This fall, two coffee shops have pumpkin flavored drinks. There's Starbucks' classic "Pumpkin Spice Latte" and Caribou Coffee’s "Wild Pumpkin".

I have always been a long-time fan of Starbucks' version. It's the stuff my dreams are made of. I can manage a small (tall, 12 oz.) serving with nonfat dairy and whipped cream for 260 calories. Take off the whip and the drink drops to 200 calories. Not bad for something that is SO DELICIOUS.

I tried Caribou's version just today and when I first tasted it, I wondered, where's the pumpkin? There's no pumpkin flavor to it aside from a soft after note. They describe it as "a masterful mix of pumpkin, spice, white chocolate, espresso and cream that's like pumpkin pie right out of the oven" but to me, it's more of a "high in fat & calories concoction that remotely tastes like pumpkin".

Caribou's version, in their smallest serving (which is a medium, 16 oz.--they don't allow you to get a small, 12 oz., in their "fancy" drinks), has 600 calories and 23 grams of fat. Starbucks' Grande (16 oz.) version of their drink with whole milk STILL has less at 17! I got the bugger with nonfat milk, so that probably shaved off 20 or 30 calories and some grams of fat, but even then, the drink is simply NOT worth having!

I can go to Starbucks and get the tastier version of their drink in a 16 oz. serving with skim milk and whip and it still only weighs in at 330 calories and 7 grams of fat. Even with whole milk, the same drink is 410 calories. More than I care for, but yet less than Caribou.

So if it’s a pumpkin coffee you’re craving this fall, head for Starbucks.

Seattle is one of my all time favorite cities.

I haven't been to a ton of them, so my exposure is limited--but out of the ones I've been to, it's hard to beat the Emerald City.

There are a lot of Minnesota imports to the Seattle area and I can understand why. Like Minnesota, there is plenty of water and pine trees. In addition, there are also mountains. It's like taking the best parts of Minnesota and making them better by transforming the plains into gorgeous peaks and national parks.

And then there's the coffee.

Okay, yeah. Seattle is known for Starbucks. And don't get me wrong, I actually LIKE Starbucks. The coffee, for a chain, aint bad. Their light drinks beat any other places' and their pumpkin spice latte is to die for. But thanks to Rachel Ray, I found a local chain that I can't recommend highly enough--Caffe Ladro.

Espresso shop and bakery, the place is delicious. I walked in on my first day back in Seattle over PAX weekend and looked at the board. I noticed the drink named "Yankee Dog" and asked what it was. An Americano with steamed milk on top? All you had to say was Americano+something else delicious and I was sold. So I ordered me one of those and I don't know if it's the organic free trade coffee, the organic milk, or the delicious dollop of foam resting atop the coffee, but it was magical. It instantly made all of the coffee I drink here in the Twin Cities taste like burnt butt.

I'm not joking.

Caffe Ladro is a must if you like coffee and find yourself in Seattle.

Other places that were delicious!...
Piroshky Piroshky down by the Pike Place Market, if you like tasty things wrapped in warm pastries. Yum!

Umi Sake House in Belltown, which was trendy yet superb for sushi. Even the water is trendy--it has cucumbers in it. And the sushi was fantastic. I wish I had eaten more of it.

Other places that were okay...
The Pike Pub & Brewery. The food is OKAY at best and overpriced. Several of the brews are delicious, including the Kilt Lifter, a tasty Scotch Ale. The stout was not so good though--steer clear.

Fado Irish Pub. There are a few of these around the nation, but this was the first one I had been to. We have plenty of Irish pubs in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, so it felt pretty much like home. Fairly standard. I had a Guinness, which made up for Pike Pub's travesty. Some things are hard to beat, it's true. Nothing special, but the food was good and the beer was just fine. Prices, also decent for downtown.

We ate at several places in West Seattle as well, whose names escape me. But they were also delicious. There's a cupcake place there that has the most delicious strawberry icing I've ever tasted. Also, the Husky Deli has fantastic home made ice cream and waffle cones.

We also stopped down at the Utilkilt store where my old friend Eric works and got a tour of the operation (and picked up a Survival model). I recommend a trip to the storefront down in Pioneer Square for fun.

On the sports front, the Mariners have a beautiful baseball stadium. The seats are right down on the field and there doesn't seem to be a bad view in the house. It is far and away better than the Metrodome. Plus, where else can you order sake and sushi at a baseball game? Sure, it's overpriced, but there's something novel about eating fresh sushi while watching Ichiro out in right field. The food options were great and the stadium was clean. Whoever voted the Brewers as having the best stadium for food options was dead wrong--I disagree. Safeco field is where it's at for your dining pleasure (there's more than just Miller and Brats!). I even managed to pay attention to the whole game.

All in all, there's a ton to do in Seattle, from touristy to just relaxing and enjoying fresh fare. Everytime I go back, I find something new and delicious or exciting. I have never had a bad time in Seattle--I just don't think it's possible!