Upon entering the Union Block Bistro, you’re immediately greeted by a friendly face. The Union Block Bistro is homey. The interior boasts a variety of colors, from lime green to black to ‘80s-disco-teal; the painted-over brick walls reflect the stories and age of the 1906 building. Although the features of the room are hard, the lighting is softened by the white linen cloth hanging over the long fluorescent lights above.
Photograph by William Morton
Heidi Herr, the owner of Union Block Bistro, takes locally-sourced food seriously. She tries to adhere to what she refers to as “super hyper-local ordering,” sourcing ingredients from places as close by as she can find: Watertown Bakery, Puget Sound Food Hub, Earthly Gourmet, and, occasionally, Costco.
“That’s kinda my whole schtick here,” Herr says, expanding on how we vote with our dollars, and how supporting the local economy is a way to gain fiscal independence. Additionally, locally-sourced goods sometimes act as an insulation from national shortages; Herr is currently on the lookout for a local egg supplier.
Photograph courtesy of Heidi Herr
This hyper-local sourcing causes the menu to be dependent on what is available around the area. For example, Herr explains, avocado toast is pretty hard to make because avocados are not native to the area. That’s where she got the inspiration for the Union Block Bistro’s mushroom toast. “It’s the Skagit version of avocado toast,” she says.
Herr was a business owner in the Seattle area’s food industry for 30 years, owning two restaurants and a catering business. In 2020, she sold both businesses and moved up to Mount Vernon, where she eventually fell into buying the space for the Union Block Bistro.
Photograph courtesy of Heidi Herr
The bistro officially opened in December 2024. The previous occupant had been a restaurant as well, so moving in was pretty easy, but there’s been a lot of updating and cleaning needed. Additionally, December can be a difficult time for local businesses to open. The holidays, paired with shorter and darker days, sometimes curb public interest, according to Herr. On the bright side, the slow start has given Herr ample time to decorate, clean, and prepare the bistro for the expected rise in springtime diners.
The bistro has also been a welcomed addition to the Mount Vernon area. After Herr joined the Chamber of Commerce, they held a formal ribbon-cutting event, complete with the obligatory ergonomically oversized scissors, to celebrate the bistro’s opening.
Photograph courtesy of Heidi Herr
On Sundays, the bistro hosts what they call a crafternoon—an event where members of the community can come together and work on craft projects. People congregate in the corner of the large bistro and, through chatter and food, work on various craft-related projects. Herr hopes to continually promote community connection, considering the future potential for open mic nights, music events, and more.
The Union Block Bistro is open from Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 614 S. 1st St., Mount Vernon, 360.389.1664, unionblockbistro.com
