Shana "Shasta" C.'s Profile

This is one of my favorite places in Kitsap.  Love the employees, love the baked goods, the sandwiches and salads, the newsletters, really, love it all.  

If you're a frequent customer sign up for the newsletter.  Monica's seems to have all kinds of cool events and parties.  I've never been, primarily because I  live a ways away and my 1 year old doesn't like the taste of wine, but they sure seem like they'd be fun!  I've tried a lot of their menu: from soups, to salads, to sandwiches.  The tea selection is nice, the day old cookies for sale are cheap, and the atmosphere is friendly.  

Go.  
You'll like it.
P.S.  The'res an big upstairs seating area, in addition to the small, cramped one downstairs.

I have not spent enough time in this cute little bungalow shop.  Howevs, the staff are jovial, sea-worthy ladies full of vim and helpful words.  Their sale bins are not to be missed.  They always have the last minute supplies I need.

Once I went here in a rainstorm and found the owner was in the barber shop next door cutting hair.  She does it all people! Good with the hands.

Ok, well, I hate to continually have to make the distinction and muck things up around here, buuuuuuut, if this yarn shop (& I) were in a metropolis, I'd give it three stars.  As it is the nearest yarn shop to me, it is what i have and therefore, it gets one more star by simply being there for me in my time of need.

The reason I'd give it three stars is because their selection is lacking the more artistic, wow-me types of yarn like Noro or even the simpler Manos del Uruguay.  In fact, after being there yesterday in search of advice and the resulting yarn needed, I decided the yarn in this shop more explicitly suits the type of person that lives in this area.  It is subdued, conventional, well wearing, and perhaps just a bit too hoddy-doddy for this artistic not quite 30-something.  

Ok, a few more reasons why I would give this shop one less stars were it and I located elsewhere.  They do not allow returned needles, no exceptions.  I dislike this policy.  It may have been born for good reason, but I think if a person (ahem) has purchased needles, taken them home, found them to be the wrong thing for the job, and brought them back requesting an exchange 12 hours later, the person should be accommodated.  Also, the shop's name is overly cutesy and so it the building in which it is located.  There.  Kvetch done with.    

That being said... I do give it four stars and not without good reasons!

They have a wide enough selection to suit your needs, especially if you don't have the type of wistful fancy city yarn heart that I do.  They also have a excellent selection of needles and other knitting accessories.  Other things I like about this shop are the big community table and chairs set up for classes and generally hanging out, the couch for perusing their patterns and books (as well as sleeping children and uninterested spouses), the staff are helpful and wise, it is well organized and pleasing to the eye.

I drove all the way from Belfair for this place.  On more than one occasion.  In fact, I'm here right now.  It seems like writing a bad review of a place I'm currently sitting at would be uncouth or hypocritical.  Maybe I'll bad mouth the sugared up boy
scouts sitting behind me instead...

I would suggest only ordering their food offerings if you're really hungry.  If you just want a nosh, try getting a drink with lots of milk in it.  Your money will be better spent.  

I like the offerings of this place.  These would all be standard fare in a metropolis, but for Silverdale, they make this place a standout.  Free wifi, good music, lots of seating, ample electrical outlets, cute hipster baristas, beer & wine (also there are select liqueurs), locally produced art hanging (for sale) on the walls...

I'm not an espresso expert, but I have a friend who drinks it by the cupful when she's not preggers, and she loves it.  Says it's real smooth.  I've usually ordered tea when visiting this joint, as it is usually later-ish at night.  They have an extensive tea selection, nice individual pots, and handy timers to tell you when your brew has been steeped to recommended perfections.  

[May I take a moment to point out that the review next to me has the phrase "Sweet beard of thundering Zeus" when referring to the selection of oat-sodas in bottles here?  That just begs to be mentioned.]

The coffee here is very specifically selected according to some mysterious coffee snob system and it is fine.  I'm sure you could learn lots about the various roasts and sources from which it came if you asked, as the staff seems generally congenial and knowledgeable.  Prices are reasonable.  Walls are painted in faux-fresco styles.  That too seemed worth mentioning.

Imagine my excitement.  Moved to Belfair from Chicago where I had an excellent wellness center to visit regularly.  Realized Belfair was a total hole in the wall BUT there was a wellness center right on the main drag of highway.  Now imagine my let down.  Woah, expectations too high.  Woah, weirdies working the counter.  

Ok, not to be total asshole, but what is with the guy at the computer?  Is he the original space cadet?  I had a thirty minute conversation with him on my first visit.  He even gave me some job leads.  On a visit not too long after that the man acted as though he's never seen me before.  Seriously?  This is Belfair.  Are you getting so much business that you can't recall the faces of customers with whom you've had thirty minute conversations?  My main complaints with Abel are pretty personal.  

They sell decent health products, which they don't push on you.  They also sell a few selections of local, farm supporting dairy and protein products that I love.  My neighbors swear by some of their massage therapists and acupuncturists and visits them regularly.  

I do go back to Abel, and I'm considering giving their acupuncturist a try.  I support what they're doing, I'm just not crazy about some of their administrative support personnel and practices.

My first Halloween in Belfair passed without any scares and this year we were a bit more determined to revel in the revelry.  I was pretty excited to visit the haunted scrap yard.  What an excellent, creepy place to have a haunt!  My husband was pretty skeptical because of the cost, but that may be his old fashioned skin-flintery getting in the way.  It was worth it.  He agreed.  

I had a lot of fun in this place.  The line was friendly, the weather was perfectly gloomy, and the house was a glorified freak show of horrors.  I loved the crazy strobe light, psycho spiral room that makes you feel all seasick.  I may have to make a visit to this haunt an annual thing for as long as we live in this hillbilly hamlet.

Two stars on Yelp means "Meh."  I kinda feel that way about Casper's Pizza, but I like "them" too, hence the three stars.  I've eaten in once and ordered take out once.  The staff is friendly and accommodating.  The atmosphere is fine.  The one time we ate in it was so we could watch football and drink beer.  They have good beers on tap there and a big flat screen or two.  

The pulled pork I ordered the first time was pretty good, though be sure you specify if you want a sandwich because what I got originally (by accident) was plate heaped with pulled pork.  I requested a bun and received one.  My husband ordered a burger, as he usually does and he reports that he was not pleased with it or its accompaniment of fries.

Recently we ordered a pepperoni & mushroom, extra cheese pizza to go.  They tossed in a side of ranch for free for me, but I was asked to keep it on the D.L., so you didn't hear that from me.  The pizza was delish, decadent, greasy and bread-y.  I loved the mini-pepperonis they use.  Do they make thin crust?  The hand tossed was typical American bread pizza, not that I have anything wrong with that.  

Yes, they are way into their bulldog.  No, he should not be in the restaurant.  I hope they make it though.  Belfair needs the new lifeblood they represent.

My husband and I go to Allen's Billiards and More for the "& More."  Olympic Ice Cream people!  In twelve different flavors, all year round.  You can get it and leave.  Get it and watch people play pool.  Get it and watch tv on the giant flat screen.  It's like going over to your friend Allen's man cave and hanging out, then Allen get's all weird and asks you to pay for the amazingly loaded cones of delectable ice cream he just handed you.  

I always get a single in a waffle cone.  Finally, after several trips to this place I asked the man behind the counter, how can you be calling this a single when there's damn near a pint of ice cream in this cone?  He tells me he doesn't charge, or count, the ice cream that's below the top of the cone! My man!! Now that's how to make a customer leave singing and come back soon.

Attached to the store is Taqueria Lupita's, my favorite place (for not-ice cream) in Belfair.  As soon as I saw a sign that it didn't say something like "Fiesta al Mexicana" I felt sure that I'd found my central American food home.  I'm happy to announce my radar has not failed me!

The chorizo plate is definitely my favorite, even if they cheese it up a bit to much at times.  The spices are just awesome.  The tacos are great.  There's a fresh twist: instead of onions and cilantro they use small diced radish and cilantro.  Yum.  I've also tried a torta, which was good too, but not my fave.  Last but not least, the horchata is outstanding.

They don't take plastic so be sure to get cash ahead of time.

I was surprised that this restaurant was as good as it was, considering it's location and my biases.  The eggrolls are the deep fried with a hint of peanut butter variety.  They were pretty good and so was the beef teriyaki I ordered.  My husband's General's Chicken was so-so.  

I can't get any more excited about it here folks.  It's a place you go to dinner when you don't want to cook and don't want to drive more than a mile and are ready to settle for whatevs.  Oh, the staff were friendly and gracious about the slight mess my one year old left on the floor.