes contemporary dance to a technological level in Make/Believe. Mar 1–3. Read more.
At the greenhouse modeled on London’s Crystal Palace, display plans include illegal orchids seized by U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials. Read more.
It takes 500 new butterflies per week, shipped from around the world, to keep the Pacific Science Center’s leafy enclosure fully populated. Read more.
Ocelots, pygmy marmosets, and poison dart frogs live in the glass-walled indoor rain forest at the Woodland Park Zoo. Read more.
The city’s neatest public swim spot boasts a rope swing and a water basketball hoop, and there’s a sauna in the locker room. Read more.
The Italian-made furnace burns at 2,000 degrees and holds 1,000 pounds of molten glass for students and artisans. Read more.
