Things to see and do

Arnies features Pacific Northwest Favorites

/ Roadtirement / 12 Comments

We had a wonderful Sunday brunch today. Our son-in-law’s parents are here visiting as well, and our grandson is relishing having all four of his grandparents at the same time. Thus our Sunday outing was extra special.

Arnies trade mark signage

Dining w/windows overlooking Puget Sound

 

 

 

 

Arnies has been serving the area for 25 years. Today we went to the Edmonds location overlooking the Puget Sound and Edmonds Marina. You can also see the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry from the restaurant.

Fresh fruit with creamy yogurt dip

Each person gets their own mouthwatering cinnamon roll

Excellent Mimosas and our grandson loved his OJ in a champagne glass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arnies is known for several things, not the least of which is their signature specialty dishes. Keep in mind that your dining experience includes not only your entrée, but a fresh fruit and dip tray. In addition, you’ll be treated to a Mimosa or OJ and a warm freshly baked cinnamon roll.

Belgian waffle, whipped butter, maple syrup and bacon

Eggs Benedict with house made brunch potatoes

Three egg omelet with honey ham and Tillamook cheddar

The entrées are absolutely delicious. Each are hand prepared, served at the proper temperature, and presented as professionally as you always expect from an upscale dining establishment.

It is fun watching the Edmunds-Kingston Ferry come and go as you eat

The ambience at Arnies is relaxed with a premium feeling. The staff is most friendly and truly want you to feel like you are a valuable guest. The view of Puget Sound is truly magnificent with the islands in the distance and boats on the water. Out of all of our travels, Arnies is one of our favorite restaurants.

A fun wine and beer walk

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We had a most enjoyable wine and beer walk at the Mill Creek Town Center this evening. There were 10 stations, most had three wine samples, a couple had different samples of beer.

The Mill Creek Town Center is an upscale shopping and entertainment area. It includes restaurants, shops, banks and art galleries.



Anthony’s HomePort Everett, a detailed look

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Here we go again with another follow-up post about a delightful restaurant we visited recently. We posted a double picture of a part of our meal at Anthony’s HomePort Everett, one of a large chain of Pacific Northwest based fine dining places.

On this rainy day the exposed decks were covered

We picked a rainy somewhat dreary day, but we still enjoyed getting a table that overlooked the Everett waterfront. We were seated within a few minutes of our arrival without reservations. It was enjoyable watching the surprising number of boats out on the water running in the rain.

Getting a whiff of the fresh baked bread!

Ground pepper being added to the chowder

 

 

 

 

 

We started with a loaf of freshly baked, still warm sourdough bread. Don’t have to tell anybody how good that bread was! I had to try a cup of Anthony’s Award-winning clam chowder with potato and bacon. Topped with freshly ground pepper and oyster crackers, this appetizer was clearly worthy of awards.

Fettuccine pasta specially prepared for Sher

Sher ordered the vegetarian version of the Oregon Fettuccine. In place of the shrimp, Chef Joe added additional vegetables to the fresh pasta, tomatoes, zucchini and
fresh herbs in the garlic cream sauce with Parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Three perfectly fried pieces of fish

A unique lettuce bowl of ginger slaw

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t have to tell you what I ordered, do I? (If you’ve been following us, you probably know. If not, well here goes.) I ordered the fresh caught panko crusted cod fish and chips with ginger slaw. Oh yes it was delicious. The three pieces of fish were especially tasty, with the fried panko crust so good. It’s going to be hard to say which Pacific Northwest Fish and Chips is my favorite.

One bite left on the first of three

Very tasty and potent Pomegranate Drop cocktail

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spotted an interesting drink on a table nearby. Our server told us this was a Pomegranate Drop. It’s a cocktail made with pomegranate juice, vodka, orange liqueur and lemon juice. A very tasty drink indeed. We were glad we “discovered” the Pomegranate Drop. Our experience at Anthony’s HomePort Everett was a highlight on what some call a typical Seattle area rainy day.

The Birds of Mukilteo Lighthouse Park

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Like us, this gull enjoyed just watching the water

One thing you can always count on at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park is seeing birds. We mean seeing lots and lots of birds. When we visited we saw crows, pigeons and of course different species of gulls. We saw them everywhere.

Staking claim to a picnic table

Stretching its wings

 

 

 

 

 

It was interesting to note that these birds were so used to people, dogs, and moving vehicles. When we drove through the parking lot birds were in the unoccupied parking spots, but kept the drive lanes clear.

What???

The picture above shows the public boat ramp and twin docks. So what is the deal with the birds here? What is wrong with the right dock, or what is so appealing to be on the left dock? The gulls were still boycotting that right side dock when we left.

 

Diamond Knot Brewery and Alehouse

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After we toured the Mukilteo Park it was off to the Diamond Knot Brewery and Alehouse. Maybe “off to” is misleading as the Brewery is next to the Historic Lighthouse on the waterfront, and only about 100 yards from where we were watching the water. The Diamond Knot Brewery occupies a massive building that formerly was a bus maintenance facility.

The entrance to the Brewery

The on tap menu board

A look at the bar: nice old counter seats!

 

 

 

 

 

Detail of the seasonal decorations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a brewery we of course had to order a flight of four. We chose three IPA’s and one Lager for our flight. We found all four of the brews were quite tasty. These were all smooth, free of bitterness and worthy of consumption. We tend to like beers with lower IBU numbers. ABV%? We like 6.5 to 8.5. That covers a lot of beers!

Sampling a flight of beers is fun!

And as is our normal activity at a brewery, winery or distillery, we had to try the DKB bar food. We were not really that ready for a full meal. Maj opted for Fish and Chips without the chips. These 1/4 pound wild caught cod pieces were coated in beer batter and bread crumbs for a crunchy texture and delicious taste. (Maj now has a new favorite fish!) We also ordered the Elote Mexican Street Corn dip with spicy cream sauce and warm chips. Delicious!

A quarter pound of fish per piece!

This Street Corn dip was absolutely delicious

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really enjoyed our time at the Diamond Knot Brewing Company. The food and beer was great. The staff at this pub was very nice and efficient. Our server took very good care of us, and we also had a nice conversation with the manager as well.  We’d give a 5 star rating here.

 

 

Trails End Taphouse and Restaurant

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The Sunday lunch that we had at the Trails End was very unique and most enjoyable. The flights of beers and wines plus appetizers started things off. Great homemade comfort food sure filled us with the need for take home boxes too. We even found the beer we liked at Snoqualmie at this Snohomish restaurant! Bought a growler of it and a growler of Sangria Cider.

Spotted on Snoqualmie’s Railroad Avenue

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Snoqualmie is a lovely town about 30 miles east of Seattle. It has a colorful history and is situated between the Snoqualmie Casino to the south and and the famous Snoqualmie Falls to the north. Railroad Avenue follows the twin tracks through town and features lots of interesting sites, businesses and shops.

Hear are a few things that caught our eye:

An interesting sight

Describing the wheel above

The Snoqualmie Depot, home of the Northwest Railway Museum

Depot history and information plaque

The Railroad was first constructed in 1889 and opened up the timber and lumber industry. Prior to the railroad, logs were floated down the river and over the falls. The Depot pictured above is now home to the Northwest Railway Museum. Engines, freight cars, passenger cars and locomotives are found on various tracks and sidings. The large metal wheel supported a 65 foot long bandsaw in an early mill.

Early diesel locomotive

Street mural depicting early log hauling trucks

1936 Totem Pole

Relaxing on Railroad Avenue, enjoying the sun

 

History of the Totem Pole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snoqualmie is an ideal destination for a relaxing day trip. There is so much to see with attractions for all ages. One thing we really enjoyed was how laid back everything (and everybody) was. No rushing around, you can take your time and enjoy everything this cute town offers.