A Day in Olympia

I didn't have to work today, my laundry was caught up and my household chores were done, so I decided to spend the day in Olympia.

My day was filled with many 'epicurean' adventures. Among them was a quick visit to Olympic Wine Merchants (101 Capitol Way N., Suite 106). As I entered the store I received friendly greetings from both employees. I was asked if there was anything in particular I was looking for and when I explained that I was simply "checking out their inventory" I was left to browse their shelves without interruption. The store was neat and clean and had a nice selection of both domestic and international wines. I spent most of my time browsing the Northwest section and was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of their offerings. Prices were slightly more expensive than what you see at Olympia grocery stores, but only by a few cents to a few dollars. I left with nothing, but I surely will return to spend money at Olympic Wine Merchants in the future.

I had lunch at Meconi's Italian Subs (1051 Capitol Way S.). As always, the service fell somewhere between unfriendly and horrible and the food was delicious. I had half of an Italian (salami and capicola with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, black olive, pepperoncini, mayonnaise, Italian oil and oregano) and a fountain Diet Coke. The half sandwiches at Meconi's run between $3.99 and $4.69 and are easily as filling as a foot long from their competitors (one of which is directly across the street). I suggest, for the more adventurous among you, trying the egg salad and tuna TOGETHER in one sandwich. I had this a few years back and I swear it tastes as though it has been kissed by Jesus.

Jason, my sister Amy's boyfriend, joined me later in the day and we ended up at a quirky shop called einmaleins (121 State Avenue NE ~ www.1X1olympia.com). einmaleins describes itself as "Modern European lifestyle products for the Home, the Kitchen and for the Road." I picked out a book entitled "The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey through the Wine World" by Lawrence Osborne. The store clerk (possibly one of the owners) was very excited by my decision to buy the book. He exclaimed that the book is "genius." I can't wait to dig into it.

Jason and I stopped for 'dunch' - halfway between dinner and lunch - at the Urban Onion (116 Legion Way SE ~ www.theurbanonion.com). The restaurant changed hands recently, which worried me as I am literally obsessed with their lemon-tahini salad dressing and their grilled herb bread. We ordered a garden salad with lemon-tahini dressing a an order of the grilled herb bread. Both items (which we shared) were slightly different than I remember, but still very good. The biggest change of all was the quality of the service. In my opinion, Olympia is not known for its service and the Urban Onion, under its former ownership, was no exception to the rule. Well, things have certainly changed. Our server was friendly, informative and pleasant. She indulged our requests for extra dressing and chatted with us about the changes taking place. Our total bill was $3.95 - we left $7 and were on our way.

Slightly before Amy was to get off work, Jason and I stopped at the West Olympia Top Foods (1313 Cooper Point Road ~ www.top-foods.com). Amy was planning on preparing Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner, so Jason and I stopped to pick up a few needed ingredients. I browsed the shelves of their massive and amazing wine section and was in awe. Every big name in Northwest wine (except McCrea - long story) can be found there. I purchased a bottle of the 2007 Jezebel Pinot Noir, which is a second label from Daedalus Cellars (www.daedaluscellars.com). This wine recently received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and at only $20 a bottle, I had to pick one up. I also stopped at the cheese counter - one of the friendliest I've ever been to - and picked up a small piece of white cheddar and a small piece of Parmesan. Amy and I both enjoyed the wine very much. It is light-medium bodied, fruit forward (mostly strawberry and raspberry) and lightly spicy with light tannins and a quick finish. I believe this wine would perfectly compliment grilled chicken or salmon.


On another note, I picked up a vintage Candlewick pedestal cake stand at a second hand store in downtown Aberdeen yesterday for only $13. I can't wait to present a cake on it!


Cheers!

Stephen Pavletich
Wine & Spirits Director
Ocean Crest Resort