Lots of news to share with readers as we head into the holidays:

A new Mr. Gyros location opened in Lynnwood at 5124 168th St. S.W.

While the past years have seen brick-and-mortar locations, as well a Mr. Gyro food truck at local events, the owners say the last few years have “opened our eyes to the endless possibilities for Mr. Gyros, its future and how to navigate these tough times we’ve all been going through.”

They wanted to bring the Lynnwood community a convenient take-out option with drive-up/walk-up ordering. This is the first location outside of Seattle.

Braving the possible crowds of students from up the street at Meadowdale High School, I hopped in the car. Readers- — one can order from GrubHub, but otherwise you need to show up and order in person.

Staff is super efficient and I had a very short wait, especially considering I was ordering many items, not just a lunch for myself.

Food is priced affordably. Sandwiches include gyros (lamb/beef or chicken) at less than $10 and a non-meat falafel at around $9. Plates, which are generous portions, top at $14, and include hummus or baba, rice, Greek salad and pita bread. (slide show of dishes?)

Best deals of all are the sides. Priced at $6 per portion, they come with a large-sized pita.

Baba Ghanoush features a 12 oz. portion, topped with fresh chopped veggies, olives and pita bread. Preparation is “home-made” style, chunks of eggplant that send pleasant smoky tastes into the pallet and made me steal part of hubby’s pita so I could get every last bit from the container.

Hummus is equally tasty, and I enjoyed the portion that came with the Chicken Shawarma plate. Chicken is served up hot from a finish on the grill, sauced with a paprika-dominant mix, and shredded into bite-sized pieces.

Falafel was the choice for the Mr. Gyros salad. Dressed in tangy herbal vinaigrette, accented with feta, the fresh greens and veggies paired well with the crisp bites of the chickpea and herbed orbs.

Dessert is baklava, of course. I’d ordered three, because no one wants to share dessert (just saying). I was surprised that one order is actually three triangles of cut pastry. The flaky layers, filled with moist crushed nut mixture, were delicious and no one minded the extra portions, believe me.

All of the Mr. Gyros locations, including this drive-up spot, are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., closed Sundays.

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Festive Drink Bingo is back in downtown Edmonds.

Surprises on locations and combinations this year too: Try out a new place or raise a glass at your favorite Edmonds bars and restaurants.

Hamburger Harry’s item, a Bailey’s and Irish Cream, looks like a great finish to one of their delicious burgers.

Santa Fe Mexican Grill offers a traditional Rompope cocktail which is a tasty Mexican eggnog, spiked with rum (or not!)

Don’t drink alcohol? No worries — many of the drinks stand on their own.

Walnut Street Coffee has created the Snuggly Cardamom Latte this year. It’s flavored with Holy Kakow’s cardamom and ginger, and you can select your preferred “milk” — dairy or non-dairy.

You have until Dec. 31 to complete your card. Purchase the featured festive drink at each location (including takeaway), get your bingo card stamped and win prizes! For each row of bingo you successfully complete (across, down or diagonal), you will win a limited-edition sticker.

Bring your completed card to Church Key Pub at 109 4th Ave. N. any time before Jan. 15 to pick up your sticker and be entered into a raffle for a $10 gift card.

Please note there is only one card/one entry per person. See full details at www.edmondsholidays.com/events/festive-drink-bingo

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The Holiday Trolley is back, running downtown on Saturdays until through Dec. 18 with Emily the Elf spreading joy all around town! This year, the City of Edmonds will also run the trolley in the Highway 99 neighborhood on two Sundays.

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Cottage Community Bakery owner Conor O’Neill has something very special in store this year to celebrate his upcoming birthday. For those who may not know, Conor was diagnosed with bladder cancer during his junior year of high school in 2012. Thankfully, an immediate surgery removed the cancer entirely, and Conor has celebrated being cancer-free for an entire decade.

Come celebrate at The Cottage storefront in Perrinville, 7530 Olympic View Drive, #101, and give back to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance simultaneously, on Wednesday, Dec. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m.

They’ll be dishing out hot pretzel twists and knots, right from the hearth oven, accompanied by some incredible sauces and toppings.

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Edmonds restaurateurs are offering support to downtown retail establishments.

To promote the vibrancy of the Edmonds downtown business core and encourage us all to “Shop Local,” Jeff and Erika Barnett at the Salish Sea Brewing Company are offering a 10% discount off your receipt to those who show proof of a recent purchase at one of our fine local downtown Edmonds retail locations. Simply share your receipt, dated within three days of your visit to either Salish Sea Brewing Company or the Boathouse Taproom in Harbor Square, and receive a 10% discount on your tab. See for full details at www.facebook.com/SalishSeaBrewingCompany.

Feedme Hospitality & Restaurant Group invites you to “join us for 30 days of Edmonds kind of gift cards.” They will be giving away a $100 gift card to a local retailer in downtown Edmonds each day.

The Edmonds Chamber offers yet another way for folks to support our local businesses- For the “hard-to-shop-for” individuals on your list, they offer the perfect gift Edmonds Cash. Support local merchants and restaurants all year round. 

Happy holiday dining … and shopping!

— 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.