Some healthcare facilities in the Northwest are serving up such good hospital food that locals are choosing to eat their meals there, according to an article on the My Northwest website.

At Jefferson Health Care in Port Townsend, chef and food service director Arran Stark estimates about 35 percent of people eating in the cafeteria come in just for the food.

“It really catches people off guard, the idea that a hospital would have good food,” Stark said in the article. “The irony of it all is that a hospital should have the best food if you’re devout about the idea of serving your community through wellness.”

Stark cooks everything from scratch, using local meats and produce as often as possible.

“Crusted cod with a quinoa, Parmesan, and artichoke,” Stark said. “Served up with braised, organic chard and roasted red potatoes. We make beautiful sandwiches, we have a wonderful, local bakery we’re getting our bread from. We’ll get cheese from the local creamery, Mount Townsend Creamery, and make mac and cheese. People are always blown away by that.”

Read the article.