Local produce CSA’s and delivery ideas in Seattle that I hope stick around after life goes back to normal

We have never kept a lot of food in the house-the kids go to school near a grocery store, we travel a lot and I’m used to popping by Pike Place Market at least once a week for local produce. But because we’re eating a home a LOT more now (like everyday on repeat) and trying to limit our time out of the house, I started looking for a CSA or a way to make sure we get fresh fruits and vegetables. We already had a lot of these services available in Seattle and even though the Stay-at-home order has been so sad for restaurants it is so neat to see how different places are innovating in this time. I’ve tried to compile a list of the gems I’ve seen and if you’re looking for fresh food delivery or a CSA maybe some of these might help you too. We use Amazon Fresh as well and I’m finding if I order late at night or mid-afternoon I’ve been able to get a spot (and even toilet paper) more often than not lately. (But as much as it is convenient, every order has had a casualty with Amazon Fresh-my most recent order had two eggs missing….but they always seem to have toilet paper so I can’t complain)

Smith Brothers Farms

Smith Brothers Farms has been so helpful in getting not only milk to our house every week but other local items too. We love that we can add things like Ellenos Yogurt, a bag of salad, butter and other items so that we reduce the number of times we go into the store. My family loves the Alki Bakery morning glory muffins so that is on our order weekly as well and when we need items like coffee, bagels and bread we can add those things too.

Eden Hill Provisions for pantry items and local produce

Eden Hill Provisions is a beautiful family-friendly restaurant in Queen Anne. I am so glad that it has a pantry box that you can order and it is the loveliest box-I just didn’t realize that there might be meat in the box (we eat mostly vegetarian) but I dropped the sausages that came the week I ordered by my neighbors so it was nice to be able to share. I love this restaurant so much and the food items in the box we ordered were really interesting-things like a tomatillo shrub which we used to make fancy drinks one night and a pie that we totally enjoyed for both dessert and breakfast the next day. The eggs that came in the box were beautiful too and our box even had a fabulous wine. You can also order full meals from the restaurant as well as some of their pantry items and if we have a stay at home order for much longer, I know we’ll order at least a few times.

Savor Seattle

Savor Seattle needs 1000x kudos for all that it is doing for Pike Place Market. Before everything shut down, on any given day at the market you would probably see Savor Seattle’s iconic pink umbrellas as you walk through different stalls-they are known for giving the best food tours of Pike Place. Now they create a really awesome curated market box every week full of local produce and goods from different Pike Place Market producers. $5 from each box even goes to the Pike Place Market Safety Net Fund too. We ordered a box recently that had delicious salmon, beautiful flowers and a whole bunch of produce as well as items from a few other Pike Place Market vendors that we love. They have delivery in the Seattle area so this was a really convenient way to shop with no-contact and I loved everything in this box.

Acme Farmbox

We’ve ordered the Acme farm box before and this one is more like a meal kit than a CSA but everything is really locally sourced and they are a great company. We were traveling too much recently and haven’t ordered from them in a bit but now that we are staying at home ALL THE TIME it made me remember how easy this box is and how helpful it is especially if you get in a rut of making the same things over and over again. (Also, unlike meal kits that use UPS or Fedex where I worry about poultry and other things that can spoil if left in transit too long, this one delivers directly to your doorstep if you’re in the Seattle area.)

And other places in Seattle that have pantry items that have caught my eye

There are many other places that now have pantry items and we’ll probably eventually try them out. Addo Seattle, which has innovated so many neat experiences in the past couple weeks has take and bake meals as well as other meal staples that you can order from them to pickup. Canlis has a CSA too-I wanted to get on their produce only delivery but they are already booked up but they still have boxes that have poultry and other meat products. I also heard they have their BINGO on Youtube on Friday nights and we haven’t joined in yet, but maybe this week. On Bainbridge Island Hitchcock has a produce box and family meals as well. Collins Family Orchards also has a CSA for the summer so if you are thinking about summer you can put yourself on the waitlist. And Frelard Tamales has takeout tamales that if you pre-order by the dozen they deliver in Seattle and this just sounds pretty heavenly.

And a couple places for takeout and delivery ice cream, desserts and pie

Nutty Squirrel recently put together some interesting sundae kits that I am tempted to order for a weekend treat. Shug’s Soda Fountain in Pike Place Market also has some really cool take out ice cream and cocktail options. A La Mode Pies also reopens this Friday and has takeout and delivery pie options again too. My parents in Canada also sent me a delivery from Byen Bakeri, which makes a lot of delicious things and I’m especially partial to their princess cake. And if you order baked goods from Piroshky Piroshky you can also get flowers, chowder and fish delivered at the same time.

Are you getting more food delivered too or are you getting groceries at your regular grocery store?

How are you getting your groceries and food during the Stay At Home order and are there any restaurants you used to go to that are now doing something innovative during this time? I miss many of our usual favorites but I’m also so thankful for the innovative things happening in Seattle because of this emergency and I hope we remember these places when things start opening up more again.

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)