Arts & Entertainment: Donald Byrd's Picks

Before coming to Seattle as the new artistic director for Spectrum Dance Theater, DONALD BYRD earned a reputation for edgy, kinetic choreography and bold personal style. He ran Donald Byrd/The Group for 20 years and worked internationally as a guest choreographer. Byrd was ready to take a hiatus when he accepted the Spectrum position last year. (As for so many New Yorkers, coming to Seattle is like switching to half-time work.) Since he arrived, Byrd has challenged the dancers with work that requires them to be warriors as well as performers, reorganized the school curriculum, and been appointed to the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. When he isn't rattling some cages, he's been looking around town.Sandra Kurtz

DONALD BYRD'S PICKS

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD: "I like Belltown. [Coming from New York] it feels more familiar; it's a vertical environment."

BEST COMFORT FOOD: "Mecca Cafe. They have the best bacon I've ever had anywhere in the world. It's this incredible, perfect balance between fat and lean. There is no bacon like Mecca bacon."

FAVORITE SHOPPING: "I like this furniture place Partners in Time. I saw these three Chinese chairs with simple backs and red leather seatsI kept thinking about them, and I bought them, because somebody said if they jump out like that you're supposed to buy them. I'm doing a new piece with chairs in it, and I know what they need to look like after seeing all these different chairs."

FAVORITE SUNDAY PASTIME: "Ice cream with mix-ins at Mix at Green Lake. At Mix, it's not about customer service at all; it's about [the staff's] social life. You're completely insignificant to their conversation with each other. And I enjoy watching that interaction."

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