Dinner at Willows Inn on Lummi Island

Dinner at Willows Inn on Lummi Island

at Willows Inn on 2 April 2018
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Breakfast Spread: Duck egg | Buckwheat crepe | Radish | Strawberry jam | Kale | House smoked bacon, cheese, king salmon lux, formate Blanc, honeycomb
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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Breakfast Spread: Duck egg | Buckwheat crepe | Radish | Strawberry jam | Kale | House smoked bacon, cheese, king salmon lux, formate Blanc, honeycomb
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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Sunsets on Lummi Island ?
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Juice Pairings: Bay Leaf | White current | Spruce tips | Pear | Elderflower | Tea
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Serving of early summer berries
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Anyse hissop and lavender
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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Black cod collars marinated in Lummi Island curry
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Wheat bread with Dungeness crab
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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Ivory king salmon
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Lummi Island tostada
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Spot prawns ?
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Zucchini squash steamed with chamomile, nasturtium flower purée
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Grilled geoduck, sauce made from the liver
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Chilled turnip soup with sturgeon caviar
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Native oysters in a watercress sauce
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Cured rockfish, broth of its own bones, fish gelee
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
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Savory doughnut with smoked black cod and bits of seaweed
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Blue clams with freshly grated radish
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Kale from Loganita farms with white truffle purée
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White striped shrimp marinated with rhubarb and sage from the garden
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Lettuce root from the farm
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

Chest of smoked mussel ?
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Willows Inn, Lummi Island (July 2017)
#cityfoodsters_lummiisland
#cityfoodsters_willowsinn

What started as a curious visit 3 years ago has become an annual tradition. Every year, we make it up to Willows Inn on Lummi Island to have dinner. The menu constantly evolves based on what is available on the island. Chef Blaine Wetzel has cemented himself into the restaurant world with multiple accolades, including Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2012, James Beard Rising Star Chef in 2014, and James Beard Best Chef Northwest in 2015. This place is slowly feeling more like a home away from home.
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What Grant Achatz had to say in his foreword in Blaine Wetzel's book 'Sea and Smoke':
"I knew about Blaine's work experience at Manresa and Noma. People were talking about this magical restaurant that procured most of its ingredients from the waters, fields, woods, and forests a stone's throw from the kitchen. I heard about the commitment to simply arriving there--planes, cars, and a ferry. I hope this guy can cook.
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And then the first course came. A simple smoked mussel. That is all it was. And all of what it was. Sincere, provocative, mature, and intelligent defined the voice of Blaine Wetzel's cooking."