Ballard Restaurants… It Never Gets Old
Annika July 1st, 2008
ahh…Dining in Ballard. Ballard has become a popular hot spot for a wide variety of restaurants and other eating establishments. 9 times out of 10 my friends want to “meet at my place and walk over to said restaurant.” Lucky for me, I do not have to get in my car, fight traffic and hunt down a parking spot. After living in Ballard for 2 years, I have discovered my favorite hot spots for food at all times of the day.
For breakfast, check out Vera’s (map). It’s a 50s diner/greasy spoon. Looks may be deceiving but the food is yummy! Plus, the service is friendly and efficient. Two perks for early morning eats.
While waiting for the oh-so-popular Ballard Ave stores to open up, why not travel a bit east for your mid-morning coffee. You would never know that Sip n Ship has some of the best coffee beverages. I tend to get their soy chai but I’ve had their other beverages and they were great! They even have a cute store with cards, stationery, and gift wrap. I find myself buying the majority of my cards at this shop! Plus you can address, purchase a stamp, and send out your cards at the mail center. They have plenty of postage deals and a nice, helpful staff.
For your picnic lunch to take to the Locks, I recommend the Great Harvest Bread Company. Their bread is made fresh two times daily, ingredients are fresh, and their sandwiches are more than filling. You’ll find me eating a turkey sandwich on whole wheat and a peanut butter/chocolate chip cookie. YUM!! And you can stuff yourself even before you take your first bite of that to-die-for sandwich with a sampling of their bread. My favorites happen to be the cinnamon chip bread and occasionally they have a rosemary bread of some sort.
I quite often get ravenous in the late afternoon. It’s too early for dinner, but man, am I starved. For a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, cross 15th and check out the Ballard Market produce department. They have a large variety of produce, including both organic and non-organic produce. It’s usually packed with the neighborhood shoppers, so try to get there before the rush hour. I like to nosh on their carrots, grapes, and apples, to name a few. While you are there, check out their cheese selection.
For Dinner, you can never go wrong with Lombardi’s. Their hosts are friendly, their staff are very friendly, and their food is delicious. Start off with a lemon drop….you practically get 2 drinks for one. For appetizers, you must try the Angel of Death. It is to die for, no pun intended. Lombardi’s usually has entrees that coincide with the seasons/months. And they change their specials frequently. You can go to Lombardi’s monthly and always have a different meal, or the same meal like me. :) If you can, save room for their Gelato. It is delightful and completely refreshing after a carbo-heavy meal. I tend to go with the chocolate gelato, it comes with a few cookies as if the gelato is not enough.
Or if you need a few minutes to digest your food, take a stroll around Ballard and then head over to Cupcake Royale. I know some people would much rather head over to Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford, but try the Lavender cupcake. Yeah, I know, so the cake portion is a bit dry, but the frosting makes up for it. If I wasn’t watching what I ate, I would eat a Lavender cupcake every day…
No with the heartache and sadness since Denny’s closed, I’ve had to explore other places for a late night snack. Most bars in Ballard offer food but not one place has called to me. I guess I will leave it to the folks of Ballard to let me in on the secrets…
That said, maybe I’ll see you around Ballard at one of these fine eats!
I am a big breakfast lover and I have been searching for a good greasy spoon for Sunday mornings to cure what ails. I am going to try Vera’s. Thanks for the tip.
not to blow our own horn but we at the tigertail have been doing brunch for a couple of weeks now and it has been going great. but not too crowded where you have to stand in some stupid line for bacon and eggs. plus we got liquor. yeahhh.