Willows Inn

…simply put; a lot of cash for not an equivalent return.

I assume there’s nothing I could write that hasn’t already been covered in greater detail elsewhere, but I have to at least submit a review.
This is perhaps… more of an experience than a meal. Every bite you take was arguably the sum of at least years if not decades of culinary thought. No detail is too small to be considered. In taste, yes, but also in nutrition, aesthetics, even environmental impact and logistics. The best cooking is as much a science as it is an art or skill, and whether it’s the kale chips, the ivory king salmon, black cod donut, etc. the flavors are reduced to chemistry.

Escapism is becoming a theme in my dining and to dine at Willows is to run away from the everyday and toward that «vacation» mindset you vowed to hang onto last time you traveled back from Maui or Vietnam or wherever (only to inevitably lose the feeling as work and rote tasks ate it away), even if only for a few hours. The whole island is in a way alien — and the more alien the better! The ferry ride is completely foreign to this city girl… As you’re whisked off to a sunny little planet that looks like a carefree beach town, where everyone waves at you, and the air smells like sea-​soaked reeds.
A few minutes off the ferry and you’re driving again. This time a little slower. The air feels cleaner; the light, more visceral; your brain, less tired. There are people walking and biking in the road. You’re definitely on an island now.
A word of advice: sit on the patio around 6:00. From the moment you arrive on the vine-​laced deck — the whole Sound (with its occasional black outlines of sea life) laid out literally in front of you — you’re greeted enthusiastically by a cool wind, attentive service with thoughtful details, and what Willows Inn calls «snacks.» To anyone else, these would probably be called amuse bouches. I’d call it foreplay. By 6:45ish, everyone is seated happily inside the restaurant with a drink in hand.
I don’t want to spoil the food for anyone. Don’t get me wrong, the food is the crown jewel of this place, the ingredients the treasures of a time and place — the season and the island’s local people — but honestly, talking about it cheapens the experience… just a little. Let’s just say, the food is something else. It evokes feelings, as it should. It’s plated in an achingly gorgeous and yet raw way, just for your pleasure, for you to destroy, at your whim, moments later. The dishes radiate the essence of the thing that it is – flowers, bread, pine cones, venison. Tastes of the island in early Summer. I had the best piece of fatty, smokey, juicy, salmony salmon I’ve ever had in my entire life here. For me, that is saying a lot.
I also suggest the juice pairings. They’re definitely juices and not teas (like Herb Farm, if you want to compare), but they compliment the courses nicely and taste great on their own. There’s creativity here, a genuine reliance on flavor alone — and not limited to grapes. Getting drunk for a couple hundred dollars is never a goal of mine. However, if it is yours, then, by all means, let the wine flow!
The dining room, airy with natural summer light shimmering off the water and conversations crescendoing with each drink pairing, is warm and unpretentious. Some people dress up, some don’t. The silver is quirky and mismatched. The servers are joke-​y and observant, but out of the way when they need to be… and the front door is left open as if to welcome casual neighbors. Every detail moves with a deliberate otherworldly calm, but with room for spontaneity. There isn’t a bad table in the whole restaurant.
When the sun sets in the middle of dinner service, as it does in that showy island sort-​of way, everyone leaves their seats and goes outside. People hold hands, they embrace, they put away their phones, and, for a second, they forget where they are.

As with a lot of people it was the Bön Appétit article that prompted this visit as part of efforts to dine at the best restaurants around the globe.
For the most part all ingredients and preparation were spot on… but there weren’t any tastes or textures to blow you away. No lasting memories. In my case one course was missed. Didn’t say anything, what do you say in that situation. Later they brought a course already served earlier.
Was hoping for more for $ 175 and their premium lodging rates.

Simply by far the best dining experience I ever had! My girlfriend took me there for my birthday dinner.
It’s a 22 course menu. We started at 6pm and ended at 10pm, a total of 4 hours! Their dishes are very unique. As far as I can tell, their dishes are very simple and taste amazing. Just to give you an idea, let me mention some of my favorites: kale leaves with black truffles, turnip stems and caramelized razor clam, wild herbs and crispy mustard leaves. Their smoked salmon was also something I had never tasted, amazing!
What’s equally amazing is their staff. The waitresses and the chefs are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. It’s very clear that they all just love what they do because they are all very happy. They all spend time with you explaining each dish and they answer any questions you may have. There are a couple of waitresses, but chefs, including the head chef, Blaine Wetzel, bring out the food to the table. When they come to the table, they actually look very happy. I’m very sure it’s because they are very proud of what they serve and they know we will be amazed by what we are about to try. Their kitchen is extremely calm and the chefs welcome the customers to the kitchen. We took photos of them preparing food and also a picture with the head chef.
My girlfriend and I have dined at many restaurants in many cities and countries (LA, New York, France, Italy, Japan, etc), but our evening at the Willows Inn was the best dining experience! Their food is amazing, but the whole experience is simply incredible!
p. s., They gave me a birthday card with signatures from the chefs, a personal touch I love!
p. p. s., We arrived at 6pm sharp (as we were told) but noticed that most of the guests had already arrived. So, it’s a good idea to get there a little bit earlier to get a good table.
******************************
If you found something useful in my review, please hit «useful» so that I can improve my reviews. Thank you and happy Unilocaling!

The Inn itself is fine and the views are stunning. The food was very disappointing. At least 3 of my courses were «smoked»; by which I mean they were so smoked all you could taste was smoke. Like licking a fireplace. Any other flavors that may have been included in the food were completely lost. Two of the dishes (palette cleanser and one of the desserts) included floral additions (rose and hyssop respectively). Both were like drinking an old woman’s perfume bottle. Possibly the most disappointing dish has the best story; the sous chef delivers the food himself and proudly states that he as worked all day on this dish. What he puts in front of us is a small bowl of oily liquid and approximately 10, 2 inch long herb stems. They had been cooked to varying degrees of mushy. That is a lot of work for some bland, boring scraps. Even the decent dishes were overthought, unnecessarily complicated (to deal with), without any complexity of flavor. For example, one of the dishes involved a tempura mustard leaf, on which we were told to smear a paste like-​green sauce, then add foraged herbs from another plate. There were something like 10 selections, most of which our server couldn’t describe or even name. If the point of this was for us to learn about local foraged produce, it was a complete failure. I thought the house made bread (which came towards the end of the meal) was pretty good and the seed fudge surprise dessert was good. Otherwise, I would rather spend the money on someplace like Herb Farm.

Three words… Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!!!
Best meal experience I have ever had. Truly innovative meals. Chef Blaine has incredible talent. I had no idea what to expect from this meal. My husband and one of my daughter’s surprised me with a birthday meal here. I have wanted to eat here for a long time, ever since I have been reading about Chef Blaine in many publications, as a new up and coming Chef.
It was a 3.5 hour, 19 course meal experience, which I thought would be way too much food. However, each dish is 2 – 3 bites, which is just enough, since there are so many courses to enjoy.
Chef Blaine is so creative with food, how does he come up with this stuff. Each dish tasted so fresh, interesting and incredibly flavorful. What Chef does with the season’s herbs, vegetables, and seafood, is out of this world.
I have no idea how anyone would be hungry after this meal. We were comfortably full, not overly stuffed.
I have to also mention the team surrounding Chef Blaine, servers and sous chefs, were outstanding. I love how the team rotated tables so we were able to meet everyone. A special thank you to the lovely gentlemen that kept our water glass full.
I would highly recommend Willows Inn as a special treat. It is costly, but worth every penny spent, not just for the food, but also for the experience. The view and sunset was breathtaking.
Thank you Chef Blaine and Willows Inn Team

Best meal (now been 5 times) I have ever had. It’s an experience, it is art, innovative, approachable, and insanely delicious local food. I have been to many top places, even Noma, and this is better. How BLAINE can take a sun choke and make it taste like sausage is unreal. Thank you so much to everyone at Willows Inn for giving us so much life through your food and service.

I can’t imagine how a recent reviewer left dinner hungry! Yes, they are tiny portions, but there were so many of them that my husband and I were stuffed at the end of the evening. And we had a late breakfast and skipped lunch, so we arrived starving.
Really unique and interesting local ingredients and flavors. Definitely it was like food as art. Servers were very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable without coming off as rehearsed. Wine pairings were spot on. This was definitely one of the best and most memorable dinners I’ve had. Ambiance is welcoming and relaxed, it is definitely not stuffy or snooty.
We did stay in a room at the Inn which felt a little overpriced. It was okay, but not really what I expected for $ 275 (and that was one of the lower priced rooms – can’t speak to others). Thin walls, finishes a little worn, and very tiny. However, I would still book a room again as it was best not having to drive after that amazing meal. The bed was comfy enough and bathroom towels were super soft. We also did the breakfast in the morning which was local, unique, and surprisingly filling.
I do wish that the website had a little more information about pricing as I didn’t realize the wine pairing would be as much as it was. We spent over $ 700 on dinner (a cocktail each, dinner for two, added wine pairings, coffees after dinner, gratuity). I mainly share this for anyone interested in the costs, as they are significant. Spent a few hundred more than I’d imagined, but overall, we had such a wonderful time and I’m so glad we went. Thank you to Willows Inn for an unforgettable experience!

So we are foodies. Through and through: we love food. We have eaten at restaurants from Sydney to London to New York to Cali. And we were so excited to try Lummi Island’s crown jewel, The Willows Inn, on our honeymoon.
Let me start by saying that we THINK each course was decent… The kale with truffles, black cod doughnuts, plum skins with vanilla ice cream… sounds delicious. The problem was 3-​fold.
1. The delicious courses were few and far in between.
2. The courses were about 2 bites a piece. At most. And for folks who love food, well, 2 bites is just an annoyingly painful tease! And for a price tag of $ 500 for 2 people, we want to walk away with full bellies and singing taste buds.
And honestly, we walked in thinking this would be the case… we kept thinking «this is the course that will make us love this place»…but every time they brought food, the 2 bites or food that they brought, it felt self-​important and salty. The hype around this gorgeous place might be well-​deserved. But if it is, Blaine was gone the night we ate.
3. We were just numbers in the revolving door of worshippers. When you are celebrating a big thing, you want to commemorate it. And for that reason, it feels necessary and acceptable to spend more than average on your meal. Because of that, the price tag wasn’t a huge deal for us. But when we walked away scarfing down bread as the only way to make our stomache quit gnawing at itself, we knew we were in trouble. If you are charging the same price for every customer: well then make sure each customer is fed and full to his/​her needs. We appreciate being players in a bit if the director is generous (or at least takes care of his crew). But leaving our tummies and wallets empty is a bitter way to end the story.
So at the end, my sweet husband kept saying, «we’ve got to tell people this is a rip-off…it doesn’t begin to live up to its hype». And as I drifted off to sleep, all I could think of was a nice big waffle to fill my belly first thing tomorrow morning…

Expensive locavore destination restaurant — we had 19 courses in our dinner, and two specialty cocktails, as well as a wine pairing, and we stayed in the Inn. It was the most expensive dinner I’ve ever had, and it was a wonderful experience.
Everything was locally sourced, each carefully accented flavor popped or melted in your mouth. Particularly good were the smoked black cod donuts (doesn’t even begin to describe what it really is), the pickled oysters and the bread in chicken pan drippings. I think my favorite was the Dungeness crab with pine nuts. I really liked Inati Bay clam strips and my Sandita Smash cocktail (gin, dill and sour gherkins). The broth made of zucchini stems was surprisingly wonderful … and those kinds of surprises was what this dining experience is all about. A few of the dishes didn’t wow, though all were good, and the presentation was superb.
The cabin called The Cottage was rustic but clean and incredibly pleasant, and a perfect place to stay with our dogs. The location of the Willows Inn on a breezy bluff overlooking a beach on Lummi really makes this a retreat. Yes, there is cell-​service, but I recommend turning your devices off, and just enjoying the meal and being there.
An amazing experience. Needless to say, reservations months in advance are essential.

Superb dining! And I cannot believe it has not been reviewed on Unilocal before. Chef Blaine is James Beard Award winner. The dining was a multiple small course dinner — 14 – 16 to be exact but who knows after a bottle of wine. Everything is locally sources and well made. I loved the black cod donuts, calamari, halibut skin with seaweed on top and smoked mussels the best. Silverware was fabulous too. The best meal and so close to Seattle. Worth to go again.

Best meal I ever had.
Proposed to my fiancée here
Love their approach to 20 small plates that highlighted individual ingredients, cooked to perfection
Favorite parts were razorneck clam, kale chip with truffle oil, asparagus soup, grilled mushroom, grilled arugula, smoked salmon, mussels on sun choke purée
Similar to Chez Panisse in terms of highlighting natural local food, but at an even higher level

This was, hands down, the best experience my husband and I have had in Washington state (where I was born and raised), maybe even NYC (where we currently live). We thought perhaps it was elevated by our disappointing night at Canlis a couple of nights before, but it really was a stand-​alone, blown out of the water, experience.
When we first arrived (May 10), the woman at reception was super nice. She gave us a run down of all the amenities we could take advantage of, even though we were only staying the one night, and of course where to find the room.
The room itself was great. One of the first things I noticed, and loved, was there was no TV in the room. Combine that with the choice we made to turn off our cell phones it was a perfect disconnect. Super comfortable beds, clean sleeping space and really clean bathrooms (a must). We definitely took advantage of the steam shower… Um. Amazing.
It was a really beautiful afternoon so we went to the porch for cocktail hour. Everyone we interacted with was really welcoming and nice, but Emily definitely stood out. Around 6:30, we got a glass of cider from one of the kitchen staff and then shortly after were served snacks, which after being taken into the dining room, progressed perfectly into dinner. Unfortunately, Chef Blaine was out of the country so we were unable to meet and thank him, but the rest of his team really did an amazing job. Sous Chef Nicolas is a really kind and talented man. He even took time in the morning to say goodbye to us after we had finished breakfast, which was a delicious smörgåsbord of local fare.
All I can finish with is that I would have much rather skipped Canlis and stayed an extra night here. It is well worth the trek!

We dropped by today — it was closed but we saw two people on the deck — as we walked up the manager waved at us. Although the place was closed she said that they could put together a lunch with soft boiled eggs, smoked salmon, hard cheese, prosciutto, and biscuits with rose hip jam. Since no other place was open it was very kind of her.
We got a copy of a dinner menu and info about the on– site spa room. I would definitely return and will try to arrange a stay.

Dandelion blossom jelly, Dandelion blossom jelly, laminated biscuits, pine tree sugar cookies. Incredible breakfast @Willows Inn, Lummi Island. Just go.

*I am the bullet point reviewer so I will keep it short, so much already said here
*Mind blowing. Appoachable. Smoked salmon like you’ve never had. Once in a lifetime meal.
*I put Willows and Sooke up on the same pedestal but if I had to choose, Willows wins. I never knew I could fall in love with black cod in a salted donut!

I have to give 4 stars because even though I would give the restaurant 5 stars, the Inn was only 2 stars. To be fair, this is based off our experience last October (so things may have changed since then). Explanation below:
The food. The food is AMAZING. It’s the best meal I’ve ever had. Each of the dishes/​courses is perfect. I’ve never enjoyed a meal so much. I can’t wait to go back — it’s a total foodie destination and one that you don’t want to miss. We’ve gifted it out as wedding presents because we want everyone to have the experience.
Accommodations. The accommodations are missing something. For how good the restaurant is, the inn is super weak and way overprice. Our room was mediocre… not super clean, smelled weird, outdated furniture and it was right above/​near the kitchen so it was really noisy. When we go back we’re going to try to either stay somewhere else or drive up just for the evening. It’s unfortunate because it was be so rad if the inn was as good as the restaurant… renovate your inn!

I’ll just go ahead and say it: Best meal I’ve ever had. We’ve all been to a bunch of restaurants, so I won’t get into that, but what I will say is Chef knows what the hell he’s doing with the incredibly fresh, seasonal ingredients he has there. It’s inventive, it’s fresh, it’s new — it’s risky and it works. All of the things.
I won’t get into the details, since most of them will probably change day by day, but we sat down for what ended up being 20 snacks-​courses. We also opted for the wine pairing. Everything was spot on, and we loved the service of the place — friendly, casual, but damn straight spot on.
The highlight of the meal for me was easily the bread course. Ok, you’re probably laughing. Why spend all that money for the bread course to be your favorite? I’ll tell you — they serve piping hot, crusty bread with fresh butter and CHICKEN PAN DRIPPINGS. It’s like Thanksgiving in a bite. It’s so good I could drink it. Also, it’s the details — they could have just served nice bread and butter, but they went well above and beyond with that.
The hotel was fantastic too, and breakfast was just as much of a wow. At one point, the server came over with another small cup of steamed cream just to make sure we had enough ‘warm’ cream. Everything was flawless.

***Willows Inn is a true destination restaurant with food that perfectly reflects its location***
Willows Inn has to be one of the very best destination restaurants in the country. Just getting there is its own adventure. It is a long but beautiful drive from Seattle and you have to take a ferry to get to Lummi Island (Willows Inn’s home). With the water, the mountains and great trees, the area is a perfect reflection of the Pacific Northwest and the food at Willows Inn seems to express its location more strongly than any restaurant I have been to in the U.S.
Willows Inn’s tasting menu from young local chef Blaine Wetzel unveils one course after another that highlights the excellent seafood fished in the northwest as well as vegetables and herbs farmed and foraged here. Willows Inn goes beyond the not-​as-​unique-​as-​it-​used-​to-​be farm to table approach by presenting many ingredients in their purest form, which seems to truly capture this remote area of Washington.
While the food is presented very simply, the flavors are strong and the care for the ingredients results in exquisite preparations. Smoking is used a lot (a trademark of this area) and it helps delivers some of the menu’s best offerings. A smoked mussel is served in a box that emits a great smoke effect when it is opened. The strong aroma revealed how often smoked on the menu is a throwaway description and not actually something the kitchen achieved. The smoking here created a unique crispy texture to the outside of the mussel that I have not had elsewhere.
The smoked sockeye salmon course was very nicely seasoned and had a sausage-​like snap and texture, which might explain why the restaurant used beer to pair with this course. The shiitake mushroom had a really strong flavor and the grilling process revealed the many natural textural contrasts that can be developed when the ingredient is cooked properly.
Very moist and soft lamb was served with grass, which was a great touch (fragrant but also reflective of how that protein is raised). The venison tartare was one of the more complex courses of the night. The venison was cleanly cut and served simply so its flavor and moisture could stand out. The tartare came with perfect accompaniments like grated egg yolk, crunchy and hearty rye crisps and leafy and slightly bitter wild greens.
It should be no surprise that seafood was done very well here. A very fresh scallop was beautifully chopped and served with chives and a creamy, refreshing and milk-​like broth. Halibut was slow poached (very moist) and served with wild onions while its skin was used to create a crispy, flavorful and light cone that was filled with cream and clams. Salmon roe was the juicy surprise in crispy crepes filled with crème fraîche and covered in chives.
Many of the courses were presented as snacks. I have listed some above, but there was also crispy kale chips topped with dollops of pungent black truffle nage. If you arrive early, you might be treated to upscale bar snacks like raw Washington oysters, prosciutto and kale presented two ways (crispy and sauteed).
While I would have preferred more of a pastry item towards the end of the menu, the simple desserts here did fit with the restaurant’s vision. While I am sure the kitchen could turn out an exceptional pastry element with dessert, it probably would have felt out of a place. For dessert, incredibly smooth and creamy ice cream delivered a strong hazelnut flavor and was served along warm chestnut purée. Caramels were coated in toasted flax seeds and you may think of kettle corn when you eat them.
In addition to the great food, the plating was wonderful. It captured Willows Inn’s close to nature approach as some of the food blended naturally with its serving pieces. You also do not get the splashes of bright color here like you do at other fine dining restaurants, which also reflects the restaurant’s more naturalistic vision and style.
Service was very personable and polished and like SF’s Saison, many of the courses were presented by the chefs.
The dining room goes very well with the food – rustic but elegant – and the view is exceptional. Prices are high, but Willows Inn is the kind of truly unique dining experience that you are not going to find in many places (even in great food cities like San Francisco).
Willows Inn is a very special restaurant. It is very rare when each element of the dining experience (the flavors, the presentations, the service, the dining room, the view, the location) blend together so perfectly like they do at Willows Inn. It is the type of restaurant that feels like it could only be here. And when the restaurant can produce food as delicious, perfectly prepared and creative as Willows Inn, it is a restaurant that has to be at the very top of your list if you love food.
Willows Inn has free parking.