The Pick-Me-Up Modern Take-Away offers grab and go sandwiches and snacks

It's summertime and the living is made easier, by the addition of The Pick-Me-Up Modern Take-Away in Camas. The new business, which opened May 26 near Lacamas Lake, has grab and go sandwiches, salads, chips and soda to take to a picnic. Craig and Tish Lester, of Camas, own the market, which is within walking distance of Lacamas Lake and Heritage parks. They sell ice cream by the scoop, microbrews, wine, ciders, kombucha and caviar, as well as plastic utensils, plates and tablecloths. For people who want to spend a day at the lake, bags of ice and hand-dug worms for fishing are available to purchase. There are also adhesive bandages, baby wipes, sunblock and toilet paper. The bandages came in handy when there were three bicycle crashes involving children during the first few days of the market's opening. Tish described the atmosphere of The Pick-Me-Up Modern Take-Away as relaxed. "We have all kinds of customers in all kinds of clothes," she said. "We installed a durable floor, so dripping kids can refuel after a round of splashing about." Sandwich options include "The Roadworks," a club style, double-decker sandwich with roast beef, cheddar, lemon horseradish cream cheese, lettuce and tomato. The sandwich is named in honor of the flaggers and road construction crews working on the North Shore sewer transmission system, in front of the deli, on Northeast Everett Street. Other breakfast and lunch sandwiches and sliders, including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options, are available. The freshly made dessert selection includes salted caramel brownies, snickerdoodles and chocolate coconut macaroons. Food deliveries are available, with a minimum of three lunches. Beef chili with red and white beans and roasted tomato bisque infused with orange will be available when the weather cools down below 80 degrees, Tish explained. The Lesters hope to sell whole pizzas and slices by August. The pizza dough would be wood-fired off site, with fresh toppings added at The Pick-Me-Up Modern Take-Away. Take and bake pizzas also will be available. Tish previously owned The Beatnik American Cafe in Dordrecht, Netherlands -- a vegetarian and gluten-free cafe in a town south of Rotterdam. "Since my first job in food service at the age of 17, it was a goal of mine to own my own establishment," she said. "Since selling my cafe in the Netherlands, that part of my life was put on hold until the opportunity presented itself again in this great location at Lacamas Lake." Craig has several decades' worth of business management experience. The Lesters, originally from the Seattle area, lived in the Netherlands for eight years and moved to Camas in 2014. "We noticed the lack of healthy, fast service food in our immediate area," Tish said. "We hope the addition of our deli will fill the needs of those who need a delicious, nutritious meal on the go." The Pick-Me-Up Modern Take-Away, 3510 N.E. Everett St., is open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 360-844-6528 or visit www.camaspickmeup.com.

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