Central to Bird's ongoing enjoyment of the city, and something she takes pains to impress upon Durant during their hours together, are the numerous options available - whether natural, cultural, or gastronomical. "The more you do, the more you come to love this place," she says to him. "Until you put yourself out there a little, you can't really get an appreciation for the weather, the shopping, the restaurants."

Judging by her comments during our time together, the former University of Connecticut star is most enthusiastic about the latter. Indeed, it's hard to imagine one of the city's appointed food critics giving a better quick-hit guide to local dining. "I could give you a restaurant for every kind of food you like," Bird says, mock-seriously.

She starts off with the most important foodstuff on the planet: the cheeseburger. "That's an easy one," she says, "Dick's." Seattle-bred rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Posse on Broadway" praises Dick's Drive-In, whose burgers are often downed with a liberal heaping of tartar sauce. "They may not be the biggest burgers or the healthiest, but they're so, so good. I kind of want one of them right now," Bird says.

For those in the mood for Italian, Bird touts Capitol Hill's Ristorante Machiavelli and its combination of café ambience and authentic cuisine. While she goes out of her way to stress that she isn't a chain-restaurant type of gal, she does extend props to Seattle's Il Fornaio outpost, which is especially good for larger groups. Those who want a bit more intimacy should try Ristorante Pellini, located high in the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.