Every time I visit a new place, I look for small and unique places to eat and drink – no chain restaurants or macro brews for me. I especially look for local breweries and/or wineries, as I used to sell beer and wine and just can’t seem to ever get enough of either 🙂 I was familiar with Charles Smith wine from his “K” Syrah series, so when I saw that he had opened up a tasting room in South Seattle called Jet City, I just had to go – the wines are wonderful and the views from the second floor of Mt Rainier are spectacular, on a clear day. www.winesofsubstance.com
Going local is a great way to see the area and to actually meet the owners of that small business, which is why I became a member of a local winery, Vartanyan – www.vewinery.com – They not only have a great variety to offer, but they also have local inspired events. The most recent one I went to was a barrel tasting, comparing barrel aged wines to recently bottled, accompanied with local cheese. This winery usually doesn’t offer food, but you’re more than welcome to bring your own and eat outside on the many picnic tables, with a view of Mt Baker in the background. Every time I visit there, I meet new people and get more information on the area that I just moved to – adding to my growing list of hikes and trails to take and restaurants to check out next.
In Oregon last summer I attended 2 dinners with Chef Pascal Chureau as part of his “Field and Vine” events. Once or twice a week throughout the summer and into the Fall, they have 6-course dinners paired with local beer and/or wine at a winery, brewery, cidery or farm. Most of the dinners are in an outdoor setting and the food is served family style. The people, the food, the beverages, and the ambiance is amazing and shouldn’t be missed. www.fieldandvineevents.com
Having recently moved to the Bellingham area, there are many, many breweries to check out. I’ve been to a few, but in order to find them all, I joined a meetup group that meets at a local brewery once a week – some are restaurants with food, some offer food trucks out front – sometimes popcorn is brought in to share. I will write another post devoted entirely to the breweries visited, soon.
On a 4 day trip to Vancouver, BC last year, we found the Granville Island brewery, in the middle of the Granville outdoor market. The beer and food were great, as was the atmosphere and the people who worked there. With so many choices of beer to try, I usually opt for the tasting menu, and this one didn’t disappoint. www.gib.ca
Since I live on the Canadian border, I was happy to find that there are around 250 wineries and over 100 breweries in the Vancouver area, not to mention cideries that are popping up all over. I might have to save this for next Spring and Summer, as I think I’ll be busy with the Bellingham area until then…
