Soups, salads, sandwiches at deli-style bakeries
The Dish on Dish
Shelley Taylor
BELL STREET BAKERY
173 W. Bell St., Sequim
681-6262
$$
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
www.bellstreetbakery.net
OLYMPIC BAGEL COMPANY
802 E. First St., Port Angeles
452-9100
$$
6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday
www.olympicbagel.com
100-MILE HARVEST DINNER
$$$
www.friendsofthefields.org
Got bread?
No? Then I have two small eateries that specialize in the staff of life.
Sequim’s Bell Street Bakery is right next to the mill that produces its organic corn, rye, white wheat and whole wheat flour.
You may have noticed Bell Street is becoming quite the tony “boulevard.” Its revival is evident from the face-lifts of old buildings and the construction of new ones.
The craftsman-style bakery has lots of windows to let in that famous Sequim sunshine.
Though the menu is limited, the fare is, as my cousin was famous for stating, “Delicious and nutritious.”
The sandwiches are (mostly) pre-made on the premises. Daily choices are tuna, pastrami, roast beef or turkey.
By the time I arrived, turkey sandwiches on wheat were my only choice. The bread was fluffy and fresh, of course – the veggies as well.
In addition to breakfast and lunch wraps, there are spinach, Italian sausage and Dungeness crab “Parcels” neatly packaged in a buttery croissant.
For salad you can choose organic spinach or spring mix; carnivores can chow down on chicken or tuna salad.
The quiche was so smooth it was almost like custard.
And there’s pizza by the slice for $2.50.
Soups arrive daily from Toga’s in Port Angeles. This day’s tomato bisque and corn and pepper chowder were excellent.
In its baked goods department, the choices are vast: artisan breads including the bakery’s own Sequim sourdough; fresh-baked muffins like Morning Glory with carrots, walnuts and apples; scones including “The Hippie” (whole wheat flour, cinnamon, cream cheese and flax seed); and several homemade pastas (try mushroom or smoked salmon ravioli).
Take home some sweet treats and loaves … and pies – even strawberry rhubarb.
Bell Street Bakery boasts Rainshadow Roasting Company coffees.
I couldn’t pass up the sticky bun although I would have been happier if they’d dropped the whole thing in a vat of that mouth-watering sticky goo.
******
I couldn’t have said it better: “If you’re a vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, on a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, diabetic, lactose-intolerant, caffeine-free diet or just don’t care any more, we will try our best to serve you.”
Port Angeles’ Olympic Bagel Company is a cross between a hippie hangout and a Jewish deli.
And they make it easy to hang out there: a bin of newspapers and your choice of checkers or chess – and games and books for the kids.
For the cook, they stock a host of “Uniquely Washington” taste treats and condiments (including bottled crispy carrots and white asparagus, wine and saki jellies).
If you had to bypass
Sequim, you’ll find similar fare here. They, too, make their own breads and pastries, plus 30 varieties of bagels. On your bagel, try one of 22 different bagel spreads or shmears made with fruit, veggies, or fish and cream cheese.
You’ll find more than two dozen choices of melts, salads and signature sandwiches ($5.95) like their Chili Bagel Dog, Build Your Own, or Northwest Turkey Dijon Panini with green chili pepper and mozzarella.
Try one of many smoothies: the Northwest Blush combines pears, apricots and peaches while the Ship Wreck blends strawberry and coconut. For winter days, there are 30 varieties of loose leaf teas, tisanes (herbal teas) and Tully’s coffees.
I ordered my usual tuna sandwich; it came on 1-inch-thick sweet wheat bread with pickle, twice-baked bagel chips and two yummy chocolate chip cookies.
And mercifully, they had diet cola.
******
If you didn’t attend this year’s event, you missed one fantastic meal.
A month ago I attended this year’s 100-Mile Harvest Dinner, which showcases the bounty of our local farmers to raise money for Friends of the Fields, now a division of the North Olympic Land Trust.
Tickets were $99 for early reservations. This would be pretty pricey – if it weren’t for such a good cause. One diner donated a hefty $20,000 to help preserve our precious local farmland.
And our local farmers put on quite a show!
Here’s the kind of menu you can look forward to next September:
First there were appetizers.
The Hama Hama Company in Liliwaup served up Hama Hama pickled oysters. The tortilla Espa?ola was provided by Alder Wood Bistro. Smoked salmon mousse with sprig of dill was courtesy of Port Townsend’s Brassica Restaurant. And Priscilla Raymond hand-made dozens and dozens of empanadas.
Then salads.
The evening’s lead chef, Aaran Stark of Brassica Restaurant, served green and herb mixed salad with heirloom tomatoes as well as the poached salmon on chilled triticale.
Then came the main course.
Doug Seaver of Michael’s Steakhouse and Seafood in Port Angeles presented beef and pork roulade with mushroom sauce. And Dave Long of Port Angeles’ Oven Spoonful whipped up a roasted root vegetable medley.
And let’s not forget the cherry on top … dessert.
Again, Alder Wood Bistro came to the party with apple hazelnut gateau with candied carrots.
Best Friend Nutrition and Nash’s Organic Produce were the table sponsors.
Camaraderie Cellars, Harbinger Winery, Olympic Cellars, and Ken and Carolyn Johnston provided the wines. Beer was offered by
Sequim’s Fathom & League. The hard cider was courtesy of Wildfire Cider in Port Townsend. And for us teetotalers there was Princess Valiant Coffee from Port Angeles.
The Farmer of the Year Award went to the John and Carmen Jarvis family whose ancestors began farming in Finland and now own Finn Hall Farm.
What some fun? Listen to the Thanks to the Farmer music video by local Suzi Schuenemann: www.friendsofthefields.org/media_ThanksToFarmer.htm.
Shelley Taylor and her husband relocated to the peninsula from California. By her own admission, Taylor likes to eat.
