Working Lunch

One of the things I particularly enjoy about being retired is being asked to lunch by a local nonprofit's staff member who does the kind of work I did -- public information, as it used to be known, now communications or marketing. "I'd like to toss around a few ideas with you" or "I'd like to get your thoughts on our upcoming events and publications" -- music to my ears!

It's so much more fun to toss around ideas when you're not the one who will also be implementing the actions, worrying about the details, and dealing with any problems that may arise!

Today's lunch was at Ciao Thyme's on.the.side cafe, their inspired and inspiring Tuesday through Friday lunch service. Despite the many delicious choices available -- which you can mix and match, or choose one of the suggested three menus -- R. and I both had today's special of smoked black cod on a salad of shaved local greens with a lemon vinaigrette, thin slices of daikon radish, and a Parmesan tuile. We were also in total agreement about the pomegranate & black currant spritzer and a lemon-glazed cornmeal cookie for dessert.

You order at the counter, pay (on an iPad, if using credit or debit cards), and take a seat in the cheery cafe or in the larger dining area where Ciao Thyme dinners and classes are held. No one tries to rush you through your meal -- and of course you can always add something else to it, like one of their handmade salted caramels!

Now if you've clicked that "many delicious choices" link and are about to say "Wow, that's expensive for lunch," here's the thing: the price you see is all that you pay. It includes the 8.7% Bellingham sales tax and also gratuity (15-20%). If you're having lunch with friends and it's time to split the bill, it's very easy to see what each person owes. I like the simplicity of this.

The price also reflects Ciao Thyme's dedication to sourcing locally as much as possible, much of it from the same family farmers I see each week at our farmers' market. That's very important to me -- the money stays in our community, and people I know and care about get to do the work they love, feeding us, and making a living that enables them to feed their families, too.