Picture of The Willows Inn Restaurant
Caption: The Willows Inn Lummi Island, Washington
Caption: I had heard about The Willows Inn and its young chef back in 2011. I even spent a day on Lummi (rhymes with yummy) Island that year but had not planned far enough ahead to make a reservation for the restaurant. Finally, this June, I was able to not only enjoy the food but also meet the humble and talented chef.
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Caption: Chef Blaine Wetzel. 29 years old.
2015 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Northwest.
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Caption: "I just want to show people real food, to share the experience of what we're lucky enough to get to eat here.” - Blaine Wetzel
(in Saveur magazine,
June 2015)
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Caption: Part of the dining area at the Willows Inn.
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Caption: "We never stop reaching for something that inspires us. We are lucky that we don't have to look any farther than our own shores to find beautiful flora and fauna." - Blaine Wetzel
in the James Beard Foundation blog April 2014
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Caption: 18 plates of art The meal took about 3 hours.
Each dish was prepared beautifully with the freshest of ingredients.
Pictured: Black cod doughnuts
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Caption: Raw prawns on nasturtium leaves
Menu art by sous chef Nick Green
Dinnerware by Akiko Graham
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Caption: Grilled squid with watercress
and herb blossoms
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Caption: Island berries and roses
with granita This was by far one of the prettiest dishes. Almost too pretty to eat. They sprinkled the granita on top at the table.
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Caption: Turnips in goat milk.
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Caption: Grilled strawberries with young pine ice cream. It tasted like Christmas in a bowl.
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Caption: Flax seed caramels to end the meal, paired with a 2013 Foris Moscato from Oregon.
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Caption: Sunsets for dessert
Caption: The Menu Crispy crepe and green garlic
Black cod doughnuts
Crispy halibut skins
Kale chips with black truffles
Shiitake mushrooms
Shikoku oysters
Raw prawns on nasturtium
Island berries and granita
Zucchini blossoms with broth
Turnips in goat's milk
Grilled squid
Lightly cured rock fish
Smoked mussels
Heirloom wheat bread
Line-caught fish
Strawberries with pine ice cream
Birch tea
Flax seed caramels
Caption: The Willows Inn
2579 W Shore Drive
Lummi Island
Washington 98262
All photos taken with iPhone 6
Edited with vscocam
