A Seattle native, I’ve performed in over 50 local productions, 3 original one man shows and several notable regional commercials. To supplement my joy of acting, I was a server and bartender for 15 years. It was this exposure to chefs, food, wine, beer, and craft cocktails that opened my palate and gave me an insatiable curiosity to explore “the finer things.” Being a food tour guide feels like the perfect marriage between my two backgrounds and I’m constantly “researching” by eating out, and regularly enjoy Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Italian, Ethiopian and Indian cuisine, as well as a good burger and pizza.

I also enjoy travel, tennis, chess, constant book-reading and film-watching, having a cat on my lap, and dancing around my well-decorated living room with my cordless headphones to my substantial music collection.

If you wanna talk to someone from out of town who's still in her honeymoon phase with Seattle, look no further than this gal right here! I was born and raised in southern California, and have fully assimilated to Pacific Northwest culture; I get grumpy if I'm away from trees and water for too long. Believe it or not, I migrated up here in 2010 to be a professional actor -- the Seattle theatre scene is inclusive and thriving. However, in order to make rent, I spent a lot of time post-college doing the other thing I'm good at: working front-of-house in restaurants. Being in the food industry has enriched my life in a couple ways; first, it taught me to be present with, and appreciate, my food -- which is probably why I now work for a company called "Savor." Secondly, it further reinforced for me the idea of community-building through the sharing of quality food. Pike Place is one big jewel-colored, seafood-throwing, guitar-strumming, cinnamon-and-patchouli-smelling community, and it is still my absolute favorite place in the city to spend time in. When I'm not giving food and cultural tours at the Market, you'll find me onstage in various theatre productions all over the Seattle area, singing karaoke in one of the magnificent dive bars in Greenwood, or doing very important work research at local brunches and happy hours.

Born and raised in the eastside suburbs of Seattle, I have always been proud to be from the Pacific Northwest. The funny thing is, I had to move away from home for a while to really understand that. I studied musical theatre in college and with stars in my eyes moved to New York City after graduating. It is there that I became a professional foodie! For six years I led food tours of Greenwich Village. All along, my heart was home in the Northwest, so two years ago I made the move back to Seattle.

There are few things I miss about New York, but I do find myself missing my Greenwich Village community. I would walk down Bleecker Street in the morning before my tour and I felt like “Belle” in the opening of Beauty and the Beast, waving to the butcher and the baker. I know I am comparing my life to a Disney movie, but that really is the way it was. I have rediscovered that in Pike Place Market, where the motto is “Meet the Producer.” Today, I am thrilled to work as a food tour guide again, but this time in my favorite city!

Katya was born in raised in the delicious and diverse melting pot of Miami, FL.  She ventured west to Seattle, WA to earn her BFA in Theatre & Original Works at Cornish College of the Arts.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2015 and has been working as a professional Actor, Director, and Dialect Coach ever since.  However, the rumor is true -- artists do need day jobs!  Working as a Food Tour Guide in Pike Place Market is by far her favorite.  Katya was fortunate enough to have been raised by two culinary-inclined parents and food has been one of her many passions since she was toddler gobbling down mussels at Dim Sum.  You can follow all of her theatre and foodie adventures @ stages_and_plates on Instagram.  

Originally a Midwest girl, Seattle’s been home most of my life. My hunger for travel and adventure started early. Always curious about what’s different and what’s the same with food, language and lifestyle--- I love connecting with people from all over the world. I studied in Turkey for 6 months in college – and ventured on to live and teach in England, Japan and most recently Luxembourg. And I always return to Seattle. With a passion for sharing great food and building relationships,

I co-founded a seafood marketing business, co-owned a restaurant group and represented city magazines. And, once upon a time, I was hired by a little coffee company called Starbucks when there were just 6 stores. Then Howard Schultz bought the company and we were off on a wild, caffeine-fueled ride! By some miracle, I soon headed up the national roll-out of the restaurant division. Such an amazing experience working with many of the best restaurants and top chefs in the country-- including our very own hometown farm-to-table trailblazer, Tom Douglas.

Being part of Pike Place Market’s richly diverse community brings it all together- -- it’s joy on toast! When I’m not serving up scrumptious tastings and juicy stories, you’ll most likely find me bicycling along the Burke-Gilman trail, getting my "Namaste" on by teaching and practicing yoga or cooking up something yummy with my family and friends. Come Savor Seattle with us!

I was born and raised in rural Missouri,  but I've been a resident of the Emerald City for the majority of my adult life. I moved here to pursue a career as a network and systems engineer. After nearly 20 years I've decided to take a step back and enjoy the finer things life has to offer. My old company's offices were just down Western Avenue from Pike Place Market and I loved exploring the market,  enjoying everything it had to offer,  and learning about its history.  I now get the same joy from sharing the market and downtown with others! One of my many interests is promoting local and sustainable agricultural practices in which the producers receive their fair share of the profits!