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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2015)
Readers’ choice awards BEST GROCERY STORE Astoria Co-op Grocery Astoria, Oregon Runner-up: Fred Meyer, Warrenton Honorable Mention: Okie’s Thriftway Market / Costco (tie) Photo by Joshua Bessex Matt Stanley, general manager of the Astoria Co-op Grocery, stands outside the store, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014 by unveiling a new logo and hanging new signage in front of its location at 1355 Exchange St. Brim’s Farm & Garden BEST HOTEL The Cannery Pier Hotel By RYAN HUME Beyond earning this year’s Readers’ Choice Award for Best Grocery Store again, 2014 was a big year for the Astoria Co-op Grocery. The co-op celebrated its 40th anniversary by unveil- ing a new logo and hanging new signage in front of its location at 1355 Exchange St. in Astoria. The local grocery store also expanded its organic deli selec- tions and added fresh meat and seafood, all of which is both or- JDQLFDQGFHUWL¿HGKXPDQH “We really strive to make eat- ing healthy, fun and easy,” said General Manager Matt Stanley. As always, the shelves re- main free of preservatives, food BEST GARDEN CENTER work for them,” Stanley said. The co-op works with over 100 individual producers to source its unique stock of nu- Astoria, Oregon trient-rich foods and loves to show off the North Coast’s lo- Runner-up: Dennis’ 7 Dees, Seaside cal bounty. Honorable Mention: Basket Case Greenhouse, Long Beach “We receive many products directly from producers in our community,” Stanley said. “We GH¿QHORFDOE\DPLOHUDGLXV so there is no confusion when it comes to whether an item is tru- ly produced by local folks.” $QG LI \RX FDQ¶W ¿QG ZKDW you’re looking for, ask — the co-op will try and special order it for you. “We love that we can get to know our owners,” Stanley said. “Whether they are new Photo by Joshua Bessex to the co-op or if they’ve been shopping there for a long time.” Established in 1986, Brim’s Farm and Garden, owned by Linda Brim, pictured, has been voted Best Besides having a friendly Garden Center yet again in Coast Weekend’s Readers’ Choice Awards. This family owned and oper- and knowable staff, the Asto- ated garden nursery and animal feed store is known for its customer service and quality products. ria Co-op also offers cooking courses, health and wellness lectures, and a seasonal news- letter. Stanley hopes the new branding will mark the begin- ning of an exciting future for Astoria, Oregon the store. He admits that the Runner-up: Adrift Hotel, Long Beach, Washington current location is small, but Honorable Mention: Hotel Elliott, Astoria he would like to see the co-op expand over the new few years to include things like a full-ser- vice deli with hot food, a butch- er counter and more space for deli seating. “People can help by signing up to be owners and shopping at the co-op as much as possi- ble,” Stanley said. Photo by Joshua Bessex The Astoria Co-op Grocery works with over 100 individual producers to source its unique stock of nutrient-rich foods and loves to show off the North Coast’s local bounty. coloring and hydrogenated oils, and the co-op continues to give preference to foods that are or- ganic and without genetic mod- L¿FDWLRQ “So coming into the co-op means that shoppers can trust that we’ve done a lot of home- T han k you for voting us & h s i F B e st BOWPICKER FISH & CHIPS 1634 Duane St., Astoria 503-791-2942 The Astoria Co-op Grocery is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information on how to become an owner, board members, current sales, upcoming events and more, call 503-325-0027 or visit www.astoria.coop BEST ASIAN FOOD Nisa’s Thai Kitchen Warrenton, Oregon Runner-up: Himani Indian Cuisine, Astoria Honorable Mention: Long Beach Thai Cuisine Submitted photo by Bill Blackler The flaming beef is one of Nisa’s Thai Kitch- en’s most popular dishes. Owned by Nisa and Bill Blackler, Nisa’s Thai Kitchen opened about a year ago in the former Kim’s Kitchen location in Warrenton. Though relatively new on the scene, Nisa’s swept the Best Asian Food category in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards in a landslide win. The restaurant cooks up all the usual Thai favorites — pad Thai, peanut curry, Tom Yam Goong and others — and some specialties, including Three Fla- vors Salmon, deep-fried sockeye topped with onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, pineapple chunks and a special sauce. <RX¶OO DOVR ¿QG VSHFLDOW\ beverages such as Thai iced tea and coffee. Photo by Alex Pajunas Resting on the 100-year-old pilings of the former Union Fisherman’s Cooperative Packing Co., the Cannery Pier Hotel offers front-seat views of the Columbia River, free Wi-Fi, on-site day spa, exercise room, authentic Finnish sauna, complimentary chauffeur service and bicycle rental, and much more. It’s no surprise to find that Readers’ Choice voters have named this luxury boutique hotel Best Hotel for the past eight years. ! s p i h C Nisa’s can be found on Facebook and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week at 575 E. Harbor Drive. The restaurant offers a takeout menu and can be reached at 503-861-5645. Thank you for voting us Best Barista 3 years in a row!! Located in Sandpiper Square • 172 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach 503.436.1718 • 877.511.5752 • www. maggieandhenry .com 1213 Com m ercia l St., A storia 5 03-325 -8265 January 29, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 11
