A painting called "Edmonds Twilight" by local artist Alice Owen hangs inside Walnut Street Coffee. The moody view of Puget Sound looking across rooftops that slope gently downhill might have been painted from that very spot.

Pam Stuller's modest coffeehouse is a favorite with locals who come not just for a java jolt, but for wholesome burritos, soups and assorted pastry treats.

The low-slung black building just off this small town's main drag has cinder-block walls and a cement floor. The front is outfitted with a glass-paned garage door. Inside it feels like someone's cozy great room, thanks to coffee-colored cushions, honey-hued tables and curvy chairs in shades that rival a garden in bloom. A fresh nosegay sits on a big, round communal table that's usually cluttered with newspapers.

A resident of nearby Richmond Beach, Stuller gave up a career in human resources when she found her true calling as a barista. "I love that oddly intimate relationship you have with people when you run a coffeehouse," she says. Customers come and go all day as routinely as the Kingston ferry glimpsed through the window in the distance. She knows many by name, or at least by how they like their coffee.

Stuller doesn't cook or bake; she sources quality items for her limited menu from local purveyors. The coffee is from Vivace. The burritos are made by Dancing Women Meal Delivery. Honey Bear Bakery supplies the soup du jour.

Pastries have come from different bakeries and were an acknowledged weak spot. But beginning this week, Sisters, a new wholesale bakery in Lynnwood, will provide Stuller with croissants, scones, cupcakes, muffins and cinnamon rolls. Not coincidentally, the owner is a Walnut Street regular.

Check please

Quinoa burrito:This nourishing breakfast burrito is not only packed with curly grains of quinoa, it's got carrot, cheddar cheese, egg and sage-scented "vegetarian" sausage crumbles that taste surprisingly like the real deal. Only gripe: Warming in the microwave doesn't do the texture of the tortilla any favors.

Black-bean burrito:Rice and black beans bulk out this burrito. Cilantro and cheddar provide some zip, but the real flavor boost comes from the fresh salsa spooned on top — a vivid, crunchy mixture of corn, tomato, scallions and celery.

Cup of soup:The daily selection might be chicken with rice; potato leek; or, in this case, veggie chili — a multibean-and-vegetable soup in a robust tomato broth subtly stoked with chili powder.

Ginger-molasses cookie:Ginger gently pervades this thick, soft, chewy cookie glittering with sugar crystals.

Short latte:A quality cuppa joe, expertly made with a pretty leaf design feathered into the foam.

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com