The dinner I will never forget.
For Christmas and my Birthday Towner gave Jake and I a chance to experience The Willow’s Inn dining experience. For those of you who don’t know what or where the Willow’s is I will explain. The Willows is a quaint Inn that has been on Lummi Island since 1912. It is a short ferry ride 10 minutes West of Bellingham. It has recently been renovated and for the past few years and a young and upcoming chef Blaine and his crew (Towner being one of them) have been creating eating experience like no other. They take local ingredients that are fished, foraged and farmed daily and bring them to your plate to experience dinning like nowhere else in the world. The New York Times says they are one of 10 Restaurants worth a Plane Ride.
I would like to apologize now for some of the pictures. I was trying to take them without being the crazy lady with the camera and without using a flash so not to disturb the staff or others enjoying their meals. After a few courses I realized that others were taking pictures also which made me feel better and take a few more.
So here it is the best food I have ever eaten…..
Jake and I arrived early we walked on the beach and drove around the beautiful Island. It is one of the most gorgeous places on earth with views of the sound and mountains that are breath taking the camera does not do it justice.
Towner got to show us the prep of the place this is the smoker from which the salmon comes. We will talk more about the salmon later.
The fireplace we got to sit by having drinks while we waited to be seated.
And the meal begins. Yes I took pictures of all the food. So I have to explain the way they do it at The Willows. They have courses of food but they also have what they call “snacks” bite size morsels of amazing goodness that come in-between course. The other thing that make the dining experience different is the chefs don’t only cook for you they along with the servers deliver the food to the table, giving you a description of what you are going to eat but also telling you where the food came from and if there is a history behind the food.
These are roots that had a wonderful texture and when the cedar box was opened a plume of smoke rose out. They explained that the Lummi Indians use to roast the roots in the ground and they do a similar roasting method.
This is one of my favorite bites of the night. It was salmon roe rapped in what was almost a salmon paper it was really a birck dough it had maple cream and chives. It was a crunch when you bit into it but then a melt in your mouth experience in the center.
This is one of Jake favorites. The black cod on a potato chip. The cod was so tender and with a rich flavor.
Here is our favorite chef serving us.
An oyster, raw, on ice.
Fried Kale with mushroom puree.
Sea Scallop on a cream sauce. I loved the plating this one had dry ice underneath for an amazing effect.
Deer heart and shitake mushrooms. I am not a lover of heart but this was so yummy. The mushrooms were so rich and smokey.
The other thing Towner gave us was a juice paring with the meal. The juice like wine added another layer of flavor to the meal. The first juice was cucumber. Clean and refreshing.
Geoduck Sliced thin on a whole grains in a watercress sauce.
So this is THE salmon one of the best bites of food I have ever had. It was caught the day before we ate it and then smoked in the smoker with the recipe the Lummi Indians have been making for years. It was so tender and had such amazing flavor like we have never eaten.
Carrot Juice
The chefs hard at work.
Stinging nettle salad with fiddlehead ferns. This was one of my favorites. It had so many layers of flavor.
Bread made fresh every day in the woodstone oven by Towner.
They put warm stones in the box to keep the bread warm.
Smelt, fried in a tin, it is stuffed with herbs. Towner said it is a very lengthy process making but well worth the flavor.
One of our beautiful waitresses Anna with apple juice.
This was amazing squash with black truffle and truffle sauce topped with roasted chestnuts.
Oysters with tequila sauce again a beautiful plating.
Inside
Huckleberry juice, it was so rich it reminds me of wine but is so delicious.
I can only imagine how many huckleberries you need to make juice.
Salmon with capers.
These are truly amazing it is a candy, when you bite into it gin explodes into your mouth.
Elderberry flower juice, there are no words to describe how this glorious drink tastes.
Dessert is a rose served several ways: sea foam, ice cream, nougatine, meringue.
The depth and levels of flavor are amazing.
Cheese, Salmon and Rye bread to end the meal.
The only thing I didn't get a picture of is a carmel candy with fax seed in it was so yummy.
This is the private room they have for large parties it wasn't being used and I wanted everyone to see how beautiful it is.
We are so proud of Towner and grateful for an out of this world eating experience we would have never been able to experience without his kindness and generosity. Here is the link to check out the restraunt
