Vancouver Resources
Be sure and check out my comparison of Washington vs Oregon Taxes .
Vancouver Restaurants
Roots - Voted Restaurant of the year 2004 by the Oregonian! Fresh NW cuisine served in an upscale atmosphere.
Minutes from HP and Hi-Tech Row in Camas/East Vancouver. 19215 SE 34th St Suite 100
360-260-3001
Saigon Express - This is the greatest little hole in the wall restaurant. Located in a strip mall off Andresen and 4th Plain this Thai/Vietnamese restaurant has really great food at fabulous prices. Their wonton soup is my favorite quick take out lunch. For $4.50 you get a huge bowl stuffed with shrimp, pork, and wontons spiced up with cilantro and fresh veggies. 3021 NE 72nd Dr. 360-944-8338
Thai Little Home - My personal choice for some of the best Thai food in the area. The best Shrimp Pad Thai I have ever tasted. 3214 E 4th Plain Blvd 360-693-4061
Portland Restaurants
Papa Haydn's - has been one of my favorite restaurants in Portland for many years but I have to say I was there last week and things have changed ...
When do you ever hear that a restaurant that has been around for over 20 years, has not been content to rest on it's laurels but has actually shaken things up and improved on a good thing?
Some of the mainstay desserts recipes have been revamped. The venerable Marjolane, my favorite dessert in the world has a crispier merinigue and a more intense flavor in the filling. The Boccone Dolce alas has not been changed, it remains the sweet wonderful bite of crunchy meringue and airy cream and fruit that it always has been.
The entree's at Papa Haydn's have always been secondary to me, it was the desserts that I kept coming back for, but no more. Last week I had one of the better meals that I have ever had in Portland. A lovely grilled Sea Bass with a Celery root puree, topped with crispy leeks.
Its great to see such a Portland tradition only getting better with age
Dog Stuff
All Natural Pet Supply - A great source for Quality Dog Natural Dog food and really fun toys for your favorite canine. 10501 NE Highway 99 Suite 49, Vancouver. 360-573-0667
Doggone Clean - Self Service Dog Wash owned and operated by the owners of the above store, All Natural Pet Supply. Very clean facility with walk-up bathtubs make it easy on your back for bathing your dog. Very helpful friendly staff. 10501 NE Highway 99 Suite 43, Vancouver. 360-576-8114
Seafood
Pacific NW Best Fish Co – This fish market is fantastic! They supply fish and shellfish to restaurants in Vancouver and Portland and recently added a fish and chips drive-thru stand. Take the 179th exit of l-5, go north on NE 10th Ave, it is about a mile past the Duluth intersection. Well worth the trip, the only local fishmarket. 360-887-4268, 24415 NE 10th Ave, Ridgefield
My Favorite Grocery Stores
Fred Meyer - A combination Grocery and semi Department store. I particularly like the ones on Hwy 99 and the one in Salmon Creek off 134th. The one in Salmon Creek is the largest in the area with a good housewares and garden department
Wild Oats Market (formerly Natures) - Located off Mill Plain at Garrison Square, rumor has it that they are closing this store and moving out east off 164th. Too bad as this is a really great place for organic meats and produce. Not inexpensive but cheaper than Zupan's for Gourmet groceries.
QFC - Located on the eastside of Vancouver on 192nd, QFC is kind of a cross between Zupan's and Safeway. It has a good selection of Gourmet foods, a pretty good fish market, plus it has everyday items at fairly reasonable prices. Less expensive than Zupan's or Wild Oats but more expensive than Winco or Fred Meyer.
Winco - What can I say, the store I love to hate. By far the best grocery prices, I regularly see items that are $1 to $2 dollars cheaper per item (!) than anywhere else in Vancouver. But I really hate to shop there. It is always crowded, they don't take debit cards, and sometimes the sheer mass of food and humanity there literally takes my appetite away. If you can shop mid-week or late at night it is not as crowded. There are two locations in Vancouver, one in the Vancouver Plaza center by the Mall and the other is on Hwy 99 just north of Wall Mart (the other store I have a love/hate relationship with)
Safeway - Pretty much the same stores as everywhere in the US. Just across the river at Jantzen Beach is the largest Safeway in the area.
Landscaping/Plants
Bartlett Landscape Maintenance – 360-735-7574
Jane and Marlin have done my yard for several years now. They do a great job, mow edge and blow the grass off the patio and they are very reasonable.
Millennium Farms – The best heirloom tomato and vegetable plants in Clark County. The Stucky’s know more about Tomatoes than anyone I know. If you follow their instructions you can have tomatoes by the middle of June like I did this year. They also sell fresh heirloom vegetables and eggs from their own chickens. 360-887-4485 Website: http://www.millenniumfarms.bizland.com/
Yard and Garden – 360-573-7172
Yard and Garden has a great selection of healthy flowering plants and vegetables as well as a store where you can purchase seeds and supplies. They also deliver bark and mulch by the yard. They are a little expensive but always have great quality stock.
1501 NE 102nd ST, corner of Highway 99 and NE 102nd
Tsugawa’s Nursery – Tsugawa’s probably has the best selection of plants for the Northwest in the Vancouver area. They are a little bit further out but easy to get to, north on l-5 at Woodland exit 21.
They have a website at: www.tsugawanursery.com
Shorty’s Nursery – Shorty’s has a good selection of very healthy plants, but they tend to be more expensive. 360-887-3936, 705 NE 199th St
Specialty Nurseries of Clark County – This is a great resource for perennials and other plants in the Vancouver area. Members have small home nurseries, often specializing in specific plant types. The Specialty nurseries tend to have very reasonable prices. Aikens Salmon Creek Iris gardens, is a great example. They are a nationally renowned Iris specialty nursery.
The website for the association is: http://www.specialtynursery.org/?page=7
Cleaning Supplies
Bennett Paper and Supply – Bennett’s is a commercial cleaning supply store, but anyone can shop there. They have some really great products that are only available from a commercial supply store. One of the products I buy there is “Jolt”. It is a multi-use cleaning product that you mix 20-1 with water for cleaning just about anything. Be careful though, it will etch glass. I use it on floors, countertops, bathrooms and I think it is a great spray-on laundry pre-treat for spots. You can buy the spray bottles at Bennett’s too!
360-693-2553, 1602 Washington (Downtown Vancouver)
Fresh Local Produce
Joe’s Place Farm – Joe’s has Vegetables as well as Fruit and Berries in Season. Everyone in Vancouver goes to Joe’s. 360-892-3974, 701 NE 112th Ave (just north of Cascade Park off l-205)
Firestone Farms – Firestone has a great selection of summer fruit, known for their peaches in particular.
360-696-1982, 5600 NW Fruit Valley Rd.
Vancouver Farmers Market – Every Saturday and Sunday April thru September. Local crafts and Produce. Take Mill Plain exit 1-C west To Esther Street. Go south on Esther Street, 7 blocks to the Market |