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Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

I Went All the Way to Portland for a Late-Night Milkshake

News   October 26, 2009 at 2:58 pm Josh Feit

This not Ladybird, this is Josh. And I’m posting as FoodNerd because I was in Portland on Friday night. Wow.

Hungry for a late night dessert, my Portland host Amy  walked me over to 12th and Hawthorne in S.E. Portland where there’s a mad collection of late night food carts doing fried po’ boys, hot dogs, burritos, crepes,  and my late-night dessert—milkshakes. (Not the Dick’s kind, but the soda fountain kind.)

It was Portland, so of course, the place was packed with young dudes in skinny jeans and gals in retro 80s gear and there’s vegan options.

PDX

I got a graham cracker shake and Amy got oreo cookie with mint. We split those cruising along through the quiet neighborhood just a few blocks from the string-lighted revelry on 12th . The shakes were awesome.

Come on Seattle. How about that abandoned parking lot at Pine and Belmont?


  • Eric H

    The poutine at Potato Champion is seriously amazing. I absolutely love that lot.

  • Eric H

    The poutine at Potato Champion is seriously amazing. I absolutely love that lot.

  • alight

    Honeybunch, I do believe you mean dessert, rather than desert.

  • alight

    Honeybunch, I do believe you mean dessert, rather than desert.

  • SeMe

    josh- i could be wrong man, but i think u have to credit the mo fos at the oregonian for that pic.

  • SeMe

    josh- i could be wrong man, but i think u have to credit the mo fos at the oregonian for that pic.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    How ABOUT that parking lot at Pine and Belmont?

    I may have missed it when we were told, but anyone remember exactly why whoever tore down those buildings just left it as a parking lot? Were they going to build condos and just ran out of money?

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    How ABOUT that parking lot at Pine and Belmont?

    I may have missed it when we were told, but anyone remember exactly why whoever tore down those buildings just left it as a parking lot? Were they going to build condos and just ran out of money?

  • Cary Clarke

    The Hawthorne/12th food carts are probably the single tangible I miss most since moving to Seattle from Portland a couple of months ago. I will most definitely be stopping for some Potato Champion veggie poutine and a Whiffies fried pie this Thursday night during my visit.

    I really do wish Seattle had more food carts. There was a Stranger article about the regulatory articles at some point this past spring/summer, FYI.

  • Cary Clarke

    The Hawthorne/12th food carts are probably the single tangible I miss most since moving to Seattle from Portland a couple of months ago. I will most definitely be stopping for some Potato Champion veggie poutine and a Whiffies fried pie this Thursday night during my visit.

    I really do wish Seattle had more food carts. There was a Stranger article about the regulatory articles at some point this past spring/summer, FYI.

  • BC

    Aren’t there zoning or health department obstacles to food carts in Seattle? I would love more of ‘em, but I seem to recall hearing that the city regulates them into oblivion.

  • BC

    Aren’t there zoning or health department obstacles to food carts in Seattle? I would love more of ‘em, but I seem to recall hearing that the city regulates them into oblivion.

  • SoundersNerd

    #5- I haven’t even lived in PDX -let alone moved from there- but there are so many thing that I miss about it.

    So, what’s the impediment to having late nigh food stands? WA State health standards? City Hall? Some obscure RCW code that explicitly prohibits “mobile outdoor food stalls past sundown”?

  • SoundersNerd

    #5- I haven’t even lived in PDX -let alone moved from there- but there are so many thing that I miss about it.

    So, what’s the impediment to having late nigh food stands? WA State health standards? City Hall? Some obscure RCW code that explicitly prohibits “mobile outdoor food stalls past sundown”?

  • BC

    The Stranger did a special issue on street food in 2005. Here’s an article from that issue on the legal issues, written by somebody named Erica Barnett. The short answer is county health codes and city licensing. But apparently that is changing (has changed?) with the help of some dude named Greg Nickels. Has anyone asked Mc/Malla how they stand on licensing street food?

  • BC

    The Stranger did a special issue on street food in 2005. Here’s an article from that issue on the legal issues, written by somebody named Erica Barnett. The short answer is county health codes and city licensing. But apparently that is changing (has changed?) with the help of some dude named Greg Nickels. Has anyone asked Mc/Malla how they stand on licensing street food?