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Activities, Food, People, Restaurants

Lombardi’s Garlic Festival is Back!

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LombardisGarlicFestPicLombardi’s Garlic Fest is back by popular demand after a five year hiatus with cooking classes, wine tastings, contest & locally produced products.  Ahhh, two weeks of garlic joy for bulb connoisseurs & Garlic novices alike. 

From Sept. 27th through Oct. 12th, local garlic lovers can rejoice in the bulb during the two-week Garlic Festival at Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants in Mill Creek & Everett.

Diners will experience a garlic-in-every-course menu including 40-clove roasted chicken & desserts such as a cappuccino brownie layered with garlic peanut sauce. To top it all off they can kick back a garlic infused martini or take a break from the bulb & pair their meal with a select wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, known for complementing the rich and herbaceous taste of the stinking rose. Do tell.

Garlic for some of the festival menu to be provided by Arlington, WA farm – Garden Treasures. The wine bar will provide tastings over the duration of the festival highlighting wines from Piedmont wineries: Damilano, Franco Molino, Beni di Barasiolo & Cantine Vopi.

What: Lombardi’s Garlic Fest: A gourmet garlic celebration featuring all things culinary with a garlic menu, wine tastings, cooking classes & contests

When: September 27 through October 12   for  Lunch,  Dinner & Sunday Brunch

Where: Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants:

  • Mill Creek – 19409 Bothell-Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA, 98102 
  • Everett at the Marina – 1620 W Marine View Dr., Everett, WA, 98102

Visit:  lombardisitalian.com for more information about Lombardi’s restaurants & the much missed, long awaited Garlic Fest.

Information & Garlic Fest Graphic provided by Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants.

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Activities, Food, Restaurants, Uncategorized, Weather and ambience

Emory’s on Silverlake-Lakeside Bistro & Bar

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Did you know that Emory’s on Silver Lake – Lakeside Bistro & Bar has the largest waterfront deck in Snohomish County? They do. It’s a great place to enjoy Happy Hour on Silver Lake on these long, warm, sunny days.

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Did you know that you can reserve the entire restaurant for breakfast & lunch events? Well, you can — for 50 to 150 or more people. Do tell.

Is a dinner event — think rehearsal dinner, retirement party, anniversary, small reception — more to your needs or style? Emory’s has a private banquet room that can accommodate up to 50 people. Emory’s is located on Silver Lake just North of Mill Creek on the Bothell-Everett Highway. 11830 19th Ave SE Everett, WA 98208 to be precise.

To learn more visit: emorys.com  & click on Banquets. Of course you’ll also find everything else you might want to know: Menus, Hours, Directions, special events.

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I was there recently for the Happy Hour ( a late lunch & a little bit of research ) I sat out on the deck, of course. I knew it was 5:00 somewhere, but I decided to just order an Arnold Palmer. Need to get back to the office. Then I chose the Garden Salad & Dungeness crab cakes – all for $15.95 plus tax & tip.

Summer Happy Hour is much more than an hour. It runs from 1-6PM. On Mondays it is from 1-Close in Lounge. 21+ of course.

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Activities, Food, Kids, People, Restaurants, Summer Concerts, Uncategorized, Weather and ambience

Mill Creek Summer Concert Series

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summer_concert_millCreek_smallGet ready to get your groove on! Beginning July 3rd plan on spending your Wednesday evenings at The Forum. The Mill Creek Town Center Business Association presents the annual Mill Creek Summer Concert Series at The Forum at 151st & Main St.  Mill Creek, WA 98012

The dates & groups scheduled to perform are listed on the poster on the left. 6-8PM

The concerts are presented free of charge thanks to generous local sponsors.

Come the Town Center early & enjoy dinner, maybe a Happy Hour at one of the restaurants, or dessert after.

In addition to Ristorante Capri &  The Blazing Onion which feature outdoor dining/ringside seats to the concerts, there is a wide variety of places to go before & after. I’m sure many, if not all, would be happy to pack up something to go for you to take to your seats. Some suggestions: Tablas Woodstone Taverna, Azul, Kafe Neo, Thai Rhapsody, Boston’s, Coldstone Creamery, Spotted Cow Cream & Bean, Firestation Deli, World’s Tastiest Yogurt & ABS Coffee & DeVine Wines.

The Mill Creek Summer Concerts are a great way to enjoy a summer evening in Mill Creek. Bring the family or make it a date night! Do tell.

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Activities, Food, Kids, People, Restaurants, Uncategorized

Rusty Pelican Now Open for Breakfast & Lunch

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RPelicanCafeMill Creek has a new breakfast & lunch spot. The Rusty Pelican Cafe is now open in the Maple Leaf shopping area @ 15704 Mill CreekBlvd Mill Creek, WA 98012

They opened on Friday-May 3rd, but we wasted no time checking it out. We went for breakfast on Sunday- May 5th, wondering if there would be any kinks.

Loved the place. First impressions: I like that they took a smaller footprint for the restaurant than previous tenants. I had alway felt that the Chef Chen & Patty’s Egg Nest were kind of cold or cafeteria-like because of their wide open space & pastel decor. Patty’s did try to make it less so with an all booth concept, but missed the mark. The decor is still light & open with a beach ( Rusty Pelican ) theme, but is much more inviting with warm browns, beige & bits of blue.

A family run business, this is the third Rusty Pelican Cafe to open, following locations in Wallingford (7 years) & Downtown Edmonds (14 months). The family is originally from Chicago; they moved to Seattle area in 2000 & have had the Rusty Pelican in Wallingford area of Seattle for 7 years.

Peter & Marilyn run the restaurants with the help of their twin daughters, who are also partners. In addition to the Rusty Pelican Cafe, the family runs the Gyro Delight in Lynnwood which serves authentic, but fast Greek food.

Back to breakfast –  I had the Farmer’s Market omelet choosing fruit instead of homemade potatoes & a generous hunk of rhubarb almond coffee cake instead of toast. The omelet was excellent — a generous 3 eggs with green peppers, tomato, zucchini, mushrooms & spinach topped with Swiss Cheese & sliced avocado. a small side dish loaded with cut cantaloupe & honeydew melon. The coffee cake was fresh out of  the oven with a crisp crust & light flaky body. Only complaint — I could not finish it all.

The husband had the “Original” Eggs Benedict with potatoes. I asked how the Hollandaise sauce was since this is what can make or break a Benedict & he said good;  his plate was empty. The sauce had looked a bit thin to me, but I wasn’t quick enough to get a taste. Drat! Next time for sure.

Back the next day to try lunch, I selected the Pelican Burger with cheese. Hot patty on a light toasted bun piled high with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles & mayo. Dill pickle on the side. From homemade fries, salad or soup, I chose the salad. I was expecting it to come on the same plate as the burger, but it was served first as a full-on starter salad — chilled plate, crisp romaine, plenty of tomatoes, onion & crispy croutons.  With the cheeseburger there was a small side of cole slaw which was good, but a surprise because the menu didn’t indicate it would be included. The salad was enough. It also had a surprising sweet flavor reminiscent to icing. It was not bad, just surprising. I usually find cole slaw to be tart and/or tangy.  Do tell.

Things to know:

  • Open Daily 8AM to 3PM
  • Breakfast served all day.
  • Orders to Go & Boxed Lunches for meetings or gatherings.
  • Whole homemade pies & cakes are available for order for parties & special occasions.
  • The restaurant may be reserved for private parties in the evening.

Contact: 425-585-0525

Visit their website: rustypelicancafe.com

 

Food, People, Restaurants, Uncategorized

Lombardi’s to Open Sept 12

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The new Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar opens this Wednesday, September 12th in Mill Creek, WA on the Bothell-Everett Highway. Fans of the former Ballard restaurant will be happy to know that favorite dishes like Saltimboca, Tortellini Gorgonzola & Veal Picatta will be served at the new location. The new restaurant features an open kitchen with a hearth stone oven & will serve up Neapolitan-inspired pizzas like the Toscana — sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, goat cheese, olive oil & fresh basil.

As always, Lombardi’s will have an extensive list of wines by the glass — 18 to be exact! — as well as cask wines & wine flights that will show off great wines such as Rocca delle Macie’s Chianti Classico or Haystack Needle’s Syrah. The bar will also feature local spirits like Woodinville Whiskey, Sun Liquor & Bainbridge Organic in specialty cocktails such as the “Local Long Island” — featuring Bainbridge Organic Vodka, Voyager Gin, and Pacific Rum with the usual splash of triple sec, sour mix and Coke.

Happy hour in the bar area is 3 to 6PM &  8PM-close every day with wines for $4.50, draft beer for $4 & noshes like the Salumi Plate for $6 and pizzas for $7. In the bar area you will find a big fireplace to cozy up to on those rainy nights in November! Do tell.

The Mill Creek location is the third Lombardi’s restaurant (other locations in Issaquah & Everett). Mother-daughter business team Diane Symms & Kerri Lonergan-Dreke are excited about the new location & meeting a whole new family of guests.

“As a locally-owned business for over 25 years, we are eager to get to know our new Mill Creek community, and maybe even see some familiar faces. We are proud of our commitment to delicious food, great wine and exceptional service, and hope to share our wonderful food and atmosphere for date nights, happy hours, birthdays, and other celebrations,” says Lonergan-Dreke.

Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar  — Good Friends, Great Food, Stellar Cellar            

Mill Creek    19409 Bothell-Everett Hwy    Bothell, WA 98012  (425) 892-2931

Everett    1620 West Marine View Drive  Everett, WA 98201  (425) 252-1886

Issaquah   695 NW Gilman Blvd.  Issaquah, WA 98027  (425) 391-9097

For more information visit:  www.lombardisitalian.com

Information obtained & pictures used with permission from Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar.

 

 

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Food, Kids, People, Restaurants, Uncategorized

National Doughnut Day this Friday!

This year National Doughnut Day will fall on Friday, June 3rd. National Doughnut Day is always held on the first Friday in June in honor of the Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I.

During WWI, Salvation Army “Lassies” were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked meals, i.e. doughnuts, and provided a morale boost to the troops. The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by the Salvation Army in 1917. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army’s “first doughnut girl”.

The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys, and we’re talking about doughnuts so you might wonder if one got their name from the other. In my research, while I found some discussion about a connection, I found no definitive answer as to a connection between doughnut and doughboy.  Both had been to referred to by their respective nicknames for years before World War I.

In any case, the National Doughnut Day “holiday” was established in Chicago in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army as both a much needed fundraiser during the Great Depression and to honor the many volunteers, those Lassies,  who cooked food, including doughnuts for thousands of soldiers overseas. Do tell.

On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If you find them, please be generous.

In Mill Creek,  Frost-Doughnuts Evolved is having a doughnut eating contest. How many do you think you can eat in 2 minutes? The contest will be held from 4-6 PM [ I suggest you skip breakfast & lunch and just forget about dinner! ] and there will be winners in three age categories.  http://www.frostology.com/

Rival doughnut shop, Top Pot – across the parking lot- inside the University Bookstore, will also honor National Doughnut Day. They are partnering with Northwest Harvest to spread doughnut-y cheer. Representatives from Northwest Harvest will be at all of the Top Pot Cafes including the one in Mill Creek from 6AM until Noon collecting donations of non-perishable food items. They will also have “tons” of fun giveaways at the cafe throughout the day.  http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/

Restaurants, Uncategorized

Jemmy’s Wok Now BMG Thai Asian

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“One bee doesn’t make a hive.” Ya gotta love the fortune cookies.

We hadn’t been into Jemmy’s Wok for a long time, nor had we ordered takeout. I was on the way home the other night and decided to get a side dish to go with the teriyaki steak I was planning for dinner. When I went in everything looked pretty much the same, but with an indefineable freshness. The table were nicely set. It was early so there were just a couple of people like me ordering to go. It was the gleaming silverware, in an attractive bamboo design, caught my eye. Funny, never noticed that before.

I was greeted right away and I orderd the house combination chow mein. I’ve always liked it — it comes with shrimp, chicken, beef and pork. While I waited at the bar/counter, I enjoyed watching the chefs work over the flames and the steaming/sizzling woks. Everything is cooked fresh to order, but it was only a matter of minutes before mine was ready including chopsticks, a couple of fortune cookies and napkins.

I got home and it was the perfect accompaniment to the steak. The flavor was excellent, just the right amount of sweetness. I personally don’t like it when Chinese food tastes salty or bitter, and I think this is one thing that sets Jemmy’s apart. Perfect.

When I decided to write about Jemmy’s I went to get some  basic information online. I knew it had  been in Mill Creek since the late 70’s or early 80’s ever since Mill Creek Plaza was built. It was  a sister restaurant to AJ Wok [run by Andy and Jemmy Ma] an acclaimed restaurant by Northgate for a long time. It was then that I discovered that it isn’t just Jemmy’s anymore. It has been taken over by BMG Thai and they have kept Jemmy’s menu but added a full Thai menu to the original Jemmy’s menu! The BMG stands for Be My Guest. Do tell.

If you’ve never been, or you just haven’t been to Jemmy’s for a while, I would definitely suggest you do so. Soon.

Located at: 16212 Bothell-Everett Highway Mill Creek, WA 98012

For take-out call: 425-742-8858   Check out menu at: www.bmgthaiasian.com

Food, Restaurants, Uncategorized

Tapas at Tablas Woodstone Taverna

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One of the newest restaurants in Mill Creek is Tablas Woodstone Taverna. Located at 15522 Main Street in Mill Creek, it is a Spanish Mediterranean tapas restaurant which is a welcome addition to the Town Center.

Tablas Woodstone Taverna from Main Street

My sister and I recently went for lunch. I love appetizers and small plates so I was really looking forward to this. This was the third visit for me and the first for her. We started out with a glass of the Carra Prosecco. It was a sip of crisp tart apple with a dry finish and just the right amount of bubbles — the perfect apéritif for lunch.

Tablas has several pages of tapas & small plates to layer and/or share. Decisions, decisions. We started with the Tomato, Basil and Mozarella flatbread drizzled with balsamic vinegar, a variation on the classic Margherita pizza. It arrived hot and the crust was perfectly crisp — a nice foil to the melted cheese and hot juicy tomato. We also ordered the Salmon & Dungeness Crab terrine, light and airy served with a garnish of greens and brandy aioli. We both thought it could have been served with crackers or crostini on the side.

After finishing those, we agreed that we wanted a little something more, a meat perhaps and decided on the Chicken Mignon. Described as “tenders” it arrived as four “rolls” of chicken wrapped in bacon with a demi-glace. They were okay, but we expected something a bit lighter, a thinner cut perhaps. They seemed heavy and a bit dry. Feeling satisfied, not stuffed we passed on our server’s offer of dessert.

On a previous visit with a friend, I ordered the Mediterranean Garlic, Parmesano, Oregano Flatbread and Spicy Garlic Shrimp to share. Both were delicious, and my only comment: it’s an order of 3 shrimp and was awkward for 2 to share. On all visits, service has been attentive and orders come out in a timely fashion, but I’ve never felt rushed. It’s been relaxed sipping, conversation and “grazing” as one would expect with tapas.

I love the ambience of Tablas Woodstone Taverna. It’s a big improvement over other attempts at locating a restaurant in this spot. Previously the space felt cavernous and empty. They were “franchise, order at the counter and take a number to the table” style. The owners of Tablas [also the owners of long-time local favorite, Kafé Neo, btw] opted to divide the space making a separate bar area including the ubiquitous flat screens. Mental note: come back for “Happy Hour”.  Tables line the window and raised booths cozy up to the inner wall. Down the center, there is a long table for groups. Hmmm, another mental note. A free-standing gas fireplace near the center of the space adds warmth, literally and visually. Candles dot the walls. I know I will return again and again for a variety of occasions and to sample more from the extensive menu. Do tell.

Phone: 425-948-7654

www.tablaswoodstonetaverna.com

People, Restaurants, Uncategorized

La Palmera Family Mexican Restaurant

I simply have to review our recent experience at La Palmera II Family Mexican Restaurant. We went in on Valentine’s Day evening with a group of 17 people. Yes, Valentine’s Day. Very romantic, si? This happened because it was the only time we could get together with our family plus some out-of-town business associates [who had invited us] and their families and we were all fine with it.

The husband and I were the first to arrive at about 5:30 and we asked about a reservation; we were reminded they don’t take reservations, but no problem. We thought there might be about 12 of us, and the staff set right to work arranging a large table for us complete with all the service items, waters and menus. The showed the two of us to our seats and brought chips, salsa and (my favorite) pico de gallo.

As others in the party began to arrive it became clear that there were going to be more than we thought. Someone mentioned 17! Without batting an eye the staff, including Hector the owner, began rearranging the furniture and resetting for 17. Did I mention that we were comprised of 12 adults, 1 teen, 1 tween, 1-4 year old, 1-1 year old and a 5 week old infant.

I do mention this because this could have been a recipe for disaster in some restaurants, but Hector and his staff handled the whole thing with aplomb. While refilling our chip basket and our waters, they brought chips with salsa for the rest of the table and took beverage orders with nary a hiccup.

All the plates came out [I didn’t time it, but it seemed] in less than 10 minutes, and we were all served as close to the same time as you could ever imagine. How often have you had it happen when you’re in a large group, that the meals come out one-at-a-time and one or more diners are forgotten? Not here!

From the excellent quality of service, on to the quality of the food. I didn’t query anyone else after they finished, but when I glanced down the table  all I could see were clean plates. As for myself, I ordered the Steak Fajita. The grilled steak arrived sizzling hot as it should, perhaps a little heavy on the onions, but including tender yet still snappy green and red peppers. The sides included a container of warm tortillas, and a plate of rice, beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, lettuce, guacamole, and a sprinkling of olives. Except for the rice being a little on the cool side, it was perfect and plentiful; I did have to ask for a “doggie” box.

There were a total of five couples and it may not have been the romantic evening with our sweethearts we might have planned, but it turned into a fun, happy multi-family night. The 5 week old slept through it all with bliss,  and we all got a chance to hold her.

We commend the owners and staff of La Palmera for obviously loving their guests, their business and their jobs. It shows. Thanks for showing us such a great time.  Do tell.