With worldly cuisines, meals excursions, recent farm fare, and summertime sips round each flip, new culinary experiences await in Washington’s Olympia and Thurston County.
As one of many state’s most picturesque counties, it’s a haven for out of doors fanatics, nature lovers and now a hotspot for foodies! Simply head to Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, Grand Mound, Rochester, or Bucoda, the place an attractive number of regionally sourced, hand-crafted culinary experiences are ready to be relished.
Whether or not heading into Olympia by boat, taking a household road trip, visiting buddies, or coming to city for an epic out of doors journey, you’re in for an actual deal with when starvation strikes!
Take pleasure in Worldly Cuisines and Contemporary Seafood
Thurston County is a paradise for culinary fanatics, providing numerous flavors from across the globe and the freshest Pacific Northwest seafood.
For these searching for scrumptious meals on the go, the choices are countless. Bask in South Indian-American delicacies at Akashic Food Trailer, savor the flavors of Venezuelan arepas at Arepa Latin Street Food, or decide up artisan charcuterie and wine from Delmonico’s Heritage Butcher Shop for a pleasant picnic expertise. Honeycuspe tempts with brunch favorites like candy and savory waffles, whereas Olympita Food Truck entices with Center Japanese road meals classics like shawarma, falafel, and luscious hummus.
For a journey into worldwide delicacies, Curry Corner provides a wealthy and numerous style of India, whereas Don Juan’s Mexican Kitchen serves up genuine Mexican dishes. Hotstone Authentic Korean Cuisine delights with conventional Korean delights and bubble tea, and Jerk An’ Tingz brings the flavors of Jamaica to the desk. At Left Bank Pastry, take pleasure in French pastries and treats, together with the famend kouign amann and canelé. Rush In Dumplings satisfies with traditional Russian consolation meals like dumplings and borscht.
And when you’re a seafood lover, Thurston County has you lined. Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar, run by second-generation shellfish farmers, provides the freshest regionally sourced shellfish. The Olympia Oyster House, situated in a historic constructing, continues the custom of serving native Olympia oysters. Olympia Seafood Co. focuses on high quality, sustainability, and a big collection of native and unique seafood.
Summertime Sips Await Round Each Flip
As summer season’s heat unfolds, Thurston County beckons with numerous regionally owned and sourced institutions, inviting you to relish the proper summertime sips.
Ebony & Ivory Coffee in Lacey serves up the best, freshly brewed espresso, and with its fashionable ambiance, it’s the proper spot to forge connections inside the neighborhood. The Shiplap Shop & Coffee House invitations you to take pleasure in hand-crafted espresso drinks and baked items whereas searching for consigned gadgets from over 100 native artisans.
Axis Meads crafts beautiful small-batch meads and their tasting room is a haven for these searching for a candy and recent brew to savor the essence of summer season. Well 80 Brewhouse provides a historic contact to its craft, constructed on the location of Olympia’s famend artesian wells and utilizing the scrumptious effectively water to craft its line of tantalizing beers. Three Magnets Brewing Co. stands out as a microbrewery in downtown Olympia, providing unbelievable craft beers and satisfying the demand for non-alcoholic brews, transport their craft NA beer to 40 states.
The Cider Barrel boasts an unparalleled cider choice with over 300+ completely different varietals, making it a cider lover’s paradise. Whitewood Cider Teeny Tiny Taproom beckons with its small however mighty choices as a nano-cider producer, marking a major milestone as South Puget Sound’s first craft cidery. Embrace the chance to sip regionally made brews whereas enjoyable on their charming patio.
Heritage Distilling Company holds a prestigious place among the many prime craft distilleries in america and stands as one of many largest on the West Coast. It’s a vacation spot for spirit connoisseurs with a powerful number of whiskeys, vodkas, gins, aquavit, and rums. Talking Cedar Brewery & Distillery is a current addition, based by the Chehalis Tribe in 2020. Already, it has turn out to be a priceless companion to craft distillers nationwide, showcasing the tribe’s dedication to crafting distinctive brews and spirits.
Sandstone Distillery takes pleasure in crafting hand-crafted spirits from regionally sourced Washington-grown grains and the purest water from native aquifers. A go to to their new Tasting Room in historic downtown Tenino guarantees an unforgettable expertise.
Swing Wine Bar provides a picturesque setting perched on a hill overlooking Capitol Lake, the place you possibly can unwind with over 30 wines by the glass and select from an in depth collection of 200 bottle choices on the out of doors patio.
Savor Contemporary Farm Fare, Straight from the Supply
Expertise the essence of farm-to-table freshness in Thurston County by immersing your self in a hands-on meals journey. Take the chance to assist household farms by choosing your individual produce or shopping for immediately from the farmers themselves.
Delight within the natural blueberries at Carr’s Organic Blueberry Farms, an enthralling u-pick farm simply exterior Olympia. At Helsing Junction Farms in Rochester, relish within the season’s best farm-fresh greens, fruits, flowers, and herbs, and in June, indulge within the pleasure of choosing your individual strawberries. Present your appreciation for small, family-owned farms by signing up for a Group Supported Agriculture field at Kingfisher Organic Farms.
And for a heartwarming expertise, go to Lattin’s Cider Mill and Farm, a cherished family-owned farm working tirelessly year-round to supply high quality fruits, greens, jams, truffles, and pies. Reap the benefits of the pleasant Thursday by way of Saturday mornings, the place you possibly can savor their delicious apple fritters and spend time with the cutest petting zoo ever.
Style the Flavors of Thurston on a Meals Tour By means of the Thurston Bountiful Byway
Set out on a fascinating 60-mile loop tour by way of the tranquil countryside of Thurston County. This thrilling street journey provides one-of-a-kind stops and actions catering to the tastes of each foodies and journey seekers.
Indulge within the best cuts of beef at Heritage Meats or journey to Johnson’s Smokehouse and Country Store, the place the attractive aroma of smoked meats and cheeses fills the air. For a picturesque lakeside eating expertise, head to Lady of the Lake Public House, providing delectable American fare. Then seize a candy deal with at Masonry Café in downtown Yelm, the place a pleasant assortment of macaroons, cookies, pastries, and truffles await.
Transport your self to Italy at Pizzeria La Gitana, a Yelm-based pizzeria boasting a romantic ambiance and high-quality components. Go to The Pacific Northwest Honey Company and benefit from the pure sweetness of their pour-your-own honey, and discover the fascinating world of bees on the Statement Hive.
Lastly, savor the award-winning wines at Stottle Winery, a Lacey-based institution based by Olympia natives, whereas having fun with the scenic fantastic thing about their inviting patio and scrumptious cheese plates.
This text initially appeared on Wander With Alex. Photograph Credit score: [@monkeybusiness/DepositPhotos]
Alexandrea Sumuel is a journey author and the founding father of the Wander With Alex journey weblog, the place she offers vacationers and journey fanatics with journey concepts, journey guides, information, and itineraries. She travels to expertise, eat, and explore– and, every now and then, escape! Alex’s mission is to assist folks journey slightly simpler.
