Willows Lodge
Lodge · Woodinville ·
Rustic-chic lodge with spa, fireplaces, and fine dining
Rustic-chic lodge with spa, fireplaces, and fine dining
"Opened on Lummi Island in 2010, this once-idyllic destination drew diners willing to make the two-hour drive and ferry trip from Seattle for its rustic-chic, hyperlocal tasting menus created by former Noma chef Blaine Wetzel and praised on national best-of lists. The property — a hotel, farm, and dining room set in lush surroundings — later became mired in controversy after a 2021 New York Times investigation and subsequent lawsuits alleging wage theft, sexual harassment, and racist bullying, along with widespread staff resignations and local protests; despite that, it remained open until closing in November and served its final meal the week before Thanksgiving. The owners donated the sprawling, roughly $2 million property to a Christian nonprofit, and it is unclear if the site will reopen as a restaurant and hotel or be sold to raise funds for the nonprofit’s work. Reports that the former chef and his wife planned a separate Mexico project were later followed by his statement that he would not be involved." - ByAli Francis
"Set in the natural beauty of Woodinville’s countryside, the Willows Lodge was the draw that convinced Moore to move out of the city; its setting helped make the Barking Frog into a fine-dining destination, and the lodge’s guests are served three meals a day by the restaurant 365 days a year." - Jade Yamazaki Stewart
"A sophisticated surprise in a semi-rural setting," this Northwest-style lodge is in the wine country 20 minutes outside Seattle. "Big, gorgeous, high-tech rooms" open to their own patios, are warmed by stone fireplaces, and come with the "best-stocked minibar ever." The Barking Frog restaurant serves "amazing American cuisine" with Pacific Northwest influences. "If you are lucky enough to dine at the Herbfarm, you’ll always remember the nine-course menu with wine pairings." The renovated spa offers treatments including lomilomi massages and body wraps. "This place distills the essence of the Northwest to conjure up a beautiful, romantic ambience."
"A remote, high-end island restaurant reachable only after a long drive and a ferry ride north of Seattle, celebrated for a tasting-menu experience that centers on hyper-local Puget Sound bounty. The cooking functions as a precise taxonomy of regional ingredients — salmonberries, spotted prawns, beach pea tips, razor clams — and simple, exacting preparations that let single ingredients shine, such as a quartet of mushroom stews made with just two kinds of mushrooms and butter and a smoked mussels recipe that calls only for mussels, white wine, and a smoker. The book that documents the place emphasizes striking top-down photography and archival, specimen-like presentations that memorialize dishes and the island’s seasonal produce." - Eater Staff
"Willows Lodge’s location, on the eastern edge of the Seattle suburbs (not far from Microsoft’s hometown of Redmond) makes it an obvious choice for tech-industry corporate retreats. Of course what’s good for the company is good for the independent leisure traveler as well — you don’t have to be on a trust-building exercise with your sales team to enjoy this modern-rustic spa resort. The building, constructed from century-old salvaged timber, is worth admiring; more immediately satisfying, however, are the creature comforts, which include Frette linens, deep two-person whirlpool baths, and thermostat-controlled showers, which don’t sound like a big deal, but you’ll quickly find actually are. Plush enough, then, that leaving the room will take some tempting. Should the weather hold out, the surrounding country is chock full of hiking and biking trails, as well as a number of local wineries. Closer to home there’s the full-service spa, offering the full complement of massages and beauty treatments. The excellent Barking Frog is probably Washington State’s best bistro, which in turn is practically fast food compared to the legendary Herbfarm, serving nine painstaking courses of locally sourced seasonal fare, accompanied by matched wines — book far in advance, as missing out on this meal would be unthinkable." - Tablet Hotels