As some of you may remember, Animated Meat first came to life in 2008 as a way to document some sights that managed to slip through the cracks of most popular travel websites. You may also remember that the original website was built on Apple's now defunct iWeb. From there, it migrated over to WordPress where it met an untimely demise at the hands of Russian hackers. Many of those old, pre-2012 entries have found a new home here in the Before the Now section. I would consider these posts as my starting place as a writer, probably comparable to a musician's first demo tapes. They are very rough, but I took them all seriously and wrote each one with passion. While I would like to believe that I have matured in my abilities as a writer, it is my hope that I carry this same blind passion into all of my new efforts.

Piroshky Piroshki Bakery - Originally Published 2009

May 28, 2019

This is a very hard review to write because I want to make sure that I do this place justice. This tiny, family-owned bakery sells miracles of nature known as piroshky, a Russian pastry.

I want to make it very clear how good this place is. I think that the sole reason why humans evolved to have taste buds is so that we would all one day get the opportunity to taste one of these works of art. Yes, I assure you. They are that good.

Put this place high on your list of things that you must do while in Seattle.

Pike Place Market - Originally Published 2009

May 28, 2019

If I were told that I could only visit one place in Seattle, it would be Pike Place Market. The market is a sprawling collection of stores and vendors selling everything that makes life more enjoyable. Walk a few feet through the market and you will understand the term “sensory overload”.