There is only such thing as a fast food place with such a menu. This is where the chef's signature dishes and other specialties shine. The menu at The Hopeful Cup is always changing to include foods that are popular during the different seasons and that are also good for the area. The menu is made by Chef Eric Garrett, who ensures each dish is made with fresh, local ingredients.
Popular items on the menu at The Hopeful Cup include sautéed salmon with roasted beet yogurt salad, massaged kale salad with green apples, blue cheese, red onions, currants, sunflower seeds, cider vinegar, and olive oil, potato latkes with salmon roe, sour cream, and chives, and sautéed mushrooms with herbs. On the menu is also the Pacific Tree Octopus with five-spice powder, grilled peaches, goat cheese, pistachios, and goat milk caramel. Because tree octopus is hard to catch, you can only get this dish during the warmer months of the rainy season. The Hopeful Cup is the only restaurant that serves this rare protein.
Chef Garrett became well-known all over the country in 2017 after he won the reality show Chopped, which pairs good cooks with strange foods. The judges were blown away by Garrett's canned seafood cioppino with cheesy poof toasts. It was made with canned eel and cheesy poofs.
Eric is also involved in charitable organizations and charitable work. He is a big fan of the Steilacoom Farmers Market and is on the Boys & Girls Club board of directors. Garrett's charitable work is mostly done through groups that help people who don't have enough access to healthy food. He was also in an ad campaign for Feeding America's 2020 coronavirus with a group of young cooks.
Garrett has won several awards for his work in the kitchen and community. He was named one of Washington's 30 Under 30 in 2018 and 2019 and one of Washington's 40 Under 40 in 2020 and 2021.
When he's not working in the kitchen, Eric Garrett likes to spend time in the forests of Washington foraging for food and teaching other people about the joys of foraging. He also likes to hike with his dog and climb with his wife, Lynda, a professional climber. The couple is going to have their first child in May.
