First, an alert about a Saturday event: Scott’s Bar and Grill in Edmonds’ Lake Ballinger neighborhood offers up colorful drinks and dessert to raise funds for breast cancer on Oct. 31. $1 from each specialty cocktail or dessert benefits the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.

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What to do about Thanksgiving this year? Well…plan ahead — not just to reserve space at the venues that will be open on Nov. 26, but our local grocers urge us to think now about ingredients for a home-cooked meal. (Readers: Please share if you know of any I have missed.)

Bistro 76 in Edmonds’ Perrinville neighborhood will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but will have take-and-bake meals available. Pick up is on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and you can call 425- 776-3616 to order or for more information.

Kits include:

Herb Roasted Breast of Turkey with Pan Gravy

Traditional Stuffing

Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Mash

Green Bean Casserole

Butterflake Rolls

Cost is $22 a person

Lynnwood-based Chef Dane has turkey dinner menus in the works. Consult their online ordering for details and menu at www.chefdane.com.

Downtown Edmonds’ Claire’s Pantry is upholding the annual tradition — they will be open and encourage folks to call now for reservations at 425-776-2333.

Scott’s Bar and Grill: Call 425-775-2561 for reservations, or book online at scottsbarandgrill.com/reservations.php. Or, place an  order for your turkey dinner “to-go.”

PCC Community Markets reminds us that “the early bird gets the organic turkey.” Here is the link for the Thanksgiving holiday fare — reserve your organic bird or order the whole turkey. They will be closed on Thanksgiving. Choose from organic and heirloom birds, including PCC Organic Turkey, as well as precooked options from Diestel Family Ranch. 

QFC, with locations in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace, will detail menus and options in next week’s ad, as will Fred Meyer, a Kroger.com affiliate in Lynnwood.

Whole Foods ordering opens next week and closes two days before. In other words, orders must be placed 48 hours before your intended pickup time. They provide a range of pickup times — you can specify when you’d like to pick up your meal when you place your order, and it’s usually available on the actual day of the holiday (except for Christmas Day, the only day they are closed). Whole Foods will have their Thanksgiving holiday selections up by next week, and one can order online for the Lynnwood location at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/shop/LNW.

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Dining with furry friends

My hubby loved his mission —  to check out the “dog-friendly” eateries, in our area. Website www.bringfido.com provides a robust list of eating and drinking establishments that allow guests to bring along their dog(s). Like the protagonists in Lovecraft Country, or Green Book, he leashed up our Elkhounds, and set out to verify if this list was accurate.

Obviously, venues with outdoor seating are more likely prospects, and certainly during the warmer weather, are inviting. But as the rain and darker days become the norm, where does one go when part of the group is on leashes/seated under the table?

Another factor enters into the mix. Folks who’d normally dine inside, choose an outdoor space to maintain COVID-friendly spacing. Folks who may not be fond of your Fido have some sway with restaurant owners and staff. Many places listed as “dog friendly” issue a proviso: If another guest “objects” to the presence of your dogs, you may be asked to leave. No detail is provided about the pet’s behavior, just the presence of pooches, offending another diner, is grounds to evict.

Here is the list to date…Readers if we’ve missed a spot, please comment!

American Brewing Company signage on the door “welcomes” support dogs, and staff has a welcoming doggie display for Halloween.

There is plenty of outside seating and with their proximity to the Blue Collar Doghouse, a few extra barks are not a problem. Obviously everyone needs to be on good behavior, humans and pups.

New items on tap meant we had to order up a tasting flight: The Flying Monkey Pale Ale newest version has a sweet, peach/nectarine finish that I quite enjoyed. Two new dark categories offered are Grit City Porter, and American Oatmeal Stout; the first has more molasses sweet taste, and there is more “coffee” on the Oatmeal Stout. My taste buds still long for the version called “Nitro” with its creamy white head. Other selections include:

Mugshot IPA, a “West Coast” style, was malty and had clean finish.

New Pilsner Independence was light, low ABV of only 4.2%, and I agreed with our server’s comment: “A gourmet Rainier.”

Also new, (old?) version of Breakaway —  “We are back to Skip’s original recipe.”

Plenty of complementary popcorn is offered up, to augment the range of offerings on tap. Plus a new food vendor- Ever’s Food Truck, debuted at ABC location last Sunday afternoo. Check out ABC’s Facebook page for the menu and  future dates.

Brigid’s Bottle Shop: The website says “Dogs: We love your pup! Well-behaved and leashed dogs are always welcome inside and out.” Lots of furry guests enjoy the atmosphere, and their owners appreciate the relaxed roomy area too.

In addition of a wide range of options of drinks on tap and packaged snacks, the staff is fine with food brought into their space. Choose from eateries in the area like Spud Fish and Chips or Thai By Day, which are literally right next door, or even treats from Top Pot. Dine and drink with your pooches in tow.

Cheesemonger’s Table: Dogs are always welcome at their outdoor tables. And their warm, melty grilled cheese and hot soups are always welcome on a cold day.

Gallaghers’ Where U Brew website states:

“At Gallaghers’ we strive to create an environment that is fun and easy going!

We are a family (and dog!) friendly tap room and brewery, working to make your DIY brewing experience a successful, positive, uplifting and rewarding pursuit of fabulously great beer, extraordinarily fine wine or cider, and even root beer! We supply everything you could possibly need, stop by and try any or all of our eight brews on tap!”

Their outdoor area is open on first-come, first-served basis, of course.

More Gallaghers’ news: The Mug Club is back. Mug Club membership starts Jan. 1, 2021 and lasts one year. Sign up now and receive membership benefits for the remainder of 2020.

The wine room has been completely remodeled and product from Wine Expert has received a new look.

Hamburger Harry’s responded with enthusiasm to my question: “Yes, we are dog-friendly!” Family-owned, they use 100% grass fed beef patties, fresh never frozen, with a local produce selection.

Good news too: Get your team back together and join in  (masked up, of course) on a night of trivia at Harry’s. They will be hosting on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Staff advises: “We can only take parties of six, so make sure to get here early to reserve your spot! Safety is our first priority – our seating is limited and spaced out, and on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

Hemlock State Brewing in Mountlake Terrace is dog-friendly, and it’s all about supporting locals:

They’ve partnered with local sandwich makers Molly’s and Homegrown to provide a small selection of sandwiches and snacks available in the taproom. “Beer has always been our priority, but we’re glad to partner with other folks who care about their craft,” Hemlock says.

And… can one still bring in outside food? Absolutely!

How can we not love a brewery with a Pale Ale called Strawberry Fields Forever? They say it’s a smooth strawberry cream pale. “The strawberry hits you right away and gently floats on the palette without being overpowering.”

I’ll hop in the car and drive over the I-5 just to taste that one… please peruse the list — full of whimsical names and plenty to please, at www.hemlockstate.com/#beer-section

Maize and Barley says: We love dogs! While the health department doesn’t allow them to have dogs indoors,  all pets are “completely welcome outside.”

At Salish Sea Brewing Co., there’s always a bowl, or two, of clean drinking water available, as owner Jeff Barnett knows that our furry friends need to quench their thirsts, right along with their human owners. Salish Sea has one of the largest spaces with outdoor street-side dining in Edmonds, and one will see wagging tails under the tables and a very accepting atmosphere.

In addition to great choices of freshly brewed IPAs, Stouts, Porters and Pale Ales… there’s food. Yummy items to nosh on while imbibing a brew include fresh baked Bavarian-style pretzels and steak fries and full-sized sandwiches, and my favorite is back — the “award-winning” Coconut Seafood Curry.

Lastly, these guys always have their holiday faces on… Check out the décor for this year’s Halloween:

The Loft: Dogs are welcome in outdoor seating area.

As many outdoor seating areas are welcome to our furry companions, it is always advisable to confirm, if you do not see your intended location listed above. For example, a chec- in with the folks at Channel Marker yielded a “Sorry, but no dogs allowed, inside or outside.”

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Special note from Salmon By Scotty- “Scotty’s NW food truck was unable to operate at 5 corners October 23rd and 24th due to a fall that Scotty had, resulting in fracturing 3 ribs. We are very sorry if we let anyone down by not being there.” He assures us he will be there this coming weekend, Oct 30-31.

Hey Scotty: Please accept our best wishes for a speedy recovery and be well.

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The new Japanese-style burger craze has hit big in Seattle. There’s not one, but two new Katsu Burger locations in our area — a spot in Lynnwood opened recently and the newest location  in Edmonds’  Boo Han Plaza opened last week… they have a bakery too!

Reviews on both will be coming next week.

— By Kathy Passage

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace.