Celebrate Gallaghers’ anniversary July 31

Gallaghers is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a party. This Saturday, July 31 marks one year since Gallaghers reopened its doors for business in Edmonds’ Harbor Square Business Complex. “Everyone has made this an amazing year,” says owner Chris DuFore. “We would like to thank you.”

Partner Jess Lacasse, who is also an award-winning cook, will be grilling for the party, with food available starting at 4 p.m. They say:“Burgers and hotdogs for all.”

Bring friends and family and reconnect over a pint while enjoying favorite brews, the indoor/outdoor seating and a live band. Gallaghers will be open normal hours, 2-8 p.m. July 31, but hopes to continue the party well beyond.

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Updated menu for breakfast at Bistro 76 

Those Sundays when I am treated to breakfast out are the best. Bistro 76  — located on the Edmonds/Lynnwood border in Perrinville — tempted with new menu items. The advice I’ll offer is get up early and go. I phoned ahead to ask about reservations, but those are only for groups of six or more. “We’re not busy right now,” was the reply, but I should expect a wait by 11 a.m. on Sundays.

We arrived at 10:15 a.m. Entertainment provided by a family with a young child on a scooter made the time pass quickly. They’d had the foresight to bring his little-kid bike. While mama enjoyed the second cup of coffee and last bites of her food, their toddler rode his scooter up and down between the end of the sidewalk, supervised by his dad, who served as “safety” stop.

A stroll through the interior past the pastry case provided more intrigue. I’d seen posts about some new item, and well …research is the best part of writing up my reports!

Purchased for research at home:

-Lemon yogurt bread was light and delicious

-A maple walnut muffin was crumb tender, light, not overly sweet, and a topping that let maple flavors and nuts shine.

-Confession time: Not one bite of the peanut butter brownie was shared. The creamy topping melted in my mouth, and it was gone before I realized.

-Mini bundt mold shapes are cute and aid in keeping pastries moist. The peach coffee cake plays up the fresh seasonal fruit.

-Banana bread donuts, so super moist and truly not shareable, were gone in about three bites.

-Lots of buzz on the new piña colada scone made it a “must try.” Moist pineapple jam tucked into the fold of the pastry, is accentuated with a topping of coconut and thin slices of dried pineapple.

I do get in trouble with time on my hands, so I was grateful that our hostess signaled our table was ready.

Bistro 76’s new brunch item Sampler was easy: “Forget making a decision on sweet or savory breakfast and go for it all,” they said.  I took their suggestion.

The Sampler includes house-made corned beef hash, one of their famous rice fritters with fresh-made raspberry jam, a mini biscuit and gravy, and, of course, Eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise. Wow, so many tastes, all on the one plate.

So flexible…Hubby’s request for a vegetarian version of Eggs Benedict yielded thick slices of golden yellow heirloom tomatoes, avocado and a bunch of fresh spinach, all to replace of the slice of Canadian bacon. Yours truly was a bit jealous.

I saved my rice fritter for last, and enjoyed with my coffee. Surprise! A new coffee served up at Bistro 76 these days — Victrola Coffee — and the blend in our cups was bold and delicious. The roaster is noted for amazing single-origin coffees and blends. Victrola buys small quantities of market-fresh coffees from farmers and producers all around the globe and roasts them to perfection in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

If you dally around getting out the door, and miss the breakfast, well… Bistro 76 has got you covered for lunch.  (pic of LambGyro)

We ordered the new lamb gyro “to-go” for a son that had a late night gig and didn’t make it to breakfast. It traveled well too. House-made lamb sausages were bundled in a tender pita with fresh shredded lettuce, pickled red onions, feta cheese and Mama Lil’s peppers to punch up the spice level. Bistro 76 makes their tzatziki from scratch and the portion that accompanies is generous enough to use as a dip for both sandwich and roasted butter potatoes that accompany.

And here is what got me into the car before 10 a.m. on a Sunday:

Hand-crafted Andouille sausage! “Could I just order a plate of these… pretty please?” While they did not have full links available, they generously served up a mini plate of some of the slices, which are part of the 76 Scramble.  The spice level is perfection, and meat is lean, tender and worth a second trip to order the full links when available again.

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Triton Taste food truck is at 4th and Dayton in Edmonds on Tuesdays and Thursdays — yay!

In addition, the truck can be found on the Edmonds College campus. The current schedule is Wednesdays by Brier Hall.

The abbreviated summer menu still includes the BBQ jackfruit sliders: plant-based shreds that truly do taste and chew just like pork, topped with a spicy slaw and piled into brioche buns.

There’s also a breakfast sandwich of egg, caramelized onions, spinach, tomato jam, garlic mayo, house-made English muffin and a personal favorite — the Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich, made with Beecher’s cheese, Tillamook sharp cheddar, on toasted Italian bread. Try the added caramelized onions to take it up a notch.

New: Triton Truck  is offering yet another tasty plant-based protein — the  Chik’n Caesar Salad or Wrap featuring romaine, kale, vegan Caesar dressing, parmesan, house-made croutons. Chik’n is a  combination of soy, wheat and pea proteins, plus grains like quinoa, amaranthand millet, which give Chik’n more body and nutritional value.) (pic Caesar Wrap sans Croutons)

Caesar salad in a wrap was perfect road food. With a slurp of Chef Karen’s house-made ginger ale, it was a wonderful treat on a hot day.

For those looking to not consume quite so many carbs, and yet need the convenience of a wrap/hand-held item, I’d recommend you ask for “no croutons” in the wrap.

Sadly, the café on the Edmonds College campus is closed for the summer, but the Triton truck does offer an abundance of baked treats: brownies, cookies and more.

Check www.edmonds.edu/foodservices/food-truck.html for menu and location updates.

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PCC introduces new Shared Values meal program

PCC Community Markets has introduced a Shared Values Meal  — “good food for less” — priced at around $10, which can feed up to four individuals. Time savings too: Each recipe can be prepped and served to the family in less than 30 minutes. This new program aligns with the co-op’s mission to ensure that good food nourishes the communities it serves.

Recipes are easy, and all the shelf-stable ingredients are in a kiosk/display at stores. Consumers are directed (via additional signage) to department locations to find needed produce, fresh garnish and suggested added proteins. Consumers who wish to participate in the program just need to purchase the list of recipe items together to get the deal.

Readers, please note: I do have kitchen skills and cook at home when not doing “research.”

Restaurant News took stock of her cupboard at home and purchased fresh and frozen veggies, and a sauce item needed to complete the dish (I did not use the program’s full purchase program to obtain discounts). The Red Curry Vegetables with Coconut Milk over Jasmine Rice is a tasty dish garnered rave reviews from the family. I look forward to PCC’s next recipe.

— By Kathy Passage

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.