On Bothell’s folksy Main Street

Friend, Camille, and I meet for breakfast once a month at Steve’s on Main Street, Bothell. We love it there. The booths are comfortable, noise level low, the atmosphere is downright homegrown folksy and waitress, Bobbi Graff, is delightful.

Friend, Camille, and I meet for breakfast once a month at Steve’s on Main Street, Bothell. We love it there. The booths are comfortable, noise level low, the atmosphere is downright homegrown folksy and waitress, Bobbi Graff, is delightful.

Bobbi has been working at Steve’s with chef and owner Steve Hofer for nearly 12 years. Not only does she keep the coffee coming, but also joins us for little chats ranging from grandchildren (Camille and I have none, but Bobbi does) to “Who are you voting for in the presidential election?” According to Camille’s mini poll at Steve’s, Obama is in the lead.

Steve’s is a place that Obama would love to visit and eat multi-grain, multi-berry muffins with Bothellites, where he could relax and drink as much coffee as Bobbi could pour.

I’ve eaten lunch several times with friends at Alexa’s, across the street from Steve’s. They serve the best curry chicken salad. I had doubts at first, as I’m no fan of curry. But, it’s a light taste that enhances the already yummy, healthy salad. The chances of running into someone you know at Alexa’s are about 100 percent.

One Monday night, friend, Sherry, and I dined at Main Street’s Hana Sushi Restaurant. What I hadn’t realized is that Monday night is a delightful night to eat out. There were only a handful of people there, unlike the crowds (everywhere!) of a Saturday night, and we could spend as much time as we wished, talking, sipping wine and eating chicken teriyaki and rice, vegetables tempura, soup and salad. Hana Sushi’s salad dressing surpasses all other salad dressings. When I suggested to Sherry it would be fun to find out how they make it, she remarked, “Then it wouldn’t be so special.” Some things should remain a secret.

Another Main Street treasure is Woodlawn Optical. No, this is not a restaurant. This was highly recommended after I got tired of making several Interstate 405 trips to Redmond to Eastside Group Health’s optical department.

As I entered Woodlawn, someone seated said, “You look familiar.” We discovered that he used to live in our housing development. His wife was being fitted for glasses, whom I immediately recognized. Then it was my turn.

While owner Paul Kavanagh reviewed my new prescription, I asked, “Can you just put the new lenses into the existing frames?” As I braced myself for a “No, you’ll have to buy new frames too,” came his reply, “Yes! Of course. We simply pop the new lenses right in.”

At that moment, another friend from the past walked in. We intermingled our updates with my conducting business with Paul.

Paul and co-optician Rae Ann Crawford were welcoming, cordial and helpful that busy Saturday morning to a stream of satisfied customers coming and going.

Instead of heading for the mall, I stopped at Olson Design jewelry on Main. The problem at hand was converting pierced earrings, that were a gift, into the screw-back kind.

“You’re probably the last person in Bothell who hasn’t pierced their ears,” joked Richard Olson.

A fact that my outdated self is not proud of!

With that, Richard painstakingly softened the glue for the new backing, for a nominal fee.

Oh, when you visit Olson Design, ask Richard about his ingenious, unique wedding-present idea! Hint — it involves the honeymooners bringing back a stone from their seaside honeymoon spot and what Richard does with it.

Bothell’s Main Street resembles Main Street U.S.A. where blue banners fly in the fall for high-school football, crowds gather to see the July 4th Grand Parade and homey establishments welcome folks any time of year.

Suzanne G. Beyer is a Bothell resident.