Whilst on Bainbridge Island, we had to check out a brewery.

Bainbridge Island Brewing was nearby, and looked inviting.

Inside, they have the bar, as well as some tables and an upstairs that partially overlooks the space.

In order to try a few different beers, I went with a sampler and choose their kolsch, a scotch ale, a barleywine and an IPA.

And, of course, a small cheese plate to accompany it. And by cheese plate, I mean a package of smoked gouda cheese, some rice crackers in a ziploc bag and a paper towel. But, I don't hate it.

Each of these were great. I especially liked their kolsch. The IPA here was good too. It had a nice balance.

The cheese was delicious and I ate every bite of it. The best part, though, is that they were very puppy-friendly so I got to watch all kinds of pups, drink beer and eat cheese. What could be better.

Grade: A

There is a church along the Mon Boulevar/Beechurst that is serving tacos all summer long on Saturdays!

I've been wanting to check out ones of Gritts' Farm's dinners for quite some time, so when one came up that I could make work, I convinced my friend Samantha to check it out with me.

This year kicks off another series of Farm to Table dinners put on exclusively by Gritt’s Farm. Gritt’s Farm is a fourth generation working farm that specializes in vegetable agriculture production. Founded in 1926 by Italian immigrants Veto and Nally Gritt, the farm, just like the seasons, has changed and adapted throughout the years. Luckily for foodies, fresh food connoisseurs and folks who simply like to eat a good honest meal, the addition of their Farm to Table Dinners will have your taste buds tantalized with delight. 

 The Farm to Table Dinners are held under an Amish-constructed pavilion overlooking one of the vegetable fields. Dessert is served just a stone’s throw away on an Amish-constructed deck for a fresh new view of the farm and the open sky above as the warm sun sets for the evening. Guests are seated family-style on long rows of picnic tables, tastefully dressed in white linens and decorated with farm grown flower bouquets. Guests are welcome to sit with friends but are encouraged to make new ones. 

 Dinner is created by a talented Guest Chef and each menu is precisely focused around the seasonality of readily available fruits and vegetables from the farm. These Chefs are skilled in using the natural flavors of whole foods by enhancing them in a way that guests can really taste their quality. The fresh produce being used will have been harvested only 24-48 hours prior to the dinner, keeping the ingredients nutrient-dense and full of flavor! Since the farm isn’t a meat farm, Gritt’s partners with other farmers in the area. This allows multiple farms to share in the success of the dinners and for guests to have a well-rounded balanced meal.

The June Farm to Table Dinner was hosted by Bridge Cafe & Bistro, and after purchasing my ticket in advance, I made my way to Buffalo for the dinner.

Since I arrived a little early, we took a look around the pavilions and some of the flowers that were sprouting. Once everyone had arrived, we were ushered to the pavilion that overlooks a vegetable field.

The table was set with fresh flowers and white linens. Drinks of cucumber water or iced tea were available.

First up was a basket of bread with softened homemade butter, local honey, herbed chevre and blackberry jam. I'm bummed I only got one piece of bread before the basket was taken to be shared, but I tried as many of the spreads as I could with that one. They were all tasty.

Up next was a roasted bean & sweet pepper salad with a raspberry vinaigrette, rosemary oil and balsamic drizzle. Definitely unique.

Then, we took a quick tractor ride around the property with a nice cucumber margarita before settling back for our third course.

The espresso rubbed pork chop over sweet creamed corn and crispy kale chips was really lovely. The pork chop was delicious, and the creamed corn was phenomenal.

Finally, we had a blueberry lemonade layer cake with blueberry sauce and candied lemons. It was really delicious.

This was a nice way to spend a Saturday evening. It's definitely a bit pricy, but for a special occasion it makes sense. The vegetarian options weren't as strong as the main course, but my food was pretty tasty.

If you're looking for a fun way to spend your weekend, take a look.

And, if you have a favorite chef, see if they may be cooking.

Have you been yet?

There's a new Thai restaurant in Charleston: Chow Thai.

Have you been? I love how Thai is seeing a surge in West Virginia.

The pad thai was tasty, and they're receiving quite the buzz around town.

I'm told that there a few must-dos in Seattle - one being to take a ferry. So, we took one of the shorter ferry rides to Bainbridge Island and did a little sipping while there. 

We stopped at Bainbridge Organic Distillers, which has been recognized for having the best craft whiskey.

Bainbridge Organic Distillers was founded as a family business in 2009, and since the beginning we perform every task in the making of distilled spirits on site, and with our own hands. From the selection of grain varieties and lots, to grinding, mashing, fermenting and distillation we are hands-on at every stage in the small-batch spirits production process. Bainbridge Organic Distillers was Washington State's first distillery producing USDA Certified Organic spirits, and we are the state's only distillery producing 100% of its organic spirits from scratch, on site in our own distillery. We are very proud to have launched the state's first organic vodkas, whiskey and gin. We favor working with other local, family-owned companies, and we strive to make sure that every step in our process is as environmentally neutral as possible and is sustainably and responsibly managed.

Tastings are free, which was nice. So, we tried some whiskeys, vodka, and gin - which were all good but intense for a quick tasting. The tasting was simple, but it was nice to try some alcohol native to this island.