Grub Gossip

Bite-sized foodie news for your consumption

By Jackie Fender on July 25, 2019

The Thurston Chamber Foundation's 8th Annual Olympia Brew Fest is fast approaching and goes down Aug. 3, 1-8:30 p.m. This summer hops and malts fueled celebration features over 30 handpicked Northwest breweries hauling in over 60 sippers. Tickets are $25 in advance, and $30 day of, and include a commemorative mug and six tastes. Additional tastes can be purchased, because let's face it, a sample of only 10 percent of the beers is just unreasonable. It oozes of regret and mourning of those you might have missed. If you're the Designated Driver, a measly $5 scores you all the root beer and water you can drink! All attendees must be 21 and over. And again, with the feel-good vibes, proceeds benefit the Thurston County Chamber Foundation Small Business Incubator Program. If the beer isn't enough to fill you up, food vendors will be onsite slinging their delectable wares as well. 

Check out more details at olybrewfest.com to purchase tickets or to register to volunteer. Port Plaza 701 Columbia St. NW, Olympia

If you don't do the social medias, you might have missed a recent announcement from The Hub Tacoma and Harmon Taproom. They released the following statement via Facebook, earlier this week: "With much sadness, we are announcing that this Saturday, July 27, we will be closing The Hub Tacoma and Tap Room in the Stadium District. We want to thank our staff past and present, and many who have been with us since the beginning for all your hard work. We will miss our regulars and guests who we have been fortunate to have from the start. We have faced declining revenues for several years. The company faced substantial financial challenges when we purchased Harmon Brewing Co. last year. These decisions have been difficult, but this will allow us to reinvest in our other restaurants. Our in-house brewing operations will discontinue for now, and we are seeking a contract brewing partner to continue production of our craft beers while searching for an opportunity to re-establish a brewery. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being with us, and cheers to the years!"

I'll be keeping my ear to the ground to see what's coming up next in the space.

My mother was once married to a one-eyed farmer, and among his crops was one of my personal favorites, rhubarb! Strawberry rhubarb pie forever remains a favorite food of mine. Plus, rhubarb can add a delectable bite and beautiful hue to a number of things including summer time libations and baked goods. Which is why I'm super excited this weekend. July 27 and 28 marks the annual Sumner Rhubarb Days! Festivities include a beer garden, rhubarb bake-off (YOU can enter), food court, live music and the star of the show -- a pie-eating contest! I'm a glutton. At the core of it all is a rich agricultural history to be celebrated. See more details at sumnerrhubarbdays.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Downtown Sumner Main St., Sumner