After a rain-soaked evening, chilly morning, and blustery beginning, the sun poked out and the food started flowing at Sunday’s Bite of PhinneyWood event. The third iteration of this annual event – which sold out for the third consecutive year – welcomed 750 gleeful and ravenous attendees to the lower parking lot of the Phinney Center to enjoy a bite of food from 18 local restaurants, bars, cafes and wineries.
There was a little something for everyone. First-time participant Windy City Pie brought their classic pepperoni pizza, but also a delicious vegetarian slice and tasty vegan one to help show off their upcoming lunch menu. There were sweet bites abound, from Wild Mountain Cafe’s famous cinnamon rolls to Valhalla Sandwiches showing off their new breakfast menu with fresh slices of Brioche French toast. Cheeky & Dry came with an array of nonalcoholic and locally-produced mocktails, while The Orcas Project paired their delicious wines with bites from FlintCreek and Bar Sur Mer.
Savory bites were a focal point of the afternoon. The Dark Room served up their amazing Golden Glizzy (you’ll have to visit to discover what this is), Mainstay Provisions wowed the crowd with succulent curried chicken on housemade focaccia, and Ruby reminded us all that they have a great bar food menu with their air-fried salt & pepper chicken wings. The new owners of the Couth Buzzard showed off highlights from their new menu, including harissa lentil flatbread and orange caramel bread pudding. And finally, Pizzaria La Rocca brought their delightful meatballs in Pomodoro sauce while beloved Mr. Gyros lavished the crowd with hummus and dolmas.
Prior years have had just one trophy presented – Thaiku in 2022 and Petit Pierre in 2023 – but this year organizers awarded 4 trophies:
- Best Overall Bite: Autumn’s polenta fries with house fermented honey and parmesan.
- Best Savory Bite: Lioness’ smoked black cod mousse with a house made pecorino cracker.
- Best Sweet Bite: Coffeeholic House’s Vietnamese coffee with cheese foam.
- Best Vegetarian Bite: Petit Pierre’s tomato basil croissant with burrata and balsamic reduction.
A huge congratulations to our 4 main winners, and really to all the restaurants for coming out to create a wonderful community event! It is not easy to re-create amazing food offsite, and every last participant did on incredible job to bring a compelling and well-loved bite for attendees. Want to be notified when 2025 Bite tickets go on sale so you don’t miss out? Enter your email here.
