One of the Best Patios in Seattle Doubles as a Garden

Welcome back to Up on the Rooftop, a monthly column by Seattle Slow Food board member and writer Melissa Peterman, who gets up close and personal with Seattle's mile-high club in the form of (mostly) rooftop gardens.

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Perched above the waterfront, it's known as one of the places to take in the views of Elliot Bay over a glass of Crémant and a big bowl of moules frites. But Maximilien now has a secret: it's a place to also enjoy a new edible rooftop garden. That means you can dine in a lush oasis of kale, herbs and pea vines, while relishing in the fact that you're not one of the bazillion people waiting in line for the Great Wheel.

But Maximilien isn't the only one that has added a few plants. On the opposite side of the patio, which was previously home to the Pike Place Market day care center, the Pike Place Market Food Bank and Senior Center recently added 1,000 square-feet of raised beds. The Pike Place Urban Garden was designed by Seattle Urban Farm Co. and is maintained by market volunteers.

Business partners Willy Boutillier and Axel Mace, who also own the newly opened Le Zinc, are very happy about the rooftop improvements.

Willy: "It brings the community together and creates interactions with the neighbors."

Axel: "Instead of bare concrete slabs, it's now a flourishing public rooftop garden and between each raised flower bed is a connecting bench, which is often occupied by tourists or folks sitting with their coffee or sandwiches."

For this first year, Maximilien's chef, Christian Potvin, has planted pea vines, mint, rosemary, thyme, chives, green onions, dill, parsley, sage, chard and kale. (At the time of this interview there was no plan for a rooftop garden for Le Zinc, but perhaps in the future.).

Budding up alongside Maximilien's veggie beds, Matt's in the Market and Radiator Whiskey have also planted their own dedicated raised beds.

Willy: "Being in the Pike Place market, it's almost weird that we didn't have a garden here. People in Seattle want organic food, sustainable food and it is expensive to buy, so if you can grow it yourself of at least some of it, it's a little cheaper. We are looking at winter stuff too."

Axel: "We are really exposed, it can get cold up here. We'll try and see what grows!"

· Maximilien [Official Site]
· Le Zinc [Official Site]
· Matt's in the Market [Official Site]
· Radiator Whiskey [Official Site]
· All Up on the Rooftop Coverage [~ESEA~]