.

Run of the River Inn – Leavenworth, WA

One of my favorite weekend getaways that is worth relaxing and having great food is a town in Washington called Leavenworth.  It’s a quaint and beautiful place to step back in time to the Bavarian Alps and enjoy great German cuisine and beer!  I love the vibrant and spirited town of Leavenworth, but once in awhile it’s really nice to have great home cooked food served at your doorstep.

One of those special places I have come to enjoy so much is Run of the River Inn, a relaxing mountain inn on the banks of the Icicle River.  I went to Run of the River for the weekend in June of 2009.  The inn has a timeless, rustic, and luxurious mountain lodge feel to it.  Run of the River is surrounded by a bird refuge and I often see the blue heron or kingfisher flying to the birdhouse of the lodge.  I have been to a couple of the different suites that they offer..but my ultimate FAVorite place is the Ravenswood Lodge($425 per night; 2 night minimum).  A spacious chalet style luxury retreat complete with a river rock fireplace, all timber furniture locally made, jetted tub, full kitchen….I can go on and on about every single detail and imagination that was put into this place, but I’d rather save it as a suprise if you ever visit which I definitely think you will…

What I like the most is that you actually get to meet and chat with the innkeepers, Monty and Karen Turner.  They are the most genuine and heartwarming innkeepers you’ll ever meet.  They happen to bring the breakfast to your door and tell you all the details that goes into every food and most of all they are willing to guide you in any way to make your experience worthwhile.  The first morning I had a classic Denver scramble with onions, Canadian bacon, sweet bell peppers, topped with fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes.  The blueberry pecan pancakes were tasty and they used local blueberries.  If you have a sweet tooth they also added diced local apples that were cooked slightly with ginger muesli and topped with fresh strawberries.

The second morning we had the Sourdough bread bowls with jambalaya rice, chorizo sausage, bell peppers, fresh parsley, and cherry tomatoes.  In the iron pan was the tasty and warm D’Anjou pear crisp with almonds and fresh ground cloves.  My FAVorite drink I always long for is the juice which is a blend of fresh, local apples- a local cider blend from Woodring Orchards in Cashmere, fresh strawberries, walnuts, and a touch of bran.  The yogurt is something unique that I’ve never tasted before… blueberry, banana organic yogurt from Stoneyfield’s topped with a different variety of nuts and a cinnamon walnut breakfast cake.  Very fulfilling, tasty and the perfect way to start your day especially if you are going on a long bike ride or a hike up the mountains ;)

There are two ways to get to Leavenworth…either Hwy 2 or I-90 E.  Both have excellent views of the scenic Cascade range, but I’d suggest taking I-90E over Hwy2 because of the one lane roads.  Run of the River Inn is great for couples in need of a romantic retreat for the weekend ;)  Overall, my experience at the Run of the River Inn is the best weekend getaway overlooking the spectacular view of the Enchantments and refuge and also not to be forgotten….great healthy food at its best!

Run of the River website:  http://runoftheriver.com/index.htm

Address:  9308 E Leavenworth Road, Leavenworth, WA  98826

Contact:  509 548-7171

Cafe Campagne

The first time I went to Campagne was during senior prom while the rest of my friends were either at Palisades or Ponti.  I wanted to be in more intimate and chef-inspired restaurant and it was definitely what I had in mind.  Then, not even realizing it they had a bistro-like restaurant right below called Cafe Campagne.  Located in the Pike Place neighborhood, it serves Southern French comfort food with seasonal Northwest ingredients.  I went there for brunch and all their Oeufs and speciality dishes looked great.  I had their Oeufs en Meurette($15) which in French means eggs in red wine sauce.  This spectacular dish had two poached eggs served on garlic croutons with bacon, pearl onions, and champignons(mushrooms) in a red wine and foie gras sauce served with pommes frites.  The big garlic croutons dipped in red wine sauce was juicy and with a perfect crunch on the ends.  This is my favorite dish and it’s indescribably that good.  When I was in Paris years ago every dish I tried whether it be at a restaurant or shopping at a gourmet grocery store, words can’t describe how good it is… you just have to try it.  If you like dipping your frites or french fries in a sauce, I definitely recommend the garlic aioli.  It’s rich and creamy and the garlic is not too overpowering.  They serve this dish during brunch on weekends, but they also serve during lunch on weekdays as well.

Oeufs en Meurette with pommes frites - Cafe Campagne

Definitely I would love to veer away from my favorite brunch dish and sooner or later try the house-salmon gravlax, salmon rilettes, and demie baguette with a fennel, red onion, and citrus salad($14)…I am a major fan of good salmon and tangy salads!  The Butter Lettuce and Beet salad($12) sounds tasty too… it has butter lettuce with hazelnut vinaigrette, Roquefort cheese, marinated beets, and toasted hazelnuts..Yum!  Cafe Campagne has a great selections of salads with interesting vinagrettes and baguette sandwiches.   They have a good selection of white wines…Gewurztraminer and Reisling’s from the Alsace region of France.  I highly recommend this place for its unique and great tasting Southern French comfort food at its best!

Cafe Campagne website: http://www.campagnerestaurant.com/cafe_home.html

Address: 1600 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101

Hours: Brunch Saturday-Sunday 8am-4pm, Lunch Monday-Friday 11am-5pm, Dinner Sunday-Thursday5pm-10pm

Contact: 206 728-2233