So I recruited two girlfriends this week and hit the road to do a little research, research being lunch somewhere near the water in Edmonds. We settled on Arnies Restaurant, lured by its waterfront location and spectacular views of the Sound, mountains and ferries coming and going between Kingston.

Seated at a table on the small, covered deck, we ordered wine and deliberated over the menu. It’s heavy on seafood and offers a range of soups, salads, sandwiches and pastas, with Northwest stand-bys such as roasted salmon, pan-seared oysters and crab cakes. But Arnies hasn’t forsaken the carnivores: meat-eaters can find numerous options, such as a prime rib dip sandwich and a grilled miso flank steak (most entrees are in the $11.50 to $18.50 range).

Maybe it was the proximity of the ocean or the sight of the anglers casting their lines off the nearby pier, but all three of us were in a fish mood. We started with an appetizer of salt and pepper prawns ($10.25) seared in the shell and lightly coated with togarashi and black sesame seeds. Served with a delicious lime-cilantro sauce, they were crunchy, a little spicy and we all agreed, divine.

“They didn’t even need the sauce, they were so good,” Tima said.

For entrees, Shireen opted for a prosciutto and scallop risotto ($18.95) from the daily specials menu, Tima went for the Northwest seafood fettucini in a parmesan-garlic cream sauce ($10.50 small, $17.50 large) and I ordered the chopped seafood salad ($10.50 small, $16.50 large). All of our entrees were generously heaped with seafood, but that’s where the consistency ended.

Lunch winds down in Arnies large dining room.

My salad was our collective favorite, consisting of greens tossed in a basil vinaigrette and topped with Dungeness crab, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cucumbers, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts—a nice, unexpected addition. It was filling, but refreshing and light.

There was decidedly less enthusiasm about Tima’s pasta. Like the salad, it was topped with a tasty and plentiful variety of seafood—prawns, halibut, mussels, clams and salmon—even with the small portion. But the cream sauce seemed a little bland and lacking something, maybe a little garlic or a pinch of dried pepper.

The risotto was downright puzzling. It was smoky and rich and dotted nicely with vegetables, but it was skimpy on the rice and there was so much liquid it could only rightly be called a stew or chowder. Risotto? Definitely not.

“It’s way too saucy,” Shireen said. “It’s like a rice stew.”

(Far less palatable was the music playing from the speakers on the deck. I normally wouldn’t bother mentioning the music at a restaurant, but the shlocky stream of pop ballads was too egregiously bad to ignore.)

The view from Arnies covered deck: a quintessential Northwest vista.

We fared better with dessert, a key lime pie ($5.75) that met approval from Tima, a girl who spent a decade of her childhood in Florida and knows her key lime. She liked its crisp but tender graham cracker crust, its hint of mint and dollop of whipped cream.

“This pie hit all those notes, though I would have liked a bit more tartness,” she said. “A little pucker and it would have been perfect.”

My impression of waterfront restaurants has frequently been that they can coast by on the view and too often do. They’re the prettiest girl at the party, the one who doesn’t need to bother making an effort.

Breathtaking vistas will always draw customers, meaning the menu and service alone don’t have to carry the establishment. Restaurants in less desirable locations simply have to try harder, which for customers can mean a happy trade-off of views for oustanding food.

I’m not sure that Arnies, open at the Edmonds location since 1981 (there’s another one in Mukilteo), has managed to avoid the pitfall of the waterfront restaurant. The service was good, but I asked myself if I would have been equally satisfied with the various dishes we tried if they weren’t served up with salty air and a breathtaking view. The honest answer was no.

That said, I would go back. The location directly behind the Port of Edmonds Marina can’t be beat if you’re arriving by boat, and the happy hour menu—a customer favorite, judging from the numerous positive online reviews—looks appealing, though not inexpensive. If I don’t go back to eat, I’d definitely go for a drink on the deck.

After lunch, the three of us strolled down the pier alongside the marina, looking at sailboats, checking out the large, alien-like jellyfish in the water and watching the ferry arrive. With a breeze blowing and the sun shining, it was a quintessentially perfect Northwest summer day.

Lunch could have been a snack bar stashed in my bag. On an afternoon that ideal, with great friends, good conversation and such stunningly beautiful surroundings, did it really matter?

Expect burgers on the menu, deep-fried fare, maybe an iceberg lettuce salad if you’re lucky. But not so around wonderfully foodie Puget Sound. One of my favorite discoveries after moving to Seattle seven years ago was the surprisingly diverse and inventive menus at taverns and bars. Even dive bars frequently make an impressive effort to offer high quality, healthy food.

Happily, the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor lives up to the trend. That’s a good thing, since its menu boasts “the greatest homemade food and the finest beverages in the Western Hemisphere.”

The menu is extensive and wide-ranging, offering a broad selection of burgers, pizzas, steak, seafood, sandwiches and salads. You’ll find dishes such as crab cakes ($17.95) along a broiled steak and brie sandwich ($12.95), an oyster po-boy ($10.95) on the page opposite hickory smoked St. Louis ribs ($10.95). There’s something for almost every taste and preference.

We started with a blueberry martini and a premium margarita. Both were a little sweet for our liking and the martini was missing the advertised lemon twist, but the margarita was smooth and made with a good homemade mix.

We tried the beer battered onion rings ($6.25) which were lightly battered and not overly greasy. They paired nicely with the “leap’n lizard sauce,” a sweet chili sauce that was a good departure from ketchup, even for a ketchup junkie like myself.

A hearty grilled halibut taco salad is among the Tides' wide range of menu items.

Being near the water had us in a fish mood, so Marty took the server’s word and ordered the “awesome” Alaskan halibut and chips ($13.95 for two pieces), while I opted for the Tides taco salad with grilled halibut ($14.95).

Both dishes were satisfying and generously portioned. Marty’s halibut was battered with the Tides’ own beer and served with a wonderfully tangy homemade tartar sauce. The chips, however, were sadly lacking. The large wedges were undercooked, limp and chalky, making me wonder if they were premade and came from a freezer bag.

My salad, on the other hand, was a heaping platter of goodness filled with lettuce, cabbage, black beans, olives, tomatoes, green onions cheddar-jack cheese and strips of tortilla chips, topped with large pieces of tender, perfectly cooked fish. If the salad was tossed in the jalapeno dressing mentioned on the menu I couldn’t taste it, but the salsa served on the side was a welcome addition.

A short walk from any of the marinas in town, the Tides, as it’s known, has become a mainstay for boaters, visitors and locals since opening in 1973. The building it’s housed in was constructed in 1910 and first used as a general store, according to the Tides’ website. Located next to the “people’s dock,” West Side Mercantile served a steady stream of customers through the first half of the century. A tavern was added after the end of Prohibition, serving beer for 10 cents a glass and 20 cents a bottle.

When current owner Peter Stanley bought the tavern in 1973, it was well-known but rundown. Stanley renovated the interior and expanded the kitchen, along with the menu. Today, the Tides is a mix of old and new, with original signs painted by Gig Harbor artist Toby Reid and snapshots on the walls of customers wearing their Tides t-shirts in locations around the world.

The Tides Tavern bar attracts a steady stream of customers.

We visited on a recent sunny Saturday and the vibe was lively, loud and busy. Those lucky enough to get a seat on the packed deck were enjoying gorgeous views of the harbor while those even more fortunate arrived by boat, tying up at the Tides’ customer dock, which could probably accommodate about 15 boats, depending on size.

Despite how busy the place was, service was friendly, efficient and attentive without being overly so. Our only quibbles with the meal were small ones—the onion rings arrived with the main dishes instead of as an appetizer, and my salad needed a larger plate so it could be mixed without the ingredients toppling off the sides.

But those are small gripes, and overall we enjoyed the food and the service. We’ll be back, but ideally, next time we’ll be stepping onto the dock instead of walking through the front door.

The Brewer’s Association, a national industry organization, recently ranked Scuttlebutt sixth in the nation out of 928 brewpubs for the amount of beer sold last year. It also ranked third in Washington state. The company sold more than 3,900 barrels of its beer in 2008. That equates to 7,800 kegs or 121,000 gallons of beer—enough to cater about 4,000 weddings.

“We’ve worked hard over the years to refine our brewing operation to produce beers that are distinctive, refreshing, and most importantly, taste good,” said Scuttlebutt owner Phil Bannan. “We are so honored by this recognition and we hope to continue to build on this success.”

Located on the Everett waterfront within walking distance of the Port of Everett Marina, Scuttlebutt Brewing Company was started in 1995 by longtime Everett residents Phil and his wife, Cynthia “Scuttle” Bannan. The company was named after Cynthia, whose father dubbed her “Scuttlebutt” before she was born because her impending arrival was the subject of “scuttlebutt” (gossip) at the Norfolk Naval Station, where her parents lived.

The company’s growth and the brewpub’s increased popularity spurred the Bannans to open a separate brewery in downtown Everett in 2008. The brewery makes 15 styles of beer ranging from refreshing blondes and ales to a dark, chocolatey porter, as well as a variety of seasonal beers (did we mention how tasty Scuttlebutt’s brews are?)

As Phil explains it, he and Scuttle decided to open the brewery because ”I never wanted to run out of beer.”

Amen to that, Phil. You can read Three Sheets Northwest’s review of Scuttlebutt Brewing Company here.

The Manette Saloon and adjoining Side Bar—in east Bremerton, not far from the Bremerton Marina—are two bars in one, a split personality establishment offering two radically different and equally good experiences. On one side is the saloon, which has the vibe of a rock club and offers live and DJ music on weekends. With a full bar and a rotating selection beer on tap, it’s a fine spot to grab a barstool and relax, listen to a live band or shoot some pool.

Walk through the door next to the pool table and you’re in a martini and wine bar, its lushly dark walls and tealights creating a cozy, intimate environment. The saloon’s owners opened the Side Bar about a year and a half ago, walling off part of what was previously a larger pool room.

The two bars share a kitchen and some menu items, but the saloon’s menu tends more toward pub fare such as burgers, wings, fish and chips, and salads. The Side Bar’s menu features more small plates a few items not offered on the saloon side, including sirloin sliders ($9), chicken skewers in peanut sauce ($9) and mushrooms stuffed with fresh crab and parsley ($10).

Try a martini at the Side Bar

My husband and I tried the mushrooms, which were covered with an alfredo sauce, tasted deceiving light and were absolutely wonderful. Also good was a hummus plate accompanied by pita wedges, carrots and broccoli ($8), which helped mitigate the decadence of the mushrooms, at least in my mind. On a previous visit we tried the “sexy fries,” deliciously topped with sea salt and cracked pepper and sprinkled with truffle oil, parmesan cheese and garlic ($7).

The Side Bar offers premium liquors, along with beer and wine and a selection of tasty martinis ($8-$10), from a blueberry lemon drop to a “caramel appletini,” a concoction mixing vodka with apple and butterscotch liquers. Add olives stuffed with blue cheese, almonds, garlic or jalapeño to your martini for a buck extra.

The Manette Saloon and the Side Bar are a short dinghy ride or about a 20-minute walk from the Bremerton Marina over the Manette Bridge. The much-anticipated revitalization of downtown Bremerton hasn’t yet been fully realized and the nation’s economic freefall makes it unlikely to be anytime soon. Aside from a new convention center, a few condo buildings and some new businesses located near the ferry terminal, the downtown streets remain largely deserted, the empty storefronts giving the area an abandoned, depressing feel.

But the Bremerton Marina, reopened in May 2008 after an extensive renovation and expansion, is now one of the nicest on Puget Sound. And Manette, with its handful of antique shops and restaurants (read our feature story on Manette here), is well worth a visit. We’ll definitely be back.

The Manette Saloon
Address: 2113 East 11th St., Bremerton
Phone: 360.792.0801

The Side Bar
Address: 2111 East 11th St., Bremerton
Phone: 360.792.3364

Situated next to the entrance to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, the Lockspot has been around more than 80 years and is as comfortable and unpretentious as the building it occupies. About a mile’s walk from Shilshole Marina, it’s a place where you’re as likely to see workers from a nearby boatyard as an old-timer downing a beer at the bar or some hipsters playing pool.

“We get businessmen in suits along with boat mechanics-everybody,” said Pam Hanson, co-owner of the Lockspot.

The menu is equally varied, ranging from salad to burgers, chicken to pasta. But what draws the hungry hordes is the Lockspot’s fish and chips, which can be ordered at an outdoor takeout window and eaten at picnic tables or on a grassy knoll overlooking the Locks.

On a recent visit my husband tried the cod and fries, pronouncing the fish batter suitably crunchy and not overly greasy. I ordered a grilled yellowfin tuna sandwich with chipotle mayo. The fish was cooked nicely but was a bit overwhelmed by two jumbo pieces of foccacia. On a later visit for breakfast, I had a fluffy Greek omelet accompanied by a side of tasty shredded hash browns and toast.

Lockspot's bread and butter: fish and chips

Entrees range from about $8 to $15, with a few kids and seniors items priced around $5. Hanson said the restaurant aims to cook from scratch as much as possible, with homemade chowder, soups and tartar sauce, and pasta sauce made to order.

The food is comfortable and basic, nothing fussy or ambitious. But the main attraction isn’t the menu—it’s the Lockspot’s retro charm. With its low wooden ceiling and walls, brass portholes and decorative ship wheels, the Lockspot feels a little like an old ship—or a boaters’ hangout in a coastal town.

Given the restaurant’s origins, that’s not surprising. The Lockspot has existed in various guises for close to a century, serving generations of workers since the locks opened in 1917. Its original building was an 1870 house moved down from a nearby hill, and a second house was moved to the site after World War II. An add-on was later built to join the two structures.

The Lockspot specializes in NW brews

Hanson started working at the Lockspot about 12 years ago with the goal of cleaning the joint up. Back then it was a little rough, not exactly a place for a lady.

“My philosophy is that a single woman should be able to come in and eat or have a drink by herself and not feel like prey,” Hanson said. “That’s my barometer.”

Hanson succeeded, turning the Lockspot into a place that’s welcoming and suitable for all comers, but thankfully not over-polished. Servers still use hand-written checks and there’s no Lockspot website. A longtime neighborhood mainstay, the Lockspot enjoyed fleeting fame after being chosen as the site to film a four-part special for the “Deadliest Catch” television series. Its owners started selling “Deadliest Bar” T-shirts (still available) and getting calls from all over the country.

“All of a sudden,” Hanson said, “we became a tourist destination.”

The Lockspot Café
Address: 3005 NW 54th St., Seattle
Phone: 206.789.4865
Hours: Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The Harbour Public House on Bainbridge Island is that place. Overlooking Eagle Harbor, the pub is located in a former house built in 1881 for a family of early Bainbridge homesteaders. Its wooden vaulted ceiling and walls, wood booths, mantel and floors give the place a cozy feel, and the ubiquitous pull-tabs, neon beer signs and big-screen TVs are blessedly absent.

It’d be worth hanging around such pretty spot just for drinks, but the Harbour Pub’s menu offers a well-rounded selection with plenty of healthy options. There are classics such as fish and chips and burgers, with organic produce and sustainably raised meat featuring prominently and an impressive array of unusual salads—for example, greens topped with chicken breast, spiced candied walnuts and blackberries in a blackberry vinaigrette (entrees from $8.95 to $18.95).

The menu also offers some twists on familiar dishes. The “sweet papas latinas” ($8.95), a less sinful take on nachos, consists of yam fries topped with black beans, pepperjack cheese and sour cream that were enthusiastically devoured by our party. My husband declared his burger ($14.95 with fries) juicy and delicious, and the Asian salmon bowl ($14.95) I ordered was also satisfying, featuring a generously sized portion of charbroiled wild salmon over brown rice dressed up with a slightly sweet ginger vinaigrette, with fresh baby spinach and slaw rounding out the dish.

With so many healthy options on the menu, it’s not surprising that the Harbour Pub lays claim to being the first non-smoking tavern in the Seattle area when it opened in 1991.

The Harbour Public House

The pub is fully licensed but takes its beers as seriously as its food. Draft beer is kept at two different cellar temperatures according to type—warmer for heavier brews, cooler for lighter ones—and a range of Northwest varieties are available.

Though the pub doesn’t take reservations, our server allowed us to move tables together as our party’s stragglers arrived and tracked our orders on separate checks, a convenience I always appreciate.

If we visited in summer, we would have planted ourselves on the large deck overlooking the water. But on the snowy December night we went, the pub’s dim lighting and warm glow made for the perfect spot to look out at the drifting flakes and boats festooned with Christmas lights (ours among them).

We’ll be back soon, probably on a lazy summer day. I can already taste that beer.

The Harbour Public House
Address: 231 Parfitt Way SW, Bainbridge Island
Phone: 206.842.0969
Hours: Every day from 11 a.m. to midnight
Website: www.harbourpub.com