Lisanne Walker, daughter Chelsey Walker-Watson and coffee roaster/son Keenan Walker run Slate in East Ballard with help from seasoned baristas like Brandon Weaver. Cozy up to the white counter at this humble slate grey building, which sprouted from the success of a coffee-fitted Airstream trailer they called the Slatestream. Walker-Watson and Weaver may hand you a menu, but Slate is the kind of place where people inherently trust these baristas. After all, the shop just walked away from Coffee Fest with the title of America’s Best Coffeehouse. Slate relies on a black La Marzocco two-group espresso machine, pourover coffee brewing, and hospitality.

The fact that Seattle has a wealth of Pacific seafood is no surprise, and I found true oceanic bliss at chef Taichi Kitamura’s sleek Eastlake sushi bar, which resides in an industrial chic mixed-use building two blocks from Lake Union. Kitamura is a Kyoto native who previously ran Shiso across the lake, and he continues to orchestrate expert omakase as jazz fills the air for about $100 per head. The chef favors local, seasonal and sustainable fish and doesn’t use flavors that compete with their inherent natures. He also sources vegetables and herbs from a rooftop garden and even has a deft hand with dessert. My entire meal was a delight.

Not many businesses reference East Germany at this point, especially Stateside, but the name Trabant refers refers to a 1960s East German economy car, and means “satellite” in German. Owner Tatiana Becker started the company with Mike Gregory in Seattle’s U District, and this “satellite” branch has run near Pioneer Square since 2007. The space features a high ceiling with drop-down bulbs, banquette seating, and atmospheric paintings. Manager Zamran Alma, who tattooed the words GEEK and LOVE on his knuckles, showcases Kuma coffee and guests roasters like San Jose’s Chromatic. Espresso drinks are popular, as are chai and specialty drinks crafted using house-made syrups like port cherry and lemon-hibiscus.

Chef Renée Erickson joined business partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price in building The Walrus and The Carpenter into a Ballard success, and their follow-up is this local, seasonal restaurant in the fashionable Fremont Collective. The Whale Wins shares 25,500 hangar-like square feet with another restaurant called Joule and a snow sports retailer called Evo. Charming whale-themed murals fill an outdoor wall, a patio welcomes warm weather diners, and an indoor space features an open kitchen with baked goods on the counter, and mirror-image HELLO lighting. A wood-burning oven feasts on oak and yields toasty vegetables, meats, and seafoods. The Whale Wins also has a compelling happy hour and cocktail list.