Seattle TravelGram

How many of you have been to Bremerton lately? Not too long ago there just wasn’t that much to see and do but now “wow”  it’s really a wonderful place to visit with restaurants, a variety of accommodations and lodging, parks, a terrific new marina, an award winning golf course and many fun events throughout the year. From Bremerton’s waterfront you will enjoy amazing views of Sinclair inlet, the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier.

The second annual Kitsap Wine Festival is August 14^th from 2:00 to 5:30pm.  Sample wines from 30+ of Washington and Oregon’s fine wineries. The Second Annual Kitsap Wine Festival at Harborside Fountain Park is a celebration of food and wine on Bremerton’s scenic waterfront.  Tickets are $50.00 per person and no one under 21 will be admitted. Net proceeds will benefit Harrison Medical Center Foundation. 

Guests can meander through the spectacular Harborside Fountain Park, enjoy live music and take in views of Puget Sound and the Port of Bremerton Marina.  Cuisine will be provided by Chef Marsha Henry of Kitsap Conference Center and Chef Shawn Walker of Anthony’s at Sinclair Inlet as well as other local restaurants.

If you are coming from Seattle just take the ferry from Seattle’s waterfront terminal and head to Bremerton and have a great day on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Drive North on I5 almost to the Canadian border to attend this year’s 100th Anniversary of the  Northwest Washington Fair. The fair is held in the picturesque Dutch town of Lynden (near Bellingham) August 16^th – 21^st.

Families have gone there for 100 years to celebrate the agricultural heritage of Whatcom County. Maybe you’ll want to go for the great grandstand events (Weird Al, Rick Springfield and Kenny Rogers) or to go on great carnival rides or to eat yourself silly on delightfully delicious fair food (like the infamous moowich and Dutch poffertjies).

There will be lots of exhibits and they have a brand new 41,000-square-foot arena equestrian arena for more horse shows.

You will feel the spirit of Aloha when you attend a luau. Really, you “must go” to one of these cultural shows to see the performances and enjoy a really great feast.

We  attended  the Sheraton Ka’anaupla Sunset Luau on Maui. As we waited in line we were handed mai tais and the evening happily progressed from there. Greeting us as we checked in were the evenings entertainers and dancers who were all just wonderful. 

Before dinner we were entertained by traditional hawaiian music and while we waited guests could participate in traditional hawaiian games. We helped ourselves to the open bar with a few more mai tia’s then the all you can eat buffet was opened.

At sunset the entertainment started.  We were treated to masterful drummers who evoked the sounds of Polynesia and we enjoyed dances from Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand and of course Hawaii. Whether you prefer the mesmerizing beauty of the hula or the heart pounding dances of the Maori, there is something here for everyone.

Our emcee kept the audience laughing by bring audience members up on stage to dance with the performers. Some people have no shame or talent for shaking thier hips which made the evening even funnier. I was amazed how many young children got up on stage and put thier parents to shame with thier dance moves.

Honesty the Luau was one of the highlights of my vacation and I highly recommend that if you have the opportunity, don’t miss out. Fun! Fun! Fun!

The Comcast Bite of Seattle is July 16-18.  Come to Seattle Center to have bites of the northwest’s best restaurants at the premier Seattle Food Festival. Last year almost 500,000 people came to the Bite to enjoy delicious food from 50+ restaurants, wonderful entertainment for all ages, fine wine and more. Admission to this tasty event is free and the weather is supposed to be great so plan to spend a day or two.

Make sure you go to The Alley hosted by celebrity chef Tom Douglas where your $10 ticket benefits the Food Lifeline. Double-time your dollar while sampling from Seattle’s best.  Enjoy tastes from both iconic Seattle restaurants and exciting up-and-comers and give back to the community, all at the same time!

Food Lifeline is a local hunger relief organization, efficiently serving the Western Washington is by using 95% of its revenue to directly feed hungry people.  Last year the organization delivered more than 19 million meals to hungry people through its network of nearly 300 neighborhood food banks, hot meal programs, shelters and other food providers.

The Bite Cooks!, is emceed by Thierry Rautureau- The Chef in the Hat!!!, of Rover’s-and welcomes Seattle’s celebrity chefs who will delight and entertain!  Chef demonstrations are 30 minutes and audience members will have a chance to comment and ask questions of these culinary artists at the end.

If you just came for the entertainment you’d be happy. On stages around the Seattle Center grounds you can listen to Comedy,  Worldbeat,  R&B, Funk, Top 40’s, Jazz, Kids Music, Classic Rock, Blues & Americana. Over 150 entertainment acts will be going on all over the Bite grounds.

Bettye LaVette

Seattle’s premier jazz club, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley has some great talent coming to Seattle in July. You can come to listen to the music or dine while you enjoy this diverse line up of artists.

Curtis Salgado & the Stilettos will be in town July 13 & 14^th. Curtis is the WINNER of the Blues Music Award for Soul-Blues Male Artist of The Year.  

Bettye LaVette will perform July 15^th. Bettye is a Soul Singer. 

Karrin Allyson is in town July 16-17^th. Karrin is a Grammy Nominated Jazz Vocalist and Pianist.

Celebratin Hadley Calinman with West Marriott will perform July 18^th. This trumpet and rhythm quartet has a unique blend of energy for you to enjoy.

 Since 1990 Ponti’s has been a  Seattle favorite dining destination. Overlooking Seattle’s ship canal and very close to the Fremont Bridge, you be treated to great views of boats in the canal and bikes on the trail below.  

With the weather finally turning warm, Ponti’s is a great choice for happy hour or dinner because of their outdoor patios. Its romantic out there and with heat lamps, small white tea lights, water lapping in the canal and the hum of conversation you will want to linger longer and enjoy that dessert or glass of port.

The menu offers an array of eclectic flavors ranging from pan-Asian, Mediterranean, classic European and Pacific Northwest fusion. Ponti’s uses the freshest local ingredients to make the flavors of the Northwest come to life. I always order local fresh seafood and have never been disappointed with how its been prepared.  I know you will have a wonderful, tasty and romantic evening every time to go.

The City of Kirkland, Washington comes “uncorked” with its signature summer celebration  July 16-18, 2010, in Marina Park on the shores of Lake Washington. 

Kirkland Uncorked celebrates the best of Washington’s wine, food, art and design trends with activities and exhibits throughout Kirkland’s picturesque waterfront and downtown.

The Tasting Garden offers guests 21 and over an opportunity to sample more than 50 vintages from over 20 Washington wineries. Winemakers and Winery Liaisons will be on hand to answer questions and assist with tasting tips to best guide guests through the collection of regional wines.

Kirkland Uncorked toasts the tastes of summer with complimentary samplings of Washington’s finest restaurants and grilling demonstrations throughout the weekend. Watch culinary talents of the northwest’s top chefs collide in a head-to-head grill off on Saturday at 5pm.

Explore and discover design ideas with a showcase of the latest indoor and outdoor home design trends and fine Northwest art. Artist Lane features a stroll of over 40 art booths where visitors can view and purchase directly from the artists.

Pike Place Market is a fun and interesting place to explore during the day for art, crafts, flowers, restaurants, food stalls, fish and produce. The market is Seattle’s top visitor destination and local Seattle residents know that it’s a great place to go to year round. Not that many people know that in the evening Pike Place Market comes alive because of the restaurant and bar crowd.  From fine dining to pub food you’ll find everything your taste buds desire here.

A group of Post Alley establishments put together a Thursday night Wine Hop. This is quite the line up: Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, Post Restaurant & Lounge, The Tasting Room and White Horse Tavern. Hop over from 5pm-7pm to find out which wine choices are being served. Each location offers a $4 glass of wine which might be a chilled Rose, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a spicy Syrah and so on. They pick them and you drink them.

Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub-  open 11:30 daily

Post Restaurant & Lounge- open 11:30 daily

The Tasting Room Seattle – open Sunday-Thursday 12pm-8pm and showcases a collection of Washington’s most celebrated wines.

White Horse Tavern- open Monday-Saturday 4pm

The Tasting Room Seattle is part of the 2010 Seattle TourSaver where every offer is 2-for-1, with over $8,000 in deals on museums, attractions, hotels, tours and more.

Spinakopita

In the past the Eastside used to be almost void of good restaurant choices but now you can pick from steak houses, Mexican, Asian, Sushi, good old American and so much more. Downtown Bellevue has become a great destination for dining.

I went to a new restaurant on Bellevue Way called the Mediterranean Kitchen. They had outdoor dining and it was a beautiful evening so bonus points for that. There was a line out the door waiting to get a seat which is always a really good sign for any restaurant these days. All the plates of food that went by looked amazing, smelled fantastic and this really got me excited to sample the menu.

My friend and I ordered a glass of wine each and appetizers of spinakopita and hummus. Our waiter also brought out soup and warm pita bread to go with our choices. Everything was very tasty and the portions were generous. We were full so we just decided to call it an evening and asked for our check.

WELL- we were informed by the waiter that ordering just appetizers wasn’t allowed at the restaurant. WHAT? We hadn’t read the menu where it stated that they didn’t serve appetizers without ordering main courses so our waiter actually pointed out on the menu where it was written. Again- I say WHAT! It was explained to us that their huge food portions and extras (soup & pita bread) make it hard for them to make money if it was allowed to just order sides. Really?

We were mortified because we didn’t read the menu cover to cover.  Are you kidding me? Anyway, we were “let” off the hook and told that because we had ordered wine, it was OK so our check was given to us. The experience was a buzz kill however I have to say the food was really good and we did have a wonderful evening until the incident. Note to self, read the menu cover to cover.

Step back in time and stay at the oldest resort hotel in Washington. Established in 1858,The Tokeland Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on Willapa Bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The city of Tokeland is on the Long Beach Peninsula in beautiful Grays Harbor County.

Delicious homemade meals are served in their restaurant overlooking a peaceful garden with views of the bay in the background. All-desserts are homemade, so save room for blackberry cobbler or specialty pies and cinnamon rolls.

Every room in the Tokeland Hotel is filled with warmth and character. Each guest room is unique and appointed with beautiful antique furniture and has wonderful views from every window.

Family owned and operated you’ll feel like you are part of history. Step into a world gone by, and share in a wonderful view of what the Washington’s coast has to offer.