Seattle Center House: Will it soon cease to be a cafeteria of horrors?

When I first moved to Seattle, I brought my parents to the Space Needle to show them around because a.) they are not from here and b.) it's what you do. And as we walked by the Center House, my dad remarked that it was cool that there was a restaurant so close to this place where tourists go... until he looked inside, at which point, he suggested we go someplace nicer. We ended up at the 5 Point.

The Center House, which is a lot like what I imagine is like a less-modern, more fluorescent, less pleasant version of the Mall of America, is sort of a blight on an already kind of blighted area of town. This is strange considering the fact that the Space Needle is the only thing that most visitors really care to see, aside from maybe the guys who throw the fish.

And yet, the Center House stands, untouched like a time capsule from the 1990s, brimming with food that most tourists won't even eat, let alone actual Seattle snobs who eat at places that are named after trendy children and have periods in the name. Shouldn't the eatery closest to one of our only recognizable landmarks be just a little more... decent?

The Seattle Center Century 21 Committee thinks so, according to a report from Seattle Magazine. The organization is looking to perk up the Center House's sad-sack of a spread, by offering fine dining options and an ambiance that's a little less "Ft. Lauderdale circa 1992." Plans include a cocktail lounge, a brewpub and several family-friendly places to sit and grab a bite. There will also be mobile food vending, because it's all the rage and everyone loves to eat-and-walk.

Would you be more likely to visit the Seattle Center is food carts replace the food court? If you hate the options, there's always the palatial McDonald's across the street.