Favorite Places to Eat, Drink & Play in North Central Washington

It’s been a privilege to be with you on KW3 since 2007, after nearly 17 years on the morning radio. Connor shifted to an afternoon solo show on KW3 in September 2024. Here are his updated favorite places to eat, drink, and hang out in North Central Washington.

A place to take kids

Do your kids and their friends like to game? Take them to Epoch on Wenatchee Avenue. Book your kids' next birthday party at Epoch! The kids can have their own media room area in plain view of the parents.

Dessert spot & Coffee shop

I’m not co-hosting a morning show, so I’ve been taking my son to Cafe Columbia at Pybus Market before school. We split a cinnamon twist roll and a quiche. The coffee is excellent. We usually stop by twice a month, and Amber has already remembered my coffee order. Text your friends and tell them to meet you at Cafe Columbia. 

Running Store

I check for running shoes at Performance Footwear on Wenatchee Avenue and Arlberg Sports on Wenatchee Avenue. I like the wide selection of trail and road shoes. Women’s shoes are upstairs, and men head down to the basement. Both locations have accessories to help make hiking and running on the single track more enjoyable.

Cheap eat

You can’t beat the $1.50 hot dogs at Costco. Uncle Dave from the Quake wrote a story about them and took a picture of me eating lunch.

Favorite Local Event 

The town is in force at the Downtown Wenatchee annual Rails and Ales event in early March. North America's top skiers and snowboarders show up for cash prizes on Orondo Avenue. The main thing to take away from this event is meeting your besties to laugh over a beer, coffee, and/or tasty food from a food truck.

Hidden gem

You can get the shrimp and Steak Burrito at either Central Market in Quincy or Plaza Wenatchee on South Wenatchee Avenue. The same family owns both locations. I love how the two brothers who run Plaza Wenatchee and the other two brothers who run Central Market say that their food and location are better than the other place!

Tourist attraction

I love going on a date with my wife and bringing a book to Ohme Gardens. The atmosphere and the view of the Wenatchee Valley are tough to beat. We’re so lucky to have this great place to reset and relax. They'll open again on April 15th. 

Way to get inspired

I usually problem-solve and get inspired while running singletrack on a local Wenatchee trail. My favorite places to run and hike are the East Wenatchee Bench (the trailhead is near the corner of 10th St NE and N Kansas Avenue), the Castle Rock Trail system (which connects to Stairway to Heaven via the 1/2 Divide Trail), Saddlerock, and the Dry Gulch trail system. Are you new to town and want some trail options? I wrote about that here.

My favorite Chelan spot 

Local Myth Pizza has excellent pizza, pasta, and beer options. Service is fantastic too!

Date night 

I recently took my wife to Leavenworth for a date at Yodelin Broth Company and Beer Garden. We both had a delicious Salmon Bowl (think Poke Bowl, but with more veggies tossed in). The food, the service, and the view out the window were fantastic! We’ll be back. Next time, we’ll try the beer garden on a warm summer evening.