We customize our vehicles, our homes, even our coffee orders  – why shouldn’t our clothes be any different? Trillium Custom Tailoring and Design has been educating people over the anatomy of a finely-made suit and shirt, and that it’s truly all about the details.

Tucked in a sunny corner on the first floor of Bellevue Place, Trillium has been a Bellevue style secret since 2010. Specializing in customized suits and shirts for both men and women, garments are made based on the client’s specifications and measurements. Entering the shop, natural light flows in from the wall of windows facing downtown, light filtering through the colors of crisp shirts hanging on display, cascading onto rows of fabric swatch books laid out on a long white table. Nicole van der Bogert, the owner of Trillium, greets visitors to her elegant space full of clean lines and modern décor. Examples of finished suits and rows of cloth swatches invite a tactile experience.  A sensory rush to those unaccustomed to the notion of bespoke clothing, Nicole is an assuring presence, making you feel immediately comfortable that you’re in the right hands.

Custom tailoring with keen focus towards client care, Trillium is a product of Nicole van der Bogert’s unique background in finance and fashion.  She grew up with quality garments, her mother a skilled seamstress, creating made-to-fit clothing for the family, passing the art to her children.  Nicole pursued a traditional career in finance but even then, a keen attention to fashion remained.  She became an educated customer from having shirts and suits made in Hong Kong and London, places known for their bespoke garments.  A creative spark and a love of fashion, along with the beloved memory of her stylish mother are what eventually inspired Nicole to open Trillium.

“Old World tailoring with fresh fashion designs in mind,” is how Nicole describes Trillium’s concept. Their fabrics are unique and style-forward, with an impeccable selection of patterns, colors and combinations. Every detail can be considered, from the style of cuff and collar, to the selection of buttons — even the thread that’s used to sew the button. But it’s not meant to be overwhelming. An appointment at Trillium is a personal style consultation, guiding a person at their own pace. Along with fabric swatches and example garments, style cards showing different combinations of outfits assist clients for ideas or picking out looks that best fit their personality. Trillium is an education on learning the benefits of custom clothing, as well as dispelling the notion that it’s an extravagant expense. Shirts start around $160 and suits start at $799, with different tiers of fabric and details, but everything is created to one’s unique measurements. Nicole points out the challenge of attaining that perfect fit, especially with men’s clothing. Suits are sold as a single item in department stores, the blazers and slacks unable to be purchased separately based on size. “People aren’t the same shape,” she says. Shoulder width, lengths of arms, torsos and legs – these proportions vary and people will often opt for something with a bad fit, just to find a wearable size. Custom fit eliminates this and a client is rewarded with a comfortable, long-lasting garment.

Trillium’s process includes measurements and consultations before the garment is ordered. Shirts take 2 to 3 weeks and suits take about 4 weeks. Nicole describes clients who first walked into the shop with no opinion over clothing, but after experiencing a true fit, she’s created many style-educated gentlemen who know their placket from a French cuff. Being a part of the process is creative and the clothing feels a part of them. Nicole’s advice for those considering a custom garment is to keep an open mind for details, and always consider comfort, because it’s an investment piece destined to be a favorite item, worn again and again. “It’s integrated thinking,” Nicole says about building a garment from idea to reality, and because the wearer is involved with every aspect of its creation, the piece reflects the individual, proving the old saying that clothes, do indeed, make the man.

Trillium Custom Tailoring and Design, 10500 NE 8th Street, located in Bellevue Place, 425-454-0292

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It’s called a lunch “hour” but most people will say it’s half that time or less, considering how long it takes to find a place and wait for your order. It’s no wonder so many hit the drive-through and quickly eat a lackluster burger on the way back to the office. It doesn’t have to be that way, according to the newest shop to not only hit Bellevue, but the country – Evolution Fresh is poised to start a healthy revolution. Offering natural juices and smoothies, a food bar with healthy made-to-order meals, and a grab-and-go case of prepared foods and bottled juices, Evolution Fresh wants to energize people and change how they look at food.

“Healthy doesn’t have to be scary,” assures Becki Holmes, a Registered Dietician at Starbucks Coffee Company who was involved with developing the Evolution Fresh menu. She has been on-hand for the opening of the store to explain its concept of offering healthy delicious food for a busy professional community. The Bellevue location is the first retail store to emerge from the acquisition of Evolution Fresh by Starbucks in November of 2011 Started in California by Jimmy Rosenberg in 1992, Evolution Fresh focused on super-premium juices that combine fresh fruit and vegetables into unique blends, produced through an innovative technology of non-heat pressure technology called High Pressure Processing (HPP). The cold press and squeeze method retains the juices’ vitamins, as well as its raw, fresh flavor and vibrant color. These signature juices are the crown jewel of the Evolution Fresh store, showcased in a towering Juice Wall, what Becki Holmes jokingly described as “an alter to the juice,” it’s comprised of six panel screens that display bright, colorful images of fruits, herbs and vegetables, listing off health benefits and trivia. A full menu of their juices and smoothies appear when a customer hits a button on the counter, and as a person’s order is created using the row of juice taps along the bottom, the Juice Wall comes alive with vibrant hues and swirls of watercolor strokes that represent each ingredient being used to make a drink. Food as theater, furthering Evolution Fresh’s mantra that good nutrition is neither boring nor flavorless.

Several juices are on tap at Evolution Fresh’s Juice Wall: Vital Green (a blend of greens), carrot, beet, coconut water, cucumber, pineapple and blueberry. From that foundation, people can order a handcrafted juice blend like their Green Julep, a sweeter take on the traditional all-greens juice, adding pineapple and apple, with the freshness of mint. Or give your tastebuds a wakeup call with their Sweet Burn, an invigorating mix of coconut water, pineapple, apple and beet juice, with a kick of cayenne and ginger. For those wanting more texture in their drinks, smoothies are available, using the same ingredients and thickeners like nonfat Greek yogurt or bananas. People can customize their drinks with traditional add-ins like wheatgrass shots, but their goal is to present the juices in a welcoming environment that’s more modern café than health store. The walls aren’t covered with percentages or nutritional numbers. The store is clean and bright like a canvas, allowing the natural flavors of their ingredients speak for themselves.

What separates Evolution Fresh from a typical juice bar is their food menu. Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus sweet treats and snacks, it’s convenient for people to grab a healthy meal at any time of the day. Their breakfast choices include hot scrambles with eggs mixed with whole grains like quinoa or brown wild rice, roasted red peppers and greens. There are cold offerings like their muesli, with whole oats, fresh and dried fruit, and nonfat yogurt to make it into a creamy pudding. Their lunch and dinner menu has salads, sandwiches and wraps, including their signature bowls, which can be served cold like a salad of lentils, wild rice and kale, or it can be made into a Hot Simmer, where vegetable stock is poured over and steams the ingredients into a hearty soup or stew. People can also customize their meals with one of four sauces like lemon tahini or tamari five-spice. Many of the meals come vegetarian, with the option to add grilled steak or chicken. Their menu has symbols next to their foods, listing items as vegetarian/vegan-friendly and non-wheat. They also offer hot soups including a classic tomato, a hearty French lentil or cannellini kale soup. Evolution Fresh wants to make people crave-worthy healthy snacks, like their new Mel Bar, a treat that is both sweet and savory with almond butter, nuts and seeds, crisp puffed millet and a sprinkle of coconut. People can sit or get their orders to go, and there’s even a delivery option. Within a mile of the downtown shop, they offer a delivery service on a customized recumbent bike. The delivery window is Monday through Sunday, 11am-2:30pm. The full menu is available with a $15 minimum order by calling their number; they accept credit and debit cards as well as Starbucks cards.

Evolution Fresh, Located next door to the Starbucks in the Lodge in Bellevue Square Mall, 545A Bellevue Way, 425-453-1285

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Koral Bar & Kitchen is the newest restaurant to premiere in the heart of Downtown Bellevue, and it’s looking to make good on putting the “comfort” into comfort foods. Located in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Koral is described as a “New American Kitchen.” The dining area is scattered with small tables and instead of typical booths, leather sofas are backed against the wall for small gatherings. Long, heavy tables made with reclaimed wood are set up for larger parties. Lit candles cast a flickering glow, highlighting the warmth and grain of the old wood. The ceiling is a collection of vintage-style lighting, adding to Koral’s overall mood, which is to provide a comfortable, lived-in feeling for patrons. For all the times when Bellevue dresses to the nines, sometimes it’s okay to kick back and relax, which is what the duo behind Koral, Bradley Dickinson and Mikel Rogers, are aiming for.

Koral’s owners are particularly in-tune to the needs of the Eastside crowds – Dickinson and Rogers are behind Pearl Bar & Dining, which has been a popular restaurant and happy hour hangout since opening in 2008. Speaking with Bradley Dickinson during the preview night, he points out the experience Koral will bring to people just wanting a place to relax at, after a long day. “No white tablecloths,” he compares between Pearl, which has more of an urban chic mood. He describes Koral as the place for people to gather their friends around a table, drink wine, eat their favorite foods and just talk the night away. The location in the Hyatt gives Koral the unique opportunity to become the go-to spot after the many events and conferences that occur daily in the hotel’s meeting halls. The restaurant’s cozy atmosphere masks a sizeable restaurant space, including private dining areas that are able to seat groups of 10 to 30 people.

Menu items include creamy artichoke dip on crostini, braised oxtail “sliders” with the slow-cooked tender meat served between a Chinese-style bun, and a house made pub cheese, a spreadable cheddar and horseradish dip served with pretzel sticks. The menu focuses more on small plates and appetizers, items meant to be shared and sampled with a group, but there are larger entrée-sized meals as well. The dishes focus on classic meat-and-potatoes fare, like a bleu cheese meatloaf, lamb loin chops in a lemon rosemary rub, and fresh gnocchi with braised oxtail. Bradley Dickinson points out one of the items they offer, roasted bones served with crostini to slather the butter-like, rich marrow on. If there’s any room for dessert, along with a number of rich, delectable options like a sticky toffee pudding covered in caramel, they offer the simplest, but most comforting of items: milk and cookies. The menu continues to grow and evolve — they anticipate starting a brunch service later in the month, during weekends from 9am to 2pm.

Koral is now open daily, 4-10pm Monday through Saturday, 4-9pm on Sundays, on the lobby floor of the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

Koral Bar & Kitchen, 900 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 100, 425-623-1125

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The grand opening of the Bellevue Lunchbox Laboratory had crowds pouring out the door, but as things settle into a normal pace, people still talk in hushed anticipatory tones of their next visit to indulge in an ultimate guilty pleasure. So what’s the story behind this place? Why is there such a cult-like following behind Lunchbox Laboratory and what, exactly, is in their burgers?

It was a tiny burger shack when Lunchbox Laboratory first opened in Ballard in 2008. Small, quirky, rough around the edges, it was every bit the mad scientist lair, concocting unique pile-it-on burgers full of gusto and flavor. Owner and creator Scott Simpson was the mastermind behind Lunchbox Laboratory, composing deliciously experimental combinations like adding peanut butter or a rich, gooey fried egg atop a burger, all through a nostalgic vision – like the current locations, the original shop was full of vintage metal lunchboxes decorated with favorite movies and TV shows of the 1970s and 80s. Lunchbox Laboratory’s popularity grew it out of its original spot, reopening in a larger South Lake Union location. The history of Lunchbox Laboratory isn’t without a note of sadness, as Scott Simpson passed away in 2011. He is terribly missed, and his legacy of creating a whimsical food experience continues on through those who created alongside him in the kitchen. At the Bellevue location, there’s a bit of the original neighborhood in the form of an old bowling lane from the closed Sunset Bowl in Ballard, rescued and refinished as a dining table. It’s a nostalgia-loving tribute to the area and the man that first introduced people to how amazing burgers can be.

As for the hamburgers themselves, the eye-catching Burger of the Gods is one of Lunchbox Laboratory’s signature choices, highlighting the level of attention and care going into the building of such a heavenly-titled feast. The best way to fully appreciate it is to break it down into its individual parts:

A large, hand-formed “super-beef” patty made up of the exclusive American Kobe-style beef is what all the Lunchbox beef burgers use. The higher fat concentration and its even distribution within the meat makes for a rich, juicy patty. The beef retains its delicate flavor as it’s sealed in an incredible char-broiled seared crust that gives the burger its significant bite.

The burger is smothered in a melty, gooey blanket of bleu cheese crumbles and a gorgonzola spread, destined to require the service of several napkins while enjoying.

To counter the savory element of the earthy, creamy cheese, onions soaked in balsamic vinegar and slowly caramelized, add a natural sweetness with a mild bite of vinegar.

It takes a special kind of bread to properly contain their burgers, and Lunchbox uses a Kaiser bun made locally by Essential Bakery. A large dome-shaped bun with a crisp outer shell and sponge-like interior, it’s the right vessel to carry a piled-high burger to one’s hungry, awaiting mouth. Gluten-free buns are also available.

Each burger comes with a choice of sides: skinny fries, crispy tots, sweet potato fries, housemade chips or potato salad. The tater tots and sweet potato fries were an original from Lunchbox’s early days, and no matter what you select, you can customize flavors using their menu of different salts, which includes garlic, habanero, bacon, rosemary, cinnamon spice and barbecue. Flavor creatively and with gusto, to match the burger you selected.

Prices for their burgers range from about $13 – $15.

Lunchbox Laboratory
989 112th Ave NE, Bellevue
425-505-2676
Open 11am-11pm daily

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Crowds were pouring out of the door when the newest location of LunchBox Laboratory opened in downtown Bellevue. The people were eager, not just for a typical hamburger, but ones with titles like “Burger of the Gods,” with a huge beef patty topped with bleu cheese and a gorgonzola spread and candied balsamic onions, or “As Seen on TV Dork Burger,” a burger named for its unique combination of ground duck and pork. When the original LunchBox Laboratory opened in Ballard years ago, it made news as a burger shack unlike any other, with its over-the-top flavors and use of high quality ingredients, and now that it’s come Eastside, it’s prepared to satisfy and entertain food fans with its unique blend of flavor and nostalgia.

Bellevue’s LunchBox Laboratory has both a restaurant and a full bar, with their hours easy to remember – open daily, 11 to 11. Their food is all about classic comforts, with a nod to a TV generation, as the décor is vintage afterschool chic, showing off their collection of metal lunchboxes of classic cartoon and TV shows. What sets their menu apart from other typical burger places is the care that goes into their food – their “super-beef” patties use Kobe-style beef and their Kaiser-style buns are made locally, from Essential Bakery. Their specialty dipping sauces are house-made, they offer handcrafted salts, and while some restaurants have a soup of the day, LunchBox makes different flavors of their Mac du Jour macaroni and cheese daily. They also put their spin on milkshakes, with flavors like their Boston Crème Donut, which literally has chunks of doughnuts mixed into the rich, creamy shake. On their own, the shakes are an indulgence, but they offer a grown-up option to spike a shake with your choice of liquor selections.

Catering to the happy hour crowds, they offer a Kick Ass Hour, with daily specials from 3-6pm and 9pm to close, with a special menu offering items like Dogsticks (mini corndogs on a stick), a tater tot version of nachos called Gavacho’s Nachos, and their happy hour burger combination called Scotty’s Classic Drive-In, which includes mini cheeseburgers and a choice of fries or tater tots. Their cocktails are just as playful, with drinks like the Tang-O-Rita and Kool Kollins using ingredients like Tang or Kool Aid to flavor or color the drink.

LunchBox Laboratory is located at the base of 989 Elements apartment building. Zen Asian Bistro had previously occupied this space.

LunchBox Laboratory
http://lunchboxlaboratory.com/
989 112th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004
425-505-2676

Open 11-11 Daily

When longtime patrons of the 520 Bar and Grill enter its newly-renovated space, it’s an immediate look of pleasant surprise that then turns into an awed facial expression of, “Wait…what just happened? The place has been redone, but I can’t tell where the old ends and the new begins.” Maybe for some who have experienced major building renovations, it would be disappointing to hear no one can tell what the updates were, but for owners Joseph and Randi Brazen, it’s the nicest compliment they can get over their beloved restaurant’s uniquely new/old look.

Mention the word “renovation” to a restaurant owner and it’s usually one of the fastest ways to see the color drain from their faces. They can be costly, drawn-out processes, fraught with delays that ultimately hurt the team as well as its patrons, since the restaurant needs to be closed during the construction. But not for the 520 Bar and Grill – the Brazens took to the expansion plans with SWAT-team precision and careful planning. Speaking with Randi Brazen, she explained how the second they broke through the next-door wall that would open up the space, the restaurant and bar was only closed for fifteen days. In half a month’s time, they were able to double the size of the space, lay down new hardwood floors, install a massive u-shaped hardwood bar that spans both the old and new space, redo their entire audio and video system, and still get the halls decked with holiday lights, garland and poinsettias. The staff wasn’t waiting long before returning to work and out of town patrons who returned after a long spell were shocked the place was redone right under their noses. It was through meticulous planning and preparation three months prior to the construction that made the process so seamless. The Brazens carefully picked their contractors, going with people they’ve known for years, having a hands-on approach themselves – the new bar was constructed right in their own garage. 520 Bar and Grill was able to become twice its original size without sacrificing its signature well-worn comfortable feel. The big changes are perfectly married to the original bar’s look, with its weathered wood and chairs you can sink into and sit for a spell. Losing its original cozy charm was never an option – 520 Bar and Grill is intended to feel like you’re visiting a friend, it’s meant to feel like home.

“We want to be the third place people go,” Randi says about the heart and soul of the 520 Bar and Grill. “You’re home, you go to work, and then you come here.” It’s a true neighborhood bar, with regulars coming in with such frequency you can set your watch to them. For the last five years it’s been in the Old Bellevue neighborhood of Main Street, being known as a cozy hangout, serving bar favorites like burgers and hearty sandwiches, with every space filled during their lunch rush and the hours after work. That was one of the main reasons for the expansion – their popularity made it the place to gather, but also created the challenge of whether or not one could find a seat. With the new space, they can handle large groups of 40-50 people. The new sound system allows for the restaurant to control the volume in areas of the space, customizing it for patrons wanting a more intimate atmosphere. They’re planning a big New Year’s Eve party, full of dancing and music. The possibilities for larger group events are making the 520 Bar and Grill a new contender for family brunches and gatherings where groups need space for a dozen or so people, and with these events, their kitchen offers customizable menus to a party’s needs.

For all the big changes and high-tech upgrades, they’re invisible to the people sitting at tables for lunch or gathered at the bar, catching a bite and a glimpse at the latest game before going back to work. Amid the sounds of a busy afternoon, you overhear people say what really matters, that this is a true neighborhood bar and restaurant. It’s a place people return to because it’s welcoming and they know the people there. 520 Bar and Grill’s expansion wasn’t about changing who they were, just adding a few more seats to invite more of Bellevue to come and sit for a spell.

520 Bar and Grill
10146 Main Street
425-450-0520

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Furniture shopping can be daunting – it’s a personal process, matching lifestyle with comfort, and a financial commitment, as large pieces are investments that will be a part of one’s home for years. There’s a greater sense of awareness over where one’s dollar could go, considering new details like where a product is manufactured and if the materials were made with sustainability in mind. Modern Design Sofas is a business that has sought to address these needs with Seattle buyers for many years, and now brings this same attention to Bellevue shoppers and homes.

Modern Design Sofas opened its Downtown Bellevue showroom four months ago, along the busy stretch of NE 8^th Street, right before the 106^th Avenue NE cross street. A mix of traditional shopkeeper values and forward-thinking product selections has kept this business going through three generations. The Bellevue location is a smaller showroom than the flagship Seattle store, with the floor models curated more towards what Eastside homes are looking for. The availability of models between both stores are the same – custom sofas, sleepers, sectionals, beds and chairs, manufactured within the USA. People may be leery of the term “custom,” thinking it automatically means expensive and out of one’s price range, but Modern Design Sofas is trying to re-educate consumers that custom doesn’t always mean more costly. Speaking with Chris Flynn, the manager of the Bellevue showroom, he explains how their commitment towards offering furniture made in the USA offsets the customization costs. Locally made products remove middle-men operations that would normally require overseas factories, a lengthy customs process, with a lot of that cost being passed along to the consumer. It also adds additional wait time. Chris explains how customized furniture from larger high-end stores can take several months, whereas one of their fully customized sofas, made within the US, averages a 2-6 week lead time, and at a significantly lower cost. Their custom sofas also come with a lifetime warranty on construction, and they will work with a customer to assist on design services. It’s a benefit of shopping with a smaller, independent retailer who has more control over how they operate their business. This is a large part of why Modern Design Sofas has come to Bellevue, to not only expand and develop relationships on the Eastside, but offer a sincere and educated retail experience with a keen eye for aesthetic.

The Bellevue showroom is a mix of sectionals with clean, modern lines and plush, lightly detailed sofas and seating. Swatchbooks of fabric are available for customers to browse or take home to see what works best for their décor, and the showroom models are set up in cozy vignettes for people to sit and lounge on, getting a tactile sense of what the item would feel like in their own home. It’s not a furniture warehouse experience, where making decisions can be overwhelming. The Bellevue store pieces have been selected based on the audience – more sectional sofas for homes with larger living spaces and families. There are also several showcase pieces, appealing to those with more of an eye towards design. There’s an easy balance of comfort and aesthetic in the store, and manager Chris Flynn is the expert guide for those unsure about navigating the choices. Flynn has over thirty years’ experience in design, having owned a firm of his own and working with large retailers; he explains how it’s about a willingness to get to know the customer as a person and how they inhabit their home. “As a consumer, you make the choice every morning over how you wish to spend your dollar,” he says. People want to make eco-friendly choices, and Modern Design Sofas makes it a point to use sustainable quality woods and safer glues. The higher standard of wood means a longer life for the furniture, but it also makes for easier recycling when a product has reached the end of its time with an owner. The lack of harsh chemicals allows a product to be more easily broken down and for parts to be recycled. From beginning to end, Modern Design Sofas is presenting a unique experience and education for furniture buyers and making the Eastside a truly well-designed place to live.

Modern Design Sofas
10623 NE 8th Street, Bellevue WA 98004
Telephone: 425-974-1785

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Aisles are filled to the brim, items carefully placed in perfect rows full of familiar and new brands. A commercial-sized kitchen is stacked with pots, skillets and pans, prepared for restaurant-sized crowds. There’s an energy of anticipation and excitement in the air as Your Local Market finally opened its doors on the noteworthy date of 11/11/11. Coinciding with the Veteran’s Day holiday, they scheduled a special appearance by students from Clyde Hill Elementary to perform songs of remembrance to commemorate the national day of veteran recognition, a ribbon cutting ceremony and for five days, customer specials are planned to celebrate the opening.

Downtown Bellevue is now the home of a store as unique as its grand opening date. Your Local Market is a grocery store offering a wide variety of local, organic products, but unlike its national chain store counterparts, Your Local Market is itself, local. No large, corporate conglomerate or part of a wider string of chain stores, the title says it all – this is literally Bellevue’s own grocery store, as this is a one-of-a-kind, independent store, created by the founders walking through its aisles today. Talking with CEO, Jason Brown, a few days before its Friday grand opening, he speaks about the market like a well-loved, family shop. Final touches were being completed, construction crews walking about and staff buzzing about getting details finalized, but Brown is calm and jovial, with people addressing him by his first name, friendly jokes being bantered about that the place looking like a real store, and he knows everyone by their first name, with a personal story to go with each employee. With nearly a hundred new people hired for Your Local Market, and an average of 30 to 50 people available on the grocery store floor during opening hours (6am-10pm, daily), this is as much a story of entrepreneurial spirit bolstering a local economy, as it is a passion for bringing quality ingredients to the kitchen tables of the Eastside.

It’s a personalized, quirky store, with typical aisle numbers replaced with names of local neighborhoods like Clyde Hill and Medina, or roads like I-405. Even the product listings can’t escape a touch of personality, as savory snacks along the Bellevue Way aisle are simply referred to as “Goes With Beer!” Brown describes Your Local Market as a “crossover” grocery store, a unique hybrid of specialty market and the familiar shopping experience that most have when getting the week’s staples. They want to be a friendly ambassador to eating healthy, as well as introducing customers to local vendors whose products will be offered at the store. He described Your Local Market’s breakdown very simply: 80/20, with the majority of the items being organic brands, and the 20 percent being the familiar items most people find in any nationwide store. The aisles are set up intentionally, to show off their organic items at eye-level, emphasizing healthy choices. They also understand the challenges of being introduced to new brands; Jason Brown points out that shopping for organic products can feel overwhelming, so they are mindful in what products they offer, making strides to curate their selections with what they consider only the best.

A large portion of the store is dedicated to their prepared foods section, which includes a full sized kitchen and café area, for people to sit and enjoy their meals that were prepared on-site. It’s unusual to have a grocery store be a full-service bakery; Your Local Market is gearing up to be the go-to spot for getting cakes, pies and tarts made from scratch. They’re already at work, roasting fresh sugar pumpkins, preparing for the holiday rush for desserts. They plan on offering holiday meal specials, where customers can order prepared feasts, made in their own grocery store kitchen. And they want to encourage home cooks to be inspired – in the very near future, Your Local Market’s website (www.yourlocalmarket.com) will be showcasing cooking videos of their chefs, demonstrating techniques and recipes, free to the public.

They also understand the needs of its busy professional community – Your Local Market offer home delivery and curbside pickup for those who don’t have the time to wander the aisles. Groceries can be ordered online, with the customer calling 15 minutes prior to arrival for an easy pickup at a designated parking area in front of the market. For those who live within a 3 mile radius, based on zip code, orders can be placed online, a delivery time is set, and groceries can be dropped off, right on one’s doorstep.

Your Local Market
Located across from Bellevue Square at NE 4th and Bellevue Way
Open daily, 6am-10pm

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Eastside fashionistas put on their stylish best for the week, from Sept 28-Oct 2, for the 2011 edition of Fashion Week at the Bellevue Collection. Events ranged from the Glambition: Girl Power Hour Anniversary Party that kicked off the celebration starting Wednesday, to the nightly runway shows including the Nordstrom Fashion Show and Front Row Fashion Presented by Vogue Magazine on Saturday, finally closing out with the Undressed Runway Show for REPORT shoes and SEVEN Salon on Sunday. This year’s Fashion Week made sure Bellevue was style-ready for the season from head to toe.

It wasn’t just about the clothes and shoes, the runway shows were the opportunity to bring awareness to local causes and community projects. 100% of the tickets from the Front Row Fashion event went to The Moyer Foundation, a local charity formed by baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen, devoted to raising funds and sponsoring programs to assist children in distress. For several years, the Detlef Schrempf Foundation has partnered with Nordstrom to use their runway show to benefit a local charity or community program, and this year’s show supported the Bellevue Youth Theatre, which provides opportunities for children and young adults to channel their creative energy through performance arts.

The Hyatt Regency Bellevue is transformed into a glamorous, brightly-lit runway where all the featured shows take place. For the headline evening shows, the event draws a large crowd of well-heeled fashion mavens eager to see what styles and trends will be represented. Before the doors open for the show, guests sipped cocktails and nibbled on appetizers in a lounge-styled setting of floor to ceiling drapes, plush couches and booths. For the sold-out Nordstrom Fashion Show, they had a special boutique area set up with some of the latest seasonal accessories and shoes, available for guests to try on and purchase.

So what were some of the trending themes that appeared most consistently, and what did the runway selections suggest for the fashion-minded crowd?

Bright, Bold Color – It’s a simple way to make an eye-catching statement, whether it’s worn as a single color in an all-over outfit, or color blocked in a bright top and equally bold pant or skirt. And it doesn’t have to be in large amounts; a small dose of a bright hue as an accent flourish on a jacket can be enough to add interest to a neutral piece.

Battling Hemlines – The traditional notion of long dresses for night and knee-grazing skirts for day is being flipped. More above-the-knee hems for cocktail dresses were seen, making bare legs the focal point, balanced out with longer, modest-length sleeves. Longer hemlines in light wool fabrics or transforming a floor-sweeping maxi dress into a fall outfit is the trend for day. As long as the skirt’s length is tailored to fit the wearer and the right height of their boot or chunky heel, the look is able to fashionable and not frumpy.

Pattern Recognition – Strong geometric patterns like stripes or the classic plaid are being refreshed in modern silhouettes, unusual color combinations and rich fabrics. The boldness of stripes or the crisscross of a tartan is a way to keep the eye constantly moving and acts as fashionable camouflage for areas you don’t wish to bring attention to.

Feathers, Fur and Sequins – Dramatic flourishes like fur (real or faux), the flutter of a feathered hemline, or a dazzle of sequins are on everything, from day to night. Sequins are a strong presence on evening wear, going for all-out bling covering a cocktail dress, but it’s also seen on blouses or skirts, in neutral, frosted metallic hues and toned down by cozy cardigans for wearing in the daytime. Feathers and fur are an eye-catching addition to a nighttime look, and the look of fur can still be transformed for the day, used in smaller doses on coat collars or even a statement handbag.

Statement Accessories – Layered infinity scarves or ones with a showcase pattern, as well as large layered necklaces were seen across several runway shows. They’re easy items to add to neutral or simple outfits, making a look fresh. Hats are also another way to make an outfit feel dramatic and keep the winter chill away.

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