James Beard – Here Are the 2015 James Beard Awards Finalists
The James Beard Foundation has announced the finalists for the 2015 James Beard Awards at the James Beard House in New York City (the semifinalists were announced last month). The Book, Broadcast and Journalism Award winners will be announced on April 24. The winners...
Travel + Leisure – Washington’s San Juan Islands: an Ideal Tour
The San Juan Islands and their neighbors in Washington State’s Salish Sea are a place out of time. Shane Mitchell boards the ferry to find the artists, chefs, and urban refugees who live within this archipelago, at a speed of their own choosing. 'Great day for a boat...
VacationIdea – 20 Best Honeymoon Weekend Getaways in the United States
Busy couples who don't have time for a long honeymoon have many great options closer to home. The properties that made our list include full service resorts, quiet hideaways and coastal retreats where you can get pampered at the spa, have gourmet dinners and enjoy...
Portland Monthly – Lummi Island: An Otherworldly Northwest Island Escape
The meal of a lifetime? It's on a woodsy island at the edge of the San Juans, and it's waiting for you. My first full day on Lummi Island, the clouds never lifted. It didn’t matter. After a regal spread of breakfast at the Willows Inn—bay-leaf juice, buttermilk...
James Beard – The 2015 Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists
They're here! Below are the semifinalists for our 2015 Restaurant and Chef Award categories, from Outstanding Restaurant to Rising Star Chef of the Year. Scroll down to see if your favorite restaurant or chef is in the running. (For a refresher on how these names were...
Gayot – 2015 Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the US
Chef Blaine Wetzel brings Scandinavian elegance and refined, precise technique to The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, located two hours north of Seattle. Enjoy his culinary vision of "food telling a story of the land" in a Craftsman-style structure with a simple dining...
The Culture Trip – The 10 Best Restaurants in Washington: A Bountiful State
Part of the Pacific Northwest, Washington is a beautiful state with an abundance of incredible bounty. From fresh seafood to locally raised meats, organic fruits and vegetables, the talented chefs found throughout the state are constantly transforming these...
Doofniks – My Amazing Adventure at the Willows Inn
My friend told me how wonderful their dinner was at the Willows Inn, I was 100% sure that one day I would make it there. Then, their chef, Blaine Wetzel, won the James Beard award for Rising Star Chef in 2014; I knew I was 150% sure I was going to the Willows Inn very...
RACHEL + DANIEL: MARRIED AT THE WILLOWS INN, LUMMI ISLAND
Rachel + Daniel: Married at the Willows Inn, Lummi Island - In Photos.
Travel Curious Often – Chef Blaine Wetzel: Wizard of Lummi Island
Standing on the dock waiting for the ferry to Lummi Island, we can’t see a thing. The fog is so thick and heavy we can barely make out the edge of the dock itself. But distant voices and an engine murmur can be heard, so we know the ferry is coming.
Seattle Refined – The Hottest Pacific Northwest Travel Tips For 2015
The skies are grey, the water is grey, your skin is grey and your mood? Well, that’s grey too. As the days finally start getting longer, it’s time to cheer yourself up by planning some travel adventures for the weeks and months ahead. I interviewed award-winning...
USA Today Travel – Our experts’ most memorable meals of 2014
Experience Food and Wine's contributors travel the world looking for the best meals, emerging food trends, innovative chefs and makers, and of course, food photos. This year our writers' adventures range from catching and cooking lionfish off the coast of Venezuela to...
Taste by the Travel Group – Is Willows Inn the Best Dining Experience in North America Today?
A full 5 Yums Up for me and a spot on my most memorable meal list. From the moment we pulled into the parking lot and were greeted by a fire in the grill and aromatic smoke chugging out of the smokehouse I was engaged in the experience of dining at Willows Inn. A good...
Foodty – Dinner at Willows Inn, Lummi Island on December 13, 2013
Dinner at Willows Inn, Lummi Island on December 13, 2013 - In Photos.
Bellingham Herald – Lummi Island gardener supplies vegetables, herbs for phenomenal meals at The Willows Inn
Mary von Krusenstiern is an early riser. Up and on the road before dawn, she leaves her Glacier home in time to catch the 6:30 morning ferry to Lummi Island. Five minutes from the dock is Loganita Farm, where she grows herbs and vegetables for The Willows Inn, just...
Huffington Post – Farm to Fork Across America: Chef Blaine Wetzel of Willows Inn on Lummi Island, WA
If Bellingham, Washington is all you would expect of a small, blue-collar city, busy, chaotic, dense, nearby Lummi Island is everything the opposite, sleepy, calm, sparse. After a 15-minute ferry crossing, stepping off into another world rehydrated the senses. The...
Let There Be Bite – Top 5 Tips for Visiting Willows Inn on Lummi Island
In 2010, the cash-strapped owner of the Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Washington, placed an ad on Craigslist for a head chef. Blaine Wetzel, who was raised in nearby Olympia and had spent the last two years cooking (and, of course, foraging) at Noma in Copenhagen, was...
TripAdvisor – The Best Restaurant in Every State in the USA
It’s simple really – the fastest way to a travelers heart is through his or her stomach. No matter where you go, you need to eat. A tried and true way to get a feel for the local culture is by eating the local fare. Owners should strive to surprise and delight...