Word travels fast here in B-Town.
I was just gathering my courage to call my dentist to make an appointment for a tooth scrubbing when Margi, the receptionist at Dr. Abolofia’s office phoned me—for the third time.
“Shawn, so glad I finally caught you at home, how are you? Have you heard of ‘Eat Local’? I bought the Chicken Pot Pie, and it was to die for! By the way, you are way overdue for your six-month check up!” She said all of this in pretty much one breath.
“Yeah, I have been meaning to go there, isn’t it right next to the bike shop?” I said.
Maybe if I kept the conversation away from overdue appointments she would forget why she called . . . It could happen. But it didn’t. However, I did visit ‘Eat Local.’
The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was the Thundering Hooves sign on the wall. That sign alone gave me the feeling that a cow could be grazing out back. The store feels homey and it should because everything is prepared right on site. There are a wide variety of choices from, appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts and wine. A fair amount of the hand-made entrees were packaged in reusable glass containers, which can be bought and returned through deposit as you would a milk bottle.
Greg Conner, Eat Local owner and extremely affable fellow took me on a tour of the store. All of the ready-to-serve items are produced from ingredients procured locally from nearby farms that specialize in organic produce. I was amazed to find such specialties as Pork Cassoulet, made with pork, beans and sausage and then slow cooked in a wine sauce. I haven’t eaten cassoulet since I lived in France seven years ago. Thundering Hooves beef and poultry is pasture raised and hormone-free. I wonder if the cows and chickens are having menopausal issues—being hormone-free and all.
Speaking of local—Greg’s a homeboy. He grew up in B-Town and attended Kennedy High School. He opened his first Eat Local store in Queen Anne and is excited to be back in his hometown, and frankly I for one am very glad to have a place to pick up a quick ‘made from scratch’ meal for my peeps. I was just contemplating another cooking strike—just for the heck of it.
So, give yourself a break and visit the friendly folk at ‘Eat Local.’ It’s not to be missed.
Twenty-five years of living in Burien gives Humorist Shawn Underwood much fodder for her writings.
All of her stories are true, or at least have a grain of truth with no added embellishments.
Or something like that.
Read more of her humor at her website here.
| Dec ’09 |
| 13 |
| 12:00 pm |
New Burien business Eat Local will be hosting artist Nikki McClure this Sunday, Dec. 13th from Noon-1pm, when she will be signing her 2010 calendar.
According to owner Greg Connor:
Nikki does very few public events. We will be doing a tasting and it would be an opportunity for your readers to meet her. As you probably know Nikki is an artist recognized on the national stage. Her children’s book All In A Day is a New York Times bestseller and should win several prizes this year.
Eat Local is located at 810 SW 151st, next to Bicycles West.
Using only an X-Acto knife, a single sheet of paper and the inspiration that surrounds her at her Olympia, WA home, Nikki McClure lovingly creates her intricate and beautiful papercuts. Her work constructs a bold graphic language that translates the complex poetry of family, nature and activism into endearing, positive and disarmingly powerful images.
This is the first year the cover has had more than just two colors; and what a wonderful use of color it is; only the threads in the sewing case are colored.
January also features a distinctive background; a first in Nikki’s calendars where she’s used a combination of two different cut papers. The background texture is a white paper creating a new sense of realism for the piece.
Happy Holidays!
Greg and the Eat Local Team
Click here to learn more about Nikki McClure, and here to learn more about Eat Local.
| Oct ’09 |
| 19 |
| 5:30 pm |
Sustainable Burien is teaming up with Gregory Conner, owner of the new Eat Local store in Burien (located at 810 SW 151st, next to Bicycles West, near the fire station) for a special (and FREE) “Taste, Tour and Talk” on Monday, Oct. 19th beginning at 5:30pm.
Here are the details:
WHAT: TASTE, TOUR & TALK with Gregory Conner of the new Eat Local store
WHEN: Monday, October 19th starting at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: The new Eat Local store in Burien, located at 810 SW 151st next to Bicycles West
COST: FREE, but please RSVP to Rebecca at rdare2@yahoo.com
INFO: From Sustainable Burien:
Greg will give us a taste of some of the food they prepare, a tour of the store, and a talk about local farms and lessening carbon footprint, etc.
Please RSVP to Rebecca (of Sustainable Burien) at rdare2@yahoo.com so we have an idea of how many people to expect.
by Janet Grella
Photos by Michael Brunk
EXCLUSIVE: Eat Local owner Greg Conner has selected Burien for his stores’ second location in the greater Seattle area – he’s opening his 3500-square foot store at 810 SW 151st soon, right next to Bicycles West. His Queen Anne location has been open for three years.
Greg hopes to have Eat Local open by early fall of this year. He will also be locating Eat Local’s open kitchen in the Burien location.
Eat Local is a “speciality food store, not a restaurant, or a grocery store,” explains Greg. “It’s a concept store specializing in food products purchased from local northwest organic farmers. It is also an artisan food store offering prepared meals made with seasonal, organic ingredients bought directly from local farms”.
Organic farmers include:
- Thundering Hooves for pork, beef and lamb
- Salmon from Loki Fish
- Grains from Bluebird Grains Farms
- Stokesberry Farms will supply the organic eggs
…just to name a few.
Greg Conner is returning to his roots so you can "Eat Local."
Eat Local will be selling entrees, sides, baked goods, desserts, soups, all cooked on-site and frozen to keep the nutrients in. All the consumer has to do, is take it home and “mike it” (as in “microwave it“).
They will also be carrying a selection of other items, including:
- Rockridge Orchards cider
- Bluebird Grains
- Empire Ice Cream
- Tiny’s Organics
- Blue Cottage Jams and Woodrings Spreads
- Local cheeses, dairy and eggs
- They’ll also have their own wine label from Mt. Baker Vineyards and beer from Georgetown Brewery
Why Burien?
Greg grew up in Burien, and is a graduate of Kennedy High School. He wanted to “come home to one of the best little cities in the Seattle area. I think Burien is going to just get better and better in the years to come.”
If you can’t wait for the opening to enjoy their prepared food items, you’ll find them at Burien’s Thursday Farmer’s Market, which is one of four local farmer’s market selling the Eat Local products. You can also visit their location in Seattle at 2400 Queen Anne Ave. North.
For more information, visit their website here.
