BOW, Wash. — It's a one-intersection town in a rural valley, but the hamlet of Edison is home to some of the best eating around.
Located in the Bow-Edison area of Skagit County, the small town’s restaurants have been featured in the New York Times and Food and Wine.
It's also the "happy place" of Seattle radio and food podcast host Rachel Belle.
"This is my favorite place in Washington,” she said. "In my opinion, some of these places are better than in Seattle.”
She recommends three top stops for an edible adventure, and when you go, bring cash or checks for payment – most establishments don’t accept credit or debit cards.
TWEETS CAFÉ
"I would say it’s my favorite restaurant in the whole state," Belle says about Tweets Cafe.
Servings are plentiful and the inventive, seasonal menu changes almost weekly.
"I want (customers) to feel that they're entering into the community as a member of it,” said owner Charles Atkinson. “When they come in and sit at one of our tables, they become part of the extended family."
Belle also recommends trying one of the giant desserts in the pastry case.
"It reminds me of Pee Wee's Playhouse where he just had a giant toothbrush and toothpaste,” she said. “I just walk around with a huge rice crispy treat."
Tweets Cafe, 5800 Cains Ct, Bow, WA 98232, Open Fri, Sat, Sun, 9 am - 6 pm.
THE OLD EDISON
"This place has been around since 1900,” Belle said, “It's an iconic, historic place in Bow-Edison."
The Old Edison also has a long history as the town watering hole.
"Our liquor license number is an original number from when they ended Prohibition,” said owner John Highet.
These days, the Old Edison features house-infused spirits and fresh oysters harvested from Samish Island, two miles away.
“You can have your fried oysters and oyster shooters - which are raw - with their homemade cocktail sauce,” Belle said.
She recommends pairing them with a cold beer and a competitive game of shuffleboard.
The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Ct, Bow, WA 98232, Open Sun -Thu from 11:30 am – 11 pm, and Fri and Sat until midnight. It's right off WA-11 and West Bow Hill Road.
BREADFARM
Breadfarm is a small bakery that specializes in using ingredients grown in the Skagit Valley to make an array of fresh bread, pastries, and cookies.
"We are in production almost 24 hours a day," said Operations Manager Jamie Bourgo. "There's something for everybody here."
Samish River Potato Bread is the best-seller, but Belle swears by the house-made graham crackers.
"They’re delicious, super buttery stacks of graham crackers,” she said. “I would come up here just to get that."
Breadfarm, 5766 Cains Ct, Bow, WA 98232, Open daily from 8 am - 6 pm.