HistoryLink Tours

A stroll through the Market presents plenty of displays and inspirations focused on the foods of the Northwest. The Tasting Room, which opened in 2002, is here to make sure the beverage aspect of the region’s gastronomic story is not overlooked.

Washington is second only to California in production of premium wine, and counts close to 1,000 wineries in the state. Here you will find attention focused on just eight of those wineries, with a good range of wines by the glass or bottle from each, in whole providing a diverse taste of what the state has to offer. A menu of wine-friendly fare, including cheeses, charcuterie, smoked salmon, even chocolate, is available.

This Smith Building dates to 1906, with its main façade and entrance on First Avenue. Its early years saw a variety of businesses and organizations using the main and upstairs floors, a more memorable tenant being the adult-film Midtown Theater. As noted at the previous stop, the Post Alley side of this block was long a working alley and only in the past few decades became a destination for eating and shopping. Prior to becoming The Tasting Room, this space was an antique shop.

Continue north on Post Alley to Virginia Street; pause to have a look westward (left), to Steinbrueck Park and Elliott Bay beyond. Turn right for a half-block walk uphill to the corner at First Avenue.