Port Townsend Area Eats

On Common Ground, Chimacum: Here’s to pie made by floury kitchen lasses with broad upper arms. Here’s to sandwiches that look big enough to feed two, to service that’s both cheerful and laconic at the same time. Here’s to pecan pie bites in their own little foil pans and to molasses ginger cookies that use twice, maybe three times the ginger that other weak, less made with real butter cookies have. There’s little that makes me happier than a quality bakery that serves up truly home made treats with good coffee. Stop on your way into or out of Port Townsend. [~ 8.00 for coffee and snacks for two]

The Public House Grill, Port Townsend:  There are lots of places sort of like this one, I had a real sense of deja vu sitting under the high tin ceiling — was it somewhere in Australia I was transported to? Usually the beer is local microbrew, the food a little disappointing. At the Public House it’s yes to the microbrews and no to disappointing food. My grilled ling cod on salad was an impeccably cooked piece of fish (and I’m picky as hell about seafood) on a generous plate of greens. J’s burger and fries got a “Yeah, that was good,” but he’s a guy of few words. It was nice in there, too, twinkly lights and Sam Cook on the PA, not too loud. Lovely. Date worthy, but there were families with kids there too. We’ll go  back.  [43.64, dinner for two with drinks, tip and tax]

The Coffee Loft and Bake Shop, Port Hadlock:  It’s rare that I walk into a place and like the art, I’m as picky about that as I am about how my fish is cooked. I liked the crazy irregular photo collages on the walls in this cafe and I liked the big slabs of coffee cake and almond cake. I liked the old guys having their Sunday morning powwow just over there, and I liked eavesdropping on the ladies in the corner, even if they weren’t very cosmopolitan. “Who serves CURRY at an event?! Who eats that stuff? We stopped at the McDonald’s on the way home!” Good baking, good coffee, live entertainment provided by default if your ears are big enough. And oh, righteous brownies. [7.90, coffee and snacks for two]

The Fountain Cafe, Port Townsend: This tiny shoebox of a place serves up possibly the best cioppino (a tomato based seafood stew) I’ve ever eaten. Our generous plates filled up the little cafe table — my dinner was oh so fresh, the tomatoes tasted home grown, there was just a tiny bit of spicy kick with a nice sour edge from the capers… oh, it was good. J had the smoked salmon fettuccine, finished with a little splash of scotch and plenty of salmon, everything was first rate. I was sad to be too full for dessert because dinner was so outstanding, but we walked away from the hazelnut torte. If you’re in Port Townsend, eat here. You may have to wait because really, it’s tiny, but it’s worth the wait  — and worth every penny. Yes, there’s a kids menu, too. Yum. [66.99 for dinner, salad, San Pelligrino, for two]