Bellingham-Area Craft Breweries Bring the Suds

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aslan brewing — Aslan Brewing opened their doors in May 2004.

Bellingham and the surrounding area is quickly becoming a brewery fan’s nirvana. With sudsy stalwarts like Boundary Bay Brewery in downtown Bellingham and North Fork Brewery in Deming paving the way, a newer crop of craft-beer makers have also planted roots here – and local beer lovers are all the better for it.

Boundary Bay Brewery

1107 Railroad Avenue, Bellingham WA 98225

360.647.5593

All Whatcom County beer lovers have certainly raised a pint (or three) in Boundary Bay’s beer garden – it’s the grandfather of Bellingham breweries, having started in 1995. Housed in a historic downtown warehouse dating back to 1922, Boundary Bay creates a cavalcade of bold Northwest beers that are heavy on flavor – and on hops. Awards abound, going back as far as 2003, including being named one of the top 25 breweries in the United States. Based on sheer production volumes, Boundary Bay has also been considered the largest brewpub in the country, offering seven beers on permanent tap, with a parade of other options on rotating taps, made in small batches, and offered seasonally.

North Fork Brewery

3186 Mt. Baker Highway, Deming, WA 98244

360.599.2337

The North Fork Brewery opened on the heels of Boundary Bay, in 1997. Owners Sandy and Vicki Savage dreamed for years of creating a space to display their extensive beer collection – hence, the Beer Shrine was born. Sandy had been head brewer at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California, and designed North Fork’s brewing system to craft true-to-style British Ales; Eric Jorgensen has been in charge of brewery operations since 2000. The North Fork Brewery’s beer menu includes an array of ales, ambers, bitters, and a porter. The purest form of English beer – cask-conditioned ale – is served every Friday at 5:00 p.m.

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen

601 West Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.752.3377

Will and Mari Kemper – of Thomas Kemper Root Beer fame – opened Chuckanut Brewery in 2008. Unlike most of its area brewery brethren, Chuckanut Brewery focuses on creating both European-style lagers and ales (with a good mix of the two on the beer menu). Chuckanut Brewery has been rained down upon with national awards over the years, returning home with five medals from the 2013 North American Beer Awards, Small Brewpub of 2009 and Small Brewery of 2011 from the Great American Beer Festivals, and numerous additional awards from the WA Beer Awards 2013.

Kulshan Brewing Company

2238 James Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.389.5348

Walk or drive by Kulshan Brewing Company any summer afternoon and see how fantastic its stretch of James Street in Sunnyland has become in recent years. Smiling faces sit lined up at picnic tables, enjoying an array of beers, from its Bastard Kat IPA and Red Cap Red to seasonal favorites like Royal Tenenbaum Christmas Beer and Kitten Mittens Winter Ale. This 15-tap barrel brewery also has ample indoor seating for those less-than-summery days. You can even pull up a chair and peak through glass into the tap room, where its mouth-watering menu of nine full-time beers and three seasonal are crafted, supplying on-site Kulshan fans with suds options galore (or get it to go), while also stocking a long list of area restaurants with their popular products.

Menace Brewing & The Local Public House

7056 Portal Way, Ferndale, WA 98248
1427 Railroad Avenue, Bellingham WA 98225

360.306.3737

Co-owned by one-time Kulshan brewer Benjamin Buccarelli, chef Brandon Petersen of The Fork at Agate Bay, and Tom Raden, Menace Brewing began making beer in Ferndale in 2012. Initially available to consumers only through The Fork, as well as Maggie’s Pub in Ferndale, Menace’s fan base grew so quickly it had to double its brewing capacity within its first year. Now Menace Brewing also pours its product in its own brewpub dubbed the Local Public House – in the former Cicchitti’s space on Railroad Avenue in downtown Bellingham. The half-barrel nanobrewery started with two flagship ales – a pale ale and a red ale – and now boasts more than a dozen favorites, including its Chili Bravo chili beer and Breakfast Stout.

Aslan Brewing

1330 North Forest Street in Bellingham

One of Bellingham’s newest breweries, Aslan Brewing opened its doors in May 2014 at the corner of Forest and Magnolia Streets. Owners Jack Lamb, Pat Haynes, and Frank Trosset have created a stunning glass-lined space that sets the tone for its unique craft beers – all made with organic ingredients and no animal products, such as gelatin. Lamb says Aslan is committed to never rushing the aging of its beer, instead letting each batch run its course naturally. Hungry? Aslan also serves up scrumptious eats.

Wander Brewing

1807 Dean Avenue in Bellingham

360-647-6152

Wander Brewing joined the Bellingham brew family this past spring, as well, crafting its beers in an industrial downtown space near the corner of Cornwall and Ohio Streets. Its taproom and brew hall are open-concept, making them unique from other local breweries. Thirty-three-foot ceilings and a huge, wide-open space mean patrons can enjoy the beer directly inside the place where it’s brewed. Eight to 12 beers are generally on tap – big beers, such as Belgians, ales, and lagers. And just like Kulshan, you’ll find some of Bellingham’s favorite food trucks parked at Wander Brewing, such as StrEAT Food, Hot Mess and Goat Mountain Pizza.

Other Bellingham Beer Outlets

On top of its bevy of awesome breweries, Bellingham also boasts several places to pop in and peruse a plethora of craft beers from both near and far, including Elizabeth Station and Greene’s Corner.

Not a brewery, but Schweinhaus Biergarten has quickly become a favorite downtown Bellingham brew-drinking spot, offering an outdoor beer garden with a wide variety of German-style beers, from Pils to Kölsch to Hefeweizen and lots in between. They also dole out delicious homemade German wursts – think bratwurst, chedderwurst, wiesswurst, nurnberger and currywurst – as well as potato salad, sauerkraut, and local favorite Ralf’s pretzels. Yum. Owner Aaron Matson also helms the Copper Hog, conveniently located right across the street.

Also, keep your eye on Bellingham Tap Trail – a new venture that hopes to help beer tourists locate all things brew, while also supplying locals with the latest in area beer happenings; they even plan to create a pedal-powered beer tour.

First Friday Art Walk: Celebrating the Artistic Synergy in Downtown Bellingham

By

Stacee Sledge

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bellingham arts walk — The fun kicks off with the exhibit "Elevationi: The Art of Cascadia," on display during the Friday, February 5 Art Walk.

Downtown Bellingham is chock full of vibrant artists – from painters to photographers, jewelry-makers to jugglers, and anything you can dream up in between.

For locals and visitors looking to take in an array of art and a taste of what makes Bellingham so unique, wandering through Art Walk on the first Friday of every month is bound to uncover something unexpected. The Downtown Bellingham Partnership organizes the event, which runs from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Originally known as Gallery Walks, which began in the 1980s and took place four times a year, the event shifted to the first Friday of every month in 2009 and became First Friday Art Walk.

But the spirit of the original idea remained the same: bringing together local artists, downtown businesses, and the public; where everyone can mingle, appreciate a vast variety of art, support the arts and, ultimately, connect more deeply with their community.

“For the most part, venues and artists connect themselves,” says Lindsey Payne, Events Manager for the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. “But if an artist is new in town, I can help coordinate that.”

Each month’s Art Walk map is made available online where visitors and locals can print it, and then wander from venue to venue on a self-guided tour.

Any downtown business – galleries, studios, restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and stores – can be included on Arts Walk for a small fee, which helps pay for event administration.

Payne says 15 to 20 participating businesses makes for a healthy Art Walk, though the numbers fluctuate depending on time of year.

“December is always our largest Art Walk because of the holidays,” she says. “A lot of people want to get on the map. We had 38 venues last December.”

“I love the sense of community that comes about during Art Walk,” says Katy Borden, Artist Services Coordinator at Allied Arts of Whatcom County. “When someone new to the area asks us the best way to get involved in the local art scene, we always tell them to attend the next Art Walk.”

Allied Arts of Whatcom County has been involved since the beginning and was instrumental in getting some of the first Gallery Walks going. They continue to participate every month with a new exhibit that typically showcases between two and five local artists. Last year, they showcased work from 175 local artists.

“Art Walk is a great way for downtown businesses to get people in their doors and draw locals and visitors downtown,” says Borden. “And it’s a great way for locals – artists or not – to explore downtown and really feel like a part of their community.”

Allied Arts takes over the Art Walk for the month of May for Children’s Art Walk, hanging over 4,000 pieces of art from local elementary schools in businesses all over downtown.

Chris Foss, co-owner of Greenhouse, is another champion of the event.

“We’ve been involved on and off ever since its inception and more intently in the last couple of years,” she says. “It’s proved to be a really lovely event. We’ve had an enormous variety of different kinds of things here, from crafts to fine art and everything in between.”

For Foss, supporting the arts is a must. “We’re adjacent to the Arts District,” she says, “and the museum and Mount Baker Theatre are enormous drivers for traffic downtown. So any support we can return is, I think, really important to do.”

She also points out that it makes for a pleasant night out where customers can enjoy downtown without being on a schedule or a mission – and without having to worry about parking meters.

“Art Walk is a more relaxed evening,” Foss says. “It also encourages people to take advantage of all the things downtown has to offer in terms of restaurants. It’s just a nice way to celebrate downtown.”

Foss says Art Walk often brings in customers who may not be familiar with Greenhouse, and it’s fun to watch them explore.

“Lots of young folks come, college students we may not see on a regular basis,” she says. “It always feels like a nice mix of new and returning customers, which makes it fun.”

Trish Harding, local artist and owner of Studio UFO, initially got involved with Art Walk in 2002, after moving her art school to Bay Street Village.

“I thought, ‘What a fantastic opportunity to meet people and to show the community what I do and why,’” she says.

“Trish Harding has been really involved in our arts community for years,” says Payne. “She’s a wonderful person.”

Harding organizes an exhibit where different artists are stationed at opposing corners downtown and simply paint what they see – a technique called en plein air, French for “in the open air.”

For Harding, the best thing about Art Walk is that it makes real, local, original, organic art available to everyone.

“Art Walk allows a free venue to people who may not otherwise ever find themselves in art studios and galleries,” Harding says. “It is a win-win situation.”

Visit the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s website to find out more about attending Art Walk, hosting an artist, or displaying your work.

All photos copyright Leo Friedman

2014 Major Festivals and Events around Bellingham

By

Stacee Sledge

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Whatcom County hosts a gaggle of fantastic festivals each year. Mark your calendar for these popular events. Weekend festivals appeal to your neighbors and also attract thousands of tourists to Whatcom County each year. As events near, stay informed on WhatcomTalk.com.

WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening around Bellingham, Ferndale, and Lynden. If you have a suggestion for a story, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, click here. Add your event to our calendar here.

February 13, 2014	Recreation Northwest EXPO
February 17, 2014	Bite of Blaine
Feb 28-March 2	Whatcom County Home & Garden Show
March 13-15	Lynden Craft & Antique Show
March 13-16	Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival
March 15, 2014	Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade
April 1-30	Skagit Tulip Festival
April 27-28	Dirty Dan Day Seafood Festival
May 3, 2014	Bellingham’s Procession of the Species
May 16-17	Junior Ski To Sea
May 17-18	Bellingham Technical College Welding Rodeo
May 23-25	Ski To Sea
May 25, 2014	The Fairhaven Festival
June	Lynden Farmers Day Parade
June	Holland Days
July 4, 2014	Bellingham Haggen Family 4th of July
July 4, 2014	Blaine’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July
June 6-8	Bellingham Scottish Highland Games
June 14-15	Deming Logging Show
June 14-15	Civil War Reenactment
June 19, 2014	Lummi Stommish Water Festival
July	Birch Bay Discovery Days
July 4, 2014	Blaine’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July
July 5-20	Bellingham Festival of Music
July 11, 2014	Everson-Nooksack Summer Festival
July 11-13	St. Sophia Greek Festival
July 18-19	Northwest Raspberry Festival
July 24-27	Old Settler’s Picnic & Grand Parade
July 30-August 2	Puget Sound Antique Tractor Show & Pull
August	Drayton Harbor Days
August 1-3	Mount Baker Blues Festival
August 11-16	Northwest Washington Fair
August 24, 2014	Dog Days of Summer Festival
September 14, 2014	Whatcom County Farm Tour
September 20, 2014	Bellingham Traverse
October 4-5, 11-12	Whatcom Artist Studio Tour
October 4-5	Cloud Mountain Farm Fall Fruit Festival
December	Allies Arts Holiday Festival of the Arts
December	Fairhaven Holiday Festival
December	Holiday Port Festival & Gingerbread House Contest
December	Olde Fashioned Christmas in Ferndale
December	Lynden’s Lighted Parade
December 31, 2014	Annual Ring of Fire & Hope

Silver Beach Elementary’s Matt Zigulis Juggles Teaching and Soccer

By

Stacee Sledge

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Matt Zigulis is an amazing juggler. Maybe not literally, with flaming knives or bowling pins, but his talent to multitask is just as impressive, as he teaches third graders at Silver Beach Elementary, coaches the Bellingham High School boys soccer team, coaches Whatcom Football Club Rangers U12 girl’s soccer, and plays semi-professionally for the Bellingham United Football Club — and he does it all with a big smile on his face.

Born and raised in Northern California, Zigulis came to Western Washington University on academic and athletic scholarships, where he played soccer for Western and was team captain for his junior and senior years.

He first studied pre-physical therapy — “I couldn’t get through the chemistry; it’s just not my thing,” he says with a laugh — and then switched to business. Halfway through the program he realized his love for economics had waned but he was committed to finishing the degree. “It was a good major and a great skill set to have.”

While playing soccer at Western, Zigulis volunteered with the Whatcom Rangers, a youth soccer league. By the end of his college career, he was a paid coach for the organization.

“I became a full-on head coach for the Rangers and also had a work-study thing going on at Carl Cozier Elementary while I was still doing economics,” he says. “Soccer ended and I was finishing my degree, trying to figure out what was next.”

Through his work-study at Carl Cozier Elementary, Zigulis realized teaching was what he wanted to do. He ended up overlapping his business studies with a post-baccalaureate degree in teaching. “I finished econ and went right into teaching,” he says.

After a few quarters of instructional core classes and practicum, Zigulis then spent three quarters student teaching at Geneva Elementary, where he ultimately filled in full-time, as a fifth-grade math teacher, for a colleague on maternity leave.

The 2012-2013 school year was his first full year, where he taught third grade at Roosevelt Elementary. He currently does the same at Silver Beach Elementary.

The 2012 season was his first playing with Bellingham United, which he began while still student teaching. “And then I started coaching high school on top of that,” he says, laughing again.

There was an opening in the head coaching spot for the Bellingham High School boy’s soccer team. “One of the kids who I coached from Rangers said, ‘Hey, you should apply. Why not?’” Zigulis interviewed and landed the job.

A typical weekday for Zigulis involves teaching in his Silver Beach classroom all day, holding practices or attending soccer games for his Bellingham High team every weeknight at Civic Field, followed by either Rangers practice or Bellingham United practice. On the weekends, he focuses on Bellingham United games and Ranger games. There isn’t much downtime, to say the least.

“I just embrace it, honestly,” he says with a big smile. “It’s fun, it’s not like it’s a burden. And I like being busy. From going to college and playing soccer, I’m used to being busy and having so many commitments. It’s something I love.”

Bellingham United does sometimes travel for games, the farthest away being Kamloops, British Columbia, more than three hours away. But Zigulis has never had to miss school for playing or coaching.

“Unfortunately, I got hurt early on [with Bellingham United] and I never made those trips,” he says.

He’s found that his third graders get excited to read and talk about his soccer side-jobs.

“Some of the kids will catch on and they’ll say, ‘Mr. Z! You’re in the paper!’ because they interview me after every game,” he says. He’s worked the newspaper clippings into his class’s current events curriculum.

“I’ll put the newspaper up and we’ll talk about it,” he says “We’re connecting it to what’s happening outside of the classroom.”

He’s also been known to use his experience with his third graders to motivate his high school kids. “I’ll use the examples of my third graders,” he says. “’If third graders can do it, you can do it!’”

Zigulis continues to get great enjoyment from simply playing the game of soccer, too. “That’s my release, my therapy,” he says. “The high school team is great because I can play with them.”

Working with different age groups keeps Zigulis balanced. “Going from eight-year-olds at the start of the day to 18-year-olds by the end is refreshing, yet stabilizing,” he says. “It levels me out because I get to relate my knowledge and experience on an entire spectrum of supportive minds willing to listen and learn in a team environment.”

Last year, the core group of graduating seniors on Zigulis’s Bellingham High team were players he’d coached back when they were in seventh grade, as Rangers. It was a fitting way to come full-circle.

Spend just a few minute talking with Zigulis and his enthusiasm for teaching, coaching, and playing soccer is clear. He feels fortunate to have found a way to combine his passions. But he knows what’s most important to him now and looking into the future.

“Teaching is my biggest commitment. This is the thing, right here,” he says, looking around his classroom. “Soccer got me through college and I’m fortunate to get to play and coach, but education — that’s where I was meant to be.”

Check out this YouTube interview with Matt Zigulis, filmed in 2012 after he signed with Bellingham United.

6 Bellingham Breakfast Joints Worth Getting Up Early For

By

Stacee Sledge

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bellingham best breakfast — Skylark's Hidden Cafe

Searching for fantastic breakfast options around Bellingham? Look no further. Any of these popular spots will start your day off on the right foot.

Downtown Staples

Little Cheerful Cafe
133 E. Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.738.8824

The Little Cheerful Cafe breakfast menu offers up nearly every egg-based combo you can imagine, from the simple over-easy sidled up to thick bacon strips to eggs Benedict, omelets and scrambles with colorful monikers like the Kinky Linky scramble (hotlink sausage, mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and jack cheese) and the Yuppie Scram (cheddar, corn, avocado Hermilia’s pico de gallo and sour cream). Don’t miss Little Cheerful’s hashbrowns, those thinly grated criss-crosses of crunchy goodness; at the very least, order them on the side with whatever egg or pancake delight you’re having – but they’re also done up with a cavalcade of topping options that make them a meal on their own.

Old Town Cafe
316 W. Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.671.4431

Located along the same stretch of downtown Bellingham as the Little Cheerful, Old Town Café has long been a hot spot for the morning crowd. Grab a seat at the big community table or wait for a booth or table of your own. Old Town uses as many natural, local, and organic products as possible and makes all its pastries on-site with whole-wheat flour and unrefined sweeteners. You’ll find plenty of vegetarian options on the Old Town menu next to gluten-free hot cakes. And the usual suspects? All the regulars are here, but done up a notch: omelets, scrambles, French toast, oatmeal, and more. Old Town’s home fries are tumbled in special spices before they hit the grill, or take a slight left turn and choose black beans with corn tortillas on the side.

New(er) Kid In Town

HomeSkillet
521 Kentucky Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.676.6218

A tiny place with a big reputation, Sunnyland’s HomeSkillet boasts some pretty impressive numbers on its web page: 100-200 meals served each day, 600 pounds of hand-cut potatoes served each week, a miniscule 100-square-foot kitchen, and just one cook (Kirby White, who owns the eatery with wife Tina) doing all the culinary creating. Only one of the eight tables is large enough to seat six, so smaller groups are strongly encouraged. Cozy up to your neighbors and nosh on eggs done every different way, chicken fried steak, homemade biscuits and gravy, pulled pork tater tot hash, and more. Or dig into HomeSkillet’s, well, “homeskillet,” a personal skillet heaped with home fries, scrambled eggs, and your choice of meat, veggies, or Mexican fixings. Just look at that menu and tell me you don’t want to head over right now and see if we can squeeze into a spot.

Gargantuan Serving Sizes

Diamond Jim’s Grill
2400 Meridian Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.734.8687

Diamond Jim’s used to reside in a miniscule triangle-shaped building on North State Street on the edge of the Sunnyland neighborhood, but now the delicious diner is smack dab in the Fountain District, in far roomier digs. The portions were always huge at Diamond Jim’s; now the spacious dining room matches that theme. And they’re not kidding around with their pancakes – 10 inches in circumference and nearly obscuring the plate they rest upon. And for the gluten-free crowd, Diamond Jim’s carries Bellingham Flatbread & Bakery gluten free’r toast and pancakes. The menu is chock full of egg dishes, of course, from omelets and scrambles to four different benedicts. Get some fried red potatoes on the side or dress them up with veggies, ham, corned beef hash, or chorizo sausage.

Fairhaven Favorites

Harris Avenue Cafe
1101 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.738.0802

Adjoined with Fairhaven’s longtime coffee house favorite Tony’s Coffee & Espresso and inhabiting one half of the historic Terminal Building, built in 1888, Harris Avenue Cafe serves up charm alongside breakfast staples for omnivore and vegetarians alike. The breakfast menu features locally grown produce, Breadfarm bread, and Hempler’s meat and sausage – and organic eggs are available upon request for just an extra quarter. From traditional egg breakfasts and omelets to French toast, pancakes, granola and oatmeal, you’ll find plenty of options for everyone in your crowd searching for a spectacular first meal of the day.

Skylark’s Hidden Cafe

1308 11^th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.715.3642

Skylark’s Hidden Cafe isn’t at all hard to find – there’s a charming off-the-beaten-path entry down the cobblestone path past the vintage red telephone box, but there’s also an entrance right in plain sight on bustling 11th Street. No matter how you find it or which door you choose, breakfast at Skylark’s is always fantastic. The menu boasts specialties such as a Mediterranean frittata, biscuits and sausage gravy, and organic granola. But of course you’ll also find omelets and scrambles served with hashbrowns and toast, plus hot-off-the-griddle pancakes and French toast, and baked goods.

7 Date Spots around Bellingham

By

Stacee Sledge

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bellingham date spot — Views from Keenan’s on the Pier of Taylor Dock and Bellingham Bay beyond are guaranteed to wow any date.

Looking to make a romantic impression? Bellingham is chock full of date spots that will make a potential love-interest’s heart go pitter-pat.

A delightful date-night combo: Hit one of the following area eateries for a little romantic repast, and then, if the weather is on your side, either start or end your rendezvous with a stroll along the water at Zuanich Park, Boulevard Park, or Marine Park.

Over the years, several of my favorite Bellingham date-night dining spots have closed their kitchens forever (I’m looking wistfully at you, Calumet, Nimbus, and boZak), but many wonderful options remain.

D’Anna’s Café Italiano

1317 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.714.0188

D’Anna’s has been dishing up spectacular hand-made pastas since the early 90s, when it started a wholesale pasta business in Seattle. Upscale restaurants received regular raves when serving D’Anna’s delicious creations, and the owners decided to open their own restaurant here in Bellingham. It’s consistently named the best Italian restaurant in Cascadia Weekly’s Best of Bellingham annual poll – and for good reason. D’Anna’s dinner menu runs the gamut from traditional Italian dishes with lamb, pork, chicken, seafood and steak plus an array of their stunning fresh pastas: spaghetti, linguini, shells, pappardelle, spinach rigatoni, spinach fettucine, and ravioli. Entrée prices range from $11 to $25.

The Fork at Agate Bay

2530 North Shore Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

360.733.1126

The Fork is a gastronomical gem tucked up along the north side of Lake Whatcom in a secluded-feeling spot. Opened in June 2009, you’d never know it’s housed in what was once the old Agate Bay Store & Gas Station. The dining room’s ambiance trends upscale, though anyone would be comfortable in any attire – this is the Pacific Northwest, after all. The food is the real showstopper, focusing on local ingredients prepared with attention to detail and obvious loving care. The Fork’s dinner menu changes with the season and must be perused to fully appreciate the detailed dishes it serves up. Entrée prices range from $16 to $28.

Black Cat/Le Chat Noir

1200 Harris Avenue, Suite 310, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.733.6136

The Black Cat has been a Fairhaven staple since 1987, when it took over the space from La Creperie, which had closed down a few years prior. Gregg Kimber, a former La Creperie employee, took advantage of the space’s fantastic architecture – think brick walls and soaring wood-framed windows – to give the restaurant a French Cabaret theme, which makes it feel intimate, comfortable and absolutely romantic. The menu includes bistro sandwiches and crepes but also offers beef stroganoff, wild sockeye salmon, filet mignon, and more. Bistro items are priced from $10 to $14, while entrée prices range from $14 to $27.

Keenan’s at the Pier

804 10^th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

888.808.0005

Both casual and elegant at once, Keenan’s at the Pier offers a panoramic view of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands from every table. Executive Chef Rob Holmes has created an ever-changing seasonal menu featuring the best of the Pacific Northwest, plated with special attention to detail and thoughtful flavor combinations. Local vendors and farmers are key to making so many menu items sing, from the Sage & Sky Farm lamp chops and Double R Ranch filet mignon to the Carlton Farms pork chop and local squash medley. Entrée prices range from $14 to $32.

Cliff House

331 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.734.8660

It’s hard to imagine a more romantic sunset-watching spot than at the Cliff House. Opened in 1969, this neighborhood restaurant is tucked up above Bellingham Bay, amidst its very quiet South Hill neighborhood. Long known for its decadent whiskey crab soup, the Cliff House menu also showcases local ingredients and seasonal offerings in its mouth-watering seafood, steak and chicken dishes. Entrée prices range from $21 to $36 (plus market price for steak and lobster).

A Dreamy Duet:

Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor

25 Bellwether Way, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.647.5588

Anthony’s Hearthfire Grill – Squalicum Harbor

7 Bellwether Way, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.527.3473

The same Washington-based restaurant group owns both of these restaurants, which are nestled near each other on Squalicum Harbor. Entrées range from to $15 to $37, with appetizers on the slightly spendier end. Anthony’s dinner menu is heavier on seafood, with several steak options, while the Hearthfire Grill menu serves up chicken, fish and steak. Both restaurants feature magnificent views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands.

Western’s Basketball Coach Tony Dominguez On the Court for the Little Kids

By

Stacee Sledge

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tony dominguez — Tony began coaching youth basketball, through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, as a way to stay connected with his kids.

By Stacee Sledge

Most Whatcom County residents know Tony Dominguez as head coach for Western Washington University’s men’s basketball – the team’s longtime assistant and then associate head coach who took the helm in 2012 and led his men to a 31-3 record, a GNAC regular-season championship, West Regional title, and into the NCAA Division II final four.

But Coach Dominguez also guides another important group of much younger athletes: those who play through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

A father to 15- and 11-year-old daughters and an 8-year old son, Tony has long volunteered to coach his kids’ teams. With a very busy Western work and travel schedule, it’s been another way to fit in extra family time.

“As a college coach, the hours of the job are odd,” he says. “So if I was going to hang out with my kids, I needed to coach them.”

Tony’s history with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County goes back to his days as a Western student.

“When I first came to Western, I refereed there to make money to help pay my way through school,” he says. “I worked flag football, baseball, basketball – everything.”

He enjoyed his experience working for the club. “At the time, I thought if I wasn’t going to get into coaching, maybe I’d try to be an athletic director or something there.”

Eventually, the assistant coaching position with the Western men’s basketball team beckoned and Tony’s career ultimately took a different direction.

Coaching 8-year-olds, for example, is quite different from the young men on his Western squads. For one thing, the mood tends to be a whole lot sillier.

“Kids are awesome,” Tony says. “It’s just fun to be around them. It’s like teaching; every day is hilarious because they’re just goofballs.”

He admits it takes a lot of patience. “Sometimes, it’s not so much coaching as it is babysitting.”

Another big difference between coaching at the college level and leading the elementary school set is competition – or lack thereof.

“I’m super-intense and super-competitive [at work],” he says, “but I go the other way when I’m coaching the kids.”

A demanding Western schedule means he can’t make every Boys & Girls Club practice or game, but two or three parents step in and help make it work.

Tony believes the competition in youth sports has gotten a bit out of control — from the parents, not the kids.

“I do think it’s important to have the concept of winning and losing down,” he admits. “But at eight or nine years old, it shouldn’t be determining their day.”

He says most of the kids don’t let it do that, but the parents sometimes do. “I think the perspective is a little skewed by many of the parents.”

How does he respond when he sees a parent reacting strongly during a game?

“I just kind of smile,” he says. “Everyone has their own way and I’m not judging how people live their lives. It’s not my place to tell them how to react at youth sports and I just kind of chuckle at some of the responses at games. It is what it is.”

Last year, he led what he calls “a good little team” who “for whatever reason, weren’t losing.” They played undefeated for much of the season – like his WWU men’s basketball team.

“When we did eventually lose a game, the gym erupted. Parents [from the opposing team] took pictures and made it into a big deal. Our kids started crying.”

He says some folks think he stacks his team because he is the Western coach. “It’s just friends’ kids,” he says with a chuckle. “I didn’t go out in the community and look for certain kids.”

Tony raves about the work the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County is doing. “It’s a great organization for kids. Very healthy,” he says. “I believe the Boys & Girls Club is the best of all youth sports.”

Having said that, he also thinks the higher-level competitive teams are great for some youth athletes. “I think kids that are good enough to do that need to do that. But the Boys & Girls Clubs have a great mission. They’ve always had great people running the Bellingham branch and I think right now it’s outstanding.”

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