Category Archives: Restaurants

Award-Winning Hotel in Unlikely Place

1 Reply

Guest room at Cedarbrook Lodge, courtesy Richmond Public Relations.

If you were dropped onto the property by helicopter, you wouldn’t know it was only five minutes from the bustling SeaTac Airport. Nestled in a woodsy setting (18 acres of restored wetlands), Cedarbrook Lodge offers guests serenity and luxury at an affordable price. They also get top-of-the-line amenities like terry-lined spa robes, soaking tubs, contemporary art work and a spacious, modern lobby. Plus it’s dog-friendly.

Canine guests receive a welcome amenity that includes a bed, bed sheet, food bowl and a tasty treat. For Fido’s other dining needs, he can order off the “Puppy Pantry” menu and have it delivered to the room.

TripAdvisor readers have found this gem because they gave it four top ratings in the 2011 Travelers’ Choice Awards. Cedarbrook was rated No. 1 Hotel in the United States, No. 2 Bargain Hotel in the U.S., No. 6 Best Service in the U.S. and No. 17 Hotel in the World.

Outdoor seating at Cedarbrook Lodge, courtesy Richmond Public Relations.

That’s not too shabby considering these awards come from real people who really travel, not paid PR people.

One guest from Idaho said, “Cedarbrook is one of those places that is so wonderfully unexpected you can hardly wait to return.”

A favorite amenity of mine is their 24-hour grab ‘n’ go snacks. You can go down the hall anytime of the day or night and grab some malt balls or Haagen-Dazs to cure the munchies. No getting in the car and driving to a convenience store.

Let’s not forget the Copperleaf Restaurant where Executive Chef Mark Bodinet prepares farm-to-table local and regional treats. Bodinet spent five years working at the French Laundry Restaurant in Napa Valley.

Unbelievable that this is just around the corner from the airport, courtesy of Richmond Public Relations.

If you’re not into quiet and relaxing there’s plenty to do just around the corner including shopping at Southcenter Mall.

This just in:  (And you don’t have to wait until the 11 o’clock news to find out what it is.) Copperleaf, a 30-seat quintessentially Northwest restaurant at Cedarbrook Lodge in Seattle, has been recognized as one of the 2011 Top 10 New Restaurants in the U.S. by Gayot for its farm-to-table cuisine and commitment to locally sourced ingredients.

New Pick-Quick Opens Soon

Leave a reply

Have you ever eaten a Pick-Quick hamburger from the iconic drive-in in Fife? People say that should be on your bucket list. I know, firsthand, just how yummy they are. 

Rendering of the Auburn location, courtesy of Richmond Public Relations.

In USA Today, Jay Friedman, a freelance food writer and gastronaut, named the Pick-Quick burger the very best in the whole state of Washington. I would have to agree. The food sends waves of delight from my tongue to my brain. But, there’s one problem with the Fife location – I don’t really like sitting outside in the rain to enjoy my meal.

In three weeks that problem will be solved. After 49 years of having only a single location, Pick-Quick will open a restaurant in Auburn.

“The time was right and we found the right people to oversee the new facility,” said Greg Burgi, one of the owners.

Not only will the Auburn location be larger and also have a drive-through window, but it will also have both indoor seating and covered outdoor seating.

What makes Pick-Quick’s burgers better than the rest? 

Burgi says they make 2-ounce patties and you can have up to four of those on a bun.

“You get more flavor from multiple patties. Everything is fresh, from the hand-cut tomatoes to the onions and we don’t have frozen meat,” said Burgi. “Adding cheddar or American Cheese and bacon to the burgers and hot dogs is an option.” 

Fife location of Pick-Quick, courtesy Richmond Public Relations.

Hungry yet?

The menu also includes: hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, garden burgers, chili, twenty flavors of milkshakes made with fresh fruit (when in season) like blueberries and strawberries, and of course, fresh-cut fries and onion rings.

Currently the Fife location is closed through the end of January for their usual maintenance, where they refinish and paint their picnic tables. The Auburn Pick-Quick will be open year round.

Okay – I’ll tell you where the new place is:  1132 Auburn Way North.

Sign up to “like” their FaceBook page at www.Facebook.com/#1/PickQuick and check out their weekly contests.

More Top Travel Trends for 2011: The Washington State Version

3 Replies

More of Thomas Stanley’s predictions and the Washington State destination that matches.

Train display at Freighthouse Square made completely out of Legos

  • Ride the Rails:  We have train travel covered here – from short 45-minute excursions to crossing the country on Amtrak – it’s all available for travelers in Washington State. My favorite short rides include a stop at the train museum and a jaunt from Snoqualmie to North Bend (www.trainmuseum.org) and the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (www.mrsr.com) that departs from Mineral.

 

Longer excursions are available on Amtrak (Amtrak.com) going north/south or east/west. But the best news of all is Amtrak opened a new stop at the Icicle Station in the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth last year. Daily service is now available.

  • Experiential Family Travel:  A simple definition of experiential travel says it is travel we live through, instead of look at. That can mean dining where the locals eat like Downrigger’s in Friday Harbor (www.downriggerssanjuan.com) or drinking coffee at Undertown in Port Townsend. Staying at a Bed and Breakfast also qualifies. States Inn and Ranch (www.statesinn.com), also in Friday Harbor, ranks as one of my all time favorites. The locally cooked breakfast from scratch was so delectable, I couldn’t eat regular food for a week afterwards.

Hurricane Ridge, courtesy of the Olympic Peninsula Visitors Bureau

If you want an all-inclusive experience, try hiring a Native American Guide to tour the Olympic Peninsula (www.nativeamericanfootprints.com). Highlights of these tours include dining on salmon cooked the Indian way, which is by far the most delicious way of cooking salmon, speaking with the elders of the tribe and hearing their stories, making your own hand drum and much more. This tour has now taken a spot on my Bucket List.

  • Bucket List:  Just a few suggestions here – The Space Needle, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, snowshoeing, winery touring and The Museum of Flight.

 

  • Top Picks for 2011:  These are my choices. Whether they turn out to be trends or not, you can’t miss with visits to the San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Lake Chelan or taking the North Cascades Scenic Drive.

Letting Someone Else Drive: Olympia During the Holidays

2 Replies

View from the dining room of the Budd Bay Cafe

Yesterday I tried something new – a tour with seniors sponsored by the Federal Way Community Center. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I loved the luxury of having someone else drive and being able to watch the sights instead of the road and traffic signs.

As a bonus, I saw an elf running down the road and Santa in his sleigh. Might have missed both had I been driving.

We took back roads and avoided Interstate 5 as much as possible. Roy, McKenna and Yelm passed by the van window slowly – small towns you never get an opportunity to see from the freeway. The driver told us Yelm has been totally unaffected by the economic downturn. I wonder why that is. But all the businesses did appear to be thriving.

Our first scheduled stop was for lunch at the Budd Bay Café, which boasts a 180-degree view of Budd Bay. Anytime I can dine and watch the sea while doing so makes me calm and joyful. Add to that a Dungeness crab and shrimp Louie that attained perfection and I will definitely be returning to this restaurant. Others in our party savored gigantic bowls of clam chowder, French dips and salmon. Most any local seafood you can imagine graced the menu. Just the names of the desserts – mile high chocolate cake and white cake peach pudding – made me salivate, but alas the salad was all I could conquer in one sitting.

On to the Capitol Legislative Building where we gazed and commented on the Christmas tree filled with lights and ornaments obviously hung by professionals. It makes our trees at home seem like pathetic miniatures. But then we could all enjoy this tree without having to exert any effort in getting it ready. That was the good part.

The decorated tree is located in the Rotunda which features the largest chandelier ever created by the Tiffany Studios in New York. Our driver (yes, I do feel a little like I was chauffeured) told us a Volkswagen could fit inside the chandelier.

Christmas tree in the Rotunda of the Olympia Capitol Legislative Building

The marble, Tiffany chandeliers, heavy red velvet draperies and elaborate décor in the Reception Room scream opulence, is hard to swallow given all the budget cuts currently being considered by the legislature. But I have to remind myself that the building was designed long ago when that was the norm. And it really makes for an elegant and beautiful building.

Public tours of the Legislative Building are free and offered hourly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about sites, dining options and activity options, visit www.visitolympia.com.

The Other Waikiki

Leave a reply

Last week I wrote a little about Waikiki Beach near Long Beach, Washington. Just yesterday I was on the other Waikiki Beach on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. How do they compare? Not much is the same, except they both are actually beaches paralleling the Pacific Ocean, and they both have their own charm.

According to a Moon Travel Guide of the Long Beach, Washington area, “tiny Waikiki Beach is a favorite local spot for picnics and swimming in the summer (no lifeguard is present). The beach received its name when a Hawaiian sailor’s body washed ashore here after his ship was wrecked in a failed attempt to cross the Columbia River bar in 1811. You can follow a trail uphill from Waikiki to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, and then on to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.”

 

The winter temperature difference makes the Hawaiian beach much more alluring. Western Washington’s low temperature yesterday was 16 degrees, with icy road conditions. When we left Waikiki, it was a sunny 82 degrees. Pleasant white sand beaches stretched for miles, while the waters were filled with surfers, swimmers and waders. Not many brave our frigid waters to swim when the temperature falls below freezing, so our Waikiki is much less crowded.

Shopping and Restaurants

Hawaii hits the mark with a plethora of places to shop and dine. From Forever 21, Kate Spade and Coach to Macy’s, ABC stores and all kinds of island souvenir shops, Kalakua Avenue rivals Rodeo Drive and other city’s trendy shopping districts. Need a swimsuit? Just about every other store carries them. How about a necklace to remind you of your Hawaiian stay? You’ll find choices from beads to diamonds and everything in between.

Shopping in the gift shop at the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center can also be about treasure hunting.

Señor Frogs, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Cheesecake Factory and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse offer food options for every palate and pocketbook. In between you’ll find Starbucks, frozen yogurt shops and all kinds of cookie stores.

The Washington version of Waikiki is ideal for picnics.

Take your pick or try them both and decide for yourself which you prefer.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Heather

Spending Time at the Pacific Science Center, Eating at the Crab Pot

Leave a reply

Butterflies indulging at the Tropical Butterfly House in the Pacific Science Center

Dinner at the Crab Pot on Seattle's waterfront

I worked at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the one Elvis Presley visited and President John F. Kennedy opened. If I told you more about how young I was then, those that are good at math might figure out my age. Just know, I was there and that event marked a lot of history for Seattle.

Century 21, as the Fair was called, created several new venues that still stand today. The most iconic is the Space Needle, but what was then called the Science Pavilion also stands and is now the Pacific Science Center. The Bubbleator, a see through elevator, sits in a residential yard in Des Moines, or at least it did a few years ago. We are totally into recycling here.

But this post is about the Science Center http://www.pacsci.org, which until last week-end, I hadn’t visited for several years. In that time it has blossomed into a very hip and cool place for the entire family. Was I impressed? Yes, as were all the other members in our party from my two-year-old granddaughter and 11-year-old grandson to my daughter and husband. Everyone found a particular activity or two or three that he or she just couldn’t get enough of.

For Kita, the two year old, Tot Town held her interest for more than an hour, which is unheard of in her little world of moving from one toy to another to the TV to running around all day. She was mesmerized by the water play opportunities and when we did talk her into moving, she drove a car, tried different sized slides and then wanted to repeat the water play.

One of the first words Kita learned was “butterfly” so our main intention for this trip was to visit the Tropical Butterfly House. This exhibit maintains a temperature in the low 80’s, which feels wonderful on a brisk, fall day. My daughter thought she’d move in with her hammock and a Mai Tai.

 

Butterflies of all sizes and colors fill the room, so much so, that you must be very careful where you step. If you’re one of the chosen ones, a butterfly or two will land on you and you can strut around showing your “adornment” to others. You can view new butterflies emerging in the chrysalis viewing window – these new butterflies are released into the exhibit each morning. What a wonderful hands-on learning opportunity for the entire family.

Also noteworthy, the Mindbender Mansion, a temporary exhibit on site until January 2011, attracts teens and pre-teens, asking them to solve puzzles. Dads might enjoy playing chess with the bigger-than-life-size chess pieces. Then there’s a Harry Potter Exhibit, insects, dinosaurs, sounds and so much more.

A perfect end to a day at the Science Center means a meal on Seattle’s stunning waterfront. At the Crab Pot http://www.thecrabpotseattle.com, your meal is tossed onto white butcher paper and then you select your seafood of choice and attack it with a mallet or gently remove it from the shell. No silverware required. You’re given a bib so as not to tarnish your clothes with fish juice.

Although several Crab Pot restaurants exist, I can’t imagine one with a better view or fresher seafood than the one on Seattle’s Pier 57.

Dining on San Juan Island

Leave a reply

I am always discovering new places to eat on San Juan Island and on my last trip Public Relations Manager and Film Liaison for the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, Robin Jacobson, introduced me to two I’d never tried before.

Curried egg salad at Market Chef

 

We lunched at Market Chef, just two blocks from the Friday Harbor ferry terminal. This deli/café and catering company uses local meat and seafood, plus local and seasonal produce from the San Juan Islands. My dining companions both enjoyed salmon chowder, while I savored the curried egg salad. Although the food was extremely high quality, I think it tastes even better when you can sit outside and enjoy the view of the Salish Sea while eating.

Market Chef is located at 225 A Street in Friday Harbor and specialty sandwiches, soups and salad in addition to a variety of baked goods.

Pasta from Hell remains the signature entrée at Vinny’s Ristorante, www.vinnysfridayharbor.com, even though new owners have taken it over. Because of the change, the recipe might have been altered a little, too, but the dish contains pine nuts, raisins, mushrooms, peppers, habanera and a curry cream sauce and many locals can’t resist ordering it.

I chose the Chicken Napoli, a chicken breast marinated in lemon and rosemary, baked and served with a lemon risotto cake. It was heavenly as was the salmon with berry salsa which included fresh strawberries.

Vinny's Ristorante salmon with berry salsa

Vinny’s is only open for dinner, which begins at 4 p.m.

Looking for a restaurant that offers breakfast on the weekends, lunch and dinner? You’ll see lots of locals at Downriggers, located on the waterfront. Famous for their Northwest cuisine, you can order steaks, seafood, chicken, entrée salads and soup. Lots to choose from.

For the wee ones, there are fish and chips, pasta, a cheese plate and more, plus kids can color on the table cloth because it’s made of paper.

I still have to return to San Juan Island and try the Duck Soup Inn, The Doctor’s Office and many more restaurants as the islands have a reputation for attracting some of the best chefs in the nation.

For more information about dining in the San Juans, visit www.visitsanjuans.com.

This month (October) the islands are hosting “Savor the San Juans,” their third annual movable feast complete with autumn festivals, dining out specials, farm tours and classes.