Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet

Over the past year the Snohomish County Sports Commission has been reviewing and considering athletes to induct into its Hall of Fame. For seven years, Snohomish County has held a Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and this year they introduced a class of athlete and citizen that we all can applaud.  This year the committee inducted a fine group to include Randy Couture and Kayla Burt.

The event commenced with a social hour at 5pm.  Upon entrance into the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center section of Xfinity Arena, attendees search and select through an array of name labels with their name and table number on it.  Slap it on, navigate up the stairs to a corridor filled with art, socialites, and event enthusiasts engaged in pleasantries, drinking, and butt slaps.  I didn’t see any butt slaps, but I’m pretty sure someone got a “good game” in.  Besides catching up with friends, people also use this time to stroll about the memorabilia display cases of past and present inductees.

Around 6:15 the 300+ attendees steered into the conference room for more socializing and a light appetizer.  The room had approximately 32 circular tables, which accommodated 10 people each.  Space at the table was slightly tight, so it’s a good suggestion to suck in that gut and squeeze in those elbows during the meal.

At 6:30 appetizer, chitchat, and National Anthem.  Things started off with a mix of summer greens and a dab of ranch or Italian dressing upon request.  There were no croutons included with the salad, but there was a tough crusted artisan roll sided with a teaser-sized butter ball.

20-30 minutes later, after mingling with the other attendees and feeling self-conscious of if I was “proper” during eating, the entrée was served.  A delectable salmon loin, approximately 3-4oz, covered in a savory cream sauce that blended well with the buttery fluffed rice pilaf and well textured, yellow and green steamed zucchini.  The meal was topped off with a thick, hearty cheesecake, lightly crusted and settled on a tarty cherry sauce.

After dinner the inductees were introduced and awarded.  People applauded and cheered, the hero’s welcome, really nothing new to events like these.  Anyone interested can view some previous event videos on YouTube.

Some might assume this event to be an exclusive event; it is not.  There was no red carpet, it wasn’t a suit and tie event, the banquet is not limited to individuals on the local sports scene, in fact, the committee welcomes any athlete and non-athlete alike.  My community support mindedness and curiosity brought me.  Whoever you are, whatever you do, you are welcome.  Next year, come to the 8^th annual induction banquet, you never know who you might see.

The Farm at Swan's Trail

Surprise!  Weekends and holidays just became more interesting.  Snohomish County has approximately 111 commercial farms awaiting your visit.  These farms, with their rolling, scenic landscapes, cater to people of all ages from a variety of fresh, tasty produce to soft, luxurious Alpacas.  Snohomish County offers so many great opportunities such as this to get out and enjoy the beauty of this land.

A visit to the farm offers spectacular views of a snaking and reflective Snohomish River that rolls up into acres of fall colored, earth-toned vegetation which blankets the earth to its chiseled mountain ranges.   The horizon and the rich, Snohomish sky, flooded in glorious blue with strokes of white stained clouds.

This past weekend I visited The Farm at Swan’s Trail.  They can be found on Twitter as “SwansTrailFarms” and Facebook as “The Farm @ Swans Trail”.  Their website only connects with a Facebook page, so I am not sure how official their Twitter account is.  In either case, I feel like it would be a good idea for them and other farms to experiment with other social media networks, having a larger digital footprint wouldn’t hurt. 

If you visit their website, you will see that they provide you with a great deal of information about the farm, this they do well.  It’s an excellent, potentially cheap getaway for the family if done right.  Parking is free, no entrance fee, free hayride, and it doesn’t cost anything to walk around and take pictures of happy people on a beautiful day, but this is too easy. 

The hayride will shuttle you around to the maze or the apple orchard, once there you will have no other option but to purchase one or the other.  I didn’t go through the maze, but I did hunt for apples.  Finding any unpicked apples was quite difficult, but that’s what happens when you arrive late.  All the good picks were good and gone prior to 2pm.  That didn’t stop me from enjoying the beautiful day or exploring other food options available.

The one hole that I saw on their website was food pictures and an explanation on how to order, because there is a process.

Their order placing system requires visitors to pay first, then pick-up, like a fast food restaurant.  The difference, when paid, visitors receive a laminated construction paper cutout thingy with a sketched picture of their ordered item on it.  They go to the concession stand, identified by an overhead sign, and pickup their premade order.

I ordered two meal items.  A Corn Dog with no side and the BBQ Pork sandwich meal, sided with baked beans and coleslaw.  The food was good, in my opinion, way overpriced, but hey, the farm made up for that by having “free” things to do.

The donut was pretty darn good.  The surface was a bit oily, but once the center hits your tongue, the balanced cinnamon-apple flavor sends your head and tongue spinning for more.

If you are every in Snohomish, The Farm at Swan’s Trail is one of those places to explore.  They have just the right balance of fun and value.

King Charley's Drive-In

Drive-in or drive-thru, inside of King Charley’s purple and gold bijou, is where you can find great food.  On the edge of the city and right off of Hwy 9, your destination awaits, where “fresh off the grill” burgers are known to be great. 

Visitors have many dining options, a popular one, is to drive-in and then out, for those on the run.  Most people drive-thru and then park, in the parking lot that’s there.  Some people make use of their shoes and walk-thru.  On most clear days you’ll find, that guests are out at the purple picnic tables on the lip of a tiny park.  As you wait or after you eat, it’s a nice place to dawdle in peace.

You won’t get overwhelmed with oil and grease, a service tradition of American dining, long accepted as customary.  If it’s cheese you want, it’s not spared here.  In every burger, each slice is perfectly placed, this ensures just enough gooey goodness and balance of taste.  The beefy patty is not cooked by a Pattie, it’s not crumbly or rubbery.  It doesn’t fall apart as clay would, it doesn’t bounce like a tire should.  The only thing that one can expect is a freshly cooked piece of meat complete between two buns and veggies to eat.

Aside from the burgers, I must describe, along with my burger, I ordered fried mushrooms and fries.  The fries were a pleasure to devour, they were lightly salted, crispy, and pleasant on the palate.  The breaded mushrooms were the most disappointing part of my meal, It’s only my opinion, and I’m not sure how others might feel.  Upon touch they felt crusty and firm, when eaten, they were soggy and dull.  But there is hope, there always is.  Go back to the drawing board, rework and revise, that fried mushroom item would be such a surprise.

Thank you for reading my review, I hope it has encouraged you find time to try something from King Charley’s menu.  Please excuse this deviation from my normally written style, I just read Dr. Seuss to my child, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

Nacho Family Mexican Restaurant

It’s not a sketchy gas station...it’s a restaurant.  I was easily fooled at first glance.  I’ve driven by Nacho Family Mexican Restaurant at least 100 times before realizing it was a restaurant.   The draw of the unattractive attached gas station is powerful; maybe that’s why Nacho’s went with the all yellow exterior.

Judgment comes easy upon arrival or discovery.  Once you get past the door, your senses are lifted; the flavorful light green walls mix with the earth-toned décor.  I felt like I walked into an avocado.  The aroma of spices and food seduce your hypothalamus.  Shortly after your senses acclimate, you find yourself a table. Ambience.

Within a minute or two a complementary appetizer of chips, salsa, and pico de gallo are served.  This is one of the customary services that I love.  In this age of “business first” customer service, most businesses have done away with the complimentary stuff or skimmed it at least.  This place made me feel welcome and thankful for my patronage.

I ordered a chicken Deluxe Burrito.  It’s a hefty 8x3 inches.  Atop, the burrito is fashioned in guacamole, sour cream, and fresh veggies.  It’s blanketed in a red sauce, sprinkled with shredded cheese, which reminded me of confetti on the dance floor of a salsa party.

A fiesta of flavor awaits.  Splitting the soft, fluffy armor of the burrito was no problem.  A shredded, lightly spiced meat and rice coalesced with the zest of the flavorful outside.  Past this level, I don’t remember much; I was lost in a euphoric trance.  I do remember bits and pieces, only because the server intervened often, offering me refills.

The burrito was fulfilling and when I got that check, I didn’t even question what I was paying for.  The complementary appetizer, great service, and nice atmosphere make the experience worth its value.  Hopefully this place has staying power; hopefully that messy gas station in front of it does not.

Hey...here's another blog talking about the same place!  Awesome!