Whidbey Island Restaurants – Langley (Prima Bistro)
If you plan on visiting Whidbey Island you’re sure to enjoy the small town charm of Langley. After a day of shopping and exploring the town you’ll want to visit The Prima Bistro.
There are many things that make a great restaurant; though most of us think of great food! That is surely the case at Prima Bistro. Often, however, it is the intangibles that make a restaurant special. There is a certain sense of place; the feeling that you get by just being there. You can click here to view a video on the Prima Bistro. You will want to view in the full screen mode for a better visual impact.
Prima Bistro has that sense of coziness and warmth; whether it be on a cold winter night or a warm sunny day.
In 2009 the Prima Bistro was voted the Best French Restaurant in Western Washington. Evening Magazine had their readers nominate and then vote for their favorites. Le Pichet was second followed by Cafe Campagne and Maxililien. All of those restaurants are located in the Pike Place Public Market in Seattle.
Prima Bistro is owned by Sieb and Jenn Jurriaans. It is interesting to note that Sieb started working in the restaurant business at Cafe Campagne. He became a sous chef at the Bis on Main in Bellevue and then the executive chef at Saltoro’s in north Seattle. Jenn taught at Olympic Hills Elementary for nine years before getting involved in the operation of the bistro.
The original Star Bistro closed for business in 2005. Sieb and Jenn knew the space and they loved the idea of living on Whidbey and starting their own restaurant had always been a dream. In early 2006 Sieb and Jenn secured a small business loan from Whidbey Island Bank and began the renovation. Prima Bistro was born in the summer of 2006 just in time for the busy season.
The roof top deck, though smaller, reminds me of the Pink Door in Seattle. They often have musicians on those warm summer evenings to enhance and keep the atmosphere lively. They have space heaters so even on cooler evenings it’s a great experience.
I was talking to Jenn and she explained how important the locals are to their business. “The local base is really important to us; they are an awesome community.” They do a lot of fun things for the locals and often use themes. When the Blues Brothers movie was playing at the Clyde; their bartenders dressed up as the Blues Brothers. Sex in the City; then they had cosmo specials; just good fun!
Whidbey Island is a very green and organic community. So, it comes as no surprise that the bistro found a spot on the roof for their own herb garden!
This business is their heart’s desire. It is a place that they share with their children and the community. A place to be with friends and to meet new ones. You won’t be disappointed!
You can visit their website by clicking here or their blogsite by clicking here.
Prima Bistro is a French inspired Northwest Bistro located in Langley on beautiful Whidbey Island.
201 1/2 1st Street
Langley, Wa
(360) 221 4060
LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY Serving lunch and dinner every day starting at 11:30 – HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 3:00-6:00
FOR RESERVATIONS EMAIL: primabistro@whidbey.com
The Langley Village Bakery makes for a wonderful local story. Misty Moore, the current owner, worked at the bakery from 1993-1999 as a baker/counterperson. She and her husband Johnnie (an aircraft mechanic) left Whidbey Island and spent a year in Arizona before they moved back to Stanwood in 2000.
They were thinking about starting a bakery in Stanwood, but karma took over. They found out that the bakery in Langley was up for sale. With a loan from the bank they were able to purchase the bakery that they named The Langley Village Bakery.
Misty and Johnnie have put their own style into this charming bakery. They did have some help from Wanda, one of the previous owners, who was able to pass along some old recipes to Misty. So, with old recipes in hand, some paint and a little cleaning up they opened up shop. Her husband, an electrician in the aircraft business, starts his day in the wee hours of the morning baking goodies for you and the tourists. Perhaps the aircraft business might be a little easier; at least the hours?
Most days you’ll find Misty at the counter or relieving Johnnie. Misty has a warm smile for everyone. She seems to know everyone by name; this is a real hometown bakery. I suggest it’s the people who own it that give it that atmosphere. Her daughter Taylor (10) and son Monty (14) help out around the bakery; it is definitely a family business!
The bakery is nestled in the part of town known as the Langley Village. There a quaint shops to browse and plenty of quiet spots to enjoy a pastry and a cup of coffee.
Thanks Misty; the cookies were GREAT!
The Langley Village Baker is located at 211 2nd St, Langley, Whidbey Island, WA 98260. You can reach the bakery at 360-221-3525; I’m sure that they can take care of your special needs.
Beneath the Salish Sea can be seen this weekend at the Clyde Theatre in Langley. We get a chance to witness the undersea odyssey of Florian Graner. Florian is a marine biologist who specializes in cinematography and photography. He has worked on a number of film projects for the BBC (The Blue Planet) and National Geographic.
His new film takes place right in our own backyard. Beneath the Salish Sea will give you a chance to see the wide variety of fish life in the Puget Sound. He will takes us to Holmes Harbor and the area just off of Beverly Beach. This should be a real education on the rich ecosystems that are prevalant in the area. Florian will be at the Clyde after the show to answer your questions.
Beneath the Salish Sea
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2:00 to 3:30 at The Clyde
The SEA’s (Service, Education and Adventure Organization) 65-foot teaching vessel Indigo will also be at the Langley Marina. There will be free tours both before (11:00am – 2:00pm) and after (4:00 – 7:00pm) the film. This should be fun for everyone; you may have a budding oceanographer in your family.
This past year I wrote a few posts about the oceans while I was blogging in Nevada; perhaps longing for a return to the Pacific Northwest. The three posts were Green Oceans and Plastic, Sustainable Fisheries and Green Oceans Las Vegas. Just click on the titles to get to the posts.
Have a great weekend!
This food bank on South Whidbey Island is all about good cheer. The Good Cheer Food Bank and its Thrift Stores have turned into quite a success story. Good Cheer had originally bought some property near the current location where they were going to build their new facility. Turns out the Masons were looking to sell their site and Good Cheer made the decision to buy the property and structures that now make up the facilities at the Good Cheer Food Bank.
I dropped by the food bank last week to find out a little bit more about the bank and the people that operate it. Most of the work that is done at the food bank and thrift store is done by volunteers. These special people take time out of their lives to help other people and there is no better work than people helping people.
The Good Cheer Food Bank is open six days a week to South Whidbey Residents in need of food. So, how does one access the food bank? Just show up; the staff will ask you some simple questions and you will need to have proof of South Whidbey residency. They trust people when they say they need food. This spirit of trust is reflection of the good people who work hard to make this a better community.
Clients are given a base of 70 points, plus ten extra points for every member of the household. For instance, a family of four would receive 100 points a month to spend on selection of food in the Food Bank.
Foods receive points ranging from one to fifteen for items that include cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, pasta, flour, beans, rice, eggs, milk, bread, lunch meat, peanut butter, jam, noodles, sauces, potatoes, oatmeal, juice, chili, meat, chicken, and fish as available. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also available.
Good Cheer has an on-site garden that provides fresh produce to those in need. I intend to write another post on the garden in the near future. There is so much good coming out of this organization that I don’t have the space to show it all in one post. The two photos are from the garden blog site; looks to be harvest time!
Good Cheer has a great program for kids in their WIN Program. Whidbey Island Nourishes is sponsored by Good Cheer. This is a volunteer effort that provides free, nutritious sack lunches to people in need (especially children).
The lunches are available for pickup at the Good Cheer Food Bank, Island Coffehouse & Books in Langley and the Good Cheer Two Thrift Store in Clinton.
Here is the link to the Good Cheer website. The website is very informative whether your in need help or you’re just wanting to help out; the website will get you moving in the right direction.
In this economic environment it is clear that people do need help. I know that many of us could use these services, however, we let our egos get in the way. Remember, these programs were set up for people needing help during the tough times that life sometimes hands us.
There are other ways to gain assistance in these tough times. Basic food aid (Food Stamps) sign-ups are now available at Helping Hand on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
A client services coordinator from the Opportunity Council is now available by appointment the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Helping Hand offices in Langley at 816 Camano Ave. opposite the Island County Fairgrounds.
The coordinator will help people determine if they are eligible to receive Basic Food Aid and can also provide help with energy assistance and rental assistance if needed. The representative will be available by appointment between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Appointments should be scheduled in advance by calling Helping Hand at (360) 221-7777 weekday mornings. The savings that food stamps provide might allow you to treat your kids or just have some extra money available for emergencies.
It is comforting to know that people care. If you find that you need a little help; they are there for you.
The Inn at Langley
The Holiday Season didn’t bring the white stuff to Langley this year and I’m sure the merchants were very happy. I took my constant companion Sam for a stroll through Langley this last Saturday. Sam is a 4 month old Black Lab and Boxer mix who is extremely friendly and I was able to meet quite a few visitors to our city.
The Saratoga Inn
The photos that I took are not the most artistic; hard to do when you’re trying your best not to get tangled up with your pup. It was a nice sunny day and the people were friendly so all and all a good outing.
The Langley Public Library
The Langley Post Office with Sam in the foreground.
A look down Candy Cane Lane.
The Village Pizzeria in Langley.
Langley is a great place to shop and browse for art.
The one thing that I like about writing a blog is that I’m not limited in the photos that I can put on the site. Photos can sometimes just stand on their own.
A view of the mountains and water from below the city of Langley looking north.
The 2nd St Wine Shop and Tasting Room
I hope you enjoyed the photo shoot; Langley is a great little town. Nothing like a short ferry ride and spending a little time in a not so complex little town.
I hope you had a great Christmas; I spent mine in Seattle with family and friends.
Green Links Whidbey Island starts with an article posted in treehugger from Mathew McDermott. This link will provide you with a slide show of the Demonstrations in Copenhagen. The photos are from Mathew McDermott.
Continuing in the same vane is an article again from treehugger from Sami Grover. You’ll find a video on how climate change is effecting snowboarding. As cold as it may seem here on Whidbey there are some things going on that we need to think about.
Susan Kraemer writing for CleanTechnica talks about the New Manhatten Project. The Clean Energy initiative is being driven by the Obama administration and is something that we haven’t seen since the Carter administration. Click here for the link.
Inhabitat’s Evelyn Lee shows us the top 5 Green Cars at the LA Auto Show. The designs they are a changing; here’s a look at what’s new.
The last link comes from Katherine Butler and Eco Salon. Want to take care of those wrinkles organically? Here is the link.
The manufacturing of green detergents is not a simple task since there are many factors that have to be considered. The world is going green and that means using less water and conserving energy. This in turn means that we have to develop technology that can produce more concentrated detergents that work with less water. Additionally, these detergents need to work at lower temperatures.
Green detergents need to be biodegradable and free of phosphates and chlorine chemicals. Their ingredients need to be from renewable sources and not petroleum based products. Some of those renewable sources are from plants like coconut or palm.
I read an extremely detailed article by van Zeeland, Michiel’van Deurzen, and Marion de Nobel at the Entrepreneur website; their findings on green detergent innovation were very informative. I’ll try to simplify what the scientists are saying. Maybe, my degree in Chemistry will come in handy after all!
Water temperature and energy conservation:
Washing your laundry at 86 degrees F rather than 104 degrees F can save up to 40% in energy usage.
Conserving water
Photo courtesy of the City of Santa Barbara and EPRI.
The typical washing machine in the U.S. with a vertical axis uses about 16 gallons of water per wash. I have experienced the use of European washing machines that use a horizontal axis and the amount of water used is considerably less. These washers use only 4 gallons and some are now down to 2.6 -3.1 gallons. That is true innovation and something that we need to appreciate.
Detergent Innovation:
Most detergents don’t perform as well in a low temperature environment. Bleach activators don’t work below 104 degrees F. The problem for manufacturers; when the temperature is lower the soil removal is less efficient.
High performance enzymes are being used to compensate for this lower temperature issue. Enzymes are more efficient but they also perform less well in a lower temperature environment. They can be engineered to work; sounds like genetic engineering. The right enzyme selection can enable washing at lower temperatures and shorter washing cycles. Enzymes created by bacteria may be the answer to helping the nvironment.
The bigger challenge may be in the developing world where most washing is done with bar soap. Affordability then becomes a major issue, along with very low temperatures and high hard water conditions.
Okay, now that we have the technical side; let’s consider some product ideas. These will be directed toward cleaning products and not washing machines; maybe another post on that later?
The links that I’m providing you will cover:
Laundry detergents, bleach alternatives, serious stain busters, dishwashing liquids and all purpose cleaners all with an eye toward going green.
Recent Comments