From the Mailbox, and VOTE

Some interesting news from the mail. First, a Halloween update:

There were pumpkins. Photo: Armadilo60 on Flickr.

New MISD Blog

Don’t know how new this is, but it’s new to me: MISD has a blog called Spotlight on MISD. Nice blog, and a great way get to know district teachers and staff.

New Japanese Place in North Island

Thanks to Dave for this tip: “A new restaurant just opened up where the “Lil Tokyo” used to be, next to Alpenland. The new place is also Japanese, but higher class than the teriyaki joint that was there before. It’s either incredibly brave or crazy to open a restaurant in this economy. Since islanders universally ask for more restaurants, it would be nice to support this new addition to our community. We stumbled upon it Monday, the day it opened, and our dinners were great!

Island Kids Onstage with the Nutcracker

The Pacific Northwest Ballet writes to say that six Island kids are performing in the Nutcracker this year. Congratulations to Jessica Li, Devon Munoz, Ana Ko Glass, Elisabeth Malanga, Jenna Permut, and Stevie Reiff. The show runs from November 27 to December 30– see the schedule for times & tickets.

Pacific Northwest Ballet School students and Company dancers in the Kent Stowell/Maurice Sendak Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Don’t Forget to Vote

According to King County, about 26% of Mercer Island has voted already. For the other 74%, here’s a reminder to mail your ballots today or tomorrow. If you need a cheat sheet on local races, check out

• Mercer Island City Council race
• King County Exec race
• King County Assessor race
• Mercer Island School Board race

And there are two important initiatives on the ballot:

1. Crazy Time Eyman’s “let’s make Washington broker than California” Initiative 1033, which most sane people are voting against, and
2. R-71, which entitles same-sex couple to the same benefits (but not the actual institution of “marriage”) as married heterosexual couples, which most feeling people are voting for.

Around the Lake: Restaurants, Elections & Books

Updates from the great nearby. From the West:

Capitol Hill Seattle provides a great summary of the rumors surrounding Elliott Bay Book’s possible move to Capitol Hill from Pioneer square.

The Rainier Valley Post has a heads-up on the Seattle Bookfest is this weekend in Columbia City. There will be author readings, a Childrens’  Stage, and panels and workshops. Looks like literary hilarity. Saturday & Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Publicola’s election picks are out. Here’s the cheat sheet. They’ve got good analysis, so click in to read more if you’re interested. Headlines: they like Dow Constantine for King County Exec, Rosenberger for Assessor, and McGinn for (Seattle) mayor.

From the East:

Kirkland Weblog reports on the “bin on the lake,” which took over space from the now-defunct Yarrow Bay Grill.

Downtown Bellevue Network, who is hipper than we are, reports on three trendy new restaurants opening in Bellevue: Purple Cafe, Trophy Cupcakes, and earl’s.

And in all-over news, the Seattle Times writes that King Co. Exec Candidate Susan Hutchinson now supports Light Rail over 520, not I-90, proving yet again that the Puget Sound region is not one short on proposals for transportation. Short on actual transportation we may be, but we’re not short on proposals. East Link Light Rail over I-90 is baked though it will still take years to implement. So let’s stop reworking proposals in the middle of construction, and get us some transportation.

Let’s just build it, already.

What Should Go in the New Retail Space on North Island?

The construction on North Island is finally finishing up, opening up some new retail space.

Which begs the question: what should go in there? My top ideas are

• An independent bakery and coffee shop
• A Trader Joe’s, though I suspect Mercer Island is too small for it
• A killer dessert place. Could be a new ice cream place now that Maggie Moo’s is gone, or cupcakes, or just desserts.
• A great Indian place.

What we have so far is a new bank:

Useful but not high on the exiting-meter.

Leave a comment– what stores do you want to see in North Island?

Bonus Link: MIHS Can Write

Mercer Island resident Hannah Wood has just been selected as one of two new Youth Writers-in-Residence at Seattle’s Hugo House. If you’re not familiar with it, Hugo House is a well-respected center supporting writing and the literary arts. It’s a big honor to be named a writer-in-residence. Congratulations Hannah!

Time to Summer

Folks, there is a lot going on around here. Get your calenders out, Mercer Island. It’s time to “summer.”

Unusual Garage Sales

Notice Earthcorps lurking to the left, plotting good works for the summer.

This first garage sale is out of the ordinary because it’s the whole Island. Theoretically, at least. It’s at the MICC the Saturday.

And this garage sale is not ordinary because it’s cryptic message seems to be targeted to reach some character in The DaVinci Code. I can only guess that this sign does advertise a garage sale, perhaps at 4123 94th Ave, but you’ll have to break the code to figure out when.

Get Your Fish On

Affordable Seattle writes of a fishing workshop on Mercer Island from 1 to 3 pm on June 20. Crosscut noted last week that Lake Washington around Mercer Island is actually underfished, so get out there and catch some.

Into the Woods

At Youth Theater Northwest, til Saturday.

More Delicious Things

CultureMob alerts us to a Cheese Tasting at Bennett’s on June 24th. It’s a Cheese 101 highlighting Beecher’s cheeses, which Bennett’s uses to great effect in several dishes including their killer tomato soup. $50 (the class, not the soup) at 6:30 pm.

And in only-tangentially-related food news, a fun note: Starbucks’ new CIO worked a day at the Mercer Island ‘Bucks in November (North Island). Anyone notice or recognize him?

And finally, it’s June: the month where the Mercer Island Farmers Market finally re-opens. For those of you who have been jealously gazing at various farmers’ markets from Capitol Hill to Bellevue, like I have, our late bloomer will be here next weekend.

More on Mercer Island Restaurants

Having recently done a few reviews of Mercer Island restaurants, I’m interested to see what the foodies think. Chowhound isn’t kind to our Mercer Island restaurants:

Any good restaurants on Mercer Island? “I’ve been working on the island for six months now, and I am still asking the same question.”

Chowhounds note a few exceptions if you read the comments:

• “Pan Proem Thai, further south on 78th, I’ve had twice and it was well-made and fresh.” Yup.
• Bennett’s is good.
• Cellar 46 comes recommended but to date I’ve only done a drive-by. (Confidential to Ken: I’ll get there.)
• “Also, if you’re up for a bit of a trek, the new Mexican place on the south end of the island isn’t bad.” Agreed. A good find. It’s the one next to the QFC.

As for the other restaurants on the Island, let’s just say that if we want a steak we go to The Islander and otherwise we eat at home.

The Islander: Not a Dive Bar, a Great Steak Place

The neon beer signs on the Islander’s windows above True Value Hardware made me think it would be a dive bar. But as soon as I saw the somewhat pretentious website (“a quintessential neighborhood gathering place and bistro” ?!? ) I knew I was wrong. And having now gone there, I can say it’s actually a somewhat upscale restaurant/ bar that does a really nice steak.

First Impressions

The Islander has a lot of lists. There was a dinner list and a bar list, a dessert list, a specials blackboard, a wine list and a beer list on the wall. The martinis, like the website, were slightly pretentious (another list, another blackboard).

If you believe a martini is either of the gin or vodka variety, avert your eyes.

We sat in the bar area. I’m not a fan of TVs in bars, but they were playing good shows for most of the night: Simpsons and Family Guy. Then for some reason they switched to Hole in the Wall, a game show that requires contestants to wear ridiculous silver suits and jump tandem through holes. Subsequent visits have revealed that the Islander usually plays sports. Must have been a strange night.

The service is usually fine (except for one understaffed Sunday night) and there’s a friendly vibe.

Seems like a pleasant restaurant. But is it a secret Canadian training camp?

The Food is Good, If It’s Steak

The steak’s damn good. Other things are fine. But so many dishes are steak-based that you might as well go to the Islander when you’re craving a steak, especially on Tuesdays (read on).

The steak salad is amazing. The salmon– well, it’s a steak restaurant.

Killer Specials

One of the best things about the Islander is its specials.

• Tuesdays: $10 for an 8-ounce steak
• Wedesdays: 1/2 off bottles of wine

And after 9 pm every night they have $3 beer and wine and bar specials. And don’t overlook the fact that they’re even open after 9 pm. We went on a Tuesday night and each got two drinks and a steak dinner, for $37. No kidding.

In Sum

The Islander’s a good place, and a great place on specials nights. They advertise “the Best Prime Rib on Mercer Island.” An outrageous claim. What’s the source? Is there even another prime rib on the MI? Luckily the Islander’s outrageous claims are balanced by its tasty steaks.

We Need an Independent Coffee Shop on Mercer Island

We’ve got an independent bookstore, why not an independent coffee shop? There’s two Starbucks’ and a Tully’s on the Island– both local companies. But not independent.

Here’s some commentary on buying local from Island Books:

From the bookstore you can go to Cellar 46, but apparently you can’t go back.

It should be in North Island, maybe in Mercerdale. It should be cozy, with a fireplace. It should have much better food than either Tully’s or the Buck.

How about a bakery/ coffee shop with quiches, ham and cheese croissants and homemade soups?

Delicious croissant, please come to Mercer Island. Credit: junstine.foong, flickr.

For any entrepreneur thinking of starting one, here’s the case for doing it in a recession: people spend more time in coffee shops when work hours are reduced. My friend, a tech contractor, works several days a week in a coffee shop and has for years. Now he has trouble getting a table anyplace.

Imagine, during our latest snowstorm: walking up to North Island, into a cozy coffee shop with a fireplace and some newspapers (I know Starbucks on N. Island has a fireplace). A local gathering place with its own character, in the great Seattle tradition of great coffee shops.

An Americano some local chatter, please. Photo credit: Henry Bonell on Flickr.

Snow! And Other Notes on the Island

First snow of the year!

Well, snow two days ago and expected again in two days. Richard Sprague has a nice snow pic too.

And a few notes from around the web on Mercer Island:

A shout-out on Cellar 46 from the P-I. Haven’t been there yet myself but I’d like to go. “On Mercer Island we have Cellar 46 which offers live music, small plates and places to sit including a bar and tables. It has a cozy neighborhood vibe.”

And a shout-out from a very pink, delightfully stream-of-conscienseness reading blog about Island Books. She’s right- we’re lucky to have a great independent bookstore. Buy books there for the holidays.

I Take It Back: There Is A Good Restaurant on Mercer Island

Yes, I’ve said to my friends: “I love Mercer Island, but keep driving if you’re looking for a place to eat. We’ve got a great Thai restaurant for take-out, but when we eat out, we go to the city or Bellevue.”

I take it back. Last night we tried Bennett’s Pure Food Bistro on 27th. It’s good.

They call it pure food because they serve organic and free range. Makes sense to me- we mostly do the same at home. There must be a come-uppance somewhere, health-wise or karma-wise, for eating birds kept in a box their whole lives. I suspect the health effects will come out sooner than the karma effects.

Food that is both delicious and well documented.

The interior reminds me a little of Purple Cafe. The cheese plate is excellent.

Cheeses: not enough stinky ones for my taste, but good creamy ones.

I had the pan-seared halibut, which was good, but next time I’d make sure to ask for it rare. I’d assumed it would be. Also tried my husband’s tomato soup and mac & cheese, and I’d go back for those alone.

What else to do on a rainy summer night? And what’s with the rainy summer nights, anyway?

The Roanoke Inn: Your Favorite Local Bar

Maybe I’m being presumptuous, calling the Roanoke (The “Roey” to its friends or long-time Island residents) your favorite bar. But you’ve got to love it. Its best features include:

• Just off the bike trail and I-90
• A welcoming pub room and lawn seating
• Good beer that distracts from the passable pub food
• Formerly a brothel right off the ferry landing

I think I’m close to getting my Wed morning bike friends to stop there for a drink after our ride, and I don’t even know if it’s open that early.

Convince your East Side and Seattle friends to meet there, it’s more convenient for you. Or just turn up on a summer afternoon because that’s what summer afternoons are for.

I was at the Roanoke at happy hour a few weeks ago. While I’m here, I thought, let me satisfy my curiosity about what really goes on at the Roanoke. The plaque outside told me the place was built in 1914:

But I wanted to know more. I asked three of the staff about the place, all of whom referred me to Maggie. After a bit of loitering I was finally able to find Maggie herself.

• Who comes here? I asked. “It’s a really local crowd. 70% are people we see 3, 4 times a week. Lots of bikers: both motorcycles and cyclists.”
• I asked if there were any bar fights. She laughed and said no. I pushed a little, hoping for great story,  but she stuck to her answer- I guess Mercer Island isn’t a big bar fight town.
• Thursdays and Fridays, from about happy hour through dinner, are the busiest times. It seemed so to me- happy hour was busier than I’d ever seen it in the evening or weekend.

That’s it- the back story of the Roanoke Inn, straight from Maggie, who’s worked there for seven years. If you have special memories of the place, feel free to contribute them. And now you know: If you want to make Mercer Island history, you can start a fight at the Roanoke. But I suggest you just have a beer.