Wednesday, October 29

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!


14 comments:

Cindy said...

your post was terrific! thanks for the tour.

M.Lane said...

Great job Uncle! Been to Seattle many times but never to the island. Next time for sure. My dad one time was obsessed with moving us to Vashon Island...I'll bet it is a lot more rustic...I was sort of glad we didn't go.

M.Lane
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

candacemorris said...

here! here!
fellow seattlite sending accolades to you for posting our beautiful home.

i have lived here for six years and love it! however, i have never been to bainbridge(does a ferry ride where you never get off the boat count?) and would LOVE to do an overnighter.

tell me, where do you suggest staying?

i was a little disapointed not to see the Blodel Reserve on here, I have been hearing great things about it in spring!

peachey said...

uncle beefy,
first, very glad to meet you.
and, what a fantastic tour!

i must visit your island someday. i'll add it to my NW wishlist.

Victory Garden Yarn said...

I've been a Seattleite for 4 1/2 years now and one of my favorite things to do on my day off is hop on the ferry over to Bainbridge!

I almost had a panic attack as I was scrolling down and did not see Churchmouse listed. But, ah, there it is at the bottom! My breathing can now return to normal. I think I would live inside that shop if it were located over here...but that would take all of the fun out of Churchmouse, now wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

I grew up on Bainbridge (now living in Seattle). Makes me proud to see the home town. Thanks so much.

Luna Levy said...

I loved reading your island tour - I could almost taste it! Lots of fun to read about where your are from :)

Uncle Beefy said...

Hi Kids! Thanks for all the comments! Hope you had a chance to click on the photos as they look much better enlarged. :)

cindy...thanks! So glad you enjoyed it!

m.lane...Thanks to you, Mister! Yes. Vashon is much more rustic but lovely just the same. Bainbridge is more convenient from my perspective in getting to the city. But Vashon has its own charm as well.

mme. bookling...You should definitely do an overnighter! Eagle Harbor Inn is lovely and an easy walk from the ferry. :) Cannot believe that I let Bloedel Reserve slip my mind! OY VEY! It IS an incredible spot! My bad! :(
OH! And Four Swallows for a nice dinner! I'm terrible! But, always happy to provide more suggestions :)

truepeach...hope you get a chance to visit one day!

anna...oh I couldn't forget Churchmouse (though had to scramble for a photo...thus a night shot!). It's DREAMY, huh?

farrah...always nice to see pics of home from "farther away", huh? Glad you enjoyed the little walk down "memory" lane.

stephanie...well I suppose "taste" would be an operative phrase given the amount of food I mentioned! Hmm? Wonder what was on my mind this morning? ;)

Thanks, All! See ya's tomorrow? Hope so. Sweet dreams!

shill said...

great post, well done uncle beefy!!!now i need a seattle holiday!!!

Carrie Nicole said...

Have lived in the area for so long and haven't made it to Bainbridge although I find myself oogling over real estate there all the time (yet another hobby).

This looks like the perfect adventure for a crisp, sunny fall weekend, can't wait to finally get over there.

I'm really wanting to check out Bainbridge in Bloom, I missed it this year because I got sick! That was scheduled to be my first experience out there. Oh well, it's already on the calendar for next year!

Anonymous said...

Beefy...I am IN LOVE with where you live!!! This is on my list of must-visit places.

Anonymous said...

Loved your beautiful tour. Went there many years ago, but now hankering to visit again. Thank you!

dee said...

BEEFY! I want to go to Pegasus for a morning cup of coffee, then head over to Bon Bon for some deliciousness, and round out my day with a walk along Eagle Harbor. Will you be my date? Pablo will loan me out for the day. Please confirm.

And one more thing, sfgirlbybay is going up on the Bee Roll! How could I not have this fabulousness on my blog?!

Uncle Beefy said...

shill...yes! And where might you be, m'dear?

carrie...well you must pop on over the the rock! Real estate? Hey... it's a buyers market! If you want anymore input on the island always feel free to holler! :)

mary...well right back atcha! You know you're welcome ANYTIME!

leslie...well, as you can see, it's still ready and waiting for you to return!

bee...okay, Pegasus? LOVE the building...not so much the coffee. But I got the hook on that! Yeah...Bon Bon is SUCH temptation! So much sweetness! And I say you bring Pablo along! :) UH...YEAH! How have you been missin' out on "the Bay"?!?!?! Victoria is always rockin' it West Coast style! (And, of course, you...rockin' the East!)