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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.

Find Some Authentic Ramen

PubliCalendar   April 15, 2010 at 10:20 am Alexandra Bush

Tonight:

The new Elliott Bay Book Company location on 10th Avenue is now officially open, and the Pike/Pine neighborhood is getting together to celebrate the opening with a free block party this afternoon.

EBBC says there will be food and drinks. And Capitol Hill rock band Let’s Get Lost will be playing some tunes. Besides getting hyped for Elliott Bay, it sounds like a sweet way to welcome Spring, and also to get drunk in the afternoon. It’s supposed to be in the mid-60s and sunny tomorrow.

According to Capitol Hill Seattle, the entire party is being bankrolled by Hunters Capital, the real estate project of local entrepreneur Michael Malone that owns a lot of real estate in the Pike/Pine corridor, as well as the building that now houses Elliott Bay Books.

Tonight from 4 to 7 pm, at 10th Ave. between Pike and Pine. Free.

Tomorrow:

With the beautiful weather continuing, it’s a perfect day to kick off the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Culture Festival at Seattle Center.  Part of the Center’s program of festivals from around the world, the three-day event explores Seattle’s deep ties to Japan with tea ceremony demonstrations, artwork, and Japanese food.  Myself, I’m hoping to finally find some authentic ramen in this city.

Tomorrow, 10am-6pm, Seattle Center.  Free and open to the public.

Tomorrow’s Full Calendar:

Tomorrow night is the members-only preview of this weekend’s Friends of the Seattle Public Library massive DVD, CD and book sale—featuing bargain basement prices and a silent auction of rare books. There’s still time to become a Friends of SPL member for $15 and get at the privileged plunder.  

Tomorrow 6:30-9:30pm at Magnuson Park, Hangar in Building No. 30 (7400 Sand Point Way NE).

Author Rebecca Skloot gives a talk at Town Hall on Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951 and used to help create the polio vaccine. Up for discussion: cancer, the atomic bomb, and bioethics.

Tomorrow night at Town Hall (1119 8th Ave), 7:30-9pm.  Tickets $5.




  • anon

    I'm not sure if it counts as authentic, but Aloha Ramen on Greenwood is pretty damn tasty.

  • http://twitter.com/orinthe Nathaniel Ekoniak

    Personally I think that “authentic” is overrated for a lot of things (by which I mean, “authentic” does not mean “good” and “not authentic” does not mean “bad”), but that said, I've never been able to find ramen in Seattle that's QUITE as good as you can easily find anywhere in Japan.

    Koji Osaka-ya at Harbor Steps downtown used to have great ramen (as well as a wide selection of all sorts of good, authentic Japanese foods), but sadly they seem to have closed permanently. :(

    Aloha Noodle on Greenwood is decent, but I wouldn't call it authentic and I don't personally like it all that much. Fu Lin's in the ID right by the Chinatown Gate has some decent ramen and I think it's gotten better over the last couple years, but I'd still prefer Samurai Noodle to it.

    Samurai Noodle is the best I've found so far, and other than that it is lacking the same melt-in-your-mouth pork that is ubiquitous at every ramen shop in Japan (yes, Samurai Noodle's is delicious and hearty and personally I love it but it's not the same) it's quite authentic and otherwise delicious—I always order the tonkotsu with “samurai armor”, which adds a lot of great toppings.

    I spotted a place on Rainier yesterday, it looked like maybe it was a sushi restaurant but it had a signboard advertising ramen. Rice and Roll I think it was called? Of course, serving both ramen AND sushi at the same place is hardly “authentic” but Koji Osakaya, before they disappeared, pulled it off to great effect. No idea how this place is (or if I was hallucinating as I rode past), but I intend to check it out.

    Anyone know any other places?

  • http://twitter.com/hyded David Hyde

    Seattle is a bit behind in the global race for good ramen but that seems to be changing fast. But I can solve the debate objectively: Aloha Ramen is #1, and Samurai Noodle is #2.