On the Road Again
Summer is the time to take to the road. So, we investigated some new options for dining on our way. This time we focused on half-way points where we might stop on our way to Portland or Spokane.
Heading East
Ellensburg may not be quite halfway to Spokane, but there are more dining options there than in Vantage so it is a good stopping point after whatever stresses the mountain pass may present that day (or, taking a break before the pass). It is also a cross roads with options both North and South from there. So, we chose to check out Smokey’s on Pearl Street, 417 North Pearl, Ellensburg, 509.301.1339, https://smokeysbarbque.com, in downtown Ellensburg.
This is an order at the counter and they bring you the food type of establishment. But they seemed fine with taking supplemental orders as they walked by. We were there for lunch and did not try any of the traditional BBQ dishes, nor did we sample any of the three commercially made BBQ sauces at every table. We tried a Bar-B-Que Bowl which has the meat (we took pulled pork) over “dirty rice,” beans and coleslaw, and the Meaty Mac & Cheese Bowl, with a choice of meat over house made mac and cheese. Both of these dishes were good but not exciting. We were there on a Tuesday so we tried the “special” ($3 tacos and $3 margarita) with a pork belly taco (per their suggestion). The pork belly was a bit fattier than we expected and the margarita was what you would expect for the price. And, they looked so good we got a “small” (but still generous) side of onion rings. The onion rings were definitely our favorite item of the lunch.
Smokeys opened at its Ellensburg location last September after a stint locating in the old rail depot in South Cle Elum, a location it shared with a museum as part of the South Cle Elum Rail Yard National Historic District. Its current location is at most a ten-minute drive from I-90, but if you want to try some barbeque on your way East, it was easy to find with ample on street parking. Overall, we will try it again if we are in the neighborhood with time to stop in order to check out their more traditional BBQ menu items.
Halfway to Portland
If you have been following this column long enough you know of the longtime loyalty of some of our reviewers to Country Cousin on the way to or from Portland. As their T-shirts say, “half way there.” But there are other good options for a half-way stop. We decided to explore a few.
A relatively new addition to the Centralia food scene is Hash: Centralia, 1232 Alder Street, Centralia, 360.669.0120, https://www.hashcentralia.net and https://facebook.com/HashCentralia. Hash is very visible from the freeway with its pastel pink and green building with a metal skirt designed to invoke classic images of classic diners (although not at all like the original horse drawn diner in Rhode Island. Hash is open for breakfast lunch and dinner from 8 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends. There is a focus on breakfast options as their breakfast menu is good until 5 p.m., and then they offer a “breakfast for dinner” menu in addition to their dinner menu. (There is also a lunch menu if you prefer.)
We sat in the lounge, as it was quieter; there was a brisque noise level in the main dining room for the lunch crowd. Service was fast and friendly. We tried the corned beef hash after being warned it was not a traditional preparation of the dish. This preparation came with ample thinly sliced lean corned beef on top of hash brown potatoes and sliced onions with a creamy Dijon drizzle. It was very good (and ample, as we took home leftovers) but certainly not hashed-up corned beef. This dish came with a complimentary corn bread with marionberry butter as well as a choice of toast. We also tried the biscuit and gravy. The large biscuit was so light and fluffy it was almost hard to eat as it would break apart whenever we touched it. And, the bacon gravy is unusual for those of us accustomed to sausage gravy, but that was not a negative, just different. And, who complains about bacon, anyway.
Since the half way stop to Portland would often be on a business trip, we checked out the Wi-Fi and found it to be fast and requiring a password (that was freely given). However, there were very few outlets to be found for working during your meal. Hash: Centralia is operated by the same people who operate the Westside Tavern and the neighboring Hash in West Olympia, if you are familiar with those. The prices look reasonable to a Seattleite, but they seemed to be a bit high for Centralia. We enjoyed our visit and do plan to stop by again. We will probably try out the two related establishments in Olympia, also.
Jeremy’s Farm to Table, 576 West Main Street, Chehalis, 360.748.4417, https://jeremysfarmtotable.com/, located near exit 77 from I-5, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but, it would be a late breakfast on weekdays as they do not open until 10 a.m. except on weekends. It is not visible from the freeway, allthough it is close with easy on and off from that exit. Jeremy’s focuses on local fresh sourcing and Jeremy’s has two bakers who focus on gluten free baking. They are very strong for gluten free options, especially for dessert where even the German’s Chocolate Cake is gluten free.
The menu was not the same as we had seen on line. But that may not be surprising with a restaurant stressing locally sourced fresh items. After an extended discussion about whether steelhead was indeed rainbow trout as it was described on the menu, we tried that item. The steelhead itself was well prepared and flavorful, although possibly a bit salty. However, our biggest issue with Jeremy’s was that the fish arrived hot, the fresh asparagus lukewarm, and the rice was cold, suggesting an issue in the kitchen, not with the server, although the server also appeared to be stretched a bit thin.
Jeremy’s is a large establishment with a large separate lounge that appeared quite busy. They had a large assortment of beers and cider on tap. As with Hash, we checked the Wi-Fi which was password secured and we had plenty of room on the table to work. the prices at Jeremy’s seemed closer to what we might expect in a bigger city, but were very reasonable compared to Seattle. We will keep Jeremy’s on our list despite our minor service concerns, especially when travelling with a gluten free companion.
If you want to save you appetite and travel a little further South you can try a well-established burger joint with a very dedicated following, Mrs. Beesley’s Burgers, 393 Cowlitz Ridge Road, Toledo, 360.864.4866, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063797760151, just to the East of I-5 at exit 59 (Vader Ryderwood). There has been a hamburger stand at this location since I-5 was built in the early 60s and the Beesleys took it over in 1976, expanding it over the years. It is very visible when driving from the South with a large “EAT” sign on top of the restaurant that is nestled next to (and underneath the sign of) a Shell station. It is not as visible from the North, but just take exit 59 and cross under the freeway to get your burger fix.
Mrs. Beesley’s offers a classic 1950s style burger joint experience, and a chance to experience the American roadside dining experience. Although post-covid they offer drive-through, the faithful take advantage of the ambience of eating at a picnic table with “best hamburger you have ever had” (juicy, but good) served by rosy cheeked blonde-haired cherubim. To accompany your burger they are renowned for their hand made shakes — a tribute to 50’s soda fountain; and, try the fresh strawberry and blackberry shakes in season.
Mrs. Beesley’s has more than burgers, with a breakfast menu (until 11 a.m.) and a selection of sandwiches and baskets. They have a garden burger and a fish burger, but the menu is not particularly gluten free friendly. The biscuits and gravy are another favorite with buttery and soft biscuits with sausage gravy with a lot of meat in it. We know one regular who likes to take the biscuits and gravy to go for a host or hostess gift at their destination. But, if you do that, specify you need the gravy in a separate container.
As summer continues we plan to check out more out of town destinations. Feel free to suggest your favorites by sending suggestions to Christopher Howard, chh@f2t.com, 206.669.5956. Be well and travel safely this summer (avoid eating while driving).
