6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally in Ballard using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper.

Tarasco is one of those Ballard places that feels like it has always been there. The Mexican restaurant and neighborhood bar has been holding down this little corner of Whittier Heights since 1980, and Tony Cuevas has been running it since 1993. It sits in a particularly good little pocket of Ballard, right across from Rosellini’s and around the corner from Delancey and Essex.

And then there’s the karaoke. Back when Karaoke Kurt was holding down the mic, Friday and Saturday nights at Tarasco were already a local institution—and the singing is still going strong today. There’s Mexican food, margaritas, sports, pool, darts and plenty of neighborhood characters. Basically, exactly the kind of place I like to paint.

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally in Ballard using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper.

Rosellini’s is dangerous for anyone with a weakness for really good pastry. I’m convinced they make Seattle’s best croissants and pain au chocolat, and I have done enough personal research to stand by that statement. The Ballard bakery began life as Honoré in 2008 and became Rosellini’s when Suzanne Rosellini took over in 2016. She trained with the original baker to learn the serious art of laminated dough and kept many of the bakery’s beloved traditions alive. And the Rosellini name has its own Seattle history, thanks to legendary restaurateur Victor Rosellini, who opened his first Seattle restaurant in 1950. So there’s a lot of history here—but honestly, most mornings I’m just thinking about the croissant.

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally in Ballard using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper.

Picolino’s is one of those places that feels like a little secret, even though the neighborhood knows exactly where it is. It’s my once-a-week coffee date with friends, so I was pretty excited when I got to paint it. The coffee shop is always packed with regulars, with plenty of room to spill out onto the street, the back patio in summer, or the tented patio when the weather turns. And conveniently, it sits right in the middle of one of my regular walking routes. The back patio is the real magic—a tiny wormhole into some secret European garden where you could easily forget you’re in Sunset Hill. Housemade bread and pastries, wood-fired pizza, great coffee… honestly, divine. It’s become one of those places woven into my regular Seattle routine.

6×8 image on 8×10 textured heavy weight German etching paper, Giclee / fine art print / reproductions of original watercolor by Ameen Dhillon.

6×8 image on 8×10 paper, Giclee reproductions of original watercolor by Ameen Dhillon. Printed on heavy weight German etching paper

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper. San Fermo is housed in one of Seattle’s oldest intact residential structures, dating back to the 1850s. Originally located in the Chinatown-International District, the twin two-story buildings were relocated to Ballard 30 years ago. Since opening in 2015, San Fermo has become a neighborhood favorite, blending historic charm with incredible Italian cuisine as it approaches its 10th anniversary.

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper.

At the corner of 80th and 24th NW in Ballard serving traditional Danish pastries since 1974. Happy 50th Birthday Larsen’s!

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x8 german etching paper. Edith Macefield refused to sell out to developers. She passed away in 2008 and her home still stands surrounded on 3 sides by concrete walls.

Her home was featured by Disney Pixar in a promotion for the movie “UP.” 

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper. Seattle’s first Public Library from 1904 (when Ballard was its own city!) to 1963! Now home to the Kangaroo and Kiwi pub!

6x8 image, fits in an 8x10 frame, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper.

The Sunset Tavern is one of my regular spots on the tree-lined stretch of old Ballard Avenue. I've spent plenty of late nights here discovering bands I'd never heard of, standing too close to the speakers, and leaving with my ears ringing. Equal parts neighborhood bar and underground music institution, it's one of those rare places where Seattle's local music scene still feels authentic, loud, and wonderfully unpolished.

6x8 image, hand signed Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 8x10 german etching paper. The Ballard Smoke Shop On the tree lined streets of old Ballard Ave. since 1971.

5x7 image Giclee reproduction printed locally using archival inks on 6x8 german etching paper and hand signed. Cafe Bambino One of Seattle’s oldest coffee bars, if not the oldest serving serving coffee since 1928!!!! On 65th, still in Ballard at the foot of Phinney.

6×6 original watercolor on cold press watercolor paper.

6x8 original watercolor on cold press watercolor paper. Serving Ballard from 1950-2013 , The Viking is definitely Ballard’s most dearly missed watering holes.

6x8 original watercolor Mike’s Chili A family run business since 1922 when it started as a food cart selling chili on the docks. In its current location since 1939, Mike’s is still family run using the original recipe! Definitely a Ballard landmark.

6x8 original watercolor Olaf’s, Ballard 6301 24th Ave, where everybody knows your name. Say hi to my friend Tom.

6x8 original watercolor the Sloop Tavern was recently purchased and saved!!! This classic sailing bar has been a Ballard haunt since 1953. A slice of Real Old Ballard.

5x7 original watercolor Cafe Bambino One of Seattle’s oldest coffee bars, if not the oldest serving serving coffee since 1928!!!! On 65th, still in Ballard at the foot of Phinney…