16 Best Places to Shop in Washington, USA

On weekdays or any Saturday when there's a football home game, you can pop into Ferdinand's, an ice-cream and cheese shop in Washington State University's food-science building, to buy aged Cougar Gold, a cheddar-type cheese in a can. Ice cream is made daily from milk from the university's dairy cows and served in cones, dishes, shakes, malts, floats, sundaes, and banana splits to enjoy on the spot. Or take home a pint, quart, 3-gallon tub, or party pack to share. Espresso drinks are also available and about half the price of a chain coffee shop.

Since 1904, this family farm has been growing and selling cherries, peaches, apples, pears and other local fruit. The historic white clapboard shop also carries pies, muffins, cookies, and tarts. 

The Owens family established this marvelous smokehouse in 1887 and has been running the self-proclaimed "candy store for the carnivore" ever since. You'll find no processed meats here—just the house-smoked and cured jerky, bacon, sausage, chicken breast, bone-in pork chops, and more, along with a big selection of sauces, condiments, and gourmet goodies. Meat vending machines located throughout the state, including outside this store, mean you can satisfy your cravings day or night.

This venerable aqua farm on the northern end of the peninsula is a must for fresh oysters and clams. You can take your purchases to your lodging or a picnic, or enjoy them, raw or barbecued, on the expansive deck overlooking what's been called America's cleanest estuary, Willapa Bay. The on-site deli also sells beer, wine, and other gourmet goodies. 

This 200-acre organic farm and dairy on the edge of Bow produces exceptional cow's-milk cheeses, plus kefir and yogurt. There's also a selection of pork, veal, and beef products, from animals raised on this beautiful farm. You can sample the goods in the tasting room or get a bite to eat—cheese plates, mac and cheese, and labneh (a cheese made from strained yogurt) cheesecake are among the specialties. There's cider, beer, and coffee, too.

Part of the fun in visiting this pastoral farmstead in Bow, apart from stocking up on fresh-picked (or pick-yourself) organic blueberries, is sampling the wide range of gourmet goodies. Bow Hill prepares and sells juices, salad dressings, pickled preserves, and other treats made with local blueberries—there's blueberry ice cream, too.

Amazing sandwiches, croissants, and coffee.

Pick up a snack or the makings of a picnic at this lively basement-level cheese shop that stocks both domestic and imported cheeses, along with German sausages, other meats, and all the accoutrements for a picture-perfect charcuterie board. There's also a shop at the Pybus Market in Wenatchee.

This bustling market is a fun stop for picnic supplies or treats to bring home with you—think chocolates, local coffee, finishing salts, cheeses, charcuterie, artisan cider and beer, handmade sugar scrubs and soaps, toys, and flasks.

According to Girl Meets Dirt founder Audra Lawlor, fruit is affected by terroir, just like wine, and the salty San Juan Islands breezes certainly seem to work magic on locally grown stone fruit and pomes. Lawlor's small-batch jams made in a collection of heavy copper pots are the perfect addition to a charcuterie board, with complex flavors like Rhubarb Lavender, Island Plum, and Orange Peppered Pear. The shop also carries housemade shrubs and bitters.

Sit down with a slice of Sardinian flatbread, Nutella brioche, or a raisin twist—or more elaborate lunch options.

One short block of Melrose Avenue between Pike and Pine holds a concentration of adventures for your taste buds, including Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar. You'll also find here Melrose Market, a former automotive shop dating from the 1920s that's been transformed into a sort of hipster food court. Duck inside to check out several small, stylish dining options, a wine shop, and an artisanal butcher.

In this basement-level specialty shop, you can sample gourmet salts; aged balsamic vinegars in flavors like fig, lemon lavender, pecan praline, and garlic cilantro; and infused olive oils such as basil, habanero, garlic mushroom, and rosemary.

Famous for its environmentally conscious practices, this market harvests seafood from Quinault tribal lands. Come early for the top catches, which often sell out by noon. Other goods include canned and smoked salmon and steelhead, plus Quinault arts and crafts. If you're overwhelmed with the choices, buy a gift pack, which combines a range of ocean delicacies. The market is 20 miles north of Copalis Beach. 

This rustic oyster farm is tucked into a small bay 2 miles south of Roche Harbor; the best time to buy oysters is November through April, and you can buy, shuck, and eat them on-site. The farm sells local bakery bread, cheese, charcuterie, salads, and beer and wine if you want to make a meal of it. Or stop by the Tide Tables restaurant at lunchtime for raw or grilled oysters, clams cooked in wine, paninis, and salads. The helpful farm staff will even show you how to shuck oysters.

Many of the city's best chefs get their herbs, spices, and salts at this aromatic shop under Pike Place Market. From Middle Eastern, Asian, Italian, and Pacific Northwest–inspired blends, to cinnamon, paprika, and chilis from around the world, home chefs will be in heaven here.