Northwestern Washington & the San Juan Islands - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 194

(316 W Holly St; mains $6-9; 6.30am-3pm) This is a classic bohemian breakfast haunt
where you can get to know the locals over fresh pastries, espresso and an excellent hue-
vos rancheros. Wandering musicians sometimes drop by to enhance the happy-go-lucky
atmosphere.
Swan Cafe CAFE$
( www.communityfood.coop ; 220 N Forest St; dishes $5-9; 8am-9pm; ) Swan Cafe is
pure Bellingham: a community food co-op with an on-site cafe-deli that sells fresh, or-
ganic, fair-trade and guilt-free food. It's also a vegetarian and vegan's heaven, offering
vegan muffins, organic beer and a delicious daily selection of fresh, interesting salads.
Take out or eat on-site in a bright, airy seating area.
Mallard ICE CREAM$
( www.mallardicecream.com ; 1323 Railroad Ave; 10am-11pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri & Sat)
Bellingham's date-night central is a lurid 1950s-style ice-cream parlor with a zillion dif-
ferent flavors - many of them weirdly exotic. Come here before or after a show and
sample the vanilla-and-pepper or green-tea varieties - all organic, of course!
Pepper Sisters MODERN AMERICAN$$$
( www.peppersisters.com ; 1055 N State St; mains $9-16; from 5pm Tue-Sun; ) People travel
from far and wide to visit this cult restaurant with its bright turquoise booths. The food is
hard to categorize; let's call it Mexican cuisine with a Northwestern twist. Try the
cilantro-and-pesto quesadillas, blue corn rellenos and potato-garlic burritos. There's even
a chicken-strip-free kids' menu.
Bayou on Bay SOUTHERN$$$
(1300 Bay St; mains $10-23; 11am-10pm Tue-Fri, 10am-10pm Sat & Sun) A Bellingham favor-
ite, especially when the sun comes out and the dining area spills out onto the sidewalk.
Start with breaded okra or an alligator skewer, move on to anything from smoked pork
ribs to a vegan jambalaya and wash it down with a Bayou Margarita or Cajun coffee. The
ambience is as fun and lively as the food.
D'Anna's Café Italiano ITALIAN$$$
( www.dannascafeitaliano.com ; 1317 N State St; mains $12-25) Bellingham does a fine job in
transporting you gastronomically to other parts of the world. For D'Anna's read Sicily,
meaning fresh homemade pasta, authentic chicken marsala and a Mt Etna-like portion of