This New Snack Shack at Golden Gardens Sells More than Your Standard Beachside Fare
Time to try a new kind of beach picnic
By Chelsea Lin August 1, 2018
This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the August 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
When Miri Plowman and Gabe Skoda went on their first date to Golden Gardens in 2014—an unusual choice for January, but a good time to enjoy oysters alfresco—they never could have guessed that four years later they’d be running the public waterfront park’s only concession stand.
But that’s just what transpired in May, when, after submitting the winning proposal to the city, they opened Miri’s Snack Shack in the small space attached to the bathhouse. Plowman has years of experience in the hospitality industry; Skoda was chef de cuisine for Jason Wilson at Crush.
For the past couple of years, Plowman and Skoda have been running a farmers market stand dedicated to tiny, yeasted Dutch pancakes called poffertjes. The delicate puffs have a home at the beachside spot (though the couple plans to continue at the farmers markets as well), with sweet toppings that include butter and powdered sugar ($6), and berries and whipped cream ($10).
There are also to-go picnic platters ($12), acai bowls ($9), house-made Israeli street food such as kebabs ($11), and even paletas (tropical frozen pops) and bags of chips.
It’s an eclectic mix: “It’s hard to be everything to everybody, but frankly that’s what we’re shooting for,” Plowman says.
Ballard, 8498 Seaview Place NW.
Follow Us
Bloom Thai: Turning Tables into Friends
This hidden Thai food gem started as a pandemic pop-up. Now, in its permanent home in Lakewood, the restaurant has quietly amassed a following thanks to its fusion of flavors and gregarious chef.
For months before I went to Bloom Thai, I was regaled by Instagram reels about the tiny Lakewood restaurant. “The owner is so nice!” people exclaimed. “She came out and sat with us,” one influencer said, while another announced that “Auntie gave us free Thai tea!” and so on. The food looked legendary, too, and…
Industry Entrées: New Restaurants Around the Sound
Seattle’s newest spots to eat, drink, and gather with friends.
Balandra Fremont Taking over the legendary former Art of the Table space on Stone Way—following a brief stint as Robin’s—is Balandra, a chef-driven tapas and wine bar. Named for a Spanish sailing ship, it’s the debut from first-time owner Anna Bennett, who hails from the Eastside, with veteran chef Ivan Barraza at the helm. Along…
Seattle’s Vietnamese Coffee Wave
Rooted in history, evolution, and flavor, the city’s current bean boom is more than a caffeine fix.
While the number of Vietnamese coffee shops in Seattle has risen in the past few years, the beverage itself is not a new phenomenon in the region. Many Vietnamese restaurants in South Seattle have long served the beverage alongside other traditional dishes, such as bánh mì and pho. In fact, Bao Nguyen, shopkeeper of the…
Where to Get Vietnamese Coffee in Seattle
Eight spots we love across the city.
Vietnamese coffee has long been part of Seattle’s Vietnamese restaurant scene, and a new wave of cafés is now building on that foundation with fresh takes and flavors. Here are eight places to try. 1. Aroom Coffee Aroom Coffee serves classic Vietnamese coffee drinks, including egg coffee, coconut coffee, and cà phê đen (traditional phin-brewed…