Over the spring and summer months, I had the opportunity to
eat out quite a bit. I did not want my
blog to be just about food, so I decided to wait awhile before posting about
all the places I have tried. There are
many other great restaurants out there, but I chose only 3 for now. All of them are in the Northwest part of
Washington.
The Colofon Cafe. I
used to go to this place while I attended Western. It is in the Old Fairhaven part of Bellingham. It has changed quite a bit
since I had last been there. It used to
be a combination of bookstore and cafe,
and now it is a cafe, and there is a bookstore/gift shop that is right
next to it – that is larger, but not part of the cafe itself. They have upgraded the menu, as well. My classic favorite thing to eat there is the
Smoked Salmon Melt, which is smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, and Swiss
cheese melted onto a bagel, and served with a tomato and sprouts. It is melt-in-your-mouth good! My dad ordered the Greek Salad which was also
good, and was served pita bread and the best tasting hummus I have ever had.
For dessert I was hoping they would still have their Hazelnut
Pie. It used to be on the menu, and it
was excellent. It has not been there the
last two times I have visited, so I am not sure they even make it anymore. The Peanut Butter Pie is pretty good, but my
mom cannot eat it, as she is intolerant to peanuts.
The atmosphere is cozy.
They had some nice artwork hanging on the walls, which adds to the
environment. I believe the artwork was
for sale, so it might change from week to week.
I really liked what they had the week we went to the cafe.
The outside of the cafe has almost completely changed. I took some old black and white photographs
of this place when I was in college, and am glad to have those memories
preserved. The renovation is nice,
though. People can enjoy listening to
music while sitting on the grass, and there appears to be a place on a nearby
building that they probably show movies on in the summer.
La Cocina del Puerco.
Located in Bellevue, Washington.
My aunt introduced my family to this place years ago, and when my mom
was over for a visit, she asked if we could go there. I had forgotten about the place, but
remembered where it was, so we headed over there for a late lunch.
I ordered #1, which is Tres Taquitos. They hand-make their tortillas, and you have a
choice of three meats. I decided to have
one meat per taquito, so I had a sample of all three. I liked the pork one best. I sort of remember that I ordered that same
dish years ago, with just pork , and found that to be my favorite.
When I was asked what I wanted to drink, I noticed a bright
red home-made drink behind the counter.
When I asked the cashier what it was, he said, “Strawberry Lemonade.” So
I gave it a try. It was the best
Strawberry Lemonade I have ever tasted.
More like strawberry punch, as it had so many strawberries in it. It was incredibly good. I went back a few weeks later, craving for
the strawberry drink, but they did not have it that day, which was
disappointing. I ordered the #1 again,
but just with pork. The dish comes with
rice and beans, too. They lay a raw
green onion on top, which I see more as a pretty garnish when unchopped, but if
you like raw, green onions, it is certainly edible. The chunky salsa on the side is good
too. This is not what you might find as
typical Mexican food. Nothing is deep
fried and they use very little cheese, if any.
The beans have maybe a little Parmesan on top, but that is all. The meats are tender, and have a kind of
slow-cooked Crock-Pot taste, that makes it feel like a good home-cooked
meal. It is pretty healthy compared to
other Mexican restaurants.
The atmosphere is fun.
There are card tables with colorful tin chairs to sit on, and piñatas and
other paraphernalia hanging on the walls and shelves of the little
restaurant. Your order at the counter,
and they will bus your tables after you leave.
Update: Sadly this place has closed since I wrote this blog. I miss it.
Update: Sadly this place has closed since I wrote this blog. I miss it.
“It is like a fairy-tale!” my mom said as she saw my order of
M&M Hot Chocolate.
“It IS a fairy-tale!” my dad incredulously retorted, looking
at it, too.
If Patty’s Eggnest is too far North for you (I mentioned
Patty’s Eggnest in a blog found here), Sammamish Cafe is pretty
comparable. I have been there quite a
bit, both for breakfasts and lunches, and have enjoyed everything so far. The first time I went there, the wait was
very long, but after that, not too bad.
I guess it just depends on when you go.
The first thing I ever ate there was the Special of the Day,
so it is not on the regular menu. It was
a Coconut Creme Crepe. The waitress told
me to try it before pouring the syrup she served on the side, because it tends
to be pretty sweet. She was right. The crepe was really good, but too sweet to have
the delicious syrup poured over it. It
came with bacon and eggs.
The next thing I ate
when I went back was their Huevos Rancheros.
They had pretty good flavor. The
tortilla was not crisp, or deep fried, which a normally like. It was pretty good, nevertheless. The hash-browns were cooked to perfection as
well.
Other items I recommend are the California Omelette and the
Prime Rib Dip (which is most excellent).
The orange juice is freshly squeezed, but the M&M Hot Chocolate is
quite tasty as well.
The atmosphere is woodsy and sporty, which is pretty
fun. The waitresses there are really
nice, too.
There are so many other great places to eat that I haven’t
mentioned, but if you haven’t checked these out, I recommend all three. So maybe when you are shopping around during
the holidays, you can take a break and have breakfast or lunch at one of these
places.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving
coming this Thursday! I plan on cooking
the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes and graving, stuffing, and pumpkin
pie. It is a lot of hard work, but it is
worth it.
