Harbor House (breakfast), Elk, CA., 9/11 & 12/25

exterior- 5600 CA-1, Elk, CA 95432

At Harbor House Inn breakfast is included with your room.  If you stay in the lodge you can eat in the dining room that looks out at the coast line.  If you are in one of the cottages they will bring it to your place.  The policy after Covid was to eat in your room when staying in the old redwood lodge and now  it’s much nicer to be at a proper table with coffee refills and the view.  They’ve added more options to the breakfast choices and we tried some of them.  Here I’ve pictured some of the new items as well as including past photos of our in-room breakfast trays (in case you stay in a cottage).  Your breakfast includes beverage including changing fresh fruit juice.  You also get some of their milk bread (which is quite toasty and thickly sliced), butter, jam and a seasonal pastry with your entree choice.   It is a lovely breakfast that is just one more reason you should stay there when you go.    I must say Frankie mostly doesn’t eat breakfast so I only got her posing with some decorations. Continue reading

Harbor House Inn Restaurant, Elk, CA., 8/22&23/24

front – 5600 CA-1, Elk, CA 95432

Prior to this visit we dined at Harbor House last May 2024 and Nov. 2023 but many other times as you’ll find if you search for it on this site.  We would go more often if we were a bit closer – it’s definitely at the top of our list of favorites.  The staff are all very welcoming and the meal truly deserves its 2 Michelin Star rating.  They also achieved a Green Star for their protection of the environment and no-waste ethic.  Chef Matt Kammerer and his team have created a jewel for this beautiful coastal setting which serves locally sourced proteins and ingredients harvested from their ranches.  They put great effort into creating new items for your second night but will repeat some of your favorites too.  Their wine list continues to evolve nicely under Kelly Eckel and we trusted him to select for us and he finds some wonderful choices.  The restaurant changes a few things every time we visit and this visit found carpet in the main dining room.  Another means to buffer the perfect noise level but I’m not sure I liked covering the gorgeous wood floor.  Now that most amazing staff can whiz by and you won’t even notice.  I must also mention that one of their fabulous captains, Jaclyn Bisantz won the young server competition and will now represent the U.S. in the international competition!  Quite an honor but you couldn’t find someone more deserving.  Great staff are a huge component of a restaurant’s success and I look forward to seeing every one of them again soon.  Hope I’ll see you there too! Continue reading

Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA., 8/13 & 14/20

Harbor House Inn

The property where the Harbor House Inn is today was used as a place for the families brought in to work in the lumber industry in the late 1800’s. Goodyear Redwood Company bought the lumber mill and land in 1916 and hired Louis Christian Mullgardt to build a home that would showcase the beauty of the redwoods. Elk Redwood Company bought it in 1932 and from then it changed hands a number of times. In 2005 Jin and Eva Lu purchased the Inn and then closed it in 2013 when they did a 5 year renovation project. They have 6 traditional rooms in the main house and 5 standalone cottages that are on the grounds. We were lucky to stay in the Redwood Room of the main building. Normally I don’t post hotels on this blog but last post here was of the restaurant in the inn and I wanted you to also see the breakfasts that come with the rooms.

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