Favorite Puget Sound Pubs


Here is what I found in my sailing files. Copies of most of the suggestions with the suggestee listed as well.
Have a good time, and you will have to report back on which ones we just HAVE to visit.

Bill Mihelich - N30 Shekinah in Bellingham

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Lets start with The Dock Street Tavern. The best thing about it; It has a dock! If it gets too smoky inside you can stand out on the deck and watch some yayhoo raft up too your pride and joy. I usually time my arrival so that I raft up to the Yayhoos. What else can I say? Beer, Sammiches, pool, and karaoke on Thursday. Located at the mouth of Thea Foss Waterway in beautiful downtown Tacoma.

Your turn Ron

Mike/GatoGordo/Tacoma

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The absolute best pub is Silva Bay (Gabriola Island) on Thursday night. This is music jam night and if you want to experience the full show of the locals its the place to be. Silva has awesome protected anchorages and new expensive dockside moorage.

The next best choice albeit it's way more commercial is the Dingy Dock on Protection Island (Nanaimo) it closes early (around 10:00 pm) Free very salty Popcorn. Reasonable anchorage but crowded with the live-a-board community at sea, limited dock space (free) while you are in the restaurant pub.

Another good one for lots of eye candy is the Blue Peter in Sydney. This is a Friday night event when all the Philbrooks employees escape from the lash! First class marina, first class prices, first class priced fuel dock but it's worth the stop. Good holding outside the harbour proper.

Tales from American Eagle

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In order of most reently visited, my top four are:

Oak Bay (Victoria), Oak Bay Beach Hotel, "The Snug"

Lopez Island, Fisherman's Bay, "The Galley"

Saltspring Island, Ganges, "Moby's"

Protection Island, Nanaimo Harbour, "The Dinghy Dock"

Glenn,

Cheoy Lee 31 Offshore Ketch "Herralee"

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I like Toby's Tavern in Coupeville on Penn Cove on Whidbey Island.

Skip Meisch

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Well,I would have to recommend Gramma's Pub and Molly's Reach both are in Gibsons in Howe Sound,the Pub in Silva Bay is good but we did really enjoy the restraunt that used to be there ,even if it was a little pricey, the service was fantastic.

Gord Perchie

NYON IV

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Darn

I forgot about closer to Vancouver. I second Doc Marlins on Bowen Island. Great food, magic Ceasars, and reasonable moorage. (to you folks south of 48, a Ceasar is a juice that can only be purchased in Canada called Clamato (Clam-Tomato) mixed with vodka, wortshire sauce and celery salt. Magic hang-over and also used medicinally as a Hang-over cure.

Dennis

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Haven't been there for awhile, but the Doghouse Tavern in Langley has the best ribs in town and a great pitcher of beer. High up on a hill a walk from the Marina, has a great view and and old player piano.

Dave & Judy

S/V Island Girl

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Restaurants in Bellingham have improved Squalicum Harbor, two if which are relatively NEW. The best is at the BELLEWETHER HOTEL AND BISTRO, with EXCELLENT Food and Beverages, and they have private dock space right in front of the Hotel, with one of the Squalicum Transit docks a 100 yards further in, just past the Marina Restaurant,. The third is Anthony's which is still further in on the stb'd side and a short walk from the transit dock. If you want to walk to town and hit the antique stores and Museum or go to the Theater, they are less than a mile away.

Come visit us, and enjoy.

Ed Merta

Pacific Dream

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The Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor.

If you go, now is the time to do it (and have a hot bowl of clam chowder) -- it gets REAL crowded in the summertime.

I have a quick story to tell about the Tides Tavern...

Just about two years ago, we bought our first "real" boat, a Catalina 27. We were really excited about it, and took two friends out for a sail one early spring day, and when we all started getting hungry, thought of the Tides. We were soon motoring in Gig Harbor, and saw an empty spot on the dock. But there was a Coast Guard runnabout (sorry, this 'chicken hawk' ;-) doesn't know the actual vessel type, but it's the go-fast with a crew of about 4, and three honkin' big guns mounted on it). Anyway, they weren't a problem but I was unfamiliar with the boat, and the empty dock space was a tight fit. Further, the tide was very low, so the best approach to the dock appeared to be unavailable due to my draft. So I slowly motored straight at the dock, and when I was just a few feet away, swung the helm hard over and threw the motor into reverse.... the boat stopped not two inches away from the dock, and perfectly centered in the space with about 2-3 feet of clearance fore and aft. I have never docked so perfectly (before or since!).

After tying up to the dock, and making ourselves public-presentable, we were walking past the CG on the way to the restaurant. I made eye-contact with one of the crewmen, and he said hi. We stopped and talked for a minute, and after I mentioned we recently bought our boat, and it was our first, he asked how long ago I had purchased it... I honestly replied "Oh, about a month. " He was clearly taken back by that... and he quietly says "Nice job docking."

Beautiful.

Thanks,

Matt Brown

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I have two to submit but one is not waterside, but it is about a block

away from Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend. However, someone on

this list who goes there will have to remember the name of the place

for me. As you walk into Port Townsend from the north marina where Brion Toss has his shop, it is about a block heading into town on the right hand side, midway through the block. It is the best, I mean really good, place to have breakfast. It has been there for years--I think it started out as a health food place but whatever, it has some of the best breakfasts around. In the summer it has a little court yard which is great for breakfast and the morning paper. Pure heaven. My wife thinks it is called the Salal like the plant name. Can anyone confirm? The second one is Canadian, but must have a French chef. It is called the Laughing Oyster and no one has mentioned it anywheres. Its web address is: http://www.laughing-oyster.bc.ca/ and this is one of the best restaurants that I know. It is in Okeover Inlet in Desolation Sound. My wife had heard of this place from some reading that she had done but we had some problems just finding it. There is a government dock just under it as it sits on a large bank overlooking the inlet. But it is not a hard walk up to the restaurant. But what food. Maybe we had been eating our own cooking for too long on the boat but this was superb. The salmon had a light pastry wrapping around it and the oysters were to die for. Because torture is not allowed on this listserv, I just won't tell you about the desserts.

Gwinn, if you brought your Mac up here to Bellingham, with your boat

speed, we could be at this place in three hours, don't you think?

My next favorite place is the Dinghy Dock in Nanaimo but someone has

already mentioned them. Neal, I like your idea of a compilation of all these places. You might even do a magazine article for 48Degrees North.

Les Blackwell

H380 Trumpeter

Sailing out of Bellingham

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