Dining, Wine and Brews in Scenic Gig Harbor, Washington

The food scene is expanding in delicious ways in the picturesque waterfront city of Gig Harbor, Washington. A dynamic restaurant scene, walk-around food festivals, wine events, an award winning distillery, craft breweries, and a seasonal waterfront farmers market make it an easy choice for food lovers looking for a sweet and savory escape.

  

For breakfast and lunch, deck seating on a sunny day is only topped by the aroma of bacon cinnamon rolls hot from the oven at Netshed No. 9. The Maritime Pier is a great platform for photos before a weekend breakfast or a fish-and-chips lunch inside or out at Puget Sound landmark Tides Tavern. At the foot of the harbor, Devoted Kiss, with panoramic harbor views and a handful of tables on the deck, serves up classic and healthy options. With indoor and deck seating, Susanne’s Bakery is another neighborhood favorite, offering gluten-free morning glory (and other) muffins, pastries, sandwiches, fresh baked breads, espresso, and more.

Putting the finishing touches on their wood-fired ovens, Millville Pizza Co. is slated to open soon. It will be located on the corner of Harborview Drive and Dorotich Street, next to Susanne’s and adjacent to Ship to Shore’s new buildings at Arabella’s Landing. Millville Pizza will offer a simple menu of naturally leavened artisan pizza with fresh, seasonal and local toppings, salads and an appetizer or two, as well as distinctive Washington wines and brews.

Casual dinner options on the water include The Tides, a convivial hub for the over 21 crowd, and the seasonal, new JW @ The Boatyard Food Trolley with picnic-table seating adjacent to a working boatyard.  Harbor General Store offers a gourmet market, a cafe and gift boutique all in one space. The new outdoor patio at Anthony’s at Gig Harbor offers a spectacular view of the bay.

For intimate dining on or near the water look to at Brix 25° for Northwest-influenced hearty, flavorful, American cuisine, savor creative comfort cuisine at JW’s, enjoy classic, wild and organic fare at The Green Turtle, experience authentic Italian fare at Il Lucano Ristorante Italiano, and sample contemporary fusion fare at Morso. All offer extensive wine lists, many featuring Washington wines; some create and serve inspired, craft cocktails.

No food scene would be complete without a local brewery. Gig Harbor has two – 7 Seas Brewing and adjacent taproom and Wet Coast Brewing Co. The harbor also has a nationally recognized craft distillery, Heritage Distilling. With an inviting downtown tasting room as well as distillery tours and tastings uptown, Heritage is notable for 20-plus naturally flavored vodkas, “My Batch” distilling classes and the introduction of spirits growlers.

Olalla Vineyard and Winery, seven miles from the harbor, has energetic new owners who orchestrate winemaker dinners in the vineyard and welcome visitors on Thursday through Sunday afternoons to their tasting room or to purchase a bottle and pre-ordered picnic basket to enjoy on the idyllic grounds. Beyond the warm hospitality, notable are the expertise and artistry of winemaker, Matthew Loso, the use of handcrafted Italian amphorae in the wine making process and the Golubok grapes, one of the less-common red varietals grown.

Cutter’s Point Coffee originated in Gig Harbor and has a convivial new flagship coffee shop at the top of Soundview. Further up the road, MarKee opened next to Harbor Greens, with barista-made specialties as well as food and wine options. Java & Clay, a delightful coffee and pottery making shop, occupies an enviable downtown location.

  

Annual food events spotlight local talent and provide an entertaining introduction as well. Top choices include the Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival (July), twice annual Sip and Stroll, Food Truck Feast and special events at restaurants.

More Information
Visit Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor Dining Guide

Nouveau Division Crawl 2015: Celebrating France, Oregon and the newly harvested wines

The weather warmed and spirits, dampened by the terrorist attacks in Paris, lightened a little last Thursday night. The Nouveau Division Crawl, now in its second year, was the place to be for wine enthusiasts, foodies and those who just wanted an excuse to socialize.

It’s traditional to taste the first wine of the vintage on the third Thursday of each November, so the SE Wine Collective decided to take the party to the streets and set up a cruise along Portland’s restaurant row.

I parked a block away and walked up to the SE Wine Collective to sign in and experience my first tastings of the evening. A sparkling Eiffel Tower decoration and the tricolor flag of France welcomed everyone. Inside the barrel room five tasting stations were set up.

Each of the participating locations for the evening would host a tasting of a new wine such as Beaujolais/Gamay Nouveau and a delicious bite representing their cuisine.

Needless to say, the party atmosphere at the SE Wine Collective kept me there well into the first hour. Chef Althea Grey Potter sent me out into the night with a delicious bite of pork belly confit with smoked butternut squash purée and a smile.

Before participants reached the corner, they were offered Pizza Margherita from Cibo.

And then it was a short few blocks to another favorite, Boulangerie St. Honoré, for a savory smoked pork loin with rose-apple butter, apple and fennel slaw paired with a real French Beaujolais Nouveau. Crawl participants were serenaded as we sipped and ate.

The wine kept flowing and the food kept being served all the way down SE Division. Pedi cabs were on duty to get you back to your car or to transport you along the street.

I ended my evening with a Nouveau Pinot Sorbet at Salt & Straw. As I enjoyed the sorbet on a cone, I couldn’t help but notice all the Thanksgiving flavors on the chalkboard. Salt & Straw has gone over the top with creativity again this season.

The pours and bites were more than generous. Participants enjoyed an evening of fun, food and new wine for $25 each (pre-purchased tickets) which is very easy on the pocketbook.

And, for those who managed to visit all seven stops on the crawl and return a completed punch card that same day to the SE Wine Collective, they received a complimentary wine tasting flight for a later use!

This year’s participants in the festivities included Cibo, Imperial Bottle Shop, Pizza Maria, Salt &Straw, Southeast Wine Collective, St. Honoré Boulangerie, Sunshine Tavern, Woodsman Tavern and more.

I highly recommend this event and urge you to watch for next year’s Nouveau Division Crawl. I came away this year with good memories of the cheerful purveyors as well as good food and wine during what had been a difficult week in the world.

Website

Note: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary event ticket for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

National Chardonnay Day 2015: An Unusual Place for an Excellent Chard

Maragas Chardonnay

I just found out that we're all celebrating National Chardonnay Day today. I don't know why I'm surprised. There is National Ketchup Day, National Ice Cream Month... you get the idea. So let's celebrate!

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Maragas Winery in Culver, Oregon (near Bend) and found a very good Chardonnay there. We toured the vineyard and barrel room.

Bend is in the high desert and there is a very short growing season so it is usual to see very many vineyards in the area. But, at Maragas, they were having great success using old world techniques learned from the owner's family in Crete, Greece with some local ingenuity thrown in for good measure.

The volcanic soils rich with minerals allow for excellent water drainage so the vines thrive. The owners' use of porous tarps and rocks warms the earth to give the vines a head start each season.

They vineyard showing the use of tarp and rocks,
which the owners dug from the surrounding property.

At Maragas, they focus on farming organically and being as environmentally friendly as possible. They are eager to show visitors what they are doing. And, they are proud of their wines, much of which is made using grapes sourced from the Willamette Valley. Eventually their vineyards will produce enough for Maragas to offer estate wines.

We enjoyed a flight of their wines in the tasting room filled with art by Doug Maragas' mother. As we tasted I kept coming back to the first wine, the Chardonnay, as my favorite. The 2012 Chardonnay, with grapes sourced in Oregon's Applegate Valley, was crisp and well-balanaced. I really liked it!

Doug Maragas pouring my favorite Chardonnay

So on this day, National Chardonnay Day, I'll lift my glass to toast the Maragas family and the Maragas Winery in beautiful Central Oregon.

Note: The winery is holding an Open House on this Memorial Weekend -  Friday and Saturday 11am to 6pm, Monday 11am to 4pm.   More details by clicking Here

More Information
Maragas Winery, 15523 SW Hwy 97, Culver, OR 97734 (easy to find)
Phone: 541-546-5464
Website
Visit Central Oregon

Photography copyright: Elizabeth Rose Photography