As a special treat for my husband’s birthday, I’d gotten tickets to see Abraham Verghese at Benaroya Hall, part of the Seattle Arts and Lectures Series. The author of “Cutting for Stone” and “The Covenant of Water” — two best-selling novels — as well as nonfiction, is one of our literary heroes. To make the evening extra-special, we had dinner at Metropolitan Grill, a few blocks away from the venue, and stayed overnight at a downtown hotel. Our 24-hour staycation began on Sunday afternoon, and ended after lunch at Pike Market on Monday.

The jaw-dropping view from our room at the Thompson Hotel, a Hyatt property, got even better after dark. The Ferris wheel and Pike Market signs lit up while ships crossed Elliott Bay. It was drizzling outside, but the hotel was cozy and warm. Walking briskly downhill to “The Met,” a 41-year-old steak house on Second Avenue, we maneuvered around victorious Seahawks fans who filled the streets, and darted to avoid scooters, a new urban menace.

Dining at a steak house was a new experience for me. After being shown to a booth in a quiet corner of the packed restaurant I told our waiter, “I know very little about meat, so please educate us.” He patiently explained the three different kinds of steaks on the menu: Prime steaks from Double R Ranch in Washington’s Okanagan; American Wagyu beef; and the most highly prized Japanese Wagyu, starting at $110 for four ounces.

Between us, we tried three different steaks, all dry-aged and cooked over mesquite charcoal: a 16 oz New York Striploin ($79), and a combo featuring two 4-oz. cuts: American Prime Filet and Wagyu Filet ($80). I rated them, respectively: delicious, soft as butter-luscious, and melt in your mouth fabulicious. How soon can I go back? The next special occasion, to be sure!

The main event of the evening left us in awe. Speaking extemporaneously for about 45 minutes before a moderator joined him, Dr. Verghese described how literature convinced him he wanted to practice medicine, and treating patients made him want to write. A masterful storyteller, he held an audience of nearly 2,500 spellbound.

One thing Seattle lacks: places to go for dessert and coffee after a movie, or other late-night event. Are we the only ones who like to linger and talk about the show after it’s over? Back at the hotel, we headed to the rooftop bar, not for cocktails, but for coffee and cake. No dice. The bar has a million-dollar view, and serves spirits, but that’s not what we wanted. With half an hour left before it closed, Conversation, the hotel’s street-level restaurant, offered coffee, tea, and a choice of three desserts. Score!

On Monday morning, it was time for a leisurely stroll through Pike Market. Passing the fish-throwers, we headed to Mee Sum Pastries for snack to tide us over until lunchtime. Filled with curried chicken and mushrooms, their savory chicken bao really hit the spot. The vegetable stands still had chanterelles and other tempting vegetables, but my pantry needed only two things: cinnamon sticks for stews and poaching, and lavender, for brewing London Fog tea. A quick descent by elevator deposited us on Western Avenue, below the market, across the street

from World Spice. Another favorite shop on Western is the Paris Madrid Grocery, which carries affordable, delicious red and white Rioja wines, cheese, olives, and an array of – you guessed it – French and Spanish provisions.

Returning to the market, I was getting hungry. “This reminds me of that amazing place in the Barcelona market,” my husband said as he motioned me over to the counter at Market Grill. Nabbing two stools from the mere handful that surround an open grill, we watched as a center cut of salmon was expertly prepared for us.

To finish off this visit to Pike Market, we stopped at De Laurenti’s for a perfect cup of coffee at their First Avenue espresso bar. Then, it was time to head home.

Our 24-hour adventure felt like a real vacation, and got me thinking. Next time we want a “stay-cay” in a nearby, walkable city, we can catch a show at the Kirkland Performance Center, have dinner at one of their many fine dining spots, walk along the waterfront, and stay overnight at the Heathman or Woodmark hotel…. Stay tuned!

Meanderings is a travel column by Mindy Stern, a Mercer Island resident whose essays can be found at www.mindysternauthor.com.