Shop Talk: You don't need to travel to find good eats and shopping

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Readers have been filling up my inbox since last week's column with stories of their adventures in getting their favorite Trader Joe's products.

For those who missed it, I wrote about the popularity of the grocery store chain among Yakima Valley shoppers who were willing to make the drive to shop at the retailer's locations in Seattle or Portland.

The letter that most stood out was from Ted Klingele, owner of Deep Sea Deli, a seafood market and gourmet shop at 20 N. Ninth Ave. in Yakima. Here's an excerpt:

"It seems like no matter how hard we try, there's still plenty of people that don't appreciate what we have in Yakima and think that anything's better if it comes from Seattle or Portland."

It got me thinking about what I've been hearing lately when a trendy new restaurant or retail shop opens up in town: "This is so unlike Yakima" or "It's like something you can find in Seattle."

Such statements indicate that you can't buy or eat anything good in Yakima, and everything good comes from Seattle.

Local retailers and restaurant owners such as Klingele believe that perception makes it hard to do business.

I think it's extreme to say that you can't find anything good to eat or shop for in the Yakima Valley. I look to my favorite comfort food to make that point.

When I was a kid, my mother made great Vietnamese food but could only make macaroni and cheese by buying a box from the supermarket.

As an adult, I have discovered much better versions of the dish. Some of those incarnations came from Yakima restaurants.

A few years ago, I had the mac-and-cheese dish at a Seattle pub and it tasted really bad. The next day, I went and enjoyed the dish at a Yakima restaurant.

I like to travel to the big cities to shop at clothing retailers that aren't here, but I have also found some really nice clothes in Yakima. My mom loved the pink rose designed scarf I gave her for Mother's Day. I found it at one of the area's clothing shops.

What it comes down to is that it's about giving the local retailers a chance, said Klingele, the Deep Sea Deli owner.

It's a matter of looking for or asking for what you want, Klingele said. His shop, for example, keeps a board in the back of the shop for customer requests.

Meeting those customer needs has helped the shop continue its 35-year run.

"Work more with the local infrastructure that's here," Klingele said. "We can only respond to requests, we can't read your mind. A little more input might get you what you want."

Elsewhere in the Shop Talk world:

* Sage, a restaurant and wine bar, is on schedule to open its doors in June, according to a blog entry from the owners. The restaurant is at the corner of Washington and 40th avenues, in the Creekside West development. Check out more details at the restaurant's blog at http://sageyakima.wordpress.com.

* Union Gap Promenade, a proposed retail development of White-Leasure Development Co. in Boise, Idaho, is still in the works, but in a different location.

John Hodkinson, a commercial real estate agent for Almon Commercial Real Estate and a representative for White-Leasure, said the development company has contractually secured more than 30 acres east of Costco.

The property includes a small parcel at the intersection of Valley Mall Boulevard and Longfibre Road and a larger parcel at the intersection of Longfibre Road and Market Street, which is also the southern border of the smaller parcel. The property is owned by Sutherland Business Park LLC.

Nearly a year ago, White-Leasure received approval to rezone 45 acres along the north side of Valley Mall Boulevard for development. The developer ultimately decided to look for smaller property, Hodkinson said. Now that the property is under contract, the developer is seeking to rezone the parcels for commercial use.

Can't wait until next week for the Reporter's Notebook? Check out the Shop Talk blog (www.yakimaherald.com/shoptalk) for regular updates on the retail and restaurant world. Until then, happy shopping.

* Mai Hoang's Reporter's Notebook is published each Monday in the Business section. To reach her, call 509-577-7685 or e-mail mhoang@yakimaherald.com.

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