Latest / Best of Redmond: Redmond Washington News, Events, Restaurants & Things to Do / Redmond Hits Top 100 + Mystery Fusion Restaurant Rumor & Pollinator Fest
Transcript
- 0:01Jennifer Davis: Welcome to The Best of Redmond.
- 0:03Jennifer Davis: I'm Jennifer Davis
- 0:05Dan Schulz: And I'm Dan Schultz, and this is Redmond's twice weekly newsletter and podcast about all of the amazing things happening right here in and around Redmond for the next seven days So I understand Redmond made the top 100 best
- 0:20Dan Schulz: places to live.
- 0:22Dan Schulz: That's pretty cool, Jennifer
- 0:24Jennifer Davis: Yeah.
- 0:24Jennifer Davis: In the whole country, top 100.
- 0:26Jennifer Davis: Amazing
- 0:27Dan Schulz: Yeah, Redmond landed at number seventy five on US News World Report's Best Places to Live rankings, which officially puts us in the top 100 nationwide.
- 0:36Dan Schulz: Not bad for our little corner over at the east side.
- 0:39Dan Schulz: And we should also say, not to start any rivalries, people, everyone cool your jets in Redmond with, um, what I'm about to say, kudos also go to Sammamish, which came in at number 21 in the entire country.
- 0:55Dan Schulz: That is really cool
- 0:57Jennifer Davis: Almost the top 20.
- 0:58Jennifer Davis: Almost.
- 0:59Dan Schulz: Almost.
- 1:01Dan Schulz: You've got to try harder s- next year The rankings look at things like schools, jobs, safety, and overall quality of life, and Redmond held its own against cities all over the US.
- 1:13Dan Schulz: So next time somebody asks, "Hey, why are you living here?"
- 1:16Dan Schulz: You can just say, "Because we're in the top 100.
- 1:20Dan Schulz: The bigger question is why do you live where you live?"
- 1:22Dan Schulz: Turn it right back at them
- 1:28Jennifer Davis: If you've been trying to turn your yard into something bees and butterflies actually want to visit, the Sammamish Valley Pollinator Fest might be worth your time.
- 1:39Jennifer Davis: It's happening Saturday, May 30th, and it's basically a full community event around pollinator-friendly gardening, native plants, and keeping local ecosystems healthy.
- 1:50Jennifer Davis: Dan, you know what?
- 1:51Jennifer Davis: we're turning our yard into a meadow, but also it's like people are wondering why the heck we're not mowing our lawns.
- 2:00Dan Schulz: It's because you're lazy.
- 2:01Dan Schulz: You're going to pretend you're trying to turn it into a meadow
- 2:05Jennifer Davis: the birds and the bees and the insects and other little pollinators that love to come visit our...
- 2:11Dan Schulz: Yeah, right, right.
- 2:12Dan Schulz: I'm, I'm turning our kitchen into a, a home for worms and slugs.
- 2:16Dan Schulz: I'm not doing the dishes anymore, Jen
- 2:20Jennifer Davis: They're going to have educational booths, garden-related vendors, activities for kids, and talks from people who actually know how to grow stuff around here without killing everything by August.
- 2:31Jennifer Davis: It's a pretty family-friendly setup and a good excuse to spend part of the afternoon outside.
- 2:37Jennifer Davis: Bring your questions if you're thinking about adding native plants or reworking your garden this summer
- 2:44Dan Schulz: this might be the smartest idea anybody's had for stressed out teenagers.
- 2:49Dan Schulz: The Redmond Library is hosting Study with Dogs on Wednesday, May 27th, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, Where therapy dogs from Reading with Rover basically hang out while middle and high school kids study, do homework, or prep for exams.
- 3:06Dan Schulz: No registration needed, and it's designed to be a low-stress space for teens who maybe need a break from staring at schoolwork for six straight hours.
- 3:14Dan Schulz: It's free, pretty wholesome, and honestly, even adults would probably focus better with golden retrievers nearby.
- 3:21Dan Schulz: Good option if finals season is starting to hit your house and everyone is just going a little nutso
- 3:29Jennifer Davis: Every Tuesday, you've got a decision to make.
- 3:32Jennifer Davis: You can either go grab some boring lunch somewhere, or you can head on over to La Tia Angelina for their legendary Taco Tuesday deal.
- 3:42Jennifer Davis: We're talking $1.50 tacos made with authentic recipes straight from Jalisco, Mexico.
- 3:49Jennifer Davis: This isn't some chain restaurant trying to do Mexican food.
- 3:53Jennifer Davis: This is a real family operation that's been perfecting their craft for five years.
- 3:59Jennifer Davis: The husband and wife team even have their five kids helping out sometimes.
- 4:03Jennifer Davis: You'll find their food truck parked behind the bus stop near the QFC in Bellevue, right next to the Tika Masala restaurant.
- 4:10Jennifer Davis: They offer student discounts too if you're at Bellevue College.
- 4:14Jennifer Davis: These folks care about their community, and it shows in every single taco they make That message brought to you by Latia Angelina
- 4:26Dan Schulz: If you've got little kids and need an easy weekday outing, KCLS is doing outdoor story time again at Farrell McWhirter Park on Wednesday, May 27th from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.
- 4:39Dan Schulz: They'll be reading nature-themed stories, doing songs, movement, and all the stuff that somehow burns toddler energy without wrecking your house.
- 4:48Dan Schulz: Story time happens in the barn area, and all ages are welcome as long as kids come with an adult.
- 4:55Dan Schulz: No registration needed.
- 4:56Dan Schulz: Bring a blanket or something to sit on, and it might be smart to bring some sunscreen too, you know, because May weather likes to surprise everybody around here.
- 5:08Jennifer Davis: So if you've never been to the Redmond Saturday Market, this is probably the weekend to fix that.
- 5:14Jennifer Davis: It's the oldest running outdoor market on the East Side, and they're back on Saturday, May 30th from 9:00 to 2:00 find fresh local produce, pastries, handmade stuff from local vendors, and usually a couple food trucks parked nearby.
- 5:30Jennifer Davis: It's one of those easy Saturday morning things where you can grab coffee, wander around, and somehow leave carrying vegetables and kettle corn.
- 5:40Jennifer Davis: Go early if you want easier parking and shorter bakery lines
- 5:47Dan Schulz: If you've been wanting to get back into writing or just try something creative without a ton of pressure, Valla Art Center has a free workshop happening Sunday, May 31st from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
- 5:59Dan Schulz: Poet Catherine Broadwell is leading a session focused on memory, emotion, and writing exercises using things like fabulism and braided essays, which basically means exploring different ways to tell stories.
- 6:13Dan Schulz: All experience levels are welcome, and the workshop is capped at 15 people, so this one will probably fill up pretty fast.
- 6:20Dan Schulz: You can bring your favorite notebook, show up curious, and see where the afternoon takes you.
- 6:25Dan Schulz: Of Here's something most homeowners don't like to think about.
- 6:31Dan Schulz: You could have a water leak right now and not even know it.
- 6:35Dan Schulz: Underground leaks don't show up like a burst pipe.
- 6:38Dan Schulz: There's no water on the floor.
- 6:39Dan Schulz: Your water bill just quietly creeps up month after month until one day you're paying double and you're wondering what happened.
- 6:46Dan Schulz: Simply Leak Detection finds these leaks without tearing up your yard.
- 6:51Dan Schulz: They use non-invasive tech to pinpoint exactly where the problem is.
- 6:55Dan Schulz: Over 300 five-star reviews on Google.
- 6:58Dan Schulz: They cover the whole East Side, Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue, all of it.
- 7:02Dan Schulz: We are talking about Simply Leak Detection.
- 7:07Dan Schulz: If your water bill's been climbing or your meter's spinning when nothing's running, give Lincoln and his team a call, 253-800-1412, or visit them at simplyleakdetection.biz.
- 7:16Dan Schulz: This message brought to you by Simply Leak Detection.
- 7:21Dan Schulz: That's a
- 7:27Jennifer Davis: Okay, it's time for the Redmond History Minute, where we share an interesting piece of history, trivia, or tidbit about life in and around Redmond.
- 7:37Jennifer Davis: So Dan, Farrel-McWhirter Park is one of Redmond's most popular family spots.
- 7:42Dan Schulz: Right, because they have goats.
- 7:44Dan Schulz: Absolutely
- 7:45Jennifer Davis: but how did the city get the 68-acre farm?
- 7:50Jennifer Davis: your choices are, Dan: A, they bought it at auction; B, a woman donated it to the city when she died; C, Microsoft traded it for a tax break; or D, it was seized for unpaid taxes.
- 8:07Jennifer Davis: And your time starts now
- 8:10Dan Schulz: Oh my God.
- 8:12Dan Schulz: I am going to say I, I think the best story would be D: It was seized for unpaid taxes.
- 8:21Dan Schulz: My final answer
- 8:24Jennifer Davis: Unpaid taxes, you say?
- 8:26Jennifer Davis: Well, you are wrong.
- 8:29Dan Schulz: What the heck?
- 8:31Dan Schulz: What's the answer
- 8:32Jennifer Davis: The answer is B, a woman donated it to the city when she died.
- 8:37Jennifer Davis: Elise Farrell McWhorter was a world traveler who chose Redmond over everywhere else she'd been because she knew it would crack the top 100 best places to live one day.
- 8:48Jennifer Davis: She might even argue it's the best.
- 8:51Dan Schulz: she should have hung on a little longer.
- 8:52Dan Schulz: And I, and I say this, I think this is false because you said the woman donated it to the city when she died.
- 9:00Dan Schulz: I would believe she had to set it in motion before she died
- 9:04Jennifer Davis: did it as a ghost.
- 9:08Dan Schulz: If you will just sign here
- 9:13Jennifer Davis: She and her husband Earl bought the farm in 1936 for $6,000 from the Hutchison family who had homesteaded it in 1890.
- 9:23Jennifer Davis: When Earl died in 1966, Elise stayed on the farm alone.
- 9:27Jennifer Davis: She donated all 68 acres to the city upon her death in 1971.
- 9:33Jennifer Davis: The barnyard is still free and open every single day of the year.
- 9:37Jennifer Davis: And yes, Dan, goats
- 9:50Dan Schulz: We are hearing that a Japanese-French fusion restaurant concept may be looking at Redmond for a second location, and apparently it's tied to a Bothell pastry chef who trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in both Singapore and France.
- 10:05Dan Schulz: For a rumor, we are getting very specific
- 10:10Jennifer Davis: Okay.
- 10:11Dan Schulz: The rumor is the menu would lean into Singaporean-style hawker food mixed with French techniques, which really sounds like something people around here would line up for immediately.
- 10:23Dan Schulz: Now, to be clear, we don't know where this would go, whether the lease is signed, or if Redmond actually wins the location.
- 10:32Dan Schulz: But if this thing actually happens, it could end up being one of the more unique restaurant openings that we've seen in a long time.
- 10:38Dan Schulz: So here's our question: Where do you think this place should open?
- 10:42Dan Schulz: Downtown, over by the RTC, or somewhere hidden in an office park and suddenly becomes impossible to park near?
- 10:49Dan Schulz: If you've got a guess, head on over to our Facebook page at facebook.com/bestofredmond and drop it in the Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses post.
- 10:59Dan Schulz: And while you're over at the Facebook page, make sure you look for the Your Picks post and drop your vote for this question.
- 11:06Dan Schulz: We wanna know what you think is the best nursery in Redmond
- 11:09Jennifer Davis: If you've enjoyed this podcast, you're gonna love the companion newsletter.
- 11:14Jennifer Davis: Find it at bestofredmond.com and we'll see you in the next one
- 11:19Dan Schulz: Or maybe before then, walking in and around Redmond.