Sixteen Delicious Local Treats
If you didn’t know, Sasquatch has a sweet tooth, and he loves using the Whatcom Think Local First gift card to buy sweet treats all over Whatcom County. With Valentine ’s Day coming up, we wanted to share Sasquatch’s Sweet 16 with you – a specially curated list of 16 sweet treats you can purchase with your Whatcom Think Local First Gift Card. Can’t decide on just one sweet treat? Treat your sweetie to a gift card of their own that’s redeemable at over 230 local business in Whatcom County.
Some of Sasquatch’s local sweet treats are tried and true favorites like the tiramisu from D’Anna’s Café Italiano. You just can’t go wrong with a delicate sponge cake soaked in Meyer’s Dark Rum, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and espresso, then layered with mascarpone cheese, and sprinkled with hand-grated chocolate. If you’re looking for a variety of bite-sized options though, Pure Bliss Desserts Sweetheart Box is full of brownies, caramel turtle wedges, coconut macaroons (gf), chocolate chip cookies, and heart-shaped shortbread. If you’re lucky enough to snag some of the limited edition paczki from Magdalena’s Bistro & Creperie, you’re in for a special treat. The Polish donuts are popular on Fat Tuesday, but we think they are delectable anytime.
For those of you who like it spicy, try Marie’s Bees Creamed Raw Honey + Hot Spices—a special blend of Pacific Northwest raw honey, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, dark chili powder, dill, turmeric, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt. It’s excellent over chicken and waffles, cornbread, biscuits, grilled chicken, or vegetables. While we’re on the sweet-and-savory theme, Keenan’s at the Pier has an amazing outdoor patio and an equally amazing happy hour featuring dishes like the Baked Acme Brie—complete with fruit preserves, apple, and toasted baguette. Snowy River Cocktail Co.’s Chocolate Orange Martini made with vodka, dry curacao, and chocolate Meletti is another happy hour favorite that’s sure to please.
Ice Scream, you scream, we all scream…you know how it goes. There’s something about the cold sweetness of ice cream that brings back happy childhood memories. Whatcom County is the perfect place to find unforgettable flavors at Mallard Ice Cream. Grab a cone or a pint of your go-to favorite, or switch it up and try a new local seasonal special. If you’re lucky, you might find their famous grape ice cream made with fresh local concord grapes! Grant’s Burger’s famous hand-dipped hard ice cream shakes are also hard to beat. They say the secret is in the preparation. Your choice of frozen local strawberries or blackberries is mixed with whole milk and local, farm-fresh Edaleen Dairy ice cream in rich chocolate or sweet vanilla, then blended to a thick, silky smooth finish and topped with whipped cream. Are you drooling, yet? Another restaurant teaming up with locally made ice cream is Pizza’zza. Their ice-cream sandwich, featuring Lopez Island Creamery goodness expertly sandwiched between two scratch-made cookies, is on-the-go perfection. And we’ve heard that The Black Cat makes a mean Black Cat Brownie Sundae that might just be the perfect excuse to test out their new open-air seating options.
AB Crepes is cookin’ up the most delicious Banana Cream Pie Crepe with sliced bananas, chocolate chips and banana cream, topped with ABC’auce and graham crackers. This heavenly concoction isn’t just for breakfast though. AB Crepes is open until 10pm for those late night dates too. And if bananas aren’t your thing, maybe you want to spend a night in with your sweetie baking Guava Jam Thumbprint Cookies from Calypso Kitchen made with tropical Guava Jam baked into a buttery short bread cookie. You can order one dozen cookies to take and bake at home. Fans of carrot cake will totally love Simmering Tava’s Gajar Halwa, created with organic shredded carrots and cooked with organic sugar, butter, cream, and a touch of cardamom. What is it about cardamom that makes it the perfect spice for desserts?
For the cinnamon lovers in your life, Coconut Kenny’s insists on saving room for their cinnamon balls—Hawaiian bread balls rolled in cinnamon sugar, served with vanilla ice cream, and then drizzled with caramel and chocolate syrup. Mouthwatering snickerdoodle cupcakes often grace the Wild Oat Bakery and Café, where some of the best vegan treats can be found. Celebrate your Italian heritage with bombolinis from Storia Cucina. These Italian donuts with cinnamon sugar, Nutella, and custard will knock your Italian grandmother’s socks off.
Be sure to check with businesses and order ahead if needed. Some specials are only available for a limited time. Thank you for Thinking Local First and remember, if Sasquatch can support local businesses, so can you!