Quench that thirst

Recharge at these downtown restaurants

Stacee Sledge

May 22, 2003 — With the annual Ski to Sea celebration upon us, area restaurants can count on hordes of visitors descending on our fair town — both participants and those rooting them on.

On Sunday, the 82 1/2-mile relay race of cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, running, biking, canoeing, mountain biking and sea kayaking stretches from the top of Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay.

Just thinking about the exertion is enough to make you thirsty, isn't it? No matter your drink of choice, there's a place to quench your thirst within walking distance of downtown or the Fairhaven finale's epicenter of activities.

Juice It

If you're a Ski to Sea participant in search of added energy on the day of the race, you won't find a better source of vim, vigor and vitamins than Juice It.

Offering 15 organic juice combinations, this diminutive, downtown juice bar makes each concoction fresh as you order it.

The finished product is closer to room temperature than the juice you tip out of the carton at home, but this makes the flavor more vibrant.

Ski to Sea eats

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro 1107 Railroad Ave.  Phone: 647-5593  Serving: The best microbrew around, as well as tasty Pacific Northwest-inspired appetizers and entrees.   Juice It 1304 Cornwall Ave.  Phone: 676-2424.  Serving: Utterly guilt-free fare of healthful fruit juices, smoothies, sandwiches and salads.   Casa Qué Pasa 1415 Railroad Ave. Phone: 738-8226  Serving: Bellingham's most popular affordable fare, including burritos, chimichangas and soups. Also home to the Tequila Research Institute.   The Malt Shop 1135 Railroad Ave.  Phone: 756-1555  Serving: Homemade ice cream treats and diner eats straight out of the '50s.

My favorite Juice It drink is called "Sweet Sensation," a simple mix of apple and strawberry. How can something so healthy taste like such a treat?

Another fave is the ABC juice, containing apple, beet and carrot. The deep garnet liquid is heaviest on carrot flavor, with an underlying sweetness from the apple.

Juice It offers 15 juice combinations or you can create your own be choosing from a dozen different fruits and veggies. It also boasts a mélange of healthful smoothies. Order from the menu or create your own, choosing from fruits such as peach, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and banana.

The Malt Shop

What could be more fitting to mark our town's annual celebration than stepping back in time to the charming Malt Shop? On the corner of Railroad Avenue and Chestnut Street, this '50s-style soda fountain and diner offers old-fashioned sodas, milkshakes, ice cream, burgers, fries and more. The shop will also sell concessions in Fairhaven on the day of the Ski to Sea race.

Huge ice cream freezers wrap around the space just inside the door, displaying homemade ice creams, yogurts, sherbets and sorbet.

The Malt Shop offers 48 different ice cream flavors on any given day, chosen from a rotating variety of 155 recipes. Of course you'll see the requisite vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but you'll also find such modern-day twists on the frozen treat as lemon chip, mandarin Oreo, blueberry cheesecake, cinnamon, peppermint stick, chocolate raspberry and more.

Guy Fry, Malt Shop milkshake-maker extraordinaire, has taught me the true meaning of a soda, and it doesn't have anything to do with Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Starting with a tall, heavy malt glass, Fry adds cream and ice cream (I chose strawberry), then "muddles" it, breaking it apart with a spoon a bit. More cream is added, as well as soda, resulting in an old-fashioned, tasty soda, complete with sipping straw and long silver spoon.

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro

You aren't likely to find a more popular brewery in Bellingham than Boundary Bay, and for good reason. Perfectly perched on Railroad Avenue at the end of the South Bay walking trail that runs from Fairhaven, you could easily make a jaunt to its cavernous location when you're ready for a break from the Ski to Sea bustle. If we're blessed with a sunny day, enjoy Boundary Bay's equally spacious 3,000-square foot beer garden.

Boundary Bay is popular both for its food and for its award-winning brew. Pull up a chair and enjoy one its multitude of locally brewed beers, from the strong pale ale of its Inside Passage Ale to its rich, full-bodied Amber.

Its Oatmeal Stout is touted as a nutritious "meal in a glass," but if you're looking for actual eats to accompanying the draws of cool, refreshing brew, Boundary Bay serves some of my favorite appetizers and entrees, as well. Delights like their succulent lamb burger are just enough left of center to intrigue without intimidating.

Boundary Bay also offers kegs, gallons and half-gallon "growlers" to go, if you're throwing a Ski to Sea party of your own.

Ski to Sea events are planned Thursday through Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., with lots of lively live music. Cover ranges from $5 to $10.

Casa Qué Pasa