Blog Trip – Day 3 – FOOD!!!

Food… personally, it is one of my favorite topics! And while we don’t have quite the selection that we did before moving into the hinterlands, we do still have some fabulous choices!

My fav. local lunch spot is Kafe Neo… the gyros are quite good, and the greek fries, well they *make* the lunch! I was planning to get a picture, but I haven’t made it by yet. Bad me!

There is a tie for 2nd fav. between 2 chain shops. I know, what am I thinking! They are locally owned, and the people are so nice though.

The Taco Del Mar at Smokey Point is a popular stop for the little people & I for a quick lunch or snack. And it’s kinda cool that when I walk in they already know our order, and how long it has been since we were last in. Cool, and kinda scary…

Li’l bit & I also like to stop by Port of Subs in Marysville. It’s very similar to Jersey Mike’s and Sub Shop, but those 2 aren’t local anymore, so we found a worthy substitute. Meat sliced as you order it, fresh baked bread, yummy chips… it beats the heck out of those *other, larger* chains!

If you prefer vegan fare, or just all around wholesome, good food, there is a place up at the end of Olympic in Arlington that makes some tasty hummus and has a full vegan menu. They are in the old Methodist church… and it definitely isn’t a church for God anymore. That’s the drawback that kept it out of the top 3. The food is fabulous the atmosphere is… spiritually oppressive. Unfortunately. It’s a magik shop in the fullest spiritual sense of the word. And I’m not talking card tricks here, folks.

Moving on…

Olympic Avenue is the main drag of downtown Arlington. There is The Local Scoop – very good shakes, desserts, etc – The Blue Bird Cafe, The Best Place (yes, that’s actually the name!) a Chinese restaurant (passable, i guess), an Italian place or 2, Thai, Mexican… all locally owned & operated small town fare.

Smokey Point has the newer stuff. The Japanese place by Lowe’s is AMAZING! The one in the glass fronted building, not the one in the same building as the fabric shop. There is a Cold stone Creamery, a Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, a Red Robin, Hot Iron Mongolian Grill, a Wok & Teriyaki place (pretty tasty as well), coffee shops galore (this is Washington after all!), Alfy’s Pizza, Olympic Pizza & Pasta, and numerous other food establishments. Oh, and they are building an IHOP right now. We’re hitting the big time around these parts.

If you want to venture a little further south (please!) to Lynnwood, here is the short list…

Zab Thai – corner of 112th and Evergreen Way. It is fabulous.

Cafe India – 44th south of 192nd (just off the freeway) just south of Wells Fargo Bank, across from Chevy’s. Don’t get distracted now! Cafe India… where I chose to go for my birthday dinner last year. Where they have a delicious Indian Buffet for lunch that is SO WORTH IT, and where they have a meal for 2 that will easily feed a family of 4, and where the mango lassi’s are a MUST HAVE. Can you tell I kinda like this one?

Alderwood Mall has lots of the big name hot spots… Macaroni Grill, P.F. Chang’s, McGrath’s Fish House, Claim Jumper, and Ruby’s Diner just to name a few. And a huge cineplexodeon with like 24 screens or something. There is The Keg just down the hill, and they used to be fabulous, but we haven’t been for a couple of years.

If you want to eat fish – and want a view of the water while you do it – head up to Mukileto… just up the 405 from Alderwood (don’t freak out, it becomes the Mukilteo Speedway). Go to the very end, but don’t get onto the ferry. Turn right and park. Now you can choose between Arnie’s, The Tin Fish (more of a fish & chips fare), or our personal fav, Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing. This is the one that had storm damage a few years ago. They have since re-built and re-opened and are ALWAYS full. If you are in a hurry, this is the ONLY Ivar’s fast food fish I will eat at. The walk up is there mostly for ferry passengers, but you are guaranteed hot, fresh fish & chips that are some of the best around!

Heading back down towards Lynnwood, you can stop off at Patty’s Eggnest for breakfast (highly recommended), or for dinner, head next door to Kosta’s – amazing Greek food. Especially the flaming cheese appetizer and the spanikopitas.

Go a little further south and you will find a Jersey Mike’s and a Spiro’s pizza across from the QFC, and a few food places in with th QFC. Oh, and you just passed a wonderful Japanese place, and a donut shop. If you turn there by the QFC, you will be taken back to a little town center area with a really good local Thai chain. Tasty.

For tomorrow you can make a mental note that Phoenix Games was located in there by Jersey Mike’s. Good game shop.

Head further south again and youwill find a sub shop in the Chevron, Papa Murphy’s across the street, and Vita’s Pizza in by the Albertson’s. This would be good pizza… but you have to get it to go. Sorry, no tables here!

South again… by the Food Emporium (a category all to itself, I assure you!) there is another pizza place – Lombardo’s. Also good, but I recommend the Calzone over the pizza.

Now, drive south on Evergreen Way instead of Mukilteo Speedway… Two Fish is a great little Korean owned Japanese restaurant. Kinda hole-in-the-wall-ish, but the food is excellent. If you head around the corner, say hello to my BFF Youly. You won’t get any animal products there though, so keep on trucking. Oh, if you wanted Zab, head back north on Evergreen. Up to 112th… very worth the drive.

Are you hungry yet? I sure am. I think I’ll go have a blackberry hand pie.

That would bring me to my favorite place to eat. My house. I will warn you though, we eat lots of veggies around here. Remember that CSA farm? All of those vegetables? Yep, gotta get through them each week. You never know what you might get around here… curry (japanese, thai or indian), sir fry, tortilla soup, spaghetti, fried rice, spring rolls, ravioli, polish sausage, burgers & oven baked fries… you get the idea. You will usually find fresh bread though. And some kind of sweets.

Today’s are hand pies. Want the recipe? You can find my changes to the original recipe over at Cottage-Recipes.com and the original over at Smitten Kitchen. She used peaches & bourbon.

Well, that’s what to eat around here. I hope I made you at least half as hungry as I am!

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