Birch Picks for Great Bites, Unique Cocktails & Local Brews

The bars and restaurants in our downtown communities offer great bites, unique and classic cocktail and local brews. In addition these businesses add to our unique culture and make our communities better places. The ever-changing restrictions with Covid have made it even harder for restaurants to continue operating, but we can do our part to help support them while enjoying all the great food & drink they have to offer. In addition, cities including downtown Bellingham have blocked off sections of downtown streets to allow more space for outside dining while remaining socially distanced. Don’t forget most establishments are also offering take-out, which these days also includes to-go cocktails (when life gives you lemons (and limes)… like make to-go Margaritas, beer and wine.

There are so many amazing restaurants, bars and breweries in  Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and King Counties, here are some of the Birch staff picks with favorite menu selections:

 

• Black Sheep – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: All the tacos… our favs: Chicken Tinga, Sweet Potato & Cauliflower and the Carnitas! It’s also a must to order the house-made Queso Fundido
  • Delicious Drinks: Banda Verditas – Made with Mezcal and their house-made Verdita mix (lime, pineapple, mint, cilantro & pineapple)
  • Best Kept Secret: Their Frozen Milagro Margaritas… So good and so frothy, an absolute must for a hot summer day

 

• Boundary Bay Brewery – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: Find the ultimate comfort food with Boundary Bay Mac & Cheese and Yamchiladas
  • Delicious Drinks: A huge host of award-winner brews plus seasonal berry cocktail specials
  • Best Kept Secret: Boundary just got its spirit license and has added handcrafted cocktails to its line-up — don’t want to miss the Whiskey Sours and Mojitos

 

• Calico Cupboard– Anacortes, Mount Vernon, La Conner
  • Incredible Foods: Smoked Salmon Omelette, Roasted Butternut Squash Hash..
  • Delicious Drinks: Mimosas, including fresh squeezed grapefruit and lavender lemon
  • Best Kept Secret: Their pastries.. we’re partial to their cinnamon rolls

 

• Gere-a-Deli– Anacortes
  • Incredible Foods: Reuben Sandwich, Fidalgo Island Salad
  • Delicious Drinks: Full espresso bar and beer on tap & wine by the bottle
  • Best Kept Secret: Utilizing Breadfarm (Bow) for the artisanal bread makes these sandwiches even more incredible

 

• Joy’s Bakery– Sedro Woolley
  • Incredible Foods: The coconut pancakes and homemade jam keep the regulars coming and for lunch it has to be the home-made Clam Chowder
  • Delicious Drinks: Bottomless coffee, providing the adequate amount of caffeine is important after all
  • Best Kept Secret: When the state shut down, Joy’s went to work – Re-opening Aug. 6^thafter an extensive re-model, go check out their new digs

 

• Kulshan Brewing Company    – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: They say variety’s the spice of life and you’ll find it here. Kulshan brings in an excellent rotation of food trucks  including StrEAT Food, JT’s Smokin’ BBQ and Hungry Street. You can also bring in food from home or nearby restaurants.
  • Delicious Drinks: Amazing selection of beers on tap from IPAs and Lagers to Sour Ales like Bastard Kat, Party in the Woods, Heliotrope, Sunnyland and Greenwood — reflections of Kulshan’s strong community ties and humor
  • Best Kept Secrets: The Beer Gardens at both Sunnyland and Roosevelt locations have been open 7-days a week since late July

 

• Nell Thorn Waterfront Bistro & Bar– La Conner
  • Incredible Foods: Perfect steaks, incredible pizzas and the best Boeuf Bourguignon
  • Delicious Drinks: Incredible selection of sparkling, white and red wines that pair perfectly with their farm to table foods
  • Best Kept Secret: Their brunch is amazing, known to have mouthwatering items such as the Filet Mignon Benedict.

 

• Otherlands Beer – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: European inspired street foods, old family dishes, and some favorite snacks they’ve begged and borrowed from friends along the way.
  • Delicious Drinks: Farmhouse Beers, IPAs and Lager brewed with a variety of traditional and old-world techniques
  • Best Kept Secret: Has a cottage in the woods kind of feel

 

• Pizza Express– Sitka
  • Incredible Foods: Toastada, Hawaiian Chicken Pizza
  • Delicious Drinks: Their beer selection and big selection of Seltzers including the Alaskan Seltzer
  • Best Kept Secret: Don’t be fooled by the name, they also serve incredible Mexican and American cuisine

 

• Purple Café and Wine Bar– Bellevue, Woodinville, Seattle
  • Incredible Foods: Seared King Salmon, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf, Gorgonzola Dates
  • Delicious Drinks: All the wine, try a wine flight if you’re unsure on what to drink
  • Best Kept Secret: Lunch is served Friday’s with great soup & salad / soup combos

 

• Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. – Everett
  • Incredible Foods: The Fish & chips (Or Clam Strips & Chips) with their amazing tartar sauce
  • Delicious Drinks: Ten Weeks of Sunshine Beer or the Beer Mary with Peppered Vodka
  • Best Kept Secret: Best kept secrets: All ages, kid and dog friendly

 

• Stemma Brewing Co – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: a great line up of local food trucks like Ah! Chihuahuah and Big Stick BBQ
  • Delicious Drinks: “It’s A Double” IPA gets top marks
  • Best Kept Secret: Their Generation ’20 Beer Club Membership was so popular it sold out this year

 

• Storia Cucina– Bellingham
  Shout-out to Storia as they were set to open right when WA shut down, they gracefully moved to to-go orders & are now open with indoor & patio seating
  • Incredible Foods: Pappardelle Bolognese (made with local beef & pork), Margherita pizza and their Cicotti Meatballs (Deemed “Best Meatballs in the world” by a recent diner)
  • Delicious Drinks: Bishop (Douglas Fir Brandy, Rosemary, Cranberry Shrub, lemon, honey), Calabrese (Sirena Aperol, Vodka, Grapefruit, Calabrian Chile)
  • Best Kept Secret: In addition to their incredible food, you have to check-out the décor featuring beautiful old brick and an artistic and fun Italian mural painted on their wall

 

• The Black Cat – Bellingham
  • Incredible Foods: Two Blackened Prawn Tacos, Beef Stroganoff & the Black Cat Brownie Sundae
  • Delicious Drinks: Whiskey Sours, Lavender Collins and a varied wine list
  • Best Kept Secret: The Black Cat opened in 1987 after taking over the space…just four years after a fire and notorious drug bust forced the previous business to close