Good Food in Bellingham, WA

[dubkat]

If anybody ever treks up to Bellingham I would love to hear where you prefer to dine. I moved away in 2000 and haven't eaten there since. I was never that flush when I lived there but I think I tried just about everything they had to offer over the years and nothing is really calling me back. Most of the places I really loved closed before I left. (Except Cicchitti's Pizza which I hope still survives because I have been craving that for 3+ years)

Things have changed up there and I want to know about it. I plan to be eating there when my husband and I go there in June on a weekend train getaway to celebrate our 1st anniversary.

[girl chow]

Yum! Cicchitis!

My food knowledge of B'ham is about a decade ago, back from when I was a student at WWU (Vikings rule). I looked up a bunch of favorites and was glad to see they're mostly still there.

One of my favorites was Cicchiti's. We'd stumble from the Up & Up Tavern or Buck's Tavern (now Boundary Bay Brewing Company, or The 3B Tavern in recent years), and wind up next door at Cicchiti's. The pizza is great... really thin crust with a bit of a chew, great tomato sauce and the perfect amount of cheese. Some people probably would consider it NY style pizza, but I just considered it a great way to end a night of beer and great music. I was in shock when I returned to B'ham a few years back and they were MIA on State Street. I was very happy to discover they had just moved to Holly Street.

I also have great memories of eating burgers at the drive-in in Fairhaven. Also, The Black Cat (Le Chat Noir) was a fabulous place for a cocktail and a great bistro meal. I'm glad it's still around.

Cafe Colophonin Fairhaven had great vegetarian food downstairs.

Sorry, don't know anything about newer B'ham restaurant, i be old.

Edited March 30, 2004 by girl chow (log)

[dubkat]

The Black Cat is mandatory for me. The food was always on the good side of doable but we went there for drinks consistently the entire time (5 years) I lived there. I have many great memories. The Colophon was always good for lunch. I am hoping that a few new places have whipped the scene into shape. The Fino wine bar shows promise.

That’s funny that Buck’s is now Boundary Bay. It was Buck’s then the 3B then the Doublewide. We used to call it 3Buckswide. I guess that makes it 3Buckswide Bay now.

I haven’t been back to B’ham at all in 4 years. It doesn’t look like anyone else ever goes there at all and I can’t complain since I know the place and I don’t go either. I guess I will have to be a pioneer and report back my findings in case anyone ever does end up going.

Thanks for your response. I will eat a slice at Cicchitis for you.

[tighe]

When I was looking for Semiahmoo dining alternatives, I ran across Bellingham's Best Places. Didn't make it to any of them, but I thought The Calumet sounded promising and I believe their chef was featured one of the Channel 9 cooking marathon shows a couple years ago.

[girl chow]

The Black Cat is mandatory for me. The food was always on the good side of doable but we went there for drinks consistently the entire time (5 years) I lived there. I have many great memories. The Colophon was always good for lunch. I am hoping that a few new places have whipped the scene into shape. The Fino wine bar shows promise.

That’s funny that Buck’s is now Boundary Bay. It was Buck’s then the 3B then the Doublewide. We used to call it 3Buckswide. I guess that makes it 3Buckswide Bay now.

I haven’t been back to B’ham at all in 4 years. It doesn’t look like anyone else ever goes there at all and I can’t complain since I know the place and I don’t go either. I guess I will have to be a pioneer and report back my findings in case anyone ever does end up going.

Thanks for your response. I will eat a slice at Cicchitis for you.

I can't tell you how many hours I wasted away drinking at The Black Cat, which was a really cool atmo place with wood tables and floors and some cool jazz track always playing, and there was always somebody with extra cigs to bum. On Fridays, we would get out of class and head straight to TBC in Fairhaven. By 7 or 8, we were ready to catch a bus and head up to State Street to see some bands.

Was Speedy O'Tubbs still around when you were there? That also was a great place to see bands, but the food was absolutely nasty, like they purposely made it bad so you would spend more on the liquor? B'ham was a great music place back then (probably still is). Of course, those were the days when you could see Hammerbox AND Screaming Trees at the Up & Up for $3 or Nirvana AND Mudhoney for $4 at the student union (sorry, getting completely off topic and dangerously close to the "Remember when things only cost a nickel" speech).

Another food memory: THE BAGELRY! That place made the greatest bagels..chewy and loaded with your choice of spreads/fillings. They always made them fresh throughout the day. I can't even look at grocery store bagels w/out thinking of The Bagelry.

I was shocked to find that Aaron still owns the 3B (and that the bar was actually called Doublewide at one point?). I remember that guy and his buddy Dave Morissette. They were in a band called The Mono Men. They rocked.

[LEdlund]

I've been reading this thread thinking "I don't remember any of these places from when I went to Western". Then I remembered that I left Western in 1993! It just feels like ten years ago!

[Coop]

It's not Dos Padres. The home of the two most disgusting restrooms in America. Food and service to match! They have acceptable sandwiches at Haggens.

[lilac0485]

The doughnuts at Lafeen's too! I love the blueberry cake and old fashioned ones.

[dubkat]

Was Speedy O'Tubbs still around when you were there?

No, it was closed but I fell in with a crowd of Bham natives when I lived there and I think I have heard enough stories about the place to fake having been there myself. I even had a few friends who had table and stools from Speedy's in their kitchens.

I thought The Calumet sounded promising and I believe their chef was featured one of the Channel 9 cooking marathon shows a couple years ago.

That place is good. I ate there a lot, but I forgot about it. Thanks for the the reminder.

D’Anna’s Cafe Italiano was tasty too. I might check out Nimbus in the Bellingham Tower which has changed names and who knows what else and The Temple Bar which must be new since I wasted a lot of MY time in almost every bar in town.

Thanks for the Bellingham's Best Places list, tighe.

Edited May 1, 2004 by dubkat (log)