Fish Park

Every morning on my way to work, I pass what looks like a small, run-down view point and parking lot. The place is called Fish Park - its right between Viking Way Poulsbo and Front Street Poulsbo at the point of Liberty Bay. It really doesn't look like much - but, what's that phrase... never judge a book by its cover... totally applies here.

Sometimes, Chad will take me to work on Saturday morning,s and on the days he does, we usually bring Milli with us. I've always known they go on walks after the drive, usually visiting Fish Park, but what I didn't know was anything about it.

Well, last night, I got my chance to see it for myself. I wanted to go pick blackberries. I had our usual spots in mind, Clear Creek, my friend Ashley's house, Island Lake - but Chad said we just HAD to go to Fish Park. I wasn't exactly excited to hear this... I wasn't even sure why we were going to go to the weird little parking lot for berries... I knew he had picked about 8 single blackberries, there the week before - but that wasn't exactly what I was looking for....

Well... again... I can admit it - I was wrong. Fish Park is SO MUCH MORE than a parking lot!! It is a beautiful, well-built, trail system. According to an interpretive sign (one of many) the park spans 20 acres and the trails were built mostly by volunteers and donations. 2/3 of the trail snakes through pretty dense non-pine forest, while the other third goes through a grassland and around a thick part of a creek/stream. I can't find any information about the water way....

While we were there we found TONS of blackberries, snowberries (poisonous), rose hips, apples and pears. We also saw a huge splash in the stream while standing on a lookout, we think it was a river otter or beaver - apparently both live there.

 Snowberries

And, did I mention the crazy wood salmon! It looks like its made of small pieces of drift wood. It's perched at the top of a hill - perfect photo opt.

Really - if you have a dog or are just looking for a nice stroll one evening - try out Fish Park in Poulsbo - its totally worth the trip.

Butter Cake. Enough Said.

Do you have a weird store in your community? You know a store that has foods from all around the world? Or they specialize in one weird item, like say, black licorice? I'm sure you do, and I'm sure its an Asian grocery store - which aren't bad, but nothing compared to mine.

Poulsbo has been - should I say blessed? - with a unique enterprise - and its called Marina Market.

This store is awesome. From the front you'd think they sold fishing rods and bait, maybe a few canned beers - its totally unassuming. But once you walk inside you eyes can do nothing but light up. The front counter alone is covered with interesting, almost gimmicky candies and toys - like bacon shaped bandaids and face sized lollypops. Then, as you look farther back you can just barely see an entire isle of licorice - yes, an entire isle dedicated to black licorice from around he world. As you're glace wanders even further back, your eyes will feast upon a selection of beer, unrivaled by any other local store. And we're not talking Budweiser here, we're talking some of the best, borderline rare brews from all over the world. At this point you just need to walk around. Your eyes will be tired from focusing in on the greatness.

Marina Market is a mostly a grocery store, but they carry a little of everything. As you walk around  you'll notice something, a theme of sorts... take for example the isle where you would find cup-o-noodles. Yeah, you'll probably find a good ole regular chicken cup-o-noodle, but it will be surrounded by much more exotic fares like the Thai rice noodle equivalent and instant Indian curry and borscht soup mix and a Swedish blueberry soup so on and so forth. Down other isles you will see packages with no English on them what so ever. In the freezer you will find, not one, but two kinds of lutefisk frozen dinners. They also carry a bunch of gluten free products and souvenirs.

There is definetely a theme - I'd say a global one - from local to each corner of the world. Every isle holds something new and awesome, but the section I have fallen in love with, is the Dutch dessert isle...

Walking down that isle, is like floating on a cloud... that's been smeared in butter. My first wandering, brought me to an almond filled butter cake. It had no label on it, no expiration date, and it was just a round, flat pie looking thing wrapped in cellophane. When the owner saw me looking at it his eyes lit up, and he told me to hold on. Minutes later I was feasting on a sample cake. Only minutes after that I was buying one for myself.

Chad and I finished it in about 3 days. The taste was addictive, a soft but dense cake that screamed butter and almond extract, and it basically melted in your mouth, similar to the way shortbread does. It was amazing.

That next week I stopped back into the store. I had to find the owner and ask him what he recommended for our next treat - but I wanted it to be similarly delicious, he steered me towards the almond butter cake cookies. They were almost as delicious, but had the added benefit of being portable.

A few weeks later I got a text message from the owner simply stating that - they got the boxed butter cake mix in. I was there within a week buying one.

I made it this past Monday night - and after strict rationing, there is one piece left - and I may, or may not share it with Chad.

This cake was better than the initial cake I ate there. It lacks the almond flavor, but makes up for in fresh, dense, buttery goodness. I think I might just add a teaspoon of almond extract next time I make it. Why not, right? And it was so easy to make. And soooo, sooo easy to eat.

Just to let you know, Marina Market has an awesome website: www.marinamarket.com and they ship just about anywhere (including their beer). You - have - to get one of these cake mixes. You have to. Its my new comfort food. Its my new obsession. I may just make one big enough to sleep in.

Just in case you couldn't find it in the vast expanse of goodies on the website, here is the Boter Koeh link, with the English directions on it: http://www.marinamarket.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=106490 and just to let you know, 7 ounces of butter is just shy of two sticks! And according to the other owner of the store, the cake is even better if you use imported butter! Its less watery than our, apparently lame, butter.

Sun and Beer at the Slippery Pig

The Slippery Pig has been a place that Chad and I have been meaning to visit for quite some time now. All of our friends have been there. We've had their beer at a festival and tasted it via many a growler. But we had never taken the trip to their tasting room.

 

When you see this - you know you're there!

This past Saturday was the day. A yuck kind of a day - the kind of day you think "today would be better with a beer."

Only having a vague idea of its location - Chad and I found it pretty easily. People mention a long dirt road - yeah, people aren't lying.... the brewery is at the end of a long, dirt, RESIDENTIAL road - but its well marked and at the end of it (so just keep going).

We were surprised by how inviting the place was. Its on a farm (which I knew cause I'd seen the Brewer and his wife at the Poulsbo Farmers Market working their Red Rooster booth) and there was a real, covered structure over the tasting area (we heard rumors of just a tarp...).

We met this GREAT couple there - talked the whole time - and took each others picture :)

We ordered the only thing that makes any sense at a new brewery - the flight of beers. It came with 5 beers and one cream soda (which I got added with a simple request). The 6 - rather large tasters - came to our table on a cool little tray, with little cards naming and describing each beer.

I feel bad... but I don't remember all of their names... BUT I do remember they were all VERY odd beers. I use the term 'odd' endearingly. The Slippery Pig does something I respect to the end of time - they use what they grow. Literally, harvest from their farm and use it to brew to my glass. A farm to table kind of place. Some examples: They had a Rhubarb Session Ale, a Quince Saison, an amber with Kale and another with juniper/cedar - but most uniquely - ok... I admit that Quince and Kale are unique - Curly Tail Stinging Nettle Pale. Yeah. This beer had the earthy, almost grassy, notes of stinging nettle, harvested right there off their property.

All of their brews had very common theme as far as taste - strong and odd. They were all very forward tasting, very obvious notes of what they were made of. For me, they were slightly overwhelming. There was one that had a smoked flavor (I think it was the cedar one) and I could taste nothing else after trying that beer (luckily is was last). I liked the nettle pale, Chad didn't. I also liked the quince one, again though, Chad didn't. Luckily, he liked the other three... while... you guessed it... I didn't.

The cool thing is - it seems their beers are always changing. Hopefully its a very seasonal place, using what is available to flavor their current batch. I would love to come here every season and taste what they have to offer. They are by far the most -interesting- brewery I have ever been to. I love the setting - having a beer next to a pig pin and their home with kids playing in the grass, is just wonderfully inviting. And OH! Their cream soda is sweet, and delicious!! DELICIOUS!

I highly recommend visiting the Slippery Pig - especially on a sunny day with a good friend.

Anderson Landing Preserve

Sometimes I feel like I neglect my dog when Chad isn't around. See, when Chad isn't here I have no trouble justifying sitting on the couch, doing sitting-on-the-couch things, like finishing a season of House, or knitting a scarf, or researching cheese making, or updating my blog. Unfortunately though, this means Milli sits on the couch with me... Usually she sleeps, but every once in a while she just stares at me. She stares at me with those "awww.... mom.... come onnnn...." eyes.

"Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom..."

Yesterday, I decided not to neglect her. I decided to make the most of the day. Heck, it was over 40 degrees and it wasn't even raining, I really didn't have any excuse.

After a little research I found a promising little trail out towards Seabeck. Anderson Landing Preserve, a 68 acre park, parts of which precariously perched on a cliff overlooking Hood Canal.

So, I packed up Milli, and off we went. After a few errands, it was just a short 15 minute drive down Anderson Hill. It was easy to find, yet far enough off the road to escape most car noise. It even had a little parking lot and a map at the entrance.

This little preserve was amazing! There were meandering streams thoughout. Moss covered trees that increased branch diameter 3 fold. And mud... oh my goodness, there was mud. It was not a good day to wear my DCs....

The trail was a perfect intermediate trail - a real hike at times. Three quarters of the walk was up and over hills - extremely steep and slippery with mud at times. I would not recommend this trail if it were raining. Though it hadn't rained in 36 hours, there was standing water everywhere and in places mud so deep it went up over Milli's feet and made a sucking noise as she walked. There was this steep downgrade (would've been up if we had done the loop in the opposite direction) that had bona fide switchbacks. At another part the trail was less than a foot and a half wide, with a steep hill to one side and a sheer 100 foot drop to the other.

This was the skinny part of the trail. It seemed to have been paved at one point and the cliff was eroding out from under asphalt.

 

The scenery was downright awe inspiring. It was like being in another world - with you being the sole inhabitant of an alien landscape full of tall fuzzy green trees and huge mushroom chairs. The ground was littered with fallen trees, huge ferns and tickle waterfalls. This is not a place that gets much sunlight. It was gorgeous. The best part was it was tucked back far enough from the road that for most of the walk you were protected from the road's traffic noise.

At two points the trail gets pretty close to the Hood Canal. The first you could only see it through the trees, but then later on there was a wood landing with a bench that over looked it.

The whole loop took exactly 45 minutes - and that was walking at a slightly faster than leisure pace and with one slight bush-wacking detour. By the end of the walk, my heart rate was slightly elevated and Milli was downright pooped. We will definitely be visiting Anderson Landing again!

Welcome to the Neighborhood: Sound Brewery!

Its finally open! Sound Brewery has finally opened its doors to their brand new Tasting Room! And Chad and I were lucky enough to be there for their first night!

Sound Brewery is our peninsula's newest craft brewery! Chad and I have had the pleasure of knowing about its existence since November - see Mark, one of its creators, is a member of West Sound Brewers - the local brew club Chad and I are casually members of. And at our first WSB meeting, Mark was giggling like a school girl about the progression of his pet project. The brewery has been a long time coming, and this is what they founders say about it, and themselves:

"Sound Brewery is the dream project realized for five like-minded individuals with a common goal: To make and distribute the types of beers that we've been buying, searching for, imagining, brewing and enjoying for decades. We're brewers and enthusiasts, creatives, engineers and business people, working together to build a brewery that lets us express ourselves by making the beers that we think other enthusiasts will appreciate."

The evening started out with a ceremonial ribbon cutting - Chad got their early enough to snap the pictures below, I was at work.... Afterward they opened their doors and the beer started flowing!

When I finally got there, I was greeted by a beautiful sight: my husband holding two beers, of which I got to choose one. I chose the beautiful amber/red over the lighter colored one. Come to find out I chose the O'Regan's Revenge, the brain child of Mark, who had been prefecting it over the last 4 St. Patrick's Days. His goal with it was to make a "not typical northwestern red. Not overly hopped." What he came up with was a dry, yet still malty beer. In my opinion - a perfect pint.

Chad was drinking the Koperen Ketel, then a Tripel Entendre. Both were light in color, but had substantial mouthfeel, neither too hoppy. Both very good.

I think they live up to their motto well "Tradition Liberated." They've taken some very traditional ideas, and put their own subtle spin on them.

Check them out at their webpage: http://www.soundbrewery.com/
Or their tasting room at: 650 NW Bovela Ln, Suite #3, Poulsbo, WA  98370

Ahhhh, at last - a delicious beer just a few minutes from our house! We look forward to seeing what these guys come up with!

Himalayan Chutney - Review

Every couple weeks an envelope full of coupons finds its way into our mailbox. These coupons are for a wide range of local businesses - carpet cleaners, auto mechanics, seasonal shops - by my favorite are the restaurant ones. They are amazing! Generally there are about 10 of these restaurant savers, and usually for restaurants Chad and I have never heard of or seen, and for that matter would have probably never noticed. They are usually buy one meal, get one free - and there are never any problems using them. Which is a good thing - cause Chad and I have used around 10 of them.

When I do a review - this is probably how we found the restaurant - and though that works for us, I'd rather more people know about these great little gems! I'll break the review into 3 parts, Food Taste/Quality, Service/Ambiance, and Price (disregarding our savings with the coupons). Our most recent envelope contained a coupon for:

Himalayan Chutney - an independently owned, Indian cuisine restaurant located in downtown Poulsbo.

Food: Delicious. Their menu offers tons of options, ranging from a standard cheese naan to a rarer goat curry (both of which we ordered and were fantastic). Everything tasted very fresh, and was cooked to perfection. Their condiments, which are offered to everyone, include an wonderful mint chutney and a tamarind sauce - both complement every dish.

Service/Ambiance: Looking into HC for the first time we were greeted by an unexpected sight  - sounds odd, but the decorations were sooo beautiful, whimsical and classy. There are quite a few rooms connected to a grander room, and thoughout the space there are huge branches of willow and birch attached to the walls and ceiling - from them sleek decorations are hanging. Luckily for the restaurant, their decorations distracted me from getting irritated by not being noticed for quite a few minutes. As is the case for many family run restaurants, the employees/family were sitting in a booth all together, kind of waiting for someone, but without actually monitoring the door. We actually had to be pointed out by another couple for anyone to seat us, and thats after we were waiting around for a few minutes. After that though, our waitress, though a bit weird, was very attentive, water glasses kept full, questions answered. Though we asked for our whole meal to be brought out at the same time - our naan did come out about 5 minutes before the food... letting it get cold...

Price: Unlike some other Indian restaurants we've visited, HC was totally budget friendly! They have so many choices, that you could eat at almost any price point and leave satisified. Our coupon, we noticed in the car, had expired a few days earlier - and even without it, two entrees (including the most expensive goat curry), unlimited rice, two different naans, and a soda came out to about $40, with tip (with it we could have saved about $10).

P.S.: Because the restaurant is located at the end of downtown Poulsbo, parking can be HORRIBLE! This was actually the SECOND attempt for us to go here, the first time it was raining, sort of near a holiday, and there was NO parking to be found, so we went home. Try going on either a clear weekend, when you don't mind walking a bit or on a weekday evening.

All in All: I would totally recommend Himalayan Chutney, especially for visiting family or a date night. Its a very nice feeling restaurant, with great food.Though the service is a little off and on, the characters that are the help, make it mostly all right.