The Various Diners of Whatcom County -- 24/24 Reviews, Including the Best!

No beating around the Hollandaise -- Mount Bakery has the best Eggs Benedict in Whatcom County.  The secret?  They make their own bread.

It's done -- I've reviewed all 24 diners in and across Whatcom County.  (Quick listing here.)  And with the exception of two corporate monstrosities (they rhyme with LIBLOP  and JENNY'S) I had a ton of quality dining experiences.  And frankly, even the weaker spots were never too terrible -- we all have bad days.  I think at the very least what I got out of this project was simply getting into remoter parts of Whatcom County that I might never have seen otherwise.

Here are the three best diners in Whatcom County:

1)  Mount Bakery (with three locations, I went to the one in Fairhaven)

2)  Old Town Cafe (admittedly, I'm a bit sentimental about this place but objectively, everything they put out on the table is very, very good)

3)  Marlin's Cafe (one thing I learned -- while food quality is most important, atmosphere is impossible to separate completely, EBs only on weekend)

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 24: Al's Downtown Diner

2012 Main Street, Ferndale, WA

Where we headed today, Mr. Tummy?  Well, it's lovely Ferndale and the small, unassuming Al's Diner.

Cozy but also surprisingly on the new side in terms of decor, the place was packed -- the best sign there is for a quality restaurant.

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 23: Marlin's Cafe (Inside Nelson's Market)

 

512 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA

Let's head to the York neighborhood east of downtown, and a place that's inside a larger Market, but as far as I can tell most people come here for breakfast.  It's Marlin's Cafe!  And it's well worth the detour!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 22: Horseshoe Cafe

113 East Holly St, Bellingham, WA

Let's head to the heart of Bellingham for breakfast today, at the Horseshoe!  And let's be honest -- you might be turned off by the homeless guys encamped along the sidewalk but I'd suggest going on in.  They seem to have an agreement on not harassing customers.

So maybe not the best way to start one of my diner reviews?

San Juan Islands

 

I last visited the San Juan Islands by ferry with my Dad about 20 years ago.  I figured there was no better way to enjoy my last week in Bellingham.

I'll never be a skier, but I like riding the ferries all day just fine.  So long, Bellingham.  A week from Monday I'm driving back east.

Big Red Barn

Hovander Park, Ferndale.

Update on Updates

My Dad turned 94 today.  He had a birthday party at his nursing home with my sister and nephew and Good Friend of The Family.  He looked really happy, and knowing him he's probably setting down for a nap.

The wheels are rolling on selling the house.  There's still a lot to do, but we've got a realtor helping us out.

I'm planning of driving back east, two kitties in tow, in two months.  I'll keep working at the shelter until then.

The fluffy ones are getting their spay/neuter this Friday.  They'll hate it of course, but I'll also officially be able to adopt them once the procedures are done.

It's raining in Bellingham, of course.  Things are pretty good.

Back To The Lake

Lake Padden, Bellingham.

I've made it to all the major parks in Whatcom County, but probably will miss you a few of the smaller ones.  Very pretty.

Adulting!

Me and my sister have the ball rolling on getting my Dad's house sold (the one I'm currently caretaking).  It's going well, but it's also the first time I've done something like this and dealt with this amount of money.

I'm trying to learn as much as possible from the experience.  Curb appeal!  Curb appeal!

Without getting too far into the weeds, I'll hopefully be moving back to Maryland some time in April, with two cats in tow.

From there I'll look for a new job, and also visit my Dad in his home as much as possible.

The hardest parts are over (taking care of my Dad full time).  But spending two days cleaning the house wasn't a bed of roses either.

And that was just an "acceptable" clean for the realtor.  A "deep clean" will come soon, although we'll likely pay for that.  I imagine I need to get started on selling some furniture.

Then again, I'm a lazy git.

This weekend, back at the Animal Shelter.  They know I'll be gone pretty soon, which is genuinely sad for me.  I hope they'll miss me nearly as much as I'll miss all of them.

Time doesn't fuck around, does it?

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 21: Acme Diner

2045 Valley Highway, Acme, WA

Well now, how about a place I've never even seen before?  In a part of the county I've never even been to before?  It's not like there's much else there, other than a post office!  Welcome to the delightful Acme Diner!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 20: Skylark's Hidden Cafe

1308 11th St, Bellingham, WA

Back to fancy, fancy Fairhaven!  It's a new year, and with the post-holiday blues hanging over me I headed here for my beloved dose of Eggs Benny.  I'd been wanting to try this place for a while, and was very pleased with how it turned out.  It's more of a restaurant than a diner, and a nice one at that, but definitely worth a visit.  Let's get down to our breakfast business!

The Various Diners of Whatcom County 19: Avenue Bread

2301 James St, Bellingham, WA (one of three locations)

Not dead!  However, there have been some changes over the past few months.  My Dad is fine, but we've moved him into managed care.  My part-time work continues at the animal shelter.  And my thirst for delicious breakfast food in friendly environments remains unquenched!

Here we are at lovely Avenue Bread, which is a Bellingham mini-chain.  So yet another place that makes their own EB muffins!  Approved!

Mount Baker

 

Mount Baker, Washington

I drove up to Baker today, for the first time in about 10 years or so.  That might sound weird, but it's a bit of a haul and even with clear-ish weather you've got plenty of icy patches up and down the mountain.  Last time I was up here was with my Dad.  It was cold and snowy of course, and completely packed, and I was actually worried I wouldn't find a parking spot.  It's prime season for skiers and boarders and snow-shoes.  Me, I just walked around a bit and smiled at the people and good dogs.

Happy New Year!

Drayton Harbor

Drayton Harbor near Blaine, Washington.

Very technically speaking, this area is the tippy-toppy Northwestern part of the continental U.S.  And it wasn't raining!  And there's what's supposed to be a good place for raw oysters not far from here, but couldn't make it this day.

The Ballad of Chingu and Mandu

 

Chingu (tuxedo) and Mandu (cream with brown spots) taking a much needed rest after knocking something else over.

I've been working at the local Humane Society for over a year now, but I was one of the only people there who didn't have any pets.  Living with my Dad it would have been too much for him -- I was convinced that during one of his 3 a.m. ramblings to nowhere he might have kicked a dog or cat, or simply just opened the front door and let them out to play with the hungry local foxes and coyotes.

Anyhow, we've moved my Dad into professional care and not long after that I adopted these two knuckle-heads (technically I'm fostering until they're fixed, then will formally adopt).  The tuxedo is Chingu, a boy.  His name in Korean is "friend."  I didn't stop there, so his sister (not biological, but I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference) is Mandu, or "dumpling."

I've hesitated to say more about these two gorgeous creatures for a simple reason.  Chingu was going to get put down due to some health issues.  As horrible as that sounds, it's just a fact that in an Animal Shelter setting issues of "adoptability" and ease of re-homing are always present.

It's been about a month now and while I don't want to jinx anything, Chingu is improving.  He's objectively doing better and growing all on his own.  He had issues with his bowels.  This might mean he'll later have the very common cat issue of bad kidneys.  But for now he's lively and playful and makes me smile even when I'm scolding him for trying to light the house on fire.

And let's not give short shrift to Mandu -- she's also growing, has a beautiful coat and eyes, and will purr on first or second brush of a human hand.  She's actually more shy than Chingu, even though as far as we can tell she's always been perfectly healthy.

I love these two, and in a few months we'll be driving across the country together once my Dad's house is ready for resale.

Whatcom Falls Park

Whatcom Falls Park, Bellingham.

My Dad moved out here while I was in college back in 1994.  As I spend my last few months here before headed back east I'm enjoying visits to spots that my Dad took me to almost 30 years ago.  For any and all complaining I've done about life here, the city has done a pretty amazing job of integrating parks into the city landscape.  There's no excuse to not get your 10,000 daily steps here because you can throw a rock and find a decent walking trail.

As my Dad got into his late 70's and 80's, understandably, we did a lot less hiking, a lot less "stuff" in general.  So it's refreshing, maybe even a bit liberating, to get out and enjoy the cold and damp weather by myself, as only Bellingham can provide this time of year.

And my Dad's fine by the way.  But at 93, and given some very scary moments involving his diagnosed dementia, we've moved him into a home.

pene-exclave!

A good friend visited me here in Bellingham for early-Thanksgiving dinner.  On Thursday itself I headed up to Canada to visit a place even my Dad never made it to -- the "pene-exclave" of Point Roberts, USA.

It's a truly weird place, geographically speaking.  You go into Canada on I-5, then towards Vancouver, but you make big left turn / fish-hook to get here instead.  And you actually have to go through Customs (albeit a much smaller operation) all over again.

There's not a whole lot to see.  You'd be crazy to start a business here with all the necessary red tape.  But strangely enough, it is part of Whatcom County and at the animal shelter we do occasionally get a call from here.  Basically, I tell them (politely!) that most of our officers don't have passports, and it would take almost a whole day of driving just to get to and from there from Bellingham proper.

There are some beautiful views though.  On the left of the horizon on the next picture you can see Mount Baker.

 

Welcome!

 

Meet Chingu (black and white) and Mandu (white and brown).  I'm currently fostering these two goofballs for the anima shelter, with the intent to adopt once they're old enough for their spay /neuter.  They're both wonderful, but Chingu is dealing with some intestinal issues that will hopefully go away once he gets bigger and stronger, and he eats enough of the special high-fiber diet he's been put on.

Anyhow, I love them both very much, scratches and all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet Chingu and Mandu, my two new buddies from the shelter.

I'm thankful that I just adopted these two fluffly goofballs, and a college friend visited a few days before Thanksgiving itself.  Going up to Canada for a hike today.  Wherever life finds you, with or without or between family and friends, have a wonderful day.

Winter Is Here Already

Some sunset photos taken in Zuanich Park, Bellingham.  Damn, it's getting cold.  Woke up to (small amounts of) snow this morning.

I complain about B'ham a lot I guess, but there's something endlessly fascinating to me about this part of town.  And it's less crowded this time of year, which I also prefer.