Category Archives: Restaurants

Enumclaw Holds Some Luscious Secrets

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At a conference I attended recently, Julie Johnson who works for Visit Rainier (the mountain) told me about a plethora of things to do in Enumclaw, which is the last major town (on one of the highways) before you head up to the mountain. You can approach the mountain from several sides.

A true spaghetti critic

With my daughter and grandchildren we set out looking for some of those not-well-known places in Enumclaw. In the past the town has been called “Enumscratch,” it smelled of dill pickles through and through until Farman’s moved its operations and it was home to the King County Fair in mid-July. I never thought of this rural community as a place to spa, sip wine or martinis and shop in boutiques.

Today we discovered two of those places that made the 25-mile ride totally worth it. We liked the choices on the menu posted outside Café Panini (1537 Cole St.) so we decided to lunch there. Fantastic pick. Their Italian cuisine rocked. The minestrone soup was brimming with chunks of vegetables, but also a variety of different meat slivers and pasta. If you choose any of the salads, you can add egg, chicken breast or shrimp, so I ordered the House Pasta Salad with chicken and I was not disappointed. Filled with diced roma tomatoes, black olives, toasted pine nuts and creamy pesto, it soothed my hunger. The portions were large so we had boxes to take home.

Café Panini also has a large selection of homemade pies, created and baked right on the premises. I got a taste of the cherry pie and it was mighty fine. Only one of us had room for pie, so we walked up the street and got some dessert to take home.

Julie had told me Sweet Necessities (1215 Griffin St.) makes their own caramels and I’m a caramel fanatic. And then when they come with coarse sea salt and fresh out of the pan – words fail me. Melt in your mouth seems so mundane and overused – these candies flavored your mouth and glided down like water down a slippery slide.

Sweet Necessities also has more than 100 flavors of loose tea, Kookaburra licorice and Snoqualmie Ice Cream.

Enumclaw has become much more than cowboys and biker bars, although they still have those, too.

A Food Find in Puyallup

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Filet mignon medallions with a pear=balsamic reduction and grilled zuchhini

Stuffed chicken

“Look at this,” said my son, the chef, pointing to the ‘2 for $20 dinners on Takeout Tuesday’ sign as we exited the restaurant. “That’s a great deal for excellent food.”

That’s when I knew I’d picked a winner for dinner last night in the HG Bistro on East Main Avenue in Puyallup (pronounced pew-all-up).

Even though we hadn’t made reservations, we were seated immediately. Later in the evening the scenario would have been different, but we were early – around 5:30 p.m. Our server said the specials wouldn’t be ready until later.

I scanned the room to see if I might spot what I wanted to order on someone else’s plate and noticed the gentleman dining next to me had left nothing on his plate – it looked as though it could go right back on the shelf without even being washed. Whatever he had must have been good.

Then the crackling of fire drew our attention to the server carrying the S’more plate to another table behind us. I should have stolen a dessert menu so I could tell you what was in the dish, but it certainly was an attention catcher.

The four of us settled in with our drinks and read the menu several times before we decided on our entrees – Two steak-type dinners, a stuffed chicken and one Dungeness Crab mac with three cheeses.

I opted for the 5-ounce Top Sirloin with mashed russets and grilled broccolini. This entrée was as comfortable as a well-worn recliner. Potatoes with good flavor don’t need garlic or shreds of peels or anything else in them and these mashed gems brought back memories of simpler times. My teeth slid through the steak (I love that they have several sizes to choose from) like butter. I ordered an extra of port demi and gorgonzola, which blended into a gravy that added a savory touch to the potatoes.

My son, his wife and my husband all raved about their choices, too. And like the diner I mentioned before, we all became charter members of the clean plate club.

Raspberry Panna Cotta

For dessert we shared a raspberry panna cotta, the perfect palate cleanser to end the meal.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

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I wholeheartedly advocate celebrating this national holiday with either a margarita or sangria toast, which you can do at your favorite Mexican restaurant. Azteca Restaurants continues the celebration through Mother’s Day on Sunday. But locally we also have some other innovative ways to honor this day.

Ground will be broken today for the new South Park Bridge, located at 14th Ave. South and Dallas St. in Seattle. The community has taken this opportunity to share a giant piñata, hold other festivities while local businesses offer samples of their cuisines. The event is from 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Don’t forget the old bridge is gone, so you must access South Park from Highway 99 South and the First Avenue Bridge.

Make a mask with Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys at the Douglass-Truth Branch of the Seattle Public Library from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. The address is:  2300 Yesler Way in Seattle.

El Centro de la Raza boasts free admission to their Cinco de Mayo event today from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. It features food for sale, arts and crafts, dance and musical performances.

If you want to run off all that good food you eat today, sign up for the Cinco de Mayo Half-Marathon and 8K in Snoqualmie this Saturday, May 7.

The Woodmark Hotel: Very Dog-Friendly and Inviting

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Woody is the Director of Complaints at the Woodmark Hotel

Woody, the Labradoodle, has his own private office at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, but prefers to spend most of his time mingling with the guests, human and four-legged.

Located on the shores of Lake Washington at Yarrow Bay, the Woodmark welcomes dog guests and provides them with a bed, water bowl and a treat. You won’t be charged a fee for your pet, either. That truly is the purest in dog-friendliness.

As the warmer weather approaches, Woody hosts a Yappier Hour on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Beach Café’s outdoor seating area. Dog treats abound. For those of us who eat with a knife and fork, the Beach Café focuses on Northwest cuisine in a casual and friendly atmosphere. The menu includes burgers, steaks, salads, seafood, chicken and more.

Hotel Lobby

For a more fine dining experience, Bin on the Lake serves local and seasonal delicacies, small and large plates, and 80 different wines by the glass.

Guestrooms and suites contain all the extras. Luxury bedding with down pillows and cashmere throws grace the beds. Complimentary high speed Internet access, a 32” LCD Flat Panel TV with surround sound and a computer docking station make it easy for those who need to stay connected. Soaking tubs and a rainwater shower along with a selection of bath amenities allow for self pampering. If you’re not inclined to use the make-your-own Martini Bar, call the desk and someone will do it for you.

Hungry late at night? You have complimentary “Raid the Pantry” privileges, from 11 p.m. – 1 a.m., to snacks that include sandwiches, soups, chips, desserts and juices.

Hotel guests can go cruising on the Woodmark II, a 28-foot Chris-Craft. The tour takes you through Yarrow Bay, to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, by the University of Washington and in front of elegant homes on Lake Washington. One of those homes is owned by Bill Gates.

Pick-Quick No. 2 Opens

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Tomorrow is the day that many of us in the South Sound have been waiting for – the day that Pick-Quick No. 2 opens in Auburn. Not only will we be able to get the high quality food and nationally renowned hamburgers already served at the sister or should I say “Mother” restaurant in Fife, but we can now enjoy them indoors and out of the rain as there’s seating for 35 people inside the restaurant.

 

I’ll let you in on a secret. Pick-Quick No. 2 opens at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and if you’re one of the first 49 guests, you’ll receive a reusable cold drink tumbler with the Pick-Quick logo on it. To see what the tumblers look like, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/PickQuick.  The quick-service restaurant is located at 1132 Auburn Way North. The reason that 49 tumblers will be given away is because the Fife location has been operating and serving up delicious food since 1949.

 

Let’s talk a little more about the food this iconic restaurant will now be serving in two different locations. They are juice-dripping good created with flair out of 100 percent natural beef. Gastronaut Jay Friedman, creator of “Sexy Feasts,” named Pick-Quick’s hamburger the best in Washington State in a list for USA Today. Read more about his food finds and adventures at:  www.gastrolust.com.

The hand-cut fries are cut fresh throughout the day from locally-grown Russet potatoes.

My personal favorite has to be the blackberry milk shakes made with ice cream from Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream and when in season, made with fresh berries. Yum.

 

No. 2 has many very sustainable components to it, also, besides the quality and genesis of the ingredients used. The building itself awaits LEED certification, hopefully of the “Gold” variety. The chairs inside are made of recycled plastic Coca-Cola bottles, the parking lot and walkways are made with pervious concrete so rain water can be collected and used to water the landscape and the employees’ restroom has a shower so that employees can bike to work. Two of the parking spaces are reserved for fuel-efficient cars.

Pick-Quick No. 2 will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays form 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Black Diamond: A Blast from the Past

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A giant table and chair set at the Black Diamond Bakery.

When a local talks about Black Diamond, another local’s first response is, “Did you go to the Black Diamond Bakery?” That’s because the bakery not only sells very tasty bread that is fresh baked in their 107-year-old brick oven, but also has a fine restaurant, coffee shop, a Northwest shop, a gift shop and is a popular gathering place.

First opened in 1902, the Black Diamond Bakery answered the needs of the coal miners in town. A guy named Willard Hadley built and ran the bakery for years. He installed the special oven that is heated by a wood fire that makes the bread taste so good. Only five bakings can be done a day, which yields 500 loaves, so you don’t want to come at the end of the day hoping to buy some bread. It will be all gone. The frosted whole wheat apple cinnamon rolls are a family favorite and I highly recommend them.

If you want to enjoy your bread as part of a meal, you won’t regret it. Whether you opt for French toast or an omelette with toast, or one of those meatloaf sandwiches you’ll have trouble getting your mouth around, it’s all good. The restaurant also serves dinner, which I’m sure is wonderful, but I’ve not had the chance to try it myself.

A jail out of Black Diamond's history.

After loosening your pants you might want to take in some off the other offerings near the bakery. One of my favorite haunts is the Black Diamond Museum, which is open on Thursdays from 9 a.m.-4p.m., Saturdays and Sundays (winter) from 12 p.m.-3p.m. From the train caboose to the jail to the “Danger” sign in sixteen languages, lots of history can be explored both inside and outside the building. Chances are whoever mans the desk when you visit will be glad to tell you some delightful stories.

A caboose in front of the Black Diamond Museum.

Pick up “A Tour Guide to Historic Black Diamond Washington” at the Bakery and treat yourself to a driving tour stopping at points of interest like St. Barbara’s Catholic Church which cost $2227 to build in 1911 or the Mine #14 Hoist Foundation, believed to be the only artifact left from the Black Diamond Coal Company that is still in place.

Visit www.blackdiamondbakery.com and www.blackdiamondmuseum.org for more information.

Family Fun Center Rocks

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Outdoor play for kids is kind of limited by our weather in Western Washington. We do have the Wild Waves theme park, but it’s only open during the summer.

Family Fun Center in Tukwila

In the last few years, a Family Fun Center opened in Tukwila, and it looks to be doing a roaring business. At least it was on the when we visited on a school holiday.

There are attractions that appeal to the very young on up to teens. Kidopolis offers four stories of soft play with cushioned “rock” walls, slides, rotating barrels, balls, a horse and a ride with Mr. Potato Head. After going through the gate, the toddler generation eagerly whisks off their socks and gets right down to serious play. My three-year-old granddaughter loved climbing up to the top of the “big” slides and then sitting there until we asked a bigger child to give her a gentle push down.

 

For bigger kids, Laser Tag, Max Flight and Bumper Cars have their appeal. When the outdoor attractions are available, they also have their choice of Go Karts, Sling Shot, Miniature Golf, Bumper Boats, Batting Cages, Traffic School and more. Of course, the wide array of video games inside interest almost any child.

If you or the gang are hungry, there’s a snack bar available plus Bullwinkle’s Restaurant which offers the usual fun center fare like pizza, burgers, salads, fries and my favorite – a “Build-your-own Sundae” for $2.

I spied one mom with older children who was studying in the restaurant. Others sat and watched the tots from the metal benches.

Safety regulations seem to be enough to keep the children from getting hurt, but not too much to stifle their play creativity. There are minimum and maximum heights for some of the play areas and rides plus lots of employees milling around.

Everything, except the food, runs on a point system. For example, you buy a 100-point card for $25 and that can be used for Bumper Cars (22 points), Bumper Boats (22 points), Laser X-Treme (28 points) and Miniature Golf (28 points).

For more information, visit www.fun-center.com.

The Tacoma Waterfront Beckons

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Tacoma waterfront from Ruston Way

Yesterday we got a break from the grayness and a tiny taste of spring. Boy was it ever yummy – kind of like a big dollop of plain hot fudge or a juicy Dungeness crab leg. We grabbed the chance to take advantage of the sun shining down on us Tacomans and walked the waterfront along Ruston Way. Mother Nature made a mighty beautiful landscape there and others have helped it along with parks, sidewalks, restaurants and a hotel.

The Silver Cloud Inn, the hotel at one end of the popular walk, offers 90 waterfront rooms. Talk about a perfect place for a Staycation. Rooms come with breakfast, high-speed internet and complimentary parking. No more than three miles from most of Tacoma’s attractions, the Inn is definitely centrally located. But you wouldn’t have to leave the waterfront if you didn’t want to.

Silver Cloud Inn

If you’re not able to spend the night on the waterfront, at least eat. Restaurants about along Ruston Way and there’s not a bad one in the bunch. The Lobster Shop, Duke’s, Katy Downs, The Ram, Shenanigan’s and Harbor Lights all serve lunch or dinner or both.

If you’re walking along the waterfront with a dog or two, you’ll fit right in. Joggers, roller bladders and bicyclists also share the path with pedestrians.

The weather didn’t last, but the sunlit waters of yesterday still shine vividly in my memory. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait long for another sunny day and a walk along the shore of Commencement Bay.

C.I. Shenanigans on Ruston Way.

Book Winner and Roundup of Events

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Congratulations to Bahiya S. who won a brand new copy of “The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle” by David Volk.

Bahiya – please send your mailing address to my e-mail, writemix@harbornet.com, and I’ll get the book mailed right out.

Thank you for all who entered and stay tuned for another book giveaway soon.

Events in and around Seattle you won’t want to miss:                       

Craving a Pick-Quick burger? You’re in luck, the Fife location at 4306 Pacific Highway East, has reopened after their winter hiatus.        

                        

What goes better with wine than the right food? You guessed it – chocolate. The 2011 Enumclaw Chocolate Festival, with a host of chocolatiers and wineries represented, runs this Friday (February 4) and Saturday (February 5). Visit www.enumclawchocolatefestival.com for the location and times.

Although a bit on the last minute side, you might want to cancel tonight’s plans for this:

The Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador, Mitch Bechard, is holding a preview tasting of the new limited Snow Phoenix tonight at 7:30 at El Gaucho (2505 First Ave., Seattle).

This 15 year-old malt Scotch whiskey will be featured in signature cocktails along with tasty appetizers.

Win a Book: The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle

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Hot off the press, The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle by David Volk reveals all kinds of secrets for living the good life – for less – in Seattle.

 

Did you know you can get free passes to advance movie screenings by signing up for the JW Film Club, www.janetwainwright.com/filmclub.htm?

Or that selected appetizers are free at Oliver’s at Mayflower Park, www.mayflowerpark.com/olivers.asp, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday?

Or you can take a free beginning yoga class on Saturdays at Samadhi Yoga, www.samadhi-yoga.com?

Okay, that’s all the info I’m giving away. The book’s pages are packed with deals and discounts, plus it’s an entertaining read because David is a very funny guy.

David says, “Even though the book is all about free and cheap stuff you can do in Seattle, it isn’t about badgering merchants to save 5 or 10 cents on a purchase. Instead, it’s all about quality of life and finding ways to do things you would already do, for less.”

If you win the book, David will be happy to sign it at his next reading at Third Place Books in Ravenna, 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15th.

At his readings he always offers a prize to the person who brings in the best cheap bastard deal (as determined by the audience). You could be the proud owner of a screaming monkey doll, a carabener calculator, a mooing cow flashlight/key ring or something else.

Lastly he mentions deals almost daily on his Facebook fan page, The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle. You can also subscribe to a daily deal e-mail list at david@davidvolk.com or go to his blog at cheapbastardseattle.com. If there’s more than one good deal a day, you’ll find the additional deals only on his blog.

To win a copy of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle, make a comment on this post and the winner will be announced on Thursday, February 3, 2011.