Doughnuts, burgers and classic rock: 2021’s top 10 life stories

One thing 2021 revealed is that there’s no shortage of people searching for things to do. Live music, food festivals and other events were some of the most read arts and culture stories published by The Herald this year. So to reminisce on 2021, here are the top 10 most read stories last year from our life section.

10. Snohomish rancher raises an ancient breed of cattle (April 11): When you see Burt DeGroot’s cows for the first time, you might feel like you’re visiting a zoo. You’re not that far off. DeGroot, of Snohomish, owns a rare breed of cattle. Ancient white park cattle are known for their distinctive appearance and grazing preference.

9. Now you can make Katsu Burger’s best-selling burger at home (Sept. 14): Katsu is one of Japan’s favorite Western-style foods. It’s a crispy fried cutlet of meat or seafood made with flaky Japanese panko breadcrumbs. If you’re in the mood for katsu here, you’ll find it at Katsu Burger, which marries two loves: the Japanese katsu and the American hamburger. In the article, chef Hannah Ha, who owns stores in Lynnwood, Edmonds and Lake Stevens, shares her recipe for the Tokyo Classic, the most popular menu item.

8. Drink This: Beer and food truck festivals team up in Everett (Aug. 24): After taking over for the now-defunct Everett Craft Beer Festival in 2017, the Upper Left Beerfest, like most festivals, took 2020 off. It returned this year, once again spotlighting local Snohomish County craft beer and taking over downtown Everett for a day.

7. Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll outdoors in Everett this August (July 19): When the all-ages event was canceled in 2020 by COVID-19 and city budget cuts, the Everett Fourth of July Foundation teamed up with the Everett Music Initiative and Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant to bring Music at the Marina back to Everett. Eight outdoor shows were scheduled through August between the program and Dicks Drive-In Summer Series.

6. Mid-century modern marvel featured on Everett home tour (Sept. 10): Wendy and Matt Poischbeg’s home is a model of mid-century modern architecture. Their 1950 home was one of four featured in this year’s Historic Everett Home Tour. The 2,184-square-foot house features a flat roof, floor-to ceiling windows and an open floor plan. It still has its original walls and moldings, as well as exposed beams and brick.

5. Classic rock mainstays Foreigner to perform in Everett (Sept. 9): If you were a teenager in the late 1970s and early ’80s, you heard Foreigner everywhere — from rock ‘n’ roll radio stations to the eight-track tape deck in your car. In September people had the chance to see them live in Everett. Foreigner, one of the best-selling rock bands of all time, performed at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett on Sept. 14.

4. How to prune a hydrangea without jeapordizing its blooms (March 26): Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and periodically writes a gardening advice column for The Herald. In this piece, Smith aims to help clear the air on how to properly prune hydrangeas, an extremely popular type of shrub.

3. Monroe resident Roger Fisher reflects on his time with Heart (Nov. 28): You may not know his name, but you probably know his guitar intro. Roger Fisher, the original guitarist of the band Heart, wrote the riff for the song “Barracuda.” Fisher has lived in Monroe since 2008, was with the band Heart from 1967 to 1979, playing lead and rhythm guitar, steel guitar and mandolin. Now, Fisher likes to perform at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. A lot of times it’s a Valentine’s Day show because his birthday is Feb. 14.

2. Schack delays planned art show, says images are ‘inappropriate’ (Aug. 5): Photographer Bob Fink, the Schack Art Center’s Artist of the Year, spent two years working on a solo exhibition he thought would open Aug. 5. But two weeks prior to opening, Fink was informed by the Schack Art Center administration that his planned exhibition, “Indigenous Peoples: Photos From the Ends of the Earth,” would be postponed. This was after the center had received feedback on the exhibit from a racial equity consultant. A Herald investigation published Oct. 3 dove deeper into the controversy.

1. Here’s where to find the best doughnuts in Snohomish County (Dec. 7): Reporter Ben Watanabe shared a list of his favorite doughnuts spots in Snohomish County. This article was viewed more than 23,000 times in the span of a few weeks, making it the most read Life story on The Herald’s website for 2021. Whether you agree or disagree with Watanabe’s picks, there’s no denying the passion our readers have for their fried dough.