"In an April 27 New York Times expose, former employees from Lummi Island’s critically acclaimed Willows Inn accuse the restaurant of being, in short, a nightmare work environment. Among some of the most troubling claims in the article are that chef-owner Blaine Wetzel and the restaurant’s manager Reid Johnson oversaw a pattern of sexism, sexual harassment, and racist bullying at the Willows Inn, and that staff members allegedly preyed on teenaged girls from the island. The piece also claims that the carefully cultivated image of local sourcing was false, with items purchased at grocery stores passed off as island-grown ingredients." - Gabe Guarente