Orcas Island

After we returned from Glacier National Park, we spent four days on Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands in Washington State. It is hard to pick one photo to depict Orcas. There are marinas, and harbors. There is farmland. There are little villages. There is forest. As you can see, I chose to depict some farmland close to our inn.

We stayed at the Turtleback Farm Inn. I suppose that there are other good places to stay on the island, but I don't see how they could be better than Turtleback. We had a very large and well lit room with a peaceful view out onto the pasture where sheep were grazing. Breakfasts were of the highest B&B quality. All the amenities were very well thought out and complete.

During the day, we walked on trails in the forest, visited various harbors, wandered through the little village, and generally relaxed and did some serious reading. One day we took the ferry to Friday harbor on San Juan island where we looked around and had lunch.

Our inn did not serve dinner, so we were on our own fortified with advice from our innkeeper. Here is a report:

New Leaf Cafe: An incredibly good meal in every respect. We shared a grilled fig salad with local greens, pear, pancetta, and gorgonzola with a creamy lemon dressing. I had a wild mushroom risotto with hazel nuts, pear tomatoes, crimini and shitake mushrooms. Katherine had a shellfish pot with Buck Bay clams, mussels, and Alaskan King Crab. All this was accompanied by a bottle of Mt. Baker Pinot Gris. I had one glass of Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel with my risotto. We were blown away by the quality of this meal. The chef was Robert Chenault, a Cordon Bleu grad.

The Inn at Ships Bay: We started with local oysters. Salty, but carefully shucked and pleasant. Then Katherine had local salmon - overcooked and dry. I ordered a special of the day not on the menu: Bouillabaisse. It was unusual. The broth was about 3/8"deep at the bottom of the bowl. So the fish and clams and mussels were little boulders poking out of the thin layer of broth. Some of the fish had been grilled rather than cooked in the broth. Now there is nothing wrong with a new approach to an old classic per se. The downfall was the broth. It was more like flavored saltwater than a rich fish stock. The predominant spice was black pepper that seemed to be added to disguise the lack of a proper fish base. No saffron was detectable. This restaurant had been recommended highly and we were predisposed to like it. However the kitchen was not capable of producing the items offered. The hostess and waiter were second rate.

Kingfish Inn: This small and unpretentious restaurant with a great view was a pleasant change of pace. We started with fried oysters. You do not see that often and they are not typical foodie fare but I like them. These were the best I have ever had. This restaurant prides itself on making the best hamburger on the island, but that was not what we had in mind for an entrée. The waiter said that the other signature dishes were freshly caught wild salmon with red curry sauce and freshly caught halibut with green curry sauce. So that's what we had and were glad that we did.

Deer Harbor Inn: When we walked in, it seemed unpromising because of the 1940s ranch decor and the emptiness of the dining room. However, an appetizer of smoked wild salmon with Gravenstein apple slices and white cheddar strips woke us up. This was followed by a very good broccoli soup and then a salad of fresh local greens. Then as an entrée Katherine had seafood with Penne. Since I had eaten salmon or another seafood every day for five days, I had a New York steak. Perfectly cooked. For desert we shared a wonderful apple pie made with local Gravensteins.