Bites Nearby

It's not just Mac and Cheese. It's the "World's Best" Mac and Cheese, and so, so much more at .

Conveniently located in Mercer Island's Town Center, Bennett's prides itself as a local restaurant known first for it's in that inimitable Pacific Northwest style.

Local is what it's all about, but it's not just the food: since opening in 2006, a of local personalities and politicos mingle with high school football coaches and sometimes players in the main restaurant and private dining room, which seats just over 30.

Mercer Island resident Kurt Beecher Dammeier, owner of Pike Place landmark Beecher's Cheese, has focused on bringing an array of the freshest food and wine just a short distance from farm to market.

Aside from the lightly crisped mac and cheese in a velvety-smooth Beecher's cheese sauce, top picks include the classic "Tip of the Iceberg" salad with toasted hazelnuts and tomatoes, a generously-sized Bennett's ground beef steak and pork shoulder burger (an Islander football player reputedly ate four of these in one sitting), grilled Penn Cove mussels and pan seared salmon with blueberry sauce.

A selection of over 100 wines from small producers in Oregon and Washington state are available to pair with the regional cuisine, along with a fine selection of top-shelf liquors, house specialty libations and beers from local craft breweries.

Perhaps best of all for the budget-minded are the reasonable prices, especially during Bennett's Happy Hour, which runs every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Appetizers are priced at $4, a specialty cocktail at $5 and a glass of wine at $6.