Food

  • A Lakefair’s Food Row Set to Serve Festival Favorites While Giving Back to the Community
    by Molly Walsh Olympia is a city of many facets, but at its heart, it is home to a vibrant arts scene, many nonprofit organizations and annual events that bring the community together. And one of the town’s most long-standing festivals is Capital Lakefair. Taking over the lawn at Heritage Park for five days each …

    Read more

  • The World Returns to Lacey’s Cultural Celebration
    Lacey’s Cultural Celebration returns to Saint Martin’s University this month after two years found solely online.
  • Olympia Distilling Company Offers New Artesian Vodka
    By Molly Gilmore It’s the water. The familiar slogan of Olympia Beer applies just as well to the new Olympia Artesian Vodka, according to distillers Lesa Givens and Ray Watson. The duo, partners in life as well as in the Olympia Distilling Co., are using artesian well water to make the vodka — the same …

    Read more

  • Uptown Grill Promises Great Food, Good Time in Downtown Olympia
    By Melinda Minton Michelle Nurmi and Pedro Gallegos are no strangers to the restaurant scene. With over 50 years’ combined experience in downtown Seattle restaurants, the duo has now taken root in Olympia. “I had Pedro come down just  to get his opinion on the kitchen and hear  his thoughts because I respected  his  opinion,” …

    Read more

  • Family Spirit Makes Hawley’s Gelato and Coffee’s Second Location Twice as Sweet
    By Billy Thomas There’s an old saying that goes, “the family that scoops gelato together, stays together.” Okay – maybe that’s not exactly how the original goes, but at Hawley’s Gelato and Coffee, the modified phrase rings true. The local, family-owned company that’s known for serving sweet treats in downtown Olympia opened its second storefront …

    Read more

  • Peace on the Move: A Benefit Run for New Traditions Fair Trade
    By Melinda Minton New Traditions Fair Trade — the classic, loving, healthy venue for good eats and music — is set to host a benefit run in downtown Olympia. Locals are encouraged to run, walk or stroll. “In fact, bring your beautiful babies in a stroller, an international baby wrap or anything that makes that young …

    Read more

  • Rumors Has It
    By Melinda Minton Rumors, a local wine bar, has expanded and moved from Fourth Avenue into an airy space on Washington Street in the heart of downtown Olympia. Rumors offers curated selections for every type of palate—old world, domestics and imports from the finest variety of wineries around. Rumors is all about wine and the …

    Read more

  • Ben Moore’s Space Set to Transform into ‘Percival Place’
    By Billy Thomas South Puget Sound Community College announced that it has partnered with the City of Olympia to transform the former Ben Moore’s restaurant into Percival Place at Ben Moore’s. The special event location will provide the college the opportunity to return to downtown Olympia, bringing with it its mission of education and workforce …

    Read more

  • Zap, Zing, Pow — Flavors Explode at E-San Zap Café
    By CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL The largest region in Thailand, slightly smaller than Wisconsin, is a landlocked conglomeration of 20 northeastern provinces. Its name is four Thai characters, transliterated as Esan, Isaan, Isan or at least four other ways. In recent years, thanks primarily to Portland, Oregon chef Andy Ricker, its distinctive cuisine took American-foodie culture by …

    Read more

  • Cloudy With a Chance of Potato Balls
    By Jonah Barrett For a vegan, dining out can be a minefield. Options are usually limited to Asian food, bland burritos and the old fallback, green salads. Downtown Olympia has an alternative for that with the recent opening of The Wayside Cafe & Deli. Jamie Vulva and Kevin Rainsberry opened their Capitol Way restaurant on …

    Read more

  • Percival Restaurant Palate Pleasures
    By Ned Hayes South Puget Sound Community College might seem an unusual place to find a five-course, wine-paired dinner. Yet the SPSCC culinary arts team is determined to turn its Percival Restaurant location into a desired destination for discriminating diners. In 2017, Scott McLean came on board as new executive chef for the culinary arts …

    Read more

  • East African Cuisine in Downtown Olympia
    Note to readers — the restaurant named Shirro’s appears to have closed as of September 16, 2018. Our best wishes to the restauranteurs and our apologies to readers. By Jennifer Crain As a child in Kenya, Mercy Kariuki-McGee fed wood into a traditional fireplace while her older siblings cooked. As a helper, she got to taste the …

    Read more

  • Ethnic Celebration Returns to Lacey
    by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS The Lacey Ethnic Celebration returns in 2018 with a bevy of exciting performances, food, music and community-oriented activities. This is a free event appropriate for the whole family to enjoy. Children and families can enjoy music and dance from around the world while sampling exotic flavors and arts from …

    Read more

  • The Fall Cookbook Club at Browsers Bookshop
    by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few people associate bookstores with intimate potluck dinners, food blogging or local food critics. Yet Browsers Bookshop has been quietly building a reputation for just that with its seasonal Cookbook Club: an intimate dinner event where lovers of the culinary craft gather to share delicious food, recipes and insightful …

    Read more

  • Lacey Children’s Day at Huntamer Park
    by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS With the help of Lacey Timberland Library, Lacey Loves to Read and the North Thurston School District, Lacey’s Parks and Recreation Department gives all families a reason to get out of the house this fall. This year marks the 21st-annual Children’s Day, which is held rain or shine. Its …

    Read more

  • Experience Downtown Flavors at Sip, Savor & Stroll
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS On September 9, the Olympia Downtown Association will host the first-ever Sip, Savor & Stroll, a culinary tour of downtown Olympia. Kim Combs, event and volunteer coordinator, says the evening will kick off with a reception for up to 300 attendees at the Olympia Farmers Market, with Washington-sourced beers …

    Read more

  • Maritime Fun at Olympia Harbor Days
    by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer across the U.S., our community takes full advantage of the long weekend by honoring its maritime roots each year at Olympia Harbor Days. It’s an annual festival celebrating tugboats and maritime heritage in Puget Sound. Presented by the Olympia …

    Read more

  • Chehalis Garlic Festival Features Music, Munchies and Mirth
    by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS If there’s one thing summertime loves, it’s a festival. It seems there’s one for everyone’s interests. There are beer festivals. There are barbecue festivals. There’s a mushroom festival. There are festivals celebrating farm-fresh food. There’s even a festival celebrating … sand. But don’t forget the garlic. Yes, there’s a …

    Read more

  • Smooth Sounds and Southern Hospitality
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS On August 10, the doors to the New Orleans-inspired Tipsy Piano Bar will open. The downtown venue will feature Southern and Southwest cuisine and a lounge-style dining room designed for easy conversation. In the newly renovated space, patrons will sit at candlelit tables and order drinks from a granite-topped …

    Read more

  • Hit the Midway at the Thurston County Fair
    by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Every year in the first week of August, the Thurston County Fair arrives in Lacey for a period of five days. Guests from all over Thurston County are attracted to the event, with about 28,000 attending overall. The fair is a family-oriented endeavor. Crowds attend to experience a lick …

    Read more

  • Fungi for the Whole Family
    by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Perhaps making up for the pervasive aroma of fertilizer wafting from its mushroom farm in Lacey, Ostrom’s is one of the primary sponsors of the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival. This year the event marks its 10th anniversary, and it’s grown — well, like a mushroom. Proceeds benefit Boys & …

    Read more

  • Get Your Fingers Messy at the South Sound BBQ Festival
    by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS The Lacey Chamber of Commerce hosts the South Sound BBQ Festival as a finale to Lacey Days. This will culminate the celebration of the city’s 50th anniversary. For fans of traditional, slow-cooked barbecue or anyone who ever wanted to be in an eating contest, this event is not to …

    Read more

  • Food, Fun and Fireworks on the Fourth of July
    * Current 2018 Fireworks information here *   2017 Article on Tumwater Artesian Festival by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Every Fourth of July the city of Tumwater pulls out all the stops. Start with the obvious: The Thunder Valley Fireworks Show is, according to festival organizers, the biggest in Thurston County. It’s certainly impressive …

    Read more

  • A Taste of The Olympia Farmers Market
    by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Looking for something to do this weekend — or any other weekend, for that matter? There’s a veritable festival happening year round at The Olympia Farmers Market, said Mary DiMatteo, the market’s community-outreach manager. “We have live music, food, ice cream, seven distinct restaurants and over 100 vendors from …

    Read more

  • Summer Scoops: The Best Frozen Treats in Olympia
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Downtown choices for cold treats range from Olympia-made gelato to diner-style sundaes. —– Grandpa’s Soda Fountain Ice Cream Shop Drue and Larry Brown’s 1950s-style shop features a long bar where customers order banana splits, dipped cones, floats, milkshakes and sundaes. It typically has nine flavors of hard ice creams …

    Read more

  • Weekend Preview: May 26, 2017
    WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, Olympia’s musical season ramps up with show-stopping concerts all over town. And don’t forget the EGYHOP fundraiser this weekend, either, where you can enjoy everything the local arts scene has to offer while supporting a worthy cause.   Click here to listen …

    Read more

  • SPSCC Launches Craft Brewing and Distilling Program
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In fall 2017, South Puget Sound Community College will launch craft brewing, cider making and distilling programs. The curriculum is designed to equip students with an understanding of the science and craft of beverage creation and a solid footing in business fundamentals, production and regulation. “The students who come …

    Read more

  • Pure Entertainment at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair
    by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Each year, Lacey residents ready themselves for a weekend jam-packed with every form of entertainment imaginable. Food, crafts, live music, giveaways, local vendors, car shows, you name it: The Lacey Spring Fun Fair brings it all to Saint Martin’s University every year. The intent is to strengthen community pride …

    Read more

  • Fine French Cuisine at La Petite Maison
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In a little house on Olympia’s west side, Justin Wells creates cassoulet, chateaubriand and morel tarts while Zoe Wells welcomes diners looking to celebrate an anniversary or enjoy a solo meal over a glass of Beaujolais. La Petite Maison, which the couple started six years ago, has received praise …

    Read more

  • Norway Day in Lacey
    by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Jippi! Norway Day returns to Thurston County, going strong in its 11th year. Guests are encouraged to attend the annual festival to experience Nordic culture, kindly hosted by the Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway. “We just love putting on Norway Day, and we hope the public loves …

    Read more

  • Capital Food & Wine Festival 2017
    by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The Capital Food & Wine Festival is an annual 501(c)(3) fundraiser for Saint Martin’s University. Al Eckroth, director of the first and second installments, describes it as “a huge annual block party, where neighbors and friends unite in a spirit of community.” He says the festival “began in 1989 …

    Read more

  • Lacey Ethnic Celebration 2017
    by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Humans, of all animals, are encoded with the unique ability to be as connected or as separated as they choose. In these days, it’s not so easy to differentiate between the two; the internet, among other modes of communication, has enabled us to be more involved with each other, …

    Read more

  • Cooking From Scratch at Our Table
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Since the summer of 2015, Our Table co-chefs and owners Mike Holbein and Brad Thompson have been building their farm-to-table restaurant the same way they build their meals: from scratch. They started small, selling bar-friendly food with a local twist through a window that links their downtown space with …

    Read more

  • A New Location for Ricardo’s Restaurant
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Ricardo’s Restaurant moved to a new location this summer, with a larger dining room and options for private dining and events. Rick and Marie Nelsen’s popular Lacey steakhouse is known for its beef, dry-aged in house. The Nelsens serve rib eye, New York strip and filet mignon. “We also …

    Read more

  • Dillinger’s Expanding
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In November, Dillinger’s Cocktails & Kitchen will open an expanded dining room and bar. The cocktail lounge, modeled after the Prohibition-era speakeasy, has become a popular destination downtown. The new space will almost double the establishment’s footprint and capacity. Owner Sandy Hall says the business has outgrown the original …

    Read more

  • 222 Market Opening Downtown
    by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS This October, Olympia welcomes an indoor food market to the downtown corridor. A year-round destination, 222 Market features local vendors and restaurants that focus on sustainable, hand-produced goods. The project includes traditional walk-in businesses as well as a walk-through promenade, with open stalls and indoor public seating. The building’s …

    Read more

Skip to content