Mum's Day Sweets

S o r r y - I can't let another batch of cupcakes, decorated cupcakes no less, go unremarked. Here are the lovelies I baked for Mother's Day. Our crew ate way too much, and so a few had to be sent home to be savored later. No worries - I adore baking them just the same.

Yummy Yoggi - the new Renton desert

As of yesterday, Downtown Renton just became yummier. Yoggi Frozen Yogurt is open and serving some mighty fine nonfat, healthy (full of live and active cultures/ probiotics for the body) yogurt and smoothies. Fresh fruit toppings laid right out where you can drool over them, as well as a few of those "not on my diet, but oh well" goodies like Captain Crunch and dark chocolate chips.

It does not even need to be summer for you to walk in and enjoy this sister establishment of Pho Hoa on S. Third Street. John, the owner pictured above, has been wanting to get some yummy yogurt in our city for awhile - and believe you me, he has the goods. Free samples are flowing while they try to get the word out - so stop on by. Pho Hoa is connected through a doorway, so you can even eat your noodles first, planning to leave room for your "afters." WiFi is also available, so you can settle in for a minute and relax.

Pho Hoa has been a part of our downtown scene for 5 years already. How sweet it is to see them grow!

Yoggi Frozen Yogurt 801 S. Third Street (425) 204-9991 Don't forget to get your yogurt punch card started right away!

An Ode to Joe of Calico (Cheesecake, that is!)

When the Cheesecake sign went up at the corner of Third and Main, I began to salivate. How long we Rentonites have waited for some great deserts in our little burb. The last week in Oct. brought not only Calico Cheesecake, but it's two sister establishments, Cafe Lure and the Tapestry Bar into our midst. Now we have a new breakfast destination and a bar with eight rotating taps, apps and a full dinner menu. Whew! That's a mouth full!
Calico Cheesecake, the brainchild of owner and head chef, Joe Kennedy, began around the corner on Houser in 2003. He began with a few local accounts (Melrose,The Met),word of mouth grew, and he was doing business. But he always wanted "his own piece of the pie" (don't you mean,ummm,cake, Joe?), and so when the space became available he and sous chef, Willie Dzul, picked up their other tool set and went to work. The store front was almost completely gutted and redone into the beautiful, interconnected trinity of eateries you see today.
Calico offers Joe's renowned cheesecake and Mukilteo brand coffee, but you can wander over to Cafe Lure through the connecting door and sit down to a full menu of good ole' American cuisine with a twist/nod to such flavors as the Southwest, France and Asia. Head a little further and you can sample from a full bar (only top shelf in their well drinks!) and great beer on tap. Though the Tapestry Bar also has it's own menu of more "pub grub" fare and tasty apps like clams and mounds of garlic fries, all menus are available wherever you end up sitting.
"People are never subtle about their food here," shared David Spooner, server and Marketing go-to guy at Calico. "Their response is just over-the-top." Momentum for the eatery is quickly being built by word of mouth. Joe Kennedy has a reputation for putting together a mean plate of food - whether it be sweet or savory. "Delicious food on adorable plates" is the best comment left by a customer so far to describe the experience that awaits you at the place that Joe made right here in our little ole' town.
919 South Third Street
Hours: (425)572-5931
Calico Cheesecake Tu-Sun 11-9 Closed Mondays
Holiday cheesecake flavors: Cranberry/White Chocolate,Caramel Apple,Pumpkin, Sherried Eggnog
Cafe Lure Tu-Fri 11-3, 5-9 Sat-Sun 9-2 Closed Monday
Tapestry Bar Tu-TH 4-10, Fri-Sat4-12 Sat-Sun 9-2 Closed Monday
Current Beer on Tap!!!
Arrogant Bastard,Diamond Knot XIPA,9LB Porter,Spaten Optimator,Snoqualimie Copperhead, Alpine Pilsner,Lagunitas IPA,Scuttlebutt Amber Pints /$4.75, 22 oz Imp.Pint $6-$6.25
Cheesecakes take time to make so order your goodies in advance so no one is disappointed this holiday season.
http://www.calicocheesecake.com/home.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBVQH0DqeoM