Sketched Feb. 23

The newest bakery in White Center has a cool sounding name: 3.14 Bakery. But, what does that mean?

"It's the pi number," employee Jennifer Wentz said. "For 'pie'."

I wouldn't have guessed it. How clever!

Wentz said they just opened last August, adding their home-style flavor to an eclectic mix of food businesses that have opened in recent years along 16th Ave SW just south of SW Roxbury ST. Next door to traditional Vietnamese restaurants and an adult "superstore," you can now find other unique establishments that are transforming the neighborhood: Full Tilt Ice Cream, Pizza Proletariat and Uncle Mike's BBq. "We've been referred as the next Georgetown," said Wentz about White Center.

The bakery has a small-town feel that I found very welcoming. Perhaps it was the old-fashioned tablecloths that reminded me of my mother's embroidery. Or being able to step inside the kitchen and catching a glimpse of Nikki Dempsey preparing the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies.

I found the same friendly atmosphere across the street at White Center Pharmacy. Owner Mel Morris, a Queen Anne High School graduate, has run the business since 1982.

Stay tuned for more sketches from my Wednesday visit to the White Center business district.