By SARA MILLER
and MICHELLE BEAHM
DOWNTOWN POULSBO — It’s not often that you find a restaurant that takes you back in time.
At the Green Light Diner on Front Street in downtown Poulsbo, however, you’ll feel like you might see Sandy and Danny sitting in the booth next to you before they head to the sock hop.
The Green Light Diner is part of the eclectic dining scene on Front Street, which includes Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Scandinavian, and British Isles pub-style culinary experiences.
The diner serves breakfast all day as well as other fare. Along with playing classic songs and serving up unique drinks from its soda fountain, Green Light Diner has a deck of cards on every table for guests to challenge each other to games of “Speed,” “Go Fish” and “13.”
“They have the best Caesar and steak salad anywhere,” Kim Worthy said.
Worthy is a frequent visitor to Green Light, having come to the restaurant since before it got its name change.
“I used to come when it was called MorMor, and then came here soon after they opened,” Worthy said.
John and Laura Nesby owned and operated MorMor Bistro & Bar for 10 years before transforming it to the retro diner it is today.
“After my wife and I ran MorMor for 10 years downtown, we were at a point where we knew we wanted to do some remodeling,” John Nesby said. “So we took stock of what that would entail and thought, ‘Should we really invest this money to do the same exact concept?’ ”
That’s when they decided to reinvent themselves and the business they love so much.
“When we opened MorMor in 2004, we were the only fine-dining restaurant in the area,” Nesby said. “We spent a lot of time looking at the community in Poulsbo and asking, ‘What does it need?’ ”
They realized Poulsbo could use a good, retro, family-friendly restaurant. So that’s what they aimed for.
“When we opened MorMor, we were young and didn’t have kids,” Nesby said. “Ten years down the road, we had a kid and looked for places to go together. Really, your options were a pub or fast food, or a restaurant downtown that maybe was a little fancier.”
With that in mind, they began looking at Front Street in a personal light.
Having grown up in the area, Nesby likes keeping things local. On the menu, you’ll find many Kitsap touches.
“We like to utilize local vendors,” he said. “Come in and you’ll see Sluys Poulsbo buns for hamburger buns, Hood Canal oysters, Crimson Cove salmon. Periodically, we’ll use fresh produce from the farmers market. We like to maintain the use of local ingredients.”
Those local flavors include brews from local favorite: Valholl Brewery.
“We keep all draft beers directly from Valholl,” Nesby said. “I went through elementary and high school with one of the founding proprietors.
“Our draft beers stay local to Poulsbo, and using local breweries is something we fostered in to the diner from MorMor.”
Also grandfathered in with the restaurant’s change were many of its customers. While fancier dining experiences were expanding in this tourist town, not only did many old customers return, but Green Light also saw many new faces.
“One aspect we did not anticipate but were pleasantly surprised by were all the military families,” Nesby said.
“It’s been really great to be a part of that military community. They come in, bring their kids. That’s the single biggest uptick in what we have noticed if compared to MorMor.”
Every Sunday, Green Light does its ‘Sunday Salute.’ If members of the military bring their military ID, they get buy one entree get one free, every Sunday.
“That’s one way we like to give back,” Nesby said.
Supporting military families, utilizing local goods and offering a fun, family friendly atmosphere, the Green Light Diner is a must try on Front Street in Poulsbo.
Take a trip down memory lane, teach your kids your favorite card games and enjoy some of the best local fare.
And, if you’re like Kim Worthy, walk down the street and get a treat afterward.
“From here, we always walk down to Boehm’s Chocolate so I can get a little piece of chocolate,” she said.
