Summer in Seattle and it is time again for Pink Martini. We saw them last year at Chateau St. Michelle and it was great. It was the first time we had been to St. Michelle for a concert and we had the perfect day. It was warm but we took a couple of umbrellas. We ‘manger sur l’erbe’ and a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc. The sun went day, the hot-air balloons floated in the distance and Mt Rainier turned pink in the setting sun.

This year they played at the Zoo. There is a series of concerts to raise money for the zoo every summer. The artists tend to be an eclectic group. It is not as good of venue as St. Michelle. The field is flat, no alcohol is allowed and children are admitted free. But it is a great place to spend a warm mid-week summer night.

I went up to Pasta & Company and got a selection of salads. The shrimp celeriac remoulade was excellent. I want to try to make it. The faro salad was also very nice – faro, chopped tomatoes and sweet onions in a light vinaigrette. A spicy ginger cookie and a nectarine for dessert.

We went early so we could find a parking place. It was very easy at the south side of the zoo. We got in line around 4:45pm at the south entrance. The doors open at 5pm although they didn’t let us in until about 5:10pm. By time we got across the zoo and to the concert area, the field had pretty much filled in. I think next time we’ll go to the North entrance which is closer to the concert area.

At 6PM, the opening act came on. It was a pretty forgettable duo of a base guitar and mandolin players. They played covers of songs you would not expect such as Paint it Black or Money.

Pink Martini came on just before 7pm and played for over an hour. It was a fun mix of hits from their three albums. Of course, the encore was Brasil. Here’s a clip of one of my favorites of the night – “Sympathique” – title cut from their first album.