In July my husband and I had the opportunity to spend a weekend visiting our former stomping grounds in Central Washington. We drove over Snoqualmie and Blewett passes from Seattle on a beautiful Friday afternoon, taking less than three hours. Unlike last summer, when huge swaths of the state east of the Cascade Mountains were devastated by wildfire, this year has seen fewer and smaller fires, and we enjoyed a lovely, smoke-free drive. Our first stop was for dinner with friends at Shakti’s, one of the few true fine-dining establishments in Wenatchee and always a sure thing for a great meal when we lived there.

We secured a table on the shady, leafy patio and were pleased to learn that the quality of the food and service remains top-notch here. Our group of eight shared two delicious         appetizers: calamari, “flashed” with garlic, lemon, chilis and sweet basil (perfectly tender and tasty with a bit of a kick); and crab croquettes (moist and light with, again, a hint of spiciness). Wenatchee lies just a short flight from all sorts of wonderful fresh Pacific seafood, and Shakti’s menu is sprinkled with wonderful offerings from the sea.

With a couple of fabulous bottles of red wine to accompany dinner, most of us opted for substantial entrées of the meatier variety. A few ordered the filet mignon with a fabulous bourbon and peppercorn creme sauce, and several others chose the Pezzatto di Bisteca, filet mignon tips pan-seared in a most decadent, delicious Cabernet reduction sauce with garlic, shallots, whole grain mustard and gorgonzola. I forged my own path and swooned over the Pasta di Mare, featuring fresh mussels and clams, calimari and prawns in a tomato coulis served over linguini.

 
It stood up admirably to the red wine. We lingered long in the comfortable atmosphere and warm, approaching dusk, finishing off our meal with dark, bittersweet chocolate pots du créme and Devonshire cream and fresh fruit. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our weekend. The next morning Harry and I were eager to check out a new-to-us attraction in town.

The Pybus Public Market opened in 2013 in what had been a steel foundry and machine shop for decades. The football field-length building now houses an interesting assortment of specialty shops selling gifts, floral arrangements, olive oil and sporting goods; food vendors including a cheesemonger, green grocer, butcher and fishmonger; and restaurants serving wood-fired pizza
s, local microbrews, and locally sourced menu items.

This area is world-renowned for its cherries, apples and pears as well as a wide range of produce, and during the summer a farmers market sets up just outside the wide, roll-up doors on one side of the building. We spent more than an hour perusing the market stalls and checking out the shops inside. While not as large as Seattle’s Pike Place Market, Pybus offers a similar welcoming, relaxed vibe, and its location right next to the Apple Capital Loop Trail makes it a great place to stop in for some refreshments after a long bike ride or walk along the river.

Because it was promising to be a very warm day, the ladies in our party opted to spend some time on the river, rather than beside it. We launched our kayaks from the nearby rowing club’s boat dock and spent several hours paddling and pedaling (two of the kayaks could be propelled with foot power) the waters of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers.

We reveled in the peace of the water, exploring back channels and enjoying glimpses of waterfowl and deer. We even discovered a spot where wild blackberry vines grew right down over the water, allowing us to paddle right up and gobble up fat, ripe berries to appease our appetites until we finished our excursion. We couldn’t have asked for a more delightful weekend, reconnecting with dear friends and exploring old haunts and new.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor