There was a mannequin poised outside of the store. Her unnaturally tan body was clad in bright red panties with furry white trim and a lacy red and black bustier. Black fishnet stockings hugged her shapely, plastic legs and a Santa hat sat upon head. A few strands of stringy blonde hair hung in her face.

The bustier strap on her left shoulder was slipping off of the smooth curve of her arm.

A family—father, mother, maybe twelve year-old daughter, and young college co-ed—strolled together upon the sidewalk. Each was bundled in a puffy jacket and a scarf. Their hands were pushed deeply into the pockets of their jackets and when they exhaled mid-sentence, plumes of white condensation floated from their lips.

The family passed the scantily-clad mannequin. The father’s eyes passed over her hollow body as he walked by. The college co-ed did not acknowledge her. The mother walked past the mannequin, casting a wry glance at it—

—and then she turned around and faced the Santa seductress.

The twelve-year old watched her mother, an amused, toothy grin on her face. She saw her mother pick up the loose bustier strap and push it back onto the mannequin’s shoulder. The mother then gently pulled down on the strap to ensure that it would stay in place.

As she resumed walking, the mother simply remarked, “Don’t want her to get cold.”

Lots of good eating in Seattle! Frequently engaging in good eating isn’t necessarily a desirable thing, but in the service of spending time with friends, it’s wonderful… and provides yet another reason to run regularly.

Le Pichet. Cute French restaurant in downtown Seattle with a simple, rustic ambiance. Pretty waitresses. The dishes are nicely balanced in flavor and I was particularly struck with the complement of food flavors with food textures (that sounds a lot more pretentious than I intend). I liked the frites. The desserts were wonderful: the chocolate cake was full and dense and the persimmon sorbet (!) was light and smooth. The palate leaves happy.

Saley. It’s a small space with brightly colored walls, an open kitchen, and a compact boombox against the far wall. Though the store offers sandwiches, people go for the crepes. They offer about eight varieties of “salty” crepes and about five varieties of “sweet” crepes… and they’re freshly made and delicious. The prices are beyond reasonable and the service is absolutely wonderful. Yum.

Chiang’s Gourmet. This restaurant specializes in Shanghai-style dishes. The pan fried noodles are the house specialty and are worth the visit alone. The foods burst with flavor and a a reliable source informs me that the dishes are well-replicated from those in Shanghai. That most of the patrons are geriatric Asians supports this assertion, too.

B&O Espresso. What a darling cafe—lots of small, corner tables and flickering candles everywhere. They apparently serve “real food” there, though it is probably better known for its desserts. The German chocolate cake and chocolate raspberry torte are the house specialties. While the outer decor does not suggest that it’s a romantic venue (especially with a name like “B & O”, which, incidentally, stands for the cross streets: Belmont and Olive), it is not a bad choice for a date. Think “cozy”.

Monsoon. The best Vietnamese food is probably still in the International District, though this restaurant does well. The menu boasts a variety of dishes (to the point of distraction), many of which are more Vietnamese-inspired. For example, I had the Louisiana catfish claypot. It was delicious, though not exactly authentic to either Southern or Vietnamese cooking.

Machiavelli Ristorante. It’s an Italian restaurant with great real estate. The tables overlook the bustle of Pine Street and one can catch glimpses of the hipsters poring over their books and laptops at Bauhaus Coffee across the way. The food… well, it’s alright. I thought the pasta sauces were a bit heavy, both in texture and flavor. The tiramisu was also heavy. And buried under an avalanche of whipped cream.

El Greco. I’ve only been there for brunch. It’s tasty. They do a good job balancing the sweet and salty in their breakfast dishes. I’m not sure that they actually delivered the dish that I ordered, but nonetheless, it was good. For whatever that is worth.

Coastal Kitchen. I’ve raved about Coastal Kitchen in the past. It is still probably my favorite place to go for brunch. I’ve still never ordered the gingerbread waffle… though I intend to do so before I leave Seattle.

The cool thing about Christmas music is that it adapts easily to jazz and electronica rhythms. SomaFM currently has a “Christmas Lounge” station that has featured swinging renditions of Christmas songs by Lionel Hampton and croony carols by Frank Sinatra… as well as cool ambient arrangements by many artists that I have never heard of (I’m still trying to build my electronica library…). This also means that the dancing never stops, whether I’m baking cookies, wrapping gifts, or typing blog entries.