Willows Inn (update), Lummi Island, 11/8/19

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dining room

It’s been about 2 years since we visited Willows Inn and this time it was late fall as opposed to summer.  The physical place hasn’t changed but the fall means shorter days and disrupts the view from the dining room.  It also means you can’t have the starter courses outside on the porch and instead everyone piled into the area by a large fireplace with seating being very varied.   Some were on benches, some sat at the bar on stools and there were a couple of sets of chairs by small tables, which I preferred.  The lighting was much darker as the room only was lit by candles and the fire – and that also made it quite warm.  Otherwise the system is pretty much the same.  You start with a series of snacks and then move into seafood and then protein to dessert.  It seemed like a lighter menu this time.   The dining room had just 12 tables with a painted wood  ceiling, narrow planked wood floor, music in the background with a sliding door to the kitchen at one end of the room.  In an adjacent room was a larger table for 6. Continue reading

Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Washington, 8/25/17

Willows Inn
Willows Inn

The Willows Inn is several hours of driving north of Seattle and a short ferry ride to the small Lummi Island.  The setting is lovely, overlooking the water and surrounded by greenery.  The Inn has a few rooms available for rent on the property as well as some places on the island but not on the property.  Plenty of parking is by the buildings or across the street near the entrance to their private beach front.  There is a nice porch on two sides of the main building, all with great views, a nice living room like room and a good sized dining room with individual tables.  After checking in, where there are a number of house made snacks to try, you are invited to enjoy the bar until dinner is served promptly at 6:00.   Dinner is an extended tasting menu that started on the shaded porch and then you are escorted into your table in the dining room.  Wine pairings are offered and it looked like generous pours however we chose to order our own wines off the almost all locally sourced wine list.   Continue reading