Christine "comma wrangler" R.'s Profile

It's probably kind of weird that I've never really liked ice cream. I think it has something to do with fear of brain freeze. Or that I'm more of a salty snack girl than sweet-toothed. I often walk down the chip aisle at the grocery store to see if I can make it to the other end without a bag of Doritos.

But every once in a while, I find a place where the ice cream - in this case, gelato - looks just too tempting to resist. Tre Galli is such a place ... even I can't walk past that display case. Limoncello, tiramisu, chocolate raspberry, salted caramel, pomegranate are just some of the flavours, all piled up in whippy goodness. It certainly looks homemade. Sampling is welcomed and even encouraged. The limoncello was lovely and tart, and served with a chocolate wafer stylishly perched on top. I liked the nutty sweetness of my husband's butterscotch gelato too. It's always best to have ice cream with those who share!

In the past few sunny Saturday shopping excursions to the River Market, I've mainly beelined to the coffee bar side. They serve a very good cuppa brew, plus lattes and mochas for when I'm feeling fancylike. And I love that they have Italissima brand blood orange soda - the same one I always get on trips to Bosa Foods.

For New Westminster, the location is primo: right next to the waterfront boardwalk. Tre Galli has an entire wall of windows looking over the boardwalk and river, plus there's lots of seating right outside. A coffee and gelato bar was exactly what was needed here for all the strollers and food shoppers attracted to the area. Tre Galli is bright and modern and friendly. It's nice to have them here.

Three words: aglio e olio. Translation: roasted garlic, more chopped garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, pasta! With Parmesan cheese on top. What more do I need in life than what's in that pasta bowl?

The food is a little expensive. But not chintzy. The Fountain Cafe serves up fresh ingredients in its dishes and doesn't skimp on them. My husband's seafood salad from the specials board was $18, and it featured big juicy shrimps flavoured with saffron, lots of ripe strawberries, and big slices of Brie cheese.

The seating leaves a little to be desired - the tables are crowded and the people seated next to us seemed to be having a very long and loud long lost reunion. On the other hand, it's cozy and warm, there's art on the walls, and I get a strange feeling of reassurance when I have to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Just another quirk of the layout of an established place in an old building. A charming view of street we had from our window table too.

A fabulous neighbourhood restaurant; I'd suggest doing lunch if you're on a tighter budget.

Just around the corner from our B&B, Lanza's came highly recommended. And it didn't disappoint. It was much nicer inside than it looks from the street: cozy booths, tablecloths, soft lights, brick walls and old photographs of Italy. I'm almost sure that was a picture of Chef Boyardee hanging up by our table.

Which is not a comment about the menu, which is all traditional Italian favourites. Think spaghetti with meatballs (tempted, very tempted), pizzas, tiramisu, canoli. We loved the antipasti plate for a starter. It was piled high with marinated veggies and sliced meat and cheese, all of which went well with the warm bread and garlic butter they bring you. Then came the mains ... tortellini in cream sauce with peas and prosciutto for me, bistecca topped with gorgonzola and a side of pasta for my husband. I loved how the cheese melted on the steak as he worked his way through it.

In the tradition of Italian restaurants everywhere, the portions were big, bigger than life, and rich. Nothing too fancy in the presentation, just good ingredients prepared (and served) with love. It was a great meal, plus I had more than enough pasta for lunch the next day. Next time we're in town, I will be sure to save room for dessert.

Good god, in what universe did I give my beloved Trader Joe's only 3 stars? Must rectify that immediately. In fact, Trader Joe's has become pretty much the reason for a trip to Bellingham. (That and cheap gas.)

The parking lot's still a nightmare (I'll never forget the time I managed to park an RV here - thanks DD!) and the place always seems too small for the throngs. We love it anyway for the cheap cheese, chocolate covered everything, frozen goodies, and bigger sizes of some of the same natural goods we get in Canada at higher prices. (For example, my favourite Puffins cereal comes in a box about 1 1/2 times larger than the same product in Canada.) And when I'm down south long enough not to get dinged at the border for my wine, look out. Though I'll never get used to the idea of having to maneuver around people's children to browse the wine section.

I won't pretend Trader Joe's is all healthy food or bargain basement cheap, but the goods are quality. The people who work here are all young, cute and friendly too. Sometimes I wish other people liked it a little less ...

We were late for the show and missed out on the famous popcorn. But seeing a movie at the Rose was still a treat. This theatre first opened during the silent era - and feels like it still. The theatre we were in had only about 70 seats, and the walls of the lobby are covered in movie posters and autographed pictures of movie stars who've visited.

The Rose is like the neighbourhood movie theatre that no one has in their neighbourhood any more. If I had this, I would never again rail about how horrible it is to go to movie theatres. As it stands, if you're nostalgic about movie theatres and the silver screen era and all that jazz, make a pilgrimage to Port Townsend for a picture show - no matter what's playing.

For the record, 21 Jump Street was much better than I thought it might be!

The weather outside was iffy, but this was a cozy place to wait out the rain. The bar is casual, just far enough on this side of scruffy to be unpretentious. We found a booth by the window in the back room and a game of Jenga with just enough pieces to make it worth playing.

I liked the sense of history in this bar - the tables have business cards and messages crammed under them and the Jenga blocks had been thoroughly vandalized on all sides with down'n'dirty thoughts that occur when you play Jenga and get drunk. I couldn't help but compare it with the hipster bar back home with its "boardgame menu" and actual lineups to get in ... Sirens seems so much more down to earth even though its on the second floor. And has a really nice view of the waterfront.

As some have mentioned, it's a dive, but a tourist friendly dive. And this tourist had a memorable afternoon in Port Townsend with your Happy Hour beers and oyster shooters. I hope to visit again someday!

The house was built in 1868, but antique as the decor may be, it has all mod cons, and no ghosts. Port Townsend is full of old houses, so yes, it was important to find accommodations that weren't haunted houses.

The Blue Gull Inn is run by a very nice couple who gave us all the essential info on Port Townsend - like the best places to eat nearby - and cooked fabulous breakfasts that kept us full almost the whole day. We're talking muffins, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, and then a main course of dishes like Scotch Eggs (hardboiled egg surrounded in sausage), omelettes and waffles. (They can also accommodate special diets; I saw how they cooked separate dishes for other guests if needed.) And if that's not enough, the owner usually bakes up more treats in the afternoon. Tea and hot chocolate is available all day.

The inn has six guest rooms, one of them decorated with teddy bears and another with angels, but I liked ours, the Cypress Room because of it's huge whirlpool tub. You'd best believe I took bubble baths every night. The bed was a tad creaky and there was a little noise through the wall from the adjoining room, but overall, it was pretty comfortable. There's no TV, but there is wi-fi ... and the husband gorged on Hulu on our laptop. For nice weather, there's a fantastic front porch straight out of the American Dream, and a back garden where you might play with the resident pooch.

The price is reasonable, and the location is perfect - a few scenic minutes down the hill to downtown Port Townsend and a block away from the main uptown street. Yet there's still a very good chance of seeing deer and coyotes right in the front yard. You know, between the great food and the family pictures and the homey atmosphere, it's kind of like staying at Grandma's house!

This place is wild. Yet you can get to most of it just a short distance from your car, as the park straddles the skinny part of Whidbey Island. We stopped off at Deception Pass on the way to the ferry to Port Townsend. It has beachcombing and bluffs, beautiful views every which way you look, and big arbutus trees that look like overgrown bonsai jutting sideways from the cliffs.

The tide was coming in so I missed taking a walk to check out the tidepools on Rosario Beach, but we did some easy hiking around the headland near Bowman Bay - watch your step; it's quite exposed in places and a long way down. The only thing breaking up the serenity of the tall trees and sound of the wind is the flybys by fighter jets from a nearby naval base, but even that was sort of cool because, well, we're Canadian and we're fascinated with all that Top Gun noise.

Then you drive over the bridge spanning more crazy beautiful views, and there's another area with camping and a big beach great for log hopping and sitting in the sand and listening to more waves and watching fighter jets burn fuel. Again the park fee is $10 for the day or $30 for a year of visits to all the Washington state parks, but it's worth it. I'd love to come back from some kayaking in the summer.

If you're a girl and a movie fan, and this place looks familiar, that's because they filmed An Officer and a Gentleman here. The visitor centre has a map detailing locations where the movie was shot, both in the park and around Port Townsend.

Fort Worden was an army base up until the 1950s and became a state park in the 1970s, so has a great collection of preserved buildings and houses in the centre (a couple of them house museums, a visitor centre, and arts and conference facilities), and old bunkers out on the beach and up on Artillery Hill. We had a great time exploring the bunkers, and a flashlight is recommended if you want to go down into the works of them (we forgot ours, so just peered into the scary darkness and dared each other to go in). It's funny how hopping around on concrete and running through tunnels can make you feel like a kid again.

There is a $10 daily fee, but I think it might be worth it to go for the $30 annual state park fee, as Washington has so many different and scenic state parks to visit. And this one I plan to return to the next time I'm in Port Townsend - with flashlight. And perhaps with my dog too. Show owner comment »

If you're a condiment queen like me, this store is heaven! They've got a whole room devoted to olive oils, mustards, sauces, preserves, mixes, wines - just about anything you could add to your food to make it taste better. And you can try almost anything before buying. It's a little expensive, but that's to be expected with gourmet and artisan brands.

I was especially happy to find ableskiver mix - which is for making the Norwegian buttermilk pancake balls that my late Grandma used to make for us when we had sleepovers at her house. Grandma made them from scratch, of course, but I'm so happy  to finally give my special pan a go.

This store had an OK selection of cooking gadgets and serving dishes, but the tasting room with the goodies was definitely what drew me in.