The Ruby Brink Editor’s Pick

Image: Amber Fouts
The trio behind this all-day hangout in the collection of blocks that make up Vashon Island’s downtown doesn’t broadcast its impressive sustainability ethos. You probably won’t hear about how butcher Lauren Garaventa and chef Rustle Biehn fill a butcher case and the meaty all-day menu with just four pigs, one cow, and handful of other humanely slaughtered animals each month. Though the backstory’s impressive, you don’t need it to enjoy homestyle bowls of brisket atop polenta, the soupy signature Meat and Noodle bowl, the various types of bacon, or a meat/cheese/pickle plate that’s like a technicolor outing on an edible forest floor. The Ruby Brink makes humble hangout food (Biehn has perfected the fancy toast game) and the third partner, Jake Heil, translates his experience at Portland’s Multnomah Whiskey Library to the coolest cocktail program on the island.