Maurice Diaz

Maurice Diaz

21 Meals
Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

at Willows Inn on 16 December 2018
Photo Views
43
Meal Views
824

The #1 restaurant in the US for three years straight, according to the OAD list. This is my second visit here, the first time back in about five years. I feel so lucky to have this place in my backyard. All ingredients are sourced in/on/or around an isolated island to the NW of Seattle. Also, the chef worked at Noma... and that nordic influence shows.
This visit was the last dinner service of the season, and thus, the diners received extras at the end of the meal.

like comment Share
Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

A view of the outside of the building.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

A view from the waiting area outside of the dining room. And yes, that IS a beach across the road.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Toasted kale chips.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Orchard cudrite - a selection of pears and apples that were grown on the island. The one at the top left is a dehydrated pear slice and it was dynamite!

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

A trio of bivalves - salish sea oysters; blue clams; pink scallops. As fresh and tasty as shellfish could possibly be.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Chilled turnips with their greens.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Cured rockfish with poblano.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Sea urchin with sunflower root.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Smoked mussels. So plump and sweet.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Savory donut. Inside is smoked black cod.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Seared razor clams.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Smoked sockeye salmon, glazed with butter and maple. Their signature dish... this potion was three times bigger than how I remembered it.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Stewed yellowfoot mushrooms.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Dungeness crab with bread from heirloom wheat. Hands down, my favorite dish of the night. I’d been looking forward to the typical congealed chicken drippings that is served with the bread course, but it was traded out for this crab extravaganza. The squiggly bits are actually not tomalley... it’s a crab custard which is cooked with a broth from crab shells; and the crab portion itself is loaded with a ton of crab meat. Pure crab decadence!

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Rutabaga and caramelized squid. The rutabaga is slow-roasted and covered with herbs.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Braised puntarelle and pork. Puntarelle is a bitter green that is related to chicory.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Pre-dessert. Toasted birch branches served as a tea. Persimmon, rosehip, and medlar jams.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Fresh and preserved quince. In granita and jam form.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

Different types of nuts - shaved walnuts and hazelnuts, with ice cream and various mousses.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

A goodie bag which held some treats to take home.

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

The last mignardise - their signature flax caramels, a breakfast treat for tomorrow of bread with peach jam. As an added treat for being part of the final dinner service of the season, we also got copies of a gardening book written by one of their purveyors. So classy! .

Dinner at The Willows Inn Restaurant

A copy of the menu.