Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Frank's, our favorite neighborhood restaurant! 27 Apr 2012, 1:24 pm

We are so lucky, our Seattle WA Bed and Breakfast is surrounded by lots of wonderful restaurants, at many price points, and we have certainly eaten at most of them many times. But inevitably one has got to be your favorite. Every time guests ask us, "So what is your favorite restaurant in the neighborhood?" We quickly reply "Franks!" As it is officially known, that is Franks Oyster House and Champagne Parlor. I went there last week with friends for a spur of the moment outing. As always we chose a restaurant in our Seattle neighborhood and as always Frank's did not disappoint.

Great food, great cocktails, nice bar space, nice restaurant space, walking distance of the Inn, locally owned and operated by caring involved owners. What is not to love?

Now it is worth noting that I do not like oysters and I do not drink champagne, but this is still my favorite restaurant near our Seattle Bed & Breakfast. My husband does eat the oysters, and has had a glass of champagne and says I have to tell you that both are great!

Me, I go for a craft cocktail, goat cheese deviled eggs as appetizer and then an entree. The menu does change often with the seasons, but the fried chicken is always fab. Last time out my friend had what she described as the "best trout" she had had in a long time. YUM she said as she cleaned her plate.

Dessert...3 words: Chocolate Whiskey Cake. But one of these days I am gonna go in just for the Kir Royal Float......cause yep, you can just go in for dessert if you want!

Check out the menu at Frank's Oyster House here.

Did I mention this place is a 5 minute walk from the Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn, our Seattle Bed and Breakfast?

Joyce
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Remodeling: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend 19 Apr 2012, 4:02 pm

Saying goodbye to an old friend is just what it felt like at our Seattle WA Bed and Breakfast when this little guy went away.

I know it is just a clawfoot tub but still it will always have a special place in my heart. When we first bought the Seattle B&B (almost 16 years ago), and remodeled the Crow's Nest bathroom for the first time, I painted this tub a lovely teal to match the scheme of the bath at that time and I had fun doing it!

But times change, guests change, plumbing changes, and sometimes remodeling is just in order. So this sweet little tub is off to the folks at the Seattle RE Store (a great place that recycles and facilitates reclaiming building materials, helping us all stay greener) to find it a new home and we are making big changes to the Crow's Nest Chamber's bathroom. Out with the clawfoot tub/shower and in with a new walk-in, custom tiled shower. I always knew there was space for a great shower in there! Oh and we raised the ceiling too, something we know our tall guests will appreciate. It always was a little tight in that bath but no more. Our contractor, the wonderful John Brown and associates have raised the ceiling, created a wonderful new space and are working on a great walk-in tiled shower in the Seattle bed and breakfast bathroom.

So thanks to all our tall guests over the years who have ducked in the shower while enjoying a stay in our fabulous Crow's Nest Chamber. Those days are now over. While it is still a little sad to say goodbye to the tub.... I hope you like the changes. Pictures will come soon, it is not quite ready for the unveiling yet!


Joyce
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Public Transport makes getting to the Inn a breeze! 5 Apr 2012, 4:08 pm

Getting to our Seattle Bed and Breakfast from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport ( known as Sea-Tac) has never been easier. Now that Seattle's light rail system has been up and running for a long while, every time I come home from a trip I take public transportation back to the Inn. It saves me money and allows me to save a little fossil fuel on the trip home. This is so easy I thought I should tell you all how it works. The trip involves taking the light rail from the airport to downtown - to the Westlake Stop at the end of the line. Once downtown you can either grab a cab to the Inn (as of this writing it will run about $20) or hop on a bus that will take you within a short walk of our Seattle Bed & Breakfast.

Once you have landed, get off the plane and head to baggage claim. Of course public transport works best if you don't have a lot of luggage, but head to baggage claim even if you are a carry-on only person. There you will see signs guiding you to Link Light Rail. You will go up an escalator, over a sky bridge and into the parking garage. It's cool but covered these spring days - so no rain worries. Keep following the signs and in about a 10 minute walk you will be at the light rail terminal. You can buy tickets at the kiosk there.

The tickets have a few options. The light rail from the airport to Downtown will cost you $2.75 per person and you get a paper ticket. Alas, this will not transfer so the bus from downtown will cost you another $2.50. Now....If you plan to use public transport while you are in Seattle (and it is very easy to take the bus from our Inn to most Seattle attractions) then I would recommend that you buy an ORCA card at the kiosk instead of a paper ticket. The card will cost you $5.00 but...you can use it on the light rail and on the bus, and you can put as much money on the card as you think you will use while you are in town. With the card the trip from the airport to our Inn will cost you about $3.25. To help you figure out how much to put on the card....a trip from our Inn to downtown and back will at most cost you $5.50 total per person at peak time ($ 5.00 non peak). Besides you will look like a real Seattleite when you get on the bus and just "tap" your ORCA card to pay!

So now you have your ticket, you can just get on the train. The airport is the end of the line so all departing trains are headed into town. Hop on and settle in. You will be on the train for about 35-40 minutes. Part of the ride is above ground so you can take in the views and sights right away. As you approach downtown, the train will go into a tunnel. To come straight to our Seattle B&B take the train to the last stop at Westlake. Once at Westlake you can take the escalator up to street level and grab a cab or continue on with public transport.

After departing the train, taking the bus is simple. You do not have to go anywhere at all. You are right at the bus stop for the 71, 72, or 73 bus (buses and trains run in the same tunnel downtown). One of these buses comes about every 10 minutes but I think the most I have ever waited is 5 min. You get on anyone of these - the 71, 72, or 73 express buses - and get off at 45th street and University Way. The bus will stop just past 45th street. I am always amazed at how quickly the express buses get you to the University of Washington neighborhood, known as the U-district, in Seattle.

You tap your ORCA card as you get off, walk back to 45th street and hang a left. Stay on the left hand side of the street, and keep going until you reach 22nd Ave NE. Take a left. You will pass the main entrance to UW at 17th Ave, and our Seattle WA Bed and Breakfast is at 5005 22nd Ave NE. There is a sign out front and, of course, the big blue colonial house does kind of stand out!

Next stop, our living room, your comfy room and of course we will be there to welcome you with a smile! We will have tea, cookies, and treats, all out and ready for you!

Joyce Schulte
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Remodeling the Ravenna Suite: part 1, the bathroom 1 Apr 2012, 4:31 pm

OK, how many of our guests remember this at our Seattle Bed & Breakfast?! Yep it is the now infamous (and gone) pink tile in our Ravenna Suite at the Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn. Infamous because not many inns were brave enough to have pink tile - yes original pink tile directly from the 1950s - in one of their bathrooms. Well, we were and we hope you all have enjoyed and cringed a little at it over the years. After all, some of you have stayed in the suite many times.

But this year was the year we redid the Ravenna Suite at our Seattle Bed and Breakfast. From top to bottom, we redid everything from the ceiling (added some soundproofing up there) to the floors. We completely refinished them, and did something to almost everything in between creating an updated modern and oh-so-much-lighter-and-brighter suite for you at our Seattle Inn.

But, this post is about the bathroom. Gone is the pink tile; in is the black and white tile, a gleaming white tub, new toilet, and best of all a bright new color. Oh yeah, and a new sink and well, this bathroom, it just makes me smile!



Joyce
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Night Out In Wallingford 18 Feb 2012, 6:14 pm

Last Friday eve we decided to treat ourselves to a night out Seattle-style, or even more specifically Wallingford-style. Wallingford is a great Seattle neighborhood located just about a 10 minute drive west of our Seattle Bed and Breakfast (right on the #44 bus line for those of you not driving) and home to some really great restaurants and a very famous Seattle ice cream parlor.

I have wanted to try Tilth Restaurant for quite some time, as our guests have given it great reviews, it is well written up and was one of the very first organic and sustainable restaurants in the country. Actually, when they opened in 2006, I think they were the 2nd such restaurant in the country. So at the last minute we jumped online, got a table for 8:45 and off we went. The first sign that this was gonna be a great night was that we scored a fabulous parking place right on 45th street, just a block or so from the restaurant, and the rain let up so it was a nice walk. Tilth is located in what was once a small house, so it is just like walking up to the front porch, ringing the bell and getting let into the front door.

It did not disappoint! From the Craft Cocktails Menu, Steve had a "Fred and Ginger" and I had a Lions something or other. I may have forgotten the name but not the taste, and the bartender graciously gave me the recipe so I could mix one up at home. Good thing cause otherwise I might have been tempted to sample one too many. I digress...shortly after we sipped the cocktails, salads arrived (thumbs up to the romaine with feta, beets and pecans) and was followed by entrees that did not disappoint. Hanger Steak for me and the famous Mini Duck Burgers for Steve. The wine list looked great but we stuck with cocktails.

The dessert menu looked tasty too and I was tempted to try Theo's Chocolate Cake but we passed on dessert at Tilth, as we remembered that the famous ice cream parlor was conveniently located just between Tilth and our car.

So off we went, on the way back to the car we stopped in at Molly Moon's Ice Cream. The Wallingford store was her first one in Seattle, and while I'm certainly a long time fan of Molly Moon's Ice Cream, this was my first visit to the Wallingford location. I recommend the Scout Mint with hot fudge; Steve went with the Salted Caramel Sundae. It is impossible to go wrong here, well worth the wait to get into this wonderful place, even if the line is out the door! Again we scored, no line at all and I got to sample a few varieties before settling on my Scout Mint.

All in all it was a very nice Friday eve, out in one of Seattle's great neighborhoods located right at the doorstep of our Seattle Bed and Breakfast.


Joyce Schulte
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

And a Merry Christmas to all! 23 Dec 2011, 3:45 pm

One of our guests sent this email yesterday and it made me smile -


Needless to say this made my (and the staff's) day and I want to thank our New Zealand guests from the bottom of my heart. We are so lucky in this business, as we get to meet the most interesting and kind people. We hope that each and every one of you goes away from your time with us feeling that you were well cared for (and well fed) and that you remember us as fondly as these folks did.

We would like to thank all of our guests over the years for staying with us at our Seattle Bed and Breakfast. We wish all of you the Happiest of Holiday Seasons, a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

Joyce
and the staff of the Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

New Winter Fruit Salad at our Seattle B&B 20 Dec 2011, 5:36 pm

We start every morning off here at our Seattle bed and breakfast with a delicious, fresh fruit entree, but coming up with fresh fruit in the winter can be a challenge. As many of you know we do a lot with pears....and guests love our apple salad....but winter is long and creative cooks get bored, so we're always on the lookout for fresh winter fruit ideas. We think this one is a winner. We call it Winter Fruit Salad and we hope you'll enjoy it! This is a great holiday recipe, as the mint and Pomegranate seeds display such festive holiday colors.

We use slices of Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits (cause they are my favorite), some local sweet sliced and peeled Taylor pears (Comice or D'Anjou work well too), chopped fresh mint and pomegranate seeds. Arrange in a fruit bowl, drizzle with a little honey and serve it up. Only empty bowls came back to us this morning. Oops...I forgot to drizzle honey on this one before I snapped the picture, imagine it OK? And stay tuned right here for some more winter fruit ideas from our Seattle B&B!

Joyce - Owner / Innkeeper Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn

Dine Around Seattle 9 Mar 2011, 3:51 pm

As you all might have guessed by now, food is one of my passions. To cook it and to eat it! One of my guilty pleasures in life is to enjoy a great meal out. To sit down in the company of others, or even alone, to read a menu, to make a choice and to then have a great plate of well prepared food placed in front of you. What a wonderful experience that is. So this is one of my favorite times of the year in Seattle. Yes it is time for Dine Around Seattle, that wonderful time of the year when some of Seattle's top restaurants offer 3 course Dinners for just $30. Many places also offer a great $15 lunch deal too.

Last year I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Urbane downtown (while my car was in the shop) and this year, 3 of my favorite Seattle restaurants are on the list.

My top pics for this year are Ray's Boathouse, always a good bet for seafood with a view, one of my new favorite places to go, the Toulouse Petite Kitchen and Lounge (red beans and rice to die for) and right here in our very own neighborhood, Mama Melina Ristorante and Pizzeria, yep this is a neighborhood favorite! Reserve a room at the Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn and you can walk to Mama Melina's in about 5 minutes, even faster if you run!

Hope to see you soon, restaurants are a good deal right now and so are rooms at our Seattle Bed and Breakfast, with our seasonally discounted spring rates and specials.

Joyce Schulte
Owner / Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn
www.chamberednautilus.com
One of the "8 Broads in the Kitchen"
www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com

Northwest Eggs Benedict: One of our most popular breakfasts! 10 Feb 2011, 5:28 pm

This week we were honored to have one of the "8 Broads in the Kitchen" Kristie Rosset and her husband Ray stay with us at the Inn. They own the Lookout Point Lakeside Inn in Hot Springs, Arkansas and are taking a vacation road trip through the Pacific Northwest, stopping off at our Seattle Bed and Breakfast. Needless to say we had a lot of fun in the kitchen while they were here and after serving this Northwest dish on their first morning here, well.....lets just say Kristie convinced me to share it with all of you. Yes indeed you can have salmon for breakfast!

Sometimes it is not what you make, but how you put it all together. Our Northwest Eggs Benedict is kind of like that, I do not make the bread nor smoke the salmon, but the way that you combine and choose the ingredients is what makes the dish so great!

We are very lucky here in Seattle to have a lot of really great local bakeries, I can on any given day get a fresh loaf from the Essential Baking Company (and they have a great cafe in Wallingford, not far from the Inn), the Grand Central Bakery, or Macarina Bakery to just name a few, all are baked right here in town and delivered to grocery stores right near the Inn.

Yesterday I used slices of Grand Central's Como Bread. Note that fresh Country Sourdough, or Ciabatta also works well and here is what I did with those fresh bread slices.

DIRECTIONS:
I brushed the slices lightly with olive oil and then put them in a 400 degree oven to toast. I brushed both sides and turned them over about every 5 minutes till slightly crispy.

I then poached an egg. Put a little vinegar in the poaching water and it will help keep the egg whites together around the yolk and not float in little bits all over your pan. I am not good at free hand poaching so I cheat and do use a poaching ring that I set in boiling water with a little vinegar in it.

Top the bread with the poached egg. Top the egg with a slice of smoked salmon (I buy Lox trim at my local grocery store) and then top it all off with your favorite Hollandaise Sauce and it is ready to serve, and EAT!
A little bit of Paprika or Fresh thyme lightly dusted on top adds a bit of color and flavor that mixes nicely with the salmon and hollandaise.

All you need to make this is:

A Loaf of your favorite local artisan bread
Olive Oil
Poached Egg
Smoked Salmon
Your favorite Hollindaise sauce

This is my staff's favorite breakfast and we serve this with Spinach Brownies on the side. YUM!!!

P. S. the recipe for Spinach Brownies comes to us from Ellen at the Birchwood Inn and can be found on the 8 Broads in the Kitchen Food Blog think Spinach and White Cheddar Cheese!

Joyce Schulte
Owner/ Innkeeper
Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn
http://www.chamberednautilus.com
One of the "8 Broads in the Kitchen"
www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com

Holiday Breakfasts and Special Rates 23 Dec 2010, 11:46 am

Happy Holidays to all! Happy to have a full house last night, this morning we tried something new out for breakfast. Yep this AM was the first time the "Waffles of Insane Greatness" decorated our table. This is a favorite recipe of all the "8 Broads in the kitchen" and we made the Banana Caramel Pecan version. Check it out!


We have a great Breakfast planned for Christmas Morning with lots of surprises and hope that you can join us!

Come up to see your family, treat yourself to Christmas in Seattle or a little post holiday shopping.
The fireplace will be on, the tree will be lit, AND for rooms booked now through 12/31/10 we will even give you and additional $20 a night off our already great rates.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and we hope to see you soon!

Joyce and the staff of the Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn