Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

[fenchurch]

Well, we drove through Centralia on down toward Chehalis, watching for the sign on the freeway to let us know the exit for Sowerby's was coming... and we never saw it. We did, however, see the old farmhouse that used to be Sowerby's standing empty by the side of the road. All of the flags were gone, the sign was gone and when we drove back and pulled into the parking lot, it was obvious that they'd already pulled out all the memorabilia (the inside of the place had been practically plastered with photos, postcards and newspaper clippings from England and Scotland).

*whimper*

From what we've been able to glean off a Lewis County community website, Sue (the owner) has moved back to England. It seems rather sudden... and I can't help but wonder if the two weeks they had to be closed because the restaurant was just an island in a really big lake ended up being too much of a financial hit for them to absorb.

But now I'm left really wanting some haggis and, as far as I know, there's nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest that sells it. :-(

Comments

[usedtobeljs]

Oh no! I'm so sorry you've been deprived of your haggis!

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

No!!!!!!!! And I was so vicariously excited about your haggis ;)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh dear - I remember you talking about Sowerby's. And haggis withdrawal syndrome is a terrible thing to behold....

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

It's the afternoon for it- I was at Radience (downtown Oly) and they had no Bulgarian absolute and I am out, out, out.


Lovely day, except for the heat death of the retail universe.

Julia, disgusted, for both of us.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll bite, what's Bulgarian Absolute?

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Naturally distilled attar of roses.

I wear it in a silver bottle around my neck, and I'm very nearly out. This is a tragedy, I tell you!

Julia, angsting hard over this

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

It sounds pretty wonderful!

[zotel.livejournal.com]

Hmm, dontcha just hate when an old favorite disappears? Hopefully someone else will fit the niche...

[jerusha]

Oh, no! It's always disappointing when something like that happens.

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

Awww, I remember you talking about that. That's really annoying. *HUGS*

[ww1614.livejournal.com]

Might this (http://www.caledonians.com/id3.html) help? Or this? (http://www.caledoniankitchen.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/33?osCsid=38318b21da9dc55744f0d67d94dec9c7)Not the smae as fresh cooked, I guess.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Ooo... thank you! If nothing else, the first link listed a British store down in Tacoma that I hadn't known about and a British/Scottish store up in Vancouver, BC that definitely sells haggis (as well as a few other things I want to try).

I think we may actually try ordering some of the canned haggis... just to try. For all we know, that's what Sue was serving at Sowerby's (I don't think so, but I honestly have no idea if she was making it herself or getting it mail order).

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

That's a bummer.

[prime_meridian]

You might try The Rose and Thistle while you're in town.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Thank you! After you mentioned it, I remembered seeing something on the Food Network (I think) about that place... and, apparently, they do serve haggis! However, I also found out that there's a Scottish store in town too, that sells groceries, including frozen haggis, so we may just look at picking some up to take home with us.

At any rate, it looks like I will have at least one source for haggis in the Northwest... and I was pretty much only ever getting the stuff when we drove down to Portland anyway!

[http://users.livejournal.com/opalescence_/]

Aw, that's too bad!!!!! So what did you guys do instead?

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

We ended up going to an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet type place in Vancouver, WA (just before the border with Oregon). It's a local area chain that we don't have particularly close to our house... and we quite like it. It also reaffirmed my belief that it can be easier to out to eat at a buffet place while on Weight Watchers than to a regular restaurant. As long as I can handle the whole self-restraint thing. :-)

And I've got some ideas for places where I might be able to find haggis this weekend, too, so I'm very happy!

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

What a bummer, for Sue and you guys! :(

[corellian-sugar.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, haggis is still on the menu at the Rose and Thistle in North Portland. Here's a review clip I found online... and they still had it on the menu when I was there about four months ago.

The Scene
Bagpipes, swords, plaid and all things Scottish adorn the walls of this Northeast pub. Find your clan's coat of arms, sample fine scotch, then test your skills at darts. The clientele is rich with regulars and newcomers sharing a love of banter and beer.

The Draw
A wise Scottish adage states "A drink is shorter than a tale." With the impressive selection of scotch and whiskey, there is no shortage for the longest of tales. The British Isles may be known for bland food, but for the true Scot, a steaming haggis will warm the soul to the hem of the kilt. For everyone else, a heaping plate of Bobby's Famous Fish and Chips (named after the owner) or a sinfully savory Scotch egg will suffice. Celebrate Scottish and Irish holidays with blaring bagpipes and bountiful imported beers such as the tasty McEwans IPA.

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

Well, you're a better man than I am - haggis, ugh. Still, I know how you feel when a foodstuff you love becomes unavailable.

I just found the recipe for a beet cake with almond cream cheese icing that used to be served at a now-defunct Hollywood restaurant called Gorky's. I know it sounds awful, but it's sublime - rich, dark red and gorgeous. I was so elated to find it -- thank God for the internets.

I guess haggis would be a little more difficult to reproduce though, wouldn't it? "First, take a sheep's stomach..." Eeep.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... there is no way I'd ever be able to make it myself. I have to actively NOT think about what I'm eating when I have it... but I still love the stuff. It took me forever to try it the first time, but I eventually figured if I never gave it a whirl, I'd always wonder what it was like... and then it turned out to be really good!

See, and the beet cake sounds absolutely horrible to me... but that's in large part because I'm allergic to beets. ;-) I can actually understand how that might be good, though... not too radically different in principle from carrot cake or zucchini bread, I'd imagine.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Thanks! After I saw the recommendations for that place here, I remembered seeing a thing on it over on the Food Network (I think). We may give that a try tomorrow, or we may just run over to the Scottish store (yes! There's a Scottish store in town, of all things!) and pick up some frozen haggis to take home with us.

[rahirah]

But now I'm left really wanting some haggis and, as far as I know, there's nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest that sells it. :-(

I feel pain on your behalf, but somehow I can't help regarding the general dearth of haggis as a good thing... O_o

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Well, we ate at Sowerby's a half dozen times or so before I finally got the nerve up to give it a try. And then I couldn't believe I'd wasted all of those meals with fish and chips! But really, I was pretty surprised at how tasty it ended up being. As long as I didn't think too hard about what I was eating. :-)

[jedihealer.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a bummer. It is odd, Ben and I were just discussing haggis the other day. I may be brave enough to try it some day.

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

I feel for you. Not that it was as good, or had haggis, but we had a Scottish pub up the road and it was wonderful. The owner's wife died, then he sold and moved back to Scotland, and the new owners ran it into the ground in a matter of months (something about liquor sales to minors was mentioned). And now I have nowhere, absolutely nowhere, to get Double Dragon Ale in the bottle, let alone on excellent tap.