Their long-awaited move has been completed and the doors are now open! You can wait for Brigid‘s Bottleshop‘s official grand re-opening celebration, slated for sometime in the next couple of months, or better yet, just go down there now.

Owner Jack Crawford seemed relieved, “It took a little longer than we thought, but basically everything has fallen into place. So far we’ve gotten a good reception — a lot of great feedback,“ said Crawford.

The new location itself is massive by comparison to their first space. If it came to it, you could easily pack a couple of hundred people in the new Bridgid’s.

It’s a cavernous, high-ceilinged, tastefully appointed place where you can enjoy your choice of about a thousand varieties (that’s not hyperbole, folks) of beer in a bottle. Bottled beer, wine and growlers are also available for take out.

Eighteen beers pour from their 24 taps, leaving a few slots for things like hard ciders and even a rotating tap of nonalcoholic beverages like root beer, ginger beer and kombucha. They’re also raising their wine game: Look for them to be stocking and pouring a greater variety of vineyards and vintages.

Another big change includes the availability of food. Their current focus is on basic, reliable grilled cheese, but they’ll be refining their menu soon.

Also new — a lovely, segregated AV-ready event/conference room that can be accessed for work events, birthday parties, sporting events, banquets, etc.

Brigid’s is now family friendly, no longer just 21 and older — everyone can join in the fun.

On the horizon, Bridgid’s will be teaming with Cascadia Art Museum beginning in late September to throw an Oktoberfest celebration. Crawford envisions bratwurst and beer flights that will include authentic traditional German Fest beers and Märzens, along with a few American options.

On a quiet sunny weeknight last week, there were still plenty of seats on their spacious new deck for our party of three, which included Pippin the wonder dog. We enjoyed a citrus forward IPA and one of neighboring Hunni Co’s Kindness products. Drop by, work on your tan, and hoist a couple.

brigidsbottleshop.com
188 Sunset Ave. S.
Edmonds

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Santa Fe Mexican Grill and Cantina’s Hector Olguin is busy getting the space formerly occupied by El Puerto at 5th and Main in downtown Edmonds ready for opening.

“We’re basically gutting everything down to the floor,” he explained. “There was vinyl flooring from an old drugstore decades ago that we pulled up. Everything will be new. We’ll have new booths, ADA-compliant bathrooms, and a full bar. As you walk in, the cantina will be to the left and the dining area to the right. We’ve been working with architect Lauri Strauss of Design2LAST, whose office is right up the street.”

Judging from a quick peek in the window yesterday, demolition is nearly complete, hopefully the buildout will begin soon.

If your anticipation is getting the best of you, you can investigate Santa Fe’s menu without having to travel far. Santa Fe has been enjoying great success this last two years with their nearby location at 630 N.W. Richmond Beach Road. I dropped in for lunch a while back and was very pleasantly surprised.

The service was excellent and I discovered that much of what I found on El Puerto’s menu will be available at Santa Fe. Although my doctor probably would not approve, I often find myself compelled to order the chicken chimichanga, which at Santa Fe comes with a generous scoop of guacamole and sour cream, and of course, rice and beans. I was very satisfied with the results. My lunch date ordered a tostada/enchilada combinationand a margarita, both of which she found delicious.

They have an extensive menu which includes a lot of great options for vegetarians and for children.

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Down near the ferry landing in the space occupied for years by Skipper’s and more recently by the Copper Pot, a sign announces that Kahlo’s Cantina and Restaurant will be opening soon.

“Soon” is a relative term, but maybe sometime this year we’ll have another great option for Mexican food right down on the waterfront. I’ll be interviewing owner George Sharawy next week and get back to you with more details. But what I gather from a brief discussion with him is that this place is going to be nice!

— By James Spangler

The furthest thing from a finicky eater, James Spangler insisted on trying everything on the table from the earliest age. At 13, he prepared Baked Alaska for an entire classroom and has had an insatiable appetite for good food ever since. He’d rather be in the kitchen cooking for the people he loves than doing just about anything.