T+L soaks up the city’s literary ambience and culinary delights, its late-night characters and early-morning coffee shops. As the plane begins its descent into Seattle’s airport I write on the inside cover of my notebook: ‘New take on Seattle necessary for article. Avoid all weather clichés and weather by-products. No rain, no melancholy, no coffee, no flannel, no grunge.’

There’s still a lot of life in First Hill’s old favorite. For In-towners: Don’t be fooled by the manicured hedges, the low-lit dining in the Hunt [Club Restaurant], and the hundred-year-old Honduran mahogany on the ceiling; there’s a whole lot of hipster nightlife at this tony old hotel.

by Alexander Kummerow

This richly appointed living room of a bar (Honduran mahogany woodwork, leather wingback chairs) at the Sorrento cracks Thrillist’s Favorite 5 Winter Drinking Spots thanks to its sweet list of craft ‘tails (the cockily named I Lay Manhattan w/ Bulleit bourbon, Luxardo Maraschino, sweet vermouth & a Laphroaig Scotch rinse), snack-heavy eats menu, and holiday lineup of refined musical guests, like Christopher, in the majority of his movie roles.

The Hunt Club in the Sorrento Hotel will have three-course afternoon and evening meals on Christmas Eve and Day, dishing up prime rib, sweet onion and yam soup, and cherry pie.

The Sorrento Santa in a Phil Smart Mercedes sleigh delivers 1,000 candy canes on the streets of Seattle, three golden candy canes win a grand prize, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., downtown Seattle (www.hotelsorrento.com).

​There’s been a lot of change lately at The Hunt Club. Remember a couple of years back when the restaurant did an Iron Chef-like contest to pick its new head chef for the kitchen? The winner, Matthew Mina, stayed in the position for about five months before moving on to the Salish Lodge.

The Sorrento Hotel bar is classy, not stuffy, despite the wood-paneled walls that surround the fireplace. The hunting-club vibe makes it the ideal spot for scotch.

If you are like me, you are probably procrastinating on Thanksgiving dinner plans. If you are like me, you probably prefer not to host Thanksgiving dinner, to avoid cleaning all those dishes, what with all the courses in the traditional dinner.
Fear not! Here’s a guide to dining out and to-go options this Thanksgiving (which is next week).

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, so for those who always dine out, are coming in from out of town, want the meal with all the fixins to go, or have yet to reserve a raw bird from one of the city’s haute butchers—it’s time to get on it. Luckily Eater has compiled a helpful guide of Puget Sound restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving.