Day 200 of 365…

THIS coming Friday, September 10th kicks off the 39th Annual Vancouver Sausage Festival! It runs Friday night and all day Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th. Here’s what I said in last years Sausage Fest blog post…

Born and raised in Vancouver, this annual event has a special place in my heart. People who aren’t from around here don’t really get it. As a kid, it was THE place to hang out for the entire weekend. You got to ride rides, hang out, eat great food, cause trouble, play games and just be kids.

As we got older, it became more of a reunion place. A place to reconnect with some childhood friends that you may not see on a regular basis. But, you always know you’ll run into someone you know at the Vancouver Sausage Fest. It’s a place to watch local talent perform. Dancers, singers, drummers, cloggers, groups… Just plain old fun.

This sentiment hasn’t changed. I look forward to this annual event. The great thing is we are now incorporating and introducing new friends into this old tradition. Admittance this year is $2 per person or only $1 if you donate a non-perishable food item. You can also get Family Pack Admission Bracelets and Discount Ride Tickets online.

This years entertainment schedule is as follows:

Friday, September 10
7:00 – 7:45 Opening Ceremonies
8:30 Merrill
Saturday, September 11
10:00 – 10:45 Dance Fusion
11:00 – 11:45 River City Cloggers
12:00 – 12:45 Westside Dance Academy
1:00 – 1:45 Kara’s Dance Studio
2:00 – 2:50 Julia’s Misfortune
3:00 – 3:50 Molly Malone Irish Dancers
4:00 – 4:50 Claudette Walker Dance
5:00 – 6:00 Gospel Mass
5:45 – 7:15 Ruby Hill
8:30 Hit Explosion
Sunday, September 12
12:00 – 12:45 Stardust (An A Cappella Quartet)
1:00 – 1:50 Virtuosity Performing Arts Studio
2:00 – 2:50 Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy
3:00 – 3:30 Hula Hoop Contest
3:45 – 4:30 Schell Dance Studio
4:45 – 5:30 Solo Vocalist
6:00 Southwest Washington’s Got Talent Finale

Vancouver Sausage Festival is located at St. Joseph’s at 6500 Highland Drive, Vancouver, WA 98661. You can also connect to Vancouver Sausage Festival on Facebook.

Day 199 of 365…

I often have people ask me where in town you can find natural and organic products and the answer I share is always the same… Whole Foods Market out in the Cascade Park and Fishers Landing area. This 27,000 square foot store offers an amazing selection of just about anything you can think of. They also support and carry locally grown products in their store which is great for us and for local providers. Let’s wander around the store a bit.

They have an incredible produce section for all your fresh products.

Their meat and deli section is amazing.

Whole Foods Market features a very diverse selection of wines and beers.

In addition to all of these things they have tons of other sections with wonderful selections of natural and organic products. The best thing for you to do is just go in and explore for yourself. I know I always discover something new and different each time I venture in.

Whole Foods Market is located at 815 SE 160th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98683 and can be reached at 360-253-4082. You can also connect to Whole Foods Market on Facebook and Twitter.

PLUS, they have their very own “365“! How cool is that?!?!

Day 196 of 365…

Looking for a great coffee house that makes incredible crepes? If so, you need to venture out and try Mon Ami Cafe in the Uptown Village area of Downtown Vancouver. Their crepes are amazing. Today I enjoyed the Dulce which hit the spot perfectly. Just the right amount of banana and caramel and prepared just right.

In addition to making fabulous crepes (both sweet and savory) they offer additional treats from Je T’aime Bakery AND Stumptown Coffee! You will also find beer and wine on hand if you prefer.

The “vibe” in Mon Ami is very hip and cool. They have an eclectic variety of furniture and artwork that really adds to the ambiance of this coffee house. You will also find free WiFi here so you can work away while enjoying all the goodness they have to offer.

Mon Ami Cafe is located at 1906 Main Street, Vancouver, WA, 98660 and can be reached at 360-750-5693. You can also connect with Mon Ami Cafe on Facebook!

Day 194 of 365…

Looking for some great Hawaiian food in the Cascade Park area of Vancouver? Let me suggest you stop in and enjoy a meal at Patrick’s Hawaiian Cafe. Patrick comes to us from Honolulu and desires to bring us his “Home Cooked” meals and also the “Spirit of Aloha“. I wasn’t quite sure what this phrase means so I decided to look up the word “Aloha” and here are a few definitions I found:

“Aloha” in the Hawaiian language may mean love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness or grace.

“Aloha” is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. “Aloha” means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return.

“Aloha” is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence.

“Aloha” means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.

How very cool! I’ve always thought of the word Aloha as a hello or goodbye and I just found out it is so much more. Patrick’s Hawaiian Cafe’s food is also so much more. My daughter and I shared the Luau Special of Teriyaki Chicken and Kalua Pork with macaroni potato salad, rice and a side salad. Let me tell you, we were both stuffed and very happy. The teriyaki sauce is wonderful and everything had terrific flavor. This photo only represents my half of our shared meal.

Patrick’s Hawaiian Cafe is located at 316 SE 123rd Ave. #D1, Vancouver, WA 98683 and can be reached at 360-885-0881. Patrick’s features live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings after 6pm with no cover charge. They also offer catering if you’d like to bring a little “Spirit of Aloha” to your party.

Day 189 of 365…

SLOP! Need I say more? The Original Fatty Patty’s is the home of their world famous SLOP. That tasty amazing breakfast item that will stuff you for a week! I still love a good plate of SLOP when I stop in to Fatty Patty’s but I always get the Piglet sized plate. I remember trying to share half an order with a buddy of mine back in college. We ate and ate and ate and still brought home leftovers.
THIS is “Piglet” size…

(Trust me, that’s a large plate!) SLOP consists of hash browns, peppers, onions, ham, tomatoes all smothered in their wonderful country gravy.

In addition to SLOP they serve a ton of other great food. They serve a full breakfast and lunch menu with all home style dishes. The interior is decorated completely with their trademark pig theme. It is fun and comfortable. Remember, they love to feed their guests. All of their food tastes great and will more than fill your belly. If you like to share, this is a great place to do it.

The Original Fatty Patty’s is located at 10501 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, WA 98686 and can be reached at 360-574-4940.

Day 188 of 365…

This weekend August 27th – 29th is the 13th Annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival in Esther Short Park. In case you didn’t know, this is a big deal of an event! Check out what their website says…

What Is The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival?

The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival is now recognized as the #1 Cultural Tourism event in Vancouver and Southwest Washington and is “…the largest jazz festival of its kind in the Northwest…” (KATU Channel 2, Portland, OR). It is also considered “…one of the most important jazz festivals on the west coast…” (NW Jazz Profile Magazine). Since 1998, attendees from 17 states and Canada have attended the event to experience the mission of the Festival: “…Hot jazz, great wines, fine art and delicious cuisine, all in one place, in one great city—Vancouver, Washington!”

Our local Downtown Vancouver, WA stage will be highlighted by acts such as Mavis Staples, John Hammond, Spyro Jyra, David Sanborn, The Rippingtons and more. There will be over 40 wineries with hundreds of labels. 40 Fine artists and a bunch of wonderful restaurants on site. You won’t want to miss any of this huge event. You can purchase tickets for the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival here. It is important to note that this is open to ALL ages! Kids under 12 are free but must be accompanied by an adult. They want everyone to be able to enjoy the jazz of the festival so bring down the whole family.

You can also connect to the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival on Facebook and on Twitter.

Day 186 of 365…

I remember the first time I walked into this Cascade Park area restaurant. It was the first day it opened in October of 1994. My real estate office was in the same shopping center and we had to check them out. I met Don and Donna (creators of Sunrise Bagels) and ate my first ever bagel. I was hooked. This became a regular stopping place in my world. Fruit Wave, Cinnamon Delight, Zippies, Bagel Dogs, Eggels… I loved them all.

This is no different all these years later. My family and I always enjoy stopping in to Seize The Bagel for a bagel, sandwich, iced Chai or hot Chai (yeah, we’re a Chai family) . Whether breakfast or lunch it’s a comfortable place with great food. I’d definitely recommend you stop in and check them out.

Seize The Bagel is located at 13503 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA, 98664 and can be reached at 360-254-1012. You can connect with Seize The Bagel on Facebook too!

Day 181 of 365…

Today I “checked out” a place that a bunch of my friends have been visiting pretty regular in the Orchards area. I met up with several of these friends at Fatty’s Sports Page Bar & Grill and had a great time. This sports bar is huge! They have four pool tables, several dart boards, video games and lots of plasma tv’s on the walls.

They have a large dining area that is open for families until 9pm (I believe that’s the time) and then it changes to a full bar. They also have a section that is the bar all day long. The whole place is very open and the perfect setting for enjoying a game or a UFC event. They feed in all the major UFC events so you might like stopping in to watch the next one. They have a big screen with projector they run the big events on.

If you are into the beers on tap they have a huge selection. They actually have the kegs in the cooler and the tap lines running out to the bar. They have a huge selection of other libations as well plus a pretty decent happy hour menu.

Fatty’s Sports Page is located at 11606 Northeast 71st Street Vancouver, WA, 98662 and can be reached at 360-737-7678. You can also connect to Fatty’s Sports Page on Facebook and @FattysSports on Twitter.

Day 180 of 365…

Goldies BBQ serves BBQ I’ve enjoyed for years! Going way back to when they ran their food stand on NE 117th Ave just north of Fourth Plain. Since those days Charles and Goldie Bibens have come a long way. They now are open in two locations and thankfully are still serving their mouth watering, smoky BBQ goodness.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Charles, Goldie and their family for almost 20 years and I can tell you that in addition to making some of the best BBQ you’ll have you’ll also not meet a nicer family. When you meet them you’ll feel like you’re part of the family.

Most recently I had their brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries and they did not disappoint! The brisket was smoky and tender, the sauce was amazing and the fries were oh, so good. I’ve also had their pulled pork, ribs and all sorts of sides. Love them all! Look at the huge variety Goldies BBQ menu provides. In addition, Goldies BBQ does catering.

Goldies BBQ is located at 11200 NE 4th Plain (inside the Shell Station) and their newest full restaurant is located at 15640 NE 4th Plain, Vancouver, WA 98682 and they can be reached at 360-909-3454 or 360-253-2836. You can also connect to Goldies BBQ on Facebook!

Day 179 of 365…

Out in the Orchards area and in need of some caffeination? Maybe you’re looking for a sweet treat or some tea? I’d love to recommend you stop in at Coffee Villa and get treated like you’re part of their family. I mean that, this family owned and operated coffee house is like being in their kitchen and family room. Very warm and comfortable.

The decor is beautifully done and the furnishings are comfortable and relaxing. With the free WiFi you could make this your office away from the office. In addition to the espresso drinks you’ll also find a huge variety of blended drinks, smoothies, Italian sodas and they also have quite a few kids drinks. If you’re in a hurry you can always head through the drive-through and keep moving with your day.

In the front end of the shop you’ll find the front counter and some taller bistro tables with a few lower chairs. It may appear that this is all the seating but that isn’t true. There is a hallway that takes you back to another much larger room filled with super comfortable furniture and a cozy fireplace. This is a great place to escape away or have a meeting. You could easily have 20 or 25 people in this. I know because I was there with about 20 friends and we were very comfortable.

Coffee Villa is located in the Palms Plaza at 13011 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, #106, Vancouver, WA 98682 and can be reached at 360-892-0233. You can also connect with Coffee Villa on Facebook!

Day 178 of 365…

Tomorrow, Saturday August 14th, 2010 is the 2nd Annual Fire In The Park event. Fire In The Park takes place at Esther Short Park beginning at 11am and running well into the evening. Admission is FREE but it is a fundraiser for Firefighters Local Union 452 so donations are appreciated. Last year the event raised over $7,000, let’s see if we can’t blow the top off that number this year!

During the day you’ll be able to enjoy watching the firefighter challenge, listening to the pipe and drum bands, chili cookoff, kids events, great food and a beer garden PLUS Five Guys Named Moe will take the stage at 6pm!

Grab your sunglasses, bring a few bucks to donate, come prepared to have a wonderful time and support our local firefighters!

You can connect to Fire In The Park on Facebook as well!