Edison, Washington is a small town (population 133) with a big appetite.  

Nestled on the south end of the beautiful Chuckanut Drive in the Skagit Valley,  the three blocks of Edison’s downtown contain several restaurants that make a visit to this small hamlet well worth the trip. If you go,  go hungry with a plan to indulge your taste buds in this foodie haven.

While we had been to Edison before, on our past visit we only had time for one meal. This time, we went with a plan (and empty stomachs): we would do a veritable tour de food – tasting small bites at each restaurant in this town known for truly defining “farm to table” dining.

Our first stop was Mariposa, a small taqueria which served up wonderful tacos and burritos made with the freshest of fresh ingredients.  

Chad ordered a vegetarian delight taco and I ordered a smoked lamb taco,  which was delicious and unexpected in that it was more Mediterranean in flavor, but again truly delicious.

Mariposa delights the senses – not only the tastebuds, but visually with its antique-Hispanic-rustic decor.

Because it was a gorgeous day,  we sat out in the yard, decorated with a hodgepodge of retro lawn furniture. Once finished, we relinquished our seats, as Mariposa’s reputation for fine food is not unnoticed in these parts.

After this bite,  we made our way to stop #2: The Old Edison Inn.

It would be easy to judge The Old Edison Inn by it’s cover and dismiss it as “just a tavern”. Founded in 1900, the Old Edison is a dark wood paneled lair decorated with old lumberjack saws and a shuffleboard game taking prime real-estate by the antique bar.

Despite its bar feel,  the food at The Old Edison is quite good. Chad ordered small bites of pickled herring and fried oysters.

I had delicious carrot ginger soup.

And we both sampled some beer.  

We watched some serious rounds of shuffleboard and then we proceeded to our next stop: Samish Bay Cheese.

Technically outside of Edison, in the neighboring town of Bow, Washington, Samish Cheese makes some of the best cheeses we’ve tried from Washington State.

We sampled their signature Ladysmith cheese – a cow’s milk cross between Queso Fresco and Ricotta. We then tried their gouda, a lovely aged cheese that was mild and creamy. After sampling the gouda, we were persuaded (twist our arms!) to try the Natural Rind Gouda. This is the same cheese, but it had been aged for a few additional weeks. The difference was amazing! Both cheeses were delicious, but completely different – with the Natural Rind Gouda taking on a sharper flavor.

After Chad returned from saying “hello” to the cows, we purchased some cheese for home and continued on to…pastries!

The Farm to Market Bakery is right around the corner in Bow and located next to the incredibly popular Rhododendron Cafe (we couldn’t get a table).

But we were more than happy to visit this bakery and sample their delectable Wild Montana Huckleberry Pie.

Chad enjoyed a double shot of espresso to compliment the pie. Both were lip-smacking good!

We returned to Edison (less than one mile down the road). We weren’t ready for even the thought of more food, so we perused Edison’s boutiques.

The Lucky Dumpster is a delightful collection of local artisanal crafts. Across the street, Shop Curator, is one of our favorite stores. Scented candles, soaps and home decor items combined with beautiful illustrated coffee table books, jewelry, and fake birds (Chad loved this!).  

And just down the street, in what may have been an old bank building, is Hedgerow, another great homegoods boutique.

We were finally ready, if not for food, at least for a drink. So we sauntered over to the Longhorn Saloon & Grill.

Both the Longhorn and the Old Edison Inn bookend this town nicely – two seemingly rougher-around-the edges taverns that both serve amazing food – sandwiching in the more quaint farm-to-table establishments in between.

We sat at the bar and enjoyed a cold beer, watching to clientele make their way in and out. This saloon is a notorious hangout for bikers, so you can only imagine.

After our drink, we had to keep the food tour going, so we stopped next door to the Breadfarm Bakery, where we purchased the smallest bites we could find (our stomachs growing full!).

Chad had a fig bar and I had a ginger cookie. After Breadfarm, we continued to the next building, which is home to Slough Foods.

Slough Foods is a deceptive gem – it appears as a wine and cheese shop, which it is, but customers can go to the lovely rustic backyard (situated on the slough) to order drinks and bites from Slough Foods menu.

While we were there, there was an oyster grilling event, but even their oyster supplier (Taylor Shellfish just north on Chuckanut Drive) ran out of oysters, so supply was low and demand was high. We satisfied ourselves with more cheese (why not?!) and some wine.

We had wanted to end our tour de food at the acclaimed Tweets Cafe.

We had visited there earlier in the day, with a plan to go back with cash (they only accept cash and checks), but by the time we got there, they had closed for the day. Boo. It’s a lovely spot with gorgeous looking food (we spotted earlier in the day). It will definitely be our first stop on our next visit to Edison!

Directions to Edison, Washington:  From Seattle, drive north on I-5 towards Burlington. Take exit 236 Bow Hill Road. Go left on Bow Hill Road and travel west. Once Bow Hill turns and becomes Main Street, take a right onto Mactaggert Avenue. Travel west on Mactaggert Avenue. At the end of Mactaggert Avenue, at Cairns Court, you will find the town of Edison. Turn right or left or park and walk along Cairns Ct to find the above-mentioned restaurants and stores. Please note: Samish Bay Cheese and The Farm to Market Bakery are located in the town of Bow, before you reach Edison, at the intersection of Bow Hill Road and Chuckanut Drive