GUEST BLOGGER: Bradford...er, uh, Uncle Beefy from The Bedlam of Beefy

Hi Kids! This is Bradford...more well known as "Uncle Beefy" from "The Bedlam of Beefy". I'm over the moon about having been invited by Victoria to be a guest blogger here on sfgirlbybay and to be gathered with such illustrious company! (I think everyone has been doing one bang up job in Miss Victoria's absence...don't you? Let's hope that Victoria thinks so!) Some of you may know of me, some not. But a quick summary may be...I'm an artist who puts on his pants one leg at a time. Modest by means but rich in vision I vacillate between going down the rabbit hole and sitting in a Japanese cafe in Paris all the while sipping Earl Grey from a black cup of my own choosing. Sounds kinda quirky, huh? Well, lordy knows I can be! I post about all manners of things that happen to strike m'fancy. So buckle up, Kids...even I don't always know what you're in for!

(FYI...You can click on the photos to enlarge!)

I hail from the Seattle area living on a little island known as Bainbridge. So I thought that might be a good place to start off our little introduction to one another. It's a pretty charming little place and a quick ferry ride to the city of Seattle...so I can be a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll. Come on...let's go!

The scene as one pulls into Eagle Harbor on the ferry from Seattle.

Kennedy & Kate is an uber-cute boutique and e-tailer that has added a lot of fun, sophisticated style to the island. Given the propensity in the Northwest for drowning oneself in fleece and looking more like we've been hiking Mount Rainier than going off to work (or worse yet...dinner out!), Kennedy & Kate stepped things up a serious notch. Owner Sarah Wen may not have brought her native California sunshine along, but thankfully she did bring a serious bit of California polish (I'm just sayin'!). (Okay...and I love the pink walls! Hey, it gets really grey around here. I'm rationalizing now aren't I?)

I think most are well aware for our propensity for rain in these parts. There is a reason, afterall, that the coffee craze took root here! But while caffeine does much to keep one awake...where's the happy factor, I ask you? Huh? SUGAR! And nothin' says "buck up lil' beaver" like candy! We had some seriously slim pickings on the island until Lisa Dunlap opened up Bon Bon Confections. She is our resident Willie Wonka! And with such a cute shop filled to the brim with sweet-to-eat treats it's hard not to feel like, well...a kid in a candy store! (Of course I had to go there!) High end to nostalgic selections, Lisa has me hooked on Chick-O-Sticks and Walnettos at the moment. And I always have to grab a little bit of her homemade fudge. Currently favoring the Praline and the Chocolate & Peanut Butter, but word on the street is that her latest flavor creation of Apple Pie is heavenly.

Some scenes of the downtown Winslow district. Café Nola (center) is a favorite for brunch with my ultimate choice being their Dungeness Crab Benedict. Their Hollandaise slays me with its deliciousness!

The newly added Butch & Beecher's pet boutique and Oil & Water Art Supply where your Uncle gets his creative goods. (Art supplies people! Behave!)

Now this is where I go to get m'country on, Kids! Seriously, Bay Hay & Feed was one of the reasons I moved to Bainbridge Island. This place has refined rusticity down to an art form and I dream Martha Stewart dreams when I peruse this place. On sunny days I can't think of a nicer spot to grab a coffee (at the teeny-tiny Rolling Bay Café - below) and read home or fashion magazines...er, uh...I mean The Economist and the New York Times. Yeah...that's it.

A favorite spot, and frankly one of the most popular, is the Harbour Public House or as we call it "The Pub" (below). It's one of the few businesses located by the water and has charm to spare along with some amazingly killer fish-n-chips! The outside deck allows for phenomenal views of Eagle Harbor, the marina, and the distant Seattle skyline...but it's so cozy inside that it's hard to get a bad seat. You'll likely wait a looooooooooong time in the Summer and on weekends. It's worth it!

Pegasus Coffee ~ my favorite building on the island! I mean...c'mon?

Lynwood Center (above) has been here on the island for a good long while. The Lynwood Theatre has been showing movies to islanders since 1936 and, though it shows a bit of wear and tear, is a magical step-back-in-time kind of place. And I might venture to say serves some of the best popcorn anywhere! Just up from the theatre is Treehouse Cafe...the BEST pizza on the island! Certifiable!

Mora Ice Cream (left) is locally owned and island-made...and hella good! The Sabayon and the Italian Chocolate will see me to a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis! Ah-mazing! And the nearby Churchmouse Yarns & Teas? Ah-dorable! I don't even knit and I go in to just drink up the atmosphere! Walk in here on a rainy day and it's like walkin' through a giant tea cozy with scents of wool and English Breakfast.

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of my island town! I'll be back tomorrow with more postings! Until then...Happy Wednesday, Kids!