BOW – According to the staff at The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive, the fall colors are gorgeous right now. That means it’s time to enjoy a trip along one of the most scenic drives in America and exquisite food at this historic eatery.
The Oyster Bar opened in the 1920s and has always featured fresh fish from nearby waters and shellfish from Samish Bay. Over the years the restaurant, at treetop level, grew from a lunch counter to include a private dining room and deck, but it never lost the sweeping view of the bay and San Juan Islands.
It’s home to special occasion celebrations like anniversaries and birthdays, where the staff puts candles on desserts and provides framed instant photos. So children under 10 aren’t seated at tables with white tablecloths and candles.
At the same time, this isn’t a stuffy place. The Sunday afternoon I visited, members of two leather-clad motorcycle clubs found their way downstairs to the private dining room because the main dining room was filled with couples enjoying the last days of summer.
If the stunning view in this lodgelike setting isn’t enough, go for the wine list. There are almost 500 wines available. The staff said it’s the largest wine list in three counties and it has consistently received accolades from Wine Spectator magazine.
I didn’t know where to begin with my wine order, so I took a clue from the menu. Below the oyster-tasting section, which features oysters on the half shell, two wines are recommended – Columbia Crest sauvignon blanc and Pierre Boniface apremont from France ($5.50 a glass). I was familiar with the Columbia Crest so I decided on the French selection. It was a delicate, fruity way to start my late lunch. For beer lovers, there are 11 selections from Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington, plus Belgium, Ireland, Czechoslovakia Holland and Germany.
The lunch menu is very similar to the dinner menu, with the only difference being price and portion size. Both feature Pacific Northwest favorites such as scallops, crab cakes, steamed mussels, salmon and halibut. The specialty, dictated by tradition and location, are oysters. Selections include Evening Cove and Fanny Bay from British Columbia, as well as Kumamoto, Virginia and Samish Bay Pacific from just outside the restaurant’s windows.
I’m not an oyster-on-the-half-shell lover but I do relish this shellfish. So I ordered mine pan-fried ($11.45). They were coated in crisp, light Panko bread crumbs and served with an apple aioli and steamed vegetables. I chose the sweet potato fries over the rice and added a cup of whiskey crab soup ($3.95).
Everything was as superb as one expects in a fine dining restaurant. The oysters were extremely fresh and the apples infused the aioli with sweetness.
Sweet potato fries are difficult to find on restaurant menus and I couldn’t wait. They arrived lightly browned, fresh from the fryer and dappled with sea salt. The fries were just as wonderful as I expected. The soup was rich with crab and delicately laced with whiskey.
I didn’t have room for dessert but they all sounded just as enticing as the appetizers and main dishes. Desserts include chocolate espresso mousse cake, Kauaian creme brulee, lemon tart, huckleberry and vanilla cheesecake, sorbet trio and mixed fresh local berries with sweet cream ($6.50 to $7.50). By the way, skipping dessert is always an excellent excuse for a return visit.
In the summer, The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive is filled with tourists from around the world. Now that fall’s here, locals can enjoy the food and the drive.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive
2578 Chuckanut Drive, Bow; 360-766-6185, www.theoysterbaron chuckanutdrive.com
Specialty: seafood
Hours: daily from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner daily from 4 to 10 p.m.
Price range: expensive
Liquor: full bar
Smoking: not allowed
Reservations: required
Disabled accessibility: some barriers
Credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
