So, for as long as I can remember, I have had these recurring dreams where I discover a whole new world of shops hidden away in mysterious tunnels around Seattle. In these dreams, the tunnels are almost always located somewhere down at Pike Place Market, although sometimes they connect up with other tunnels in Pioneer Square. Sometimes they are underground and are actually very cool and cave-like and other times they are more like simple alleyways that I just never noticed before. Frequently, these shops are full of really awesome clothing (all of which fits me perfectly of course) but, more often, they are filled with unusual and delicious foods or yummy, whimsical candies. What kind of person dreams of hidden candy shops? Was I born in Whoville or something?

Whenever I have one of these dreams, I wake up really excited. I know it’s only a dream but, there are so many hidden nooks and crannies down at the Market already, it makes me think that, if I just looked hard enough, I might actually discover something new and wonderful that I hadn’t come across before. And, Seattle does have a whole underground level. Perhaps there really are special caves down there with mysterious underground dwellers selling all manner of wondrous candies! Okay, maybe not, but that sure would be exciting!

I bring all of this up because, several months ago, I stumbled upon a photo from Procopio Gelateria, located on the Pike Street Hill Climb between the Market and the Waterfront, and I was immediately hit with a sense of déjà vu. I can’t remember having ever gone to Procopio before, but, in this photo, it looked so familiar. In fact, it really looked a lot like one of the specific shops I had imagined in my dreams. Was it just a strange coincidence? Did I have some sort of psychic connection to this place? Or, did I go there once as a kid and have images of it stored away in my subconscious only to be brought forth in a dream later in life? Procopio has been in business since 1980 so it’s not completely outside the realm of possibilities that I went there as a child.

I became kind of obsessed with Procopio for a while after that. I really felt that I knew this place from somewhere. Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore so I had to go check it out and see if I could resolve this mystery. Since today was my birthday, I decided a birthday gelato was in order. My friend and I took a break from work and headed down to Procopio. Well, I am sad to report that no major revelations took place. The shop from my dreams was several stories high with walls of glass and mirrors on all sides and a tall staircase winding down from the entrance. Procopio has some windows and mirrors and there is a long staircase outside the building but the similarities end there. I was more immediately struck with how similar Procopio’s layout is to that of Zig Zag, a bar a few shops down from Procopio, than I was by anything from my dreams or childhood memories. I don’t know where that initial feeling of déjà vu came from, but I was definitely not feeling it today.

That’s not a very thrilling end to my story, I know. But, do you know what is thrilling? Delicious gelato from Procopio! They only had about 10 or so flavors available today, but they all looked really good. I was tempted by the prickly pear, kiwi, blackberry and lavender. In the end, however, I couldn’t resist my two favorites - coconut and pistachio - so I got a scoop of each. The gelato was so creamy and the flavors were subtle but amazing. It was the perfect treat for this first day in June that actually feels like summer (the sun actually came out on my birthday for once!)