Interested in a behind-the-scenes peek into some of downtown Olympia’s best eateries? Then take a walk that actually adds calories with Brooke’s Bites, a leisurely three-hour culinary walking tour.
Brooke Guthrie -- food blogger, adventurous cook, city reporter at several newspapers, and former city planner – leads gastronomy-loving groups through three eating establishments. There, they get an insider's view of how area kitchens are run -- and get to sample the chefs' creative concoctions.
Brooke Guthrie hatched the idea for her rain-or-shine foodie walks last spring during a trip to visit family in Philadelphia.
“My aunt helped me come up with the idea,” Guthrie says. “We went to a bunch of foodie groceries and I cooked this scratch-cooked meal and she was just bowled over by it.”
Her aunt suggested Brooke do something with cooking. The women brainstormed and landed on Brooke’s Bites.
“I’m kind of a go-getter, so I made it happen really quickly,” says Brooke. Her first walking tour took place on April 28th, and she’s now had a dozen tours with more than 50 customers. The cost is just $30 per person.
The trio of eateries on each tour varies, depending on availability and each particular tour group. Restaurants visited have included Dockside Bistro, Cicada, Swing, Acqua Via, Waterstreet, Bearded Lady Baking Co., and Burial Grounds Coffee.
“These are the ones I’m working with this season,” says Guthrie. “I mix it up and choose the restaurants based on the timing, whether people have preference, and whether they’ve come before.”
Guthrie, who has lived in Olympia for two years, landed on just the right food-related project – for her tour groups and for herself. “It’s been really fun,” she says. “I feel like I’m so much more a part of the community.”
Through Brooke’s Bites, Guthrie has come to know business owners, restaurant owners, chefs and wait staff. “And they’re all so fabulous,” she says. “They always put on a wonderful show for my tours. It’s really wonderful getting to know them, and I’ve tried so much amazing food from Olympia.”
Through Brooke’s Bites, she’s come to know business owners, restaurant owners, chefs and wait staff. “And they’re all so fabulous,” she says. “They always put on a wonderful show for my tours.”
The chefs, in particular, share what Guthrie calls their amazing wealth of knowledge. “They are so creative and passionate. It’s fun to hear their stories -- and each time I take a tour through I learn something different.”
Each tour shows a different side of the restaurants, one a customer off the street wouldn’t normally get.
Aside from the shared stories, watching the owners and chefs in action, and Guthrie’s informative insider tips, there’s also the phenomenal food.
“We’ve tried such amazing food,” says Guthrie. “I’ve had food in the few months I’ve been doing this that I maybe never would have had.”
One tour, while at Dockside Bistro, sampled a dish dubbed “the battle of the kings” – three kinds of king salmon prepared three different ways. “They were like butter.”
To learn more about Brooke's Bites, or to snag a spot on an upcoming tour, visit the company's website.
Comments