Northern
WINTER
Award-winning Chef Blaine Wetzel of the Willows Inn, Lummi Island,
is proud to call himself a locavore.
Everything on his highly acclaimed
18-course dinners is foraged, fished,
or farmed on this sparsely populated
island just outside of Bellingham.
Other young chefs are also drawn
to Bellingham by the lure of culinary
components which surround them.
From the sea, they incorporate native
geoduck, Olympia oysters, Dungeness crab, spot prawns, all 5 species
of salmon, muscles, clams and more.
The forests yield mushrooms, moss,
wood sorrel, Douglas fir tips, nettles,
huckleberries and other uniquely
flavored ingredients. Heirloom apples, herbs, domestic berries, and an
abundance of rare variety fruits and
vegetables are provided by local farms
and small acre garden plots.
Bellingham’s fresh and local options extend beyond food choices.
Throughout the year, a profusion of
festivals, activities and events pay
homage to Bellingham’s abundance
of regional food and beverages. Local wineries create crisp whites, deep
reds, sparkling and iced wines. Spirits
produced at local distilleries include
juniper gin, apple vodka and moonshine. A growing number of small
breweries are turning the taps on a
range of beers and ales ranging from
pale to stout. Even ice cream has a
decidedly local twist with handmade,
hand packed flavors ranging from avocado to Sea berry and some strange
sounding, but delicious, spur of the
minute options. Local coffee roasters
and outlets have helped propel Bellingham into national acclaim as one of the
country’s most “buzzed” towns.
Additional information about
where to eat, drink, play, shop and
visit in the Bellingham area can be
found at www.Bellingham.org .
BOTTOM: CHRISTINE JENKINS
DESTINATION