Nov. 19-20: Bagel delivery coming to Edmonds/Shoreline

Here’s a bit of information about a new neighborhood delivery that’s coming to Edmonds and Shoreline. Bagels from Eltana located on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

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’d seen a notice regarding this opportunity, and contacted Eltana to gather all the details. Holly responded, and here is their story-

“Our neighborhood delivery started as a grassroots effort from customers in neighborhoods throughout the Seattle area who wanted our artisan bagels but couldn’t reach us during quarantine.  One customer in particular from Issaquah reached out to us and asked how she could get a delivery to her neighborhood. We asked her to round up a few friends and neighbors and she came back with over a hundred orders! We quickly adapted and started offering neighborhood deliveries to keep our business running. That’s how it all began. It was also very difficult to even get to the Capitol Hill store because our location is directly across from the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct, which was in the heart of the protest area this past Spring/Summer.”

Edmonds and Shoreline neighborhood bagel delivery is on for next week. Here’s how to get amazing bagels and yummy spread too — delivered right to your door.

Online order site: eltana.square.site/

Order deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 17  Delivery will take place: Nov 19-20, with bagels and spread delivered right to the customer’s doorstep.

Don’t live in Edmonds or Shoreline? Eltana notes they will be adding more neighborhoods in the future. “Please let us know if you want us to come to your neighborhood or if you have any questions. Email poppy@eltana.com.”

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Katsu Burgers is taking Seattle by storm

Each location unique — sushi is offered in Ballard, for example. The Lynnwood Katsu Burger at 333 184th S.W., #B is tucked into the front parking area, facing 184th, at the H-Mart complex. This location has Jones soda on tap. I’d never tried fresh before, only in bottles. And according to research on the subject, here is a link to get the scoop: www.eatthis.com/fountain-vs-bottle-soda. We tested Ginger Beer bottled vs. fresh from the tap. My taste buds agree too. I know cans and plastic impart taste, but soda bottled in glass. Who knew?

The latest Katsu Burger location to open in Edmonds is in Boohan Plaza, which has bakery items in addition to its colossal burgers and other sandwiches. So a bonus at this location is you will get to enjoy your burgers on freshly baked buns. Warning for those who are weak: Temptation lurks in a case full of delectable pastries, baked on the premises as well.

The rock star of our order was the Miso Honey Tofu burger; I coaxed a second bite from my hubby’s “non-meat” burger. Light, fluffy and tasty, the tofu cutlet encased in thin crispy casing, it conjured memories of a tofu favorite in Seattle’s downtown, a spot called O Sushi. Tons of shredded cabbage and thin-sliced red onions, topped the tofu, accented with a sweet/savory sauce, between the halves of freshly baked buns.

Lightly fried meats in a burger presentation were a tasty treat, not at all greasy, or oily. Fresh beef was slightly pink and tender, ditto the pork, chicken and the fluffy tofu, all crispy outside, moist protein inside. Forgot to mention the thinly sliced, crispy pickles that tasted like homemade — these top the generous toppings of shredded slaw, thin sliced tomatoes and red onions on every sandwich.

Whimsical names and presentations: Our spice-craving son stated that his Godzilla burger met expectations and said he’d be back for more. Creativity on another giant-sized choice, the Chicken Burger sported a pair of meatball eyes, the tomato and onion slices formed a grin.

Sides include shoestring fries, and no extra oil here either. The nori version was lightly seasoned, and when dipped into the wasabi sauce was very flavorful indeed. Plain sea-salt fries ranked high-fives from my guys. Spoiler alert: Cups of dip for fries cost extra-$0.55 each.

Wasabi coleslaw composed of the thin shredded cabbage and veggies dressed in tangy wasabi mustard and edamame beans added to the enjoyment of this Asian twist on a classic side dish.

I mentioned they have pastries at this location in Edmonds. Desserts did indeed win my affections. I chose a more traditional apple-filled bar, and one filled with a green tea fluffy icing. Pastry was fresh and flaky, and fillings were not overly sweet.

On a roll with green tea, we decided on a green tea-flavored milkshake, again pleasantly surprised at the flavor, creaminess and subtle sweetening.

A second pass at drinks meant sampling the Jones fountain soda and I tried out the exotic-sounding Kinako and Black Sesame milkshake at Lynnwood’s Katsu location. Here’s the scoop — the two ingredients are ground into a fine powder, and roasted for a nutty flavor.

More beverage adventures: Bubbles or no bubbles? Drink choices abound at Katsu Lynnwood. Calpico is a Japanese “un-carbonated” soft drink — the beverage has a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavor, similar to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt.

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Short road trip for beer 

Readers, I did hop in the car and drive on over to Hemlock State Brewing in Mountlake Terrace.

I ordered up on the Strawberry Fields Forever, a pale ale. Gorgeous in the glass, sweet but not jammy in the mouth, it’s made with real strawberry puree. Reminiscing on the best-tasting berries, a variety that is ruby red all the way through, I tasted them on the exhale too. Nice memory for my mouth.

Since dogs are “totally welcome,” we took our two Elkhounds over for a full review on the place.

Sure enough, staff took time to give our doggies some love, and treats too. I shared with our server that one of our dogs’  favorite spots to romp is an off-leash park north of Everett called… yup…Strawberry Fields. Serendipitous and deserving of a round for the pups — of milk bones, not brew, of course.

My hubby tried out Aurora Beerialis IPA. It had a citrusy taste with caramel overtones which paired well with the cheeses, hummus and veggies now offered as part of Hemlock’s snack selection (more below).

Nothing is worse than the last glass of beer going flat in a forgotten jug. It’s very cool that Hemlock State offers 32 oz cans of their brew.

They call them “crowlers,” not to be confused with the glass jugs, called growlers. Growlers and crowlers are available for any beer or cider that we carry. Preorder online or drop by the taproom and load up.

Best news… yet to come.  owner/brewer Jerret Botch, in the gray hoodie, joins owner/brewer Michael Ernst in blue jacket as they taste test Double Toasted Snowman,  a very special brew.

“We’ve been looking forward to getting this in a sample glass for the better part of five months. The aroma, let alone the taste, is fantastic! We can’t wait to share it with you.”

ETA is right after Thanksgiving. Just in time for the holidays.

Hemlock State Brewing is all about support for locals. They’ve partnered with local sandwich makers Molly’s and Homegrown to provide a small selection of sandwiches and snacks available in the taproom. “Beer has always been our priority, but we’re glad to partner with other folks who care about their craft.”

And… can one still bring in outside food? Absolutely!

The above-mentioned brewers not only create amazing brew, but they come up with names like Strawberry Fields Forever or a Farmer Tan Pale Ale. Or Brew Tang Clan, a Scottish-style Wee Heavy? They’re having way too much fun here.

Every once in a while, they give up on trying to name a new beer, and open up the fun to their clientele. Jerret offered the challenge and described the new IPA like this:

“It’s a zippy little IPA. Bright and zesty on the palate; hop complexity a mix of citrusy pineapple and a defining piney note. The body is surprisingly light and spry for as much carapils/flaked barley went in. Great IPA kinda like a AB kid brother.”

The winner: “Erin Michonski, congrats on naming our latest IPA: 16oz to Freedom! Nice nod to Sublime’s early album “40oz to Freedom.”

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Updates on additional Thanksgiving Day dining possibilities–

The Keg in Lynnwood is open on Thanksgiving Day. They ask folks to please call their location, 425-778-0900, as apparently the online reservation system doesn’t work well for COVID rules, and is shut down for bookings on Thanksgiving — Nov. 26.

Sprouts Farmer’s Market now offers a fully-prepared meal for Thanksgiving, complete with seasonal sides. Choose from natural turkey, spiral-sliced ham, even a vegan holiday roast. Visit sprouts.com/holiday.

Chef Dane has plenty of take-out options when you don’t wish or don’t have time to cook.

Red Twig offers help on the desserts for Thanksgiving this year. They are closed on Nov. 26, but pie pre-orders are available to pick up on Tuesday, the 24th, and Wednesday, the 25th.

Staff are taking pre-orders in-house. Call 425-771-1200. In addition, they have a wide variety of baked goods available for pre-order online including cakes, cinnamon rolls, and several gluten-free options.

See our earlier report here on other restaurants and stores offering Thanksgiving Day fare

— By Kathy Passage

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.