Marty Simpson and Tara Prendergast at their Broken Ground Farm in Eglon on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN

Farming comes naturally to this North Kitsap couple.

EGLON — From crisp salad mix, to hard-neck garlic, to eight varieties of potatoes, organic farmers Marty Simpson and Tara Prendergast are passionate about the food they grow.

And they’ve found that the customers at their farm stand and at area markets share their enthusiasm.

“They have an understanding of what fresh is compared to what is sold in the grocery,” said Prendergast.

As co-owners of Broken Ground Farm, the couple tends two patches of land in Eglon that total about five acres.

Using a farming method that focuses on enriching the soil, planting a wide variety of crops and rotating crops, the two coax an abundance of vegetables, herbs and flowers from a patchwork of tightly planted beds. They also grow much of their own seed and sell eggs produced by their flock of chickens.

“It’s amazing how much you can pack in,” said Simpson. “It’s a very intensive, mindful way of farming. You have to watch things closely.”

The two have been growing food in North Kitsap since 1997. Simpson started out as an archaeologist but found himself pulled toward farming. Both Simpson and Prendergast did agricultural apprenticeships in New Mexico before moving to Kitsap County to be near Prendergast’s family.

Their two children, Rowan, 13, and Willow, 10, are also involved in the farm. Rowan likes to drive the tractor and Willow sells bouquets of flowers.

The couple operates a farm stand on land next to the picturesque, white-frame Eglon Church. Visitors often help themselves, weighing and paying for their produce, while Simpson and Prendergast are busy in the adjacent field. From mid-April through the end of the year, the stand is open Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to dusk, and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to dusk.

The two also sell their bounty each week at the Poulsbo Farmers Market and the Indianola Saturday Market.

“I like the community at the markets,” said Prendergast. “There’s just this great camaraderie. And people give you great feedback.”

To add to their market wares, she is working on a line of products showcasing their produce, including salad dressing, New Mexico-style tomatillo salsa, and herbal salve and lip balm.

Broken Ground Farm has operated a CSA in the past but is trying something different this year. Typically, people subscribe to a CSA, which stands for community-supported agriculture, paying several hundred dollars in early spring. Each week of the growing season, subscribers get an identical bag of produce.

Prendergast said that model led to a lot of waste, plus it was hard for people to pay a large chunk of cash at one time. So, the farm is selling “Greens Cards” in $100 increments. For $100 in cash, customers get $110 in farm credit to use at Broken Ground’s farm stand or at their market stands. Customers get to choose what they want, when they want it, and the farm keeps track of their balance. The cards can be reloaded throughout the season.

Once a month, Prendergast shares her love of farming with students at Gordon Elementary’s Options program, where Willow is a student. For the past two years, the students have visited the farm to dig potatoes for the food bank. Prendergast also teaches them hands-on classes on topics such as soil and composting.

Simpson and Prendergast are also involved in the Hansville Farm Project, an effort to preserve as agricultural land a 144-acre former tree nursery owned by Olympic Property Group. Project organizers are working with nonprofit groups to purchase or lease the land. Ideas for the property include leasing acreage to small farmers, offering a P-Patch for community gardeners and offering gardening and farming classes.

Simpson and Prendergast, who are fast outgrowing their small tracts of land, see the project as essential to the survival of farms like theirs. Simpson said there is little farmable land in Kitsap County and what is available is too expensive for most small farmers.

“That (project) is our future,” said Prendergast.

— Terri Gleich

Beth Brewster owner of Kingston Adventures on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN

Beth Brewster, endurance athlete and business owner, has embraced a new trend in paddling recreation.

KINGSTON — When it comes to fitness, Beth Brewster doesn’t let anything stop her – except sharks.

A veteran of six Ironman competitions, the compact blond is training for the invitation-only 2013 Ultraman World Championship, a three-day, 320-mile biking, running and swimming race on the Big Island of Hawaii. She expects to be the only Pacific Northwest woman competing in a field of 37, dominated by men.

But before she embarks on the 6.2-mile swim, she has to overcome a lifelong fear of sharks that has deterred her from the competition since she first qualified in 2009. Brewster, who grew up on the East Coast, blames the movie “Jaws” for stoking her fear. To combat it, she’s learning as much about sharks as possible. She also plans to swim the race alongside a former coach and will have a kayak escort.

When she’s not training for the race or researching the tiger sharks that live off the Hawaiian coast, the 42-year-old Kingston woman is an avid stand up paddle boarder, a sport she took up six years ago as a way to cross-train.

“What I loved about it is that it’s such an incredibly peaceful workout because you’re away from everything,” Brewster said. “But it’s really hard-core at the same time because you’re using every muscle in your body.”

She said the sport, which is the latest craze in water fitness, has about a 3-minute learning curve. Demonstrating on a sunny afternoon, Brewster stands with knees slightly bent and feet wide apart on a 12-foot-long orange board that looks a lot like a surfboard. Grasping a paddle that has a T-shaped handle at the top for leverage, she easily skims across the gentle ripples of Appletree Cove near the Kingston ferry terminal, bending her knees and leaning forward with each paddle stroke.

The key to balancing, she said, is to keep your hips and legs loose, while engaging your core muscles to balance as the board rocks under your feet.

A high school swimmer who did her first triathlon at 17, Brewster last year turned her lifelong devotion to fitness into a business called Kingston Adventures, where she and her husband Rob rent and sell sports equipment including paddle boards, kayaks and mountain bikes, and provide excursions, clinics and kids’ camps.

Before that, Brewster said she was stuck in corporate hell as a running-clothes product line manager, fantasizing about ways to encourage families to be active. To that end, Kingston Adventures rents paddle boards for $10 an hour and each child accompanied by an adult gets one free hour of paddle boarding.

“When I see families out there laughing together and exercising, I know we’re doing the right thing,” she said.

As with other sports, Brewster takes her paddle boarding to an extreme level. From May to October, you can find her on the water up to four times a week. In addition to vigorous paddling, her 60- to 90-minute workouts include such challenges as push-ups, sit-ups and plank position while balancing on the board.

Brewster is organizing an August triathlon called the Peninsula Relay Challenge that combines a 10K stand up paddle from Appletree Cove to Indianola, with a 12K trail run and 12K mountain bike ride. The race benefits the North Kitsap Trails Association.

As a paddle boarder and as an athlete, Brewster is always working toward a mind-body balance to help her achieve her fitness goals. That’s a message that she shares with others as a motivational speaker at women’s fitness retreats that she organizes throughout the year.

“I think women have a responsibility to inspire and motivate each other,” she said. “I hope I’m still doing this when I’m 80.”

— Terri Gleich

Gary Kanekkeberg, a 75-year-old lifelong South Kitsap guy who has 16 classic cars in the garage at his house. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

A lifelong South Kitsap resident treasures his love for classic cars.

PORT ORCHARD — Gary Kanekkeberg doesn’t change course very often. He’s been married to the same woman for 54 years. Except for a stint in the army, he’s lived in South Kitsap his entire life. And when he buys a car, he rarely gets rid of it.

That’s how the 75-year-old semi-retired plumber has ended up with two garages full of 16 classic cars, ranging from a 1930 LaSalle to a 1978 El Camino.

“From way back as far back as I can remember, I have loved the automobile,” he said.

Kanekkeberg remembers sitting in the driver’s seat of his family’s parked car as a child, pretending to drive, and visualizing every curve and hill on the route. Even more thrilling, when his mom was driving on a deserted stretch of country road, she would occasionally let him steer or put his foot on the gas pedal.

He was only 14 when he bought his first car for $150, using money from his Bremerton Sun paper route and the proceeds from the sale of a motorbike. The 1938 Plymouth is one of the few cars he’s bought that he doesn’t still own.

A sentimental favorite in his collection is a purplish cranberry 1952 Chevrolet that he and his then-girlfriend Mary drove to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 1958 when they eloped.

“Ten minutes and $10 and there was a justice of the peace everywhere you looked,” he said of the Idaho town just over the Washington-Idaho state line that catered to eager young couples.

The marriage has lasted and so has the car. At 87,000 miles, Kanekkeberg rebuilt the Chevy, replacing the engine, transmission, front and rear ends, and installing rack and pinion steering. It now has another 10,000 miles on the odometer. While much under the hood is new, the exterior, with its sleek airplane hood ornament and chrome grille and hubcaps, evokes an era when men wore fedoras and women wore white gloves.

With the sturdy, stained hands of a born mechanic, Kanekkeberg does a lot of the work on his cars himself, including painting them. Most are a glossy black, but a few jewel tones brighten up his collection.

One is a sapphire blue 1940 Pontiac two-door sedan, which the Kanekkebergs and their dog Sophie often take on trips with a tight-knit group of fellow car enthusiasts. It has 129,000 miles on it and is totally rebuilt under the hood.

“It drives like a Cadillac,” said Mary Kanekkeberg. “It’s so comfy and cozy. You sit really close together. I love riding in it with (Gary).”

Mary Kanekkeberg admits to sometimes wondering why her husband has so many cars, especially since most of them are admired more than driven. But, she said, her long marriage has taught her that if your husband loves something, you should love it too. “It makes him happy, really happy.”

What makes her happy is the camaraderie with other car-collecting couples. “I have met the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life,” she said.

Gary Kanekkeberg, said he and Mary go on three to four trips a year with the group, exploring back roads and staying in motels along the way, usually heading toward a car show in the western United States or Canada. They drive 200 to 250 miles a day and stop often to see the sights.

A member of Port Orchard’s Saints Car Club, Kanekkeberg said he goes to car shows to look, but has no desire to compete.

The father of three, grandfather of 13 and great-grandfather of four has not passed his automotive zeal onto his offspring. Only one grandson has shown any interest in cars, and he likes Volkswagens – a make not represented in his grandfather’s collection.

Kanekkeberg doesn’t mind. He can’t explain their lack of interest any more than he can explain his compulsion to collect. “I was just born to be a car nut, I guess.”

— Terri Gleich

Hungry in Poulsbo? Headed to Port Orchard? Looking for a Hood Canal swimming hole? If you are exploring Kitsap County, the West Sound Guide is the publication to take along. From museums to restaurants to parks and more, the guide’s listings, photography, community profiles and activity recommendations will introduce you to the peninsula’s best spots.

West Sound Guide E-Edition

The West Sound Guide has a long tradition as the Sun’s printed guide to Kitsap Peninsula. Now an electronic version is available to your iPad so you can take all
of that information — and more — with you on the road. Browse through listings of parks, marinas, restaurants, art galleries, golf courses and more at the touch
of a finger. Check out photos from around the county, watch videos related
to the recommendations, and follow links for more information.

Find one near you Get the E-Edition Get it on the iPad Advertise in the Next Issue

Monica Downen, owner and operator of Monica’s Waterfront Bakery & Café, gets a cookie for a customer at her establishment in Old Town Silverdale. - MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN

Monica’s Waterfront Bakery & Café will celebrate its sixth anniversary this year. - MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN

A Silverdale bakery embraces its role as a restaurant and community partner.

By Terri Gleich

When a burned-out Monica Downen quit her job as a dispatcher for the King County Sheriff’s Department after 15 years, she didn’t have a plan for what to do next.

But she did have a fantasy.

To help herself relax enough to go to sleep after a stressful shift, she would picture
herself running a little restaurant.

“Everyone who knew me said, ‘You need to feed people,’ ” she recalled, “because that’s what I did to relieve stress.”

After nine months of research, Downen bought a restaurant in Old Town Silverdale from mentor Kathryn Kitts, changed the name to Monica’s Waterfront Bakery & Café, and set about turning her fantasy into reality.

In May, the restaurant at 3472 Byron St.
celebrates its sixth anniversary with Downen and her husband, Mark, a mechanic turned baker, at the helm. It’s open weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Downens never thought they’d make it this far. On their third day in business, their 50-gallon water heater on the second floor began leaking around 10 a.m., sending scalding water pouring through the ceiling, light fixtures and exhaust fan of the bakery.

“I started throwing the dough to the other counter. Employees are getting buckets. Our customers are standing there watching,” remembered Monica Downen. “We both thought, this is it. We’re done.”

They didn’t have any money and they didn’t know whom to call.

“Now, we would just deal with it and get it fixed. That day, we panicked,” said Mark Downen.

After they pulled themselves together and called a plumber, they were still able to serve lunch that day, just with less fresh bread. They’ve been building a loyal clientele ever since.

Customers gush about their food, including the signature quiches (one each day is made with rich, creamy duck eggs), fresh-baked bread and extra-large, chewy cookies. Equally important to the Downens, they’ve created a business with a social conscience.

They buy from local producers, support independent businesses, recycle, compost, support a number of charities, reward loyal customers and display a profound sense of gratitude for every customer who walks through the door.

That attitude helped them become the first restaurant in Washington and only the third in the nation to win the designation “A Place of Hospitality” from Gig Harbor consultant Bill Marvin, who is also known as “The Restaurant Doctor.” To receive the certification, the Downens and their staff went through training focused on helping independent restaurateurs “rediscover their roots in hospitality.”

The welcoming atmosphere at the restaurant is one of the reasons Shannon Childs of Port Orchard makes a point to eat there at least once a month.

“It’s the friendly personnel. Everyone here is very upbeat,” she said, as she finished a lunch of dilled chicken salad and tomato, potato and beet green soup. “Of course, the excellent food is a key reason to come and come often.”

The Downens bill their café as hyper-local. “We source everything we can locally, said Monica Downen. “When we can’t, we support locally owned, independent businesses.”

Their website lists a number of Kitsap County farmers as suppliers, including Silverdale organic farmer Paul Gregory, who not only provides the café with fresh produce, but also recycles the restaurant’s food scraps into compost.

In addition, the Downens recycle as much of their trash as possible and buy supplies made from recycled materials. They also buy carbon offsets to help make up for such things as using lots of hot water for dishwashing.

The Central Kitsap Food Bank picks up leftovers and day-old baked goods from Monica’s everyday and the café serves as a collection site for donations to the food bank and for the homeless.

“We wanted to have the same values in our business as we have in our life,” she said. “I call it heart-based business.”

Making their patrons feel appreciated is a big part of that philosophy. Customers get a free meal on their birthdays and the Downens host free monthly wine tastings. They also have a loyalty program that awards a point for every dollar spent. Accumulate 25 points, you get a free coffee, 100 points gets you a free meal.

Monica Downen worked in the food service industry in college and couldn’t wait to get out of it when she graduated with a degree in criminal justice. Now, she laughs about how her life has come full circle. “I never knew this was my path until I got on it and everyday I find a new reason to love it.”

Terri Gleich is a freelance writer from Poulsbo.

Owner Bob Rowden has no plans to leave or expand his small pizza shop near the waterfront in North Kitsap.

Bella Luna Pizzeria opened in 1999 in Suquamish.

Rowden has the word “pizzaman” tattooed on his knuckles, and a pizza cutter design on his arm.

“I think food is basically a way to celebrate life,” Rowden says.

Photos and story by Angela Dice

Robert Rowden and his wife, Kari, opened Bella Luna Pizzeria in Suquamish in 1999, eventually moving to a cozy spot with a deck along the water at the end of Angeline Avenue.

They’d worked for years in the service industry in bars and restaurants in Seattle, before marrying and having a daughter convinced them to move to Kitsap.

“I think it was a better place to raise a kid than where we were living at the time,” Bob Rowden said.

Since then, the pizzeria has earned a devoted following, and broadened its menu to include sandwiches, burgers and daily breakfasts.

The Kitsap Sun recently sat down with Rowden and asked him about his start, his business and a little about himself.

Q: Tell me about the name, how’d you get Bella Luna?

A: Basically, it’s named after my daughter, Isabella. Ever since she was a little, little girl, we called her our Bella Luna because she’s a cute little girl, and she made us a little crazy too. You know, luna, lunatic. She’s basically one of the main reasons why I’m doing this.

As my wife has pointed out to me a couple times — and my mom and other people have mentioned too — if it wasn’t for the fact of this sudden understanding of responsibility, I’d still be single, working at the bars in Seattle and just doing that my whole life. Fortunately, something clicked and I decided I’d better do something other than get up at four o’clock in the afternoon and go to work. Even though I wouldn’t have given up the opportunity to do that back then, at that time, ever. It was awesome.

Both of us worked in bars like the Vogue, the Off Ramp, RCKNDY, where all the bands from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s would just siphon through all the time. Being a kid from a small town in Southeastern Washington, and coming up here and getting a job at the bar and having that just happen, it was surreal. I went from Hicksville to, “Wow, that’s Nirvana on stage.” I think that the experiences you have when you’re younger in life, good or bad, working in a small pizzeria, it helps form who you are…

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges (after getting started)?

A: Paperwork. The ordering the food, no problem. The assembling the food, no problem. Didn’t realize the level of administrative work it takes to do restaurant work. One of the most valuable employees I have is my accountant and bookkeeper. Keeps me on the up and up, pays all my taxes there are out there. First three years, I didn’t know there was a tax called a 941 [employment taxes due quarterly], which got me in lots of trouble, and I’m still paying on it, and I’ve been in business for 13 years, but it’s one of those things where we live in a place where you stumble and fail a little bit, you can get up and prove yourself. And I’ve been given that opportunity, and I feel like I’ve been doing a pretty good job so far, being that I messed up my first three years and have continued to be in business 10 years after that.

I would have to say, being a professional cook for a long time, my people skills weren’t — and I am still working on my people skills — you’ve got to remember the grandma factor: I can’t let my bar tongue slip when I have a grandma in front of me. Or my kitchen mouth, you know, because cooks aren’t really known for having good grammar. I think that saying good grammar is probably an oxymoron.

Q: I thought you were going to say cursing like a sailor.

A: Oh, sailors have nothing on bartenders and cooks when it comes to their foul mouths. It’s a different world back there. It’s why Anthony Bourdain has such a cool show, because he’s like a rock star, and that’s the way we live. We work hard, we play hard.

Q: I think Anthony Bourdain played really hard.

A: Yes. And that’s another reason why I moved over to this area, to separate myself from that kind of mentality. Knowing that I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I need to switch channels from being single or being married and it just being the two of us, to maturing to the point where we want to have a family. Working in bars in downtown Seattle is not the type of atmosphere to raise a family. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but knowing my personality, I just had to move. I had to remove myself from it…

Q: I’ve noticed your tattoos. Could you describe your tattoos for me? [He has a letter at the base of each finger, and another on his right forearm, which are the easily visible tattoos. Peeking between his socks and pant legs is a mass of color.]

A: Across the knuckles: Pizzaman. Then on my arm, I have a pizza cutter. The “Pizzaman” I actually got for the 12th anniversary of the pizza shop. I’ve been going to the same tattoo artist for years, Bo McConaghie over at SilverCity, and he’s awesome. I got this one [he points to the pizza cutter on his arm] from Thomas Pendleton, though, at Peninsula Rose in Silverdale … [he talks more about the tattoo artists at Silver City] … But I’ve got some tribal stuff.

Most of my tattoos are on my legs. Basically, it tells my life story. I’m going for a Japanese Bushido suit. This leg here is the middle part of my life. This here’s the first part of my life. It has three dragons and a warrior, and the three dragons represent the three demons I’ve been fighting my whole life. Most people’s demons: greed, lust, basically all the mortal sins wrapped up into three. Then, on top of one of the dragons is a warrior that represents myself, that I’m fighting these dragons, and then inside one of the dragon’s claws is an orb he’s holding. I still haven’t gotten that part done. My whole leg is covered except for that one little part. And that part will be saved for a portrait of … my wife has a Japanese deity on her leg, and we’re going to put a picture of her face in there. That’s going to symbolize the first third of my life, where I’m fighting everything that’s going to bring me down and try to do the whole knight rescuing the maiden — or the maiden rescuing the knight in this case. And on this leg here, I have three koi that represent my mom, my wife and my daughter, and then there’s Buddha that represents inner peace.

Q: The reason I asked is that it looks like there’s a love of pizza.

A: Pizza, food, everything. I plan on getting a knife blade on my other arm. I’ve been talking about putting a chicken wing or something right here. Not necessarily just pizza, food in general. I think food is basically a way to celebrate life…

Q: What is the strangest pizza combination anyone has ordered?

A: I worked at a pizza place in Seattle, and a guy ordered extra sauce, triple pepperoni, no cheese and then he would ask for 16 packets of salt, and then he would put the salt on top of that. I would make anchovy pizzas over and over again before I would make another one of those pizzas. I just looked unappealing in every …

Q: That’s a heart attack.

A: It is. It is. I think the guy was doing a “Leaving Las Vegas” pizza-style. “I’m going to close my arteries if it’s the last thing I do!” I’ve also worked in places where we’ve done a smoked oyster and sauerkraut pizza.

Q: Is that any good?

A: It’s not bad, especially if you use a honey mustard dressing instead of a red pizza sauce, it’s not that bad. It has some flavors that you put together and wouldn’t expect.

The pizza place where I grew up, over in Clarkston, Fazzari’s — Fazzari brothers owned it. It’s been family owned ever since I was in third or fourth grade, and even to this day when I go back over to Eastern Washington, Effie’s burgers and Fazzari’s are the two first places I stop. They have all their pizzas named after either local monuments because the place I grew up in, Clarkston, it was Lewis and Clark, they stopped at the Snake River confluence, so there’s lots of historical monuments, and they have a few pizzas named after that. Then they have, there’s the Clarkston Bantams, Lewiston Bengals and Asotin Panthers [high school sports teams], and there’s a Bengal, Bantam and a Panther pizza.

They have the house special called the Shotsy that is unbelievable. It’s a yellow honey mustard sauce with a polish sausage, shaved red onion, sauerkraut, provolone and Swiss. And their crust is nothing like mine. It has a semolina flour in it. When they talk about a thin crust pizza, our crust, even if we tossed it out thin, it wouldn’t be a thin-crust pizza because it has no semolina flour. Semolina flour is what gives thin crust pizzas that crack. It’s the same kind of flour that they use to make pastas. They put a little bit of that in there, I think they use a 20-80 type blend — it has a little bit of a crack, but still has a little bit of a bend. And their pizza is just unbelievable.

One thing — I tried doing it when I first opened up — is they don’t put any cheese on top of their pizzas so toppings fall off, and that was part of the fun. After you get through eating, you get down to the crust and take the toppings and put it on the rest of it. My customers, they wanted top cheese, and that’s where being the small business in the community, I listened. If I put an ounce of cheese on top and it makes you happy, cool, that’s what I’ll do.

Q: What’s the best thing about owning a pizzeria?

A: If you had asked me this eight years ago, 10 years ago, I would have said knowing that my family will never go hungry. And that still is up there, because even though I might not make a lot of money, I know my family is always fed. But honestly, the way it’s been the last year and a half, the last two years, it’s the people.

The community, the people that come in. I find that customers who used to annoy me don’t annoy me anymore. If any of them walked in, I would sit here and have a conversation and go, “You know how annoying you used to be?” and eight out of nine times, they’d say, “Yeah I can be annoying, but I just want what I want.” And being understanding that giving a customer what they want, even if it’s just a minor “annoyance” makes them a happy, return, repeat customer. If you can figure out everybody’s little niche, especially in a small community, there’s no better advertising than a happy customer….

Q: What’s next for Bella Luna?

A: I would like to see some growth as far as size. I’d like to offer more entertainment, whether it’s our Tuesday night industry nights of the Friday night music night. I want to try to get some of the brewers in. But honestly, my plan is to just try to buckle down and hopefully make some money, be able to serve the customers.

As soon as the sun comes out and the deck opens, it’s always better when the sun’s out, especially being a business on the water … I personally would never want to open up a second restaurant. I think it would be too much stress. I’m one of those classic guys who takes all my stress and puts it in a ball in my belly. Then I go home and puke.

Honestly, as far as plans, I just want to continue doing what I’m doing, hopefully reinvest a little of what I make into the business, get some nicer equipment, be able to afford to get that beer cooler in here and serve tap beer. More space would be nice, but there’s only one direction I can go, and there’s already a business there, and I do not with anything bad for the businesses that are around me. No matter how much I would love to have their space, I don’t want my overeagerness or my want for success to be on someone else’s failure.

I’d rather just hold tight, invest into the business and make Bella Luna a little bit better. Whenever customers come in they try to tell me ways to get better, and it’s mentally noted. I’d like to get some electrical work done in the kitchen so I can offer waffles for breakfast. You know, little things like that.

I have no desire to franchise and become six different places or to sell my name to other people.

Right now, we’re talking to a couple other Bella Luna pizzerias that are around the nation. And we’re forming a Bella Luna Co-op. Basically it’s a very informal Facebook-type organization where we’re going to give everybody each others’ addresses, we’re going to send each other’s shirts so that you’re still advertising a Bella Luna Pizzeria, but I’m advertising a Bella Luna Pizzeria in Trinidad, Colo., or Jamaica Plains, NY, or the one that’s in Long Beach, Calif. So far I’ve got 15 of them. There’s one over in West Seattle. There’s lots of Bella Lunas.

We’ve been having problems especially in the last couple weeks because of our ranking on the Internet. We’ve been around for awhile, and we have a Facebook page, and we have a website that our ranking is No. 1 when you’re around here and you Google “pizzeria.” I found out even if you’re in Jamaica Plains or Trinidad and Google “Bella Luna pizzeria,” ours is the first one to come up.

We’ve actually had to give away a few mistake pizzas because people called from Trinidad, Colo.

Q: Didn’t they notice the area code?

A: I’ve had to put a note and tell all the people who work on the front end, if it’s not a 360, 206 or 425, make sure they’re aware of where they’re calling.

Angela Dice is a freelance writer and photographer. She lives in Bremerton.

A patron digs into a wedge salad with grilled chicken at the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor. - MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN

By Angela Dice

What began as a little fishing village in the late 1800s has grown into a community of more than 7,000 people around the shores of Gig Harbor Bay.

Close enough to draw tastes and dollars from Tacoma, yet far enough away to maintain a mostly rural feel, Gig Harbor has become home to dozens (no exaggeration) of well-regarded eateries. However, in keeping with the casual nature of this maritime city, dressing up is not required for most restaurants.

Dining on the deck of any waterfront restaurant is a postcard waiting to be photographed, with Mount Rainier posing over packed marinas and tree-lined shores. But straying from the harbor’s shoreline, diners also can find gems tucked away in strip malls or on longer drives into neighboring enclaves.

If you’ve got a weekend to spend trying out the city’s tastes, here are a few ideas.

Day One

Like any city, often the best way to find good eats is to consult longtime locals — after reading dining guides, of course. But if you don’t want to adhere to all of a guide’s recommendations, you should spend your first day going where locals gather and ask them.

Kelly’s Cafe and Espresso, 7806 Pioneer Way, at the bottom of Pioneer Hill, fits that bill. Kelly’s offers hearty portions of breakfast standards, such as biscuits and gravy, pancakes and chicken fried steak. But it also offers twists on old favorites, such as pesto scrambled green eggs and ham, a Hawaiian scramble with ham, pineapple and teriyaki sauce or a prime rib omelet. Kelly’s opens at 7 a.m. daily, but for the late-risers, breakfast is served all day.

Tides Tavern, 2925 Harborview Drive, is a Gig Harbor institution with a deck that welcomes incoming boaters and looks out on the neck of Gig Harbor Bay. Locals and visitors crowd the place to while away sunny afternoons over beers from the local 7 Seas Brewing and specially-made selections from Harmon Brewery in Tacoma. The food ranges from average pub fare, such as the lauded halibut and chips, pizza and burgers to a few slightly elevated items, such as a warm roasted vegetable salad, a steak and brie sandwich or mussels mariniere, steamed in white wine and butter. Open daily at 11 a.m.

If you spend too much time with beer on the deck at Tides, don’t fret about driving to your next destination.

Il Lucano Ristorante Italiano, 3119 Judson St., is a scant five-minute walk away, tucked away in a strip mall. Owner and Chef Michele Simone brings home-style cooking from Oppido Lucano in Southern Italy, and has a tendency to meet and greet customers between meals. He offers an extensive menu including pastas, pizzas and fish, pork, veal and chicken entrees. And regulars claim Simone will make off-menu items. Il Lucano even offers gluten-free items. On Tuesdays, wines are half price with two entrees. Serves dinner from 3 to 10 p.m. most days, from 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays and it’s closed on Mondays.

Day Two

It would be a shame to go to Gig Harbor without dining on at least two decks.

The Devoted Kiss Cafe, 8809 North Harborview Drive, opened last November in the old Harbor Kitchen spot. The deck looks out on the harbor, and on a clear day, you can see Mount Rainier. If that’s not enough of a wake-up, Devoted Kiss serves Gig Harbor-based Cutters Point Coffee. The breakfast menu includes eggs Benedict, a breakfast burrito, omelettes and ham and egg croissants. For those searching for gluten-free fare, about 90 percent of the menu has the option. Opens at 6 a.m. daily, though it’s closed on Tuesdays.

If you want to stay in Gig Harbor proper for lunch, you could head out to the Uptown shopping center and try decent burgers and sandwiches at the Blazing Onion or grab a slice at Fondi’s. But if you confine yourself to Gig Harbor proper, you’d miss out on The Gourmet Burger Shop, 11615 State Route 302, just past Purdy, toward the Key Peninsula. The idea that some of the best burgers come from hole-in-the-wall joints on the side of the road holds true here. But Gourmet Burger doesn’t offer the greasy spoon variety you may expect of such a place. Burgers have flair, such as a mushroom Swiss burger with truffle aioli sauce or a gorgonzola and avocado burger. It also has occasional specials, such as a grilled salmon sandwich served with tempura fried asparagus. Almost everything is made in-house, except the buns, which come from Three Clouds Bakery across the street. Burgers are served with crispy beet chips or herbed shoestring French fries. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

With several fine-dining options in Gig Harbor, the gourmand shouldn’t be afraid of splurging for at least one meal and changing out of blue jeans and T-shirts. At Brix 25, 7707 Pioneer Way, appetizers are among the most lauded menu items, and many of them are available at a discount during happy hour. Brix has daily happy hours, only available in the bar, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and all night on Saturdays. Selections, such as the poached pear and cambozola bruschetta appetizer are half price at $5, while a baby portion of the beef bourguignon entree is available for $11. Cocktails, though pricey, include house-made syrups, seasonal juices, vodkas and liqueurs.

After Brix changed owners in 2009, it lost some customers and gained others. But not everyone associated with the restaurant left town, and a couple have opened additional higher-end dining options for those who’ve already tried Brix and want to try something new. Former Brix general manager Jason Winniford opened JW, 4107 Harborview Drive, a year ago with upscale comfort fare, such as its duck confit slider appetizer or wild boar bourguignon. Green House, 4793 Point Fosdick Drive, opened by chef Robert Green, who briefly ran Brix’s kitchen, offers a blend of French and Northwest style foods made with local ingredients. For any of these three restaurants, however, plan to make reservations on weekends.

Angela Dice is a freelance photographer and writer. She lives in Bremerton.

Following in the long tradition of our annual West Sound Guide, this quarterly publication will focus on the peninsula’s emerging trends, successful restaurant owners and unique local products. Each edition will also feature listings that give readers (and eaters) a quick look at many of our outstanding options for dining out. If you’re looking for the best places and bites, from Bainbridge Island to Belfair and beyond, make sure to get your copy of the West Sound Guide to Dining.

Guide to Dining E-Edition

The West Sound Guide to Dining, as the newest member of the West Sound Guide Collection, can also be found in print, online and on your iPad. Use the online and iPad e-editions to browse the best places to eat from anywhere. Us the links below to get there.

Find one near you Get the E-Edition Get it on the iPad Advertise in the next issue

Although we’ve published a quarterly Healthy Living Guide in the past, this new annual version sports a whole new look and feel, with an added directory of health-related businesses for you to find just what you need for top notch health care.

The articles are more in number and greater in depth, highlighting the people — both providers and customers — that comprise the many and varied health-related businesses and offerings.

Healthy Living E-Edition

Use the electronic versions, both in your browser and on your iPad, to find the best in local health care from wherever you are. Use the links below to find your copy.

Find one near you Get the E-Edition Get it on the iPad  Advertiser in the next issue