Archive for the ‘Gig Harbor Restaurants’ Category
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May
13
Posted by Matt Thomson
Having my wife and baby gone this past weekend meant one of two things…eat out or starve (I’m a bit broader around the waist than I used to be, so I doubt I’d have starved, and I did cook for 5 years before I got married, but it was a good excuse). I didn’t take full advantage of this opportunity, however, only trying one new restaurant in Gig Harbor.
I figured I’d give Panera Bread in Gig Harbor’s Uptown Center a shot for dinner one night. I had just had Harbor Greens for lunch that day, so soup and a sandwich twice in a day may have been an odd choice, but it gave me a good chance to compare. At Panera, I got their “Pick 2″ deal, where you get to choose any 2 of a cup of soup, 1/2 sandwich, and salad. I went with a turkey sandwich and baked potato soup, and threw in a mango smoothie as well. The sandwich was disappointing. The one I had at Harbor Greens earlier in the day is a real sandwich; my dinner sandwich was something I’d be able to slap together from grocery store breads and meats. The soup was pretty good. Nothing out of this world, but certainly good enough to go back and get more at another date. The smoothie was also disappointing, but I’d just had a Jamba Juice a few days before, and with Jamba Juice being right next door to Panera (and much cheaper), I’ll go that route in the future. The price was so-so. My meal came to about $11, largely due to the smoothie. But they did throw in a chunk of bread to dip in the soup that was really good.
So if I was to recommend Gig Harbor’s best soup, salad, and sandwich restaurant, which would it be? Depends. Harbor Greens has WAY better sandwiches, and really good salads, but I didn’t try a Panera salad. Harbor Greens also has great employees, but I’ve known several of them for many years, and the folks at Panera were quite nice as well. Panera has a much better eating atmosphere, with lots of seating and places to talk. Harbor Greens is really a grocery store with a few tables and chairs. Panera also has a wider selection of soups, but they’re pretty much even in salad and sandwich choices. So, if I’m just going out to grab a bite to eat, I’d say Harbor Greens. If I wanted a place to sit down with a group, or we were going to catch a movie at the new theater or go shopping afterwards, I’d say Panera. How’s that for wishy-washy? Care to weigh in if you’ve eaten at either/both or somewhere else?
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May
10
Posted by Matt Thomson
Erin, one of the contributors to this blog, sent me these photos of the Gig Harbor area. Some are from land, others from boat. She mentioned something that I probably should have months ago…the boat she took these photos from was rented. Gig Harbor Rent-A-Boat, located right downtown between Anothony’s restaurant and The Waterfront Inn (Gig Harbor’s best bed and breakfast in my opinion), rents boats for a very reasonable price. My wife and I took her youngest sister out last summer. All the speed boats were rented, so we got the “Party Pontoon” boat…a big old thing that holds 16 people or there abouts. Pretty funny for the 3 of us, but as Erin mentioned in her email to me, worth every penny.
This is from the waters of the Puget Sound, with Tacoma’s Pt Defiance Park the land to the right, and Vashon Island the land in the background.
This is the lighthouse that welcomes boaters at the mouth of Gig Harbor Bay. You can access it from private homes at the mouth of the harbor, or by kayak (or other boat). I don’t know if it’s public or privately owned, however, so I’ve never stopped by.
Probably the most photographed shot in all of Gig Harbor, but I never grow tired of it. Pictures of Mount Rainier over Gig Harbor rarely look alike, as the mountain and sky are always changing.
I love what black and white can do to the same image. Mt Rainier, assuming it doesn’t blow anytime soon, is just a gorgeous mountain to look at.
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May
04
Posted by Matt Thomson
A friend of ours from church recently gave us some free smoothies at the new Gig Harbor Jamba Juice. He’s a manager there, so he can do stuff like that. 3 things stood out:
- Gig Harbor’s new Uptown Center has some good eatin’…Jamba Juice, Ben and Jerry’s, and Panera Bread are the places I’ve tried at the Uptown Center.
- Jamba Juice is good stuff, and they make it seem like it’s good for you with vitamin boosts or calcium boosts and healthy stuff like that.
- The large cups contain A LOT of smoothie. Neither my wife nor I could finish our fruit smoothies, and I’m usually pretty good at finishing food.
Give the new Jamba Juice a try next time you’re in Gig Harbor. Located in the Uptown Center right off of Pt Fosdick Drive.
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Apr
29
Posted by Matt Thomson
Sorry it’s last minute, but I didn’t hear about this until just recently. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream shops across the nation are giving away free ice cream cones today, and asking for donations to help support the local Highway Patrol. Gig Harbor’s new Uptown Center is now home to Gig Harbor’s newest ice cream shop–Ben and Jerry’s. Today only, until 8pm, you can swing by the Uptown Center on Pt. Fosdick Drive and get your free ice cream cone and donate to the Washington Highway Patrol. My wife chose the cake batter and I got the Mint chocolate chunk…great stuff!
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Apr
11
Posted by Matt Thomson
More than once I’ve shared my preference for supporting small, locally owned businesses in favor of large chains. I try to do my best to feature local businesses on this site to draw more attention to them. Gig Harbor resident Jonn Moomaw posted this great article on his blog today. This story from his family in Spokane puts to words my desires and gives a great blue print for how to support local businesses and why it’s important.
Here’s a quick list of some of my favorite Gig Harbor restaurants that we enjoy visiting:
- El Pueblito–Gig Harbor’s best Mexican food and best service overall
- Kimball’s Espresso–Great place to sit and chat, view their art gallery, and enjoy a yogucinno
- Harbor Greens–GREAT sandwiches, fruit that’s better than any store’s you’ve ever tried, lots of good, healthy foods
- Australian Bite Cafe–Fun new foods, great location, friendly owners
Those are just a few of my favorite places to eat in Gig Harbor. There are plenty more, I’m sure, and plenty of other small businesses (book stores, pet stores, etc) that are well worth visiting.
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Jan
31
Posted by Matt Thomson
Yesterday’s edition of The Peninsula Gateway announced a few more stores for Gig Harbor’s Uptown Center located on Pt. Fosdick Dr. Guys, this mall seems to be tailored to the women, with stores such as Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Bloom Denim, Aveda, and J. Jill. Bloom Denim is currently located on Gig Harbor’s Finholm District on the waterfront. My wife took me in there last month, showed me their jeans for $200+, and I felt awkward in my $12.98 jeans from Costco.
My wife is anticipating the opening of Ann Taylor, which is set to open in February. There are a few places for men in the Uptown Center, as well. Adam and Eve is a clothing store that will carry men’s clothing, but unless they have the $12.98 jeans, I can’t imagine I’ll buy much there. I will be shopping at a few of the other stores, however. Panera Bread looks like a great spot for lunch, Jamba Juice will be a nice spot for the occasional smoothie, everybody can find something at Border’s Bookstore, though I’ll probably still prefer the smaller, privately owned bookstores such as No Dearth of Books.
My top two picks for the Uptown Center are the huge new movie theater set to open in March, and the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store also set to open in March. I’m not sure if Ben & Jerry’s can compete with Animal Crackers and Kelly’s Diner, though. I prefer the smaller, local shops…somehow the ice cream tastes better. The Pt. Fosdick/Olympic Drive corner will now have Ben & Jerry’s, Dairy Queen, and Baskin Robbins.
Also set to open in the Uptown Center is an AT&T store, Hush Baby, and our “mystery restaurant.” I’m thinking that The Cheesecake Factory is out, as The Gateway reported a “Seattle-based Italian restaurant” is in the works. Apparently there is one other open spot for a restaurant, with 3 possibilities, so who knows? Regardless, this area is sure to see an increase in traffic, which has many residents upset, but I believe that a movie theater and restaurants are long over due in our area.
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Jan
18
Posted by Matt Thomson
Sports Illustrated used to do a feature (maybe they still do, I haven’t read it in over 2 years) called this week’s sign that the Apocalypse is upon us. It was some funny story about a crazy, non-sensical thing that happened in the world of sports.
Well, I had a funny thing happen this morning, and I’m not creative enough to come up with my own title, so I’m stealing SI’s. Sebastian and I went for a nice walk in the downtown Gig Harbor waterfront area this morning, and stopped by the Gig Harbor North Starbuck’s on our way home to pick up a chai and a scone for my wife. Generally, I prefer to support the smaller local shops like Kimball Espresso and Java and Clay, but my wife likes Starbucks and it was convenient.
The two guys in front of me ordered “coffee.” The barista (that’s French for person who pours the coffee, I think) called back over her shoulder, “We’re all out!” Maybe it’s not that funny, but to be in Starbucks at 8:15 in the morning and hear that they’re out of coffee cracked me up. They had a mochianno (that’s French for fancy coffee, I think) for the lady behind me and my chai ready in a hurry, but no regular coffee. Okay, maybe it’s a slow day for me…I thought it was funny, though.
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Jan
09
Posted by Matt Thomson
A few months back, I posted a blog comparing Australia’s Gold Coast to Gig Harbor. You may remember that there weren’t too many comparisons. Well, I’ve just found another similarity.
A new restaurant, or cafe, recently opened on Gig Harbor’s waterfront. The Great Australian Bite is a small Australian bakery that serves up big tastes. When I was in Australia, I found that Aussies really treasure their meat pies. The Great Australian Bite offers a better assortment of meat pies than anywhere I found in Australia.
You can choose from the standard beef pie, gourmet steak pie, chicken and asparagus, vegetable (I know that’s not meat), BBQ chicken and more. Prices for the pies range from $1.60 for a mini pie to $18.00 for the family sized pie. I enjoyed a great breakfast pie for only $3.75. They also have sausage rolls, spinach rolls, great pastries, coffee, tea, espresso, and more.
I strongly encourage you to take a beautiful walk along Gig Harbor’s waterfront and stop in for some great international food. Gig Harbor isn’t exactly known for a great variety of foods, but The Great Australian Bite fills a nice niche for those looking for an inexpensive, tasty way to fill up! Click here for a map to The Great Australian Bite.
Ooops…did I make the dessert photo the biggest?
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Dec
26
Posted by Matt Thomson
My wife and I got to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary last week. My wife’s sister was in town visiting her niece, so we got a free night of babysitting. My wife and I listed off all of the fancy restaurants we could visit, and decided on El Pueblito (I can almost hear our friends groaning at this point…”Try something new, will ya?!”).
El Pueblito is the best Mexican food restaurant I’ve ever been to. I lived in Santa Barbara, CA for 4 years, my dad lives near San Diego, my wife is from the Riverside, CA area, and I had to come to Gig Harbor to find great Mexican food. It’s not just that the food is great, but the service is unbelievable. Remember the show Cheers, when Norm would walk in and everybody yelled his name and even the song made you feel welcome? El Pueblito is our Cheers. We feel like part of their family.
After dinner, we circled the Harbor and found dessert at The Harbor Kitchen. Located right on the water at the far end of the literal Gig Harbor, just across from Finholm Market, The Harbor Kitchen is a great little eatery. Great views of the entire Harbor, good food, and a nice little atmosphere make this a great spot. We had a chocolate/white chocolate/peppermint cheesecake for dessert. For less than $5, there was enough for both of us and left overs to bring home to my sister-in-law. If you’re looking for an affordable meal or great, inexpensive dessert, Gig Harbor’s The Harbor Kitchen may be just the place for you!
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Dec
09
Posted by Matt Thomson
I hope I don’t lose too many readers by admitting this, but I don’t like coffee. I don’t like the taste, I don’t like the smell, I don’t like it grande or venti, vanilla or minty, double shot or extra hot, and I don’t like it with green…sorry.
I may not like coffee, but living in the Northwest I’m surrounded by coffee shops, and even for a guy like me, coffee shops have some great value. Here in Washington, there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner (or 3 if you are at the corner of Olympic and Point Fosdick!), but I’m not really a Star-Mart kind of guy. There are two local shops that both offer distinctive experiences and are both well worth visiting.
Kimball Espresso Gallery is a must visit if you’re in Gig Harbor. They serve my absolute favorite drink in the whole world…the Yoguccino. In their own words, the yoguccino “is the best tasting healthy drink we’ve ever found…only 130 calories and no fat (16 0z size). ” In my words, the Chocolate-Peanutbutter-banana yoguccino is the kind of drink I imagine will be served in heaven. Kimballs also serves as a great local photography gallery and has a very nice seating set-up for meeting with folks.
Just down the hill from Kimballs is Java and Clay. Right on the waterfront across from Skanskie Brothers Park, the atmosphere is wonderful. It is also a great place to bring kids, as they have a clay painting studio that is really pretty cool. A few years ago my wife brought home some pretty neat coasters that she made there. In terms of drinks, the peppermint hot chocolate is a nice treat on the cold days like today.
When you’re in Gig Harbor looking for a good spot to have coffee (or some alternative), try Kimball Espresso and Java and Clay. I’d finish with, “Tell them Matt sent you,” but that won’t get you anything!
You can click here for a map to these shops.
