Fodor's Expert Review The Whale Wins

James Beard Award--winning chef and restaurateur Renee Erickson focuses on the Pacific Northwest's bounty of farm-fresh produce, seafood, and local meats (she raises beef on her own Whidbey Island farm), aided here by the hard-working wood-fired oven at the front of the bright, whimsical space. The vegetable plates are unfailingly excellent, but everything that comes out of the kitchen seems blessed, whether it's a juicy roast chicken with capers and preserved lemons, a roasted whole trout, or a delicious slab of rabbit terrine. A plate of sardines on toast for the table is a must, even if you don't think you like sardines. Order family-style so that you can sample as many dishes as possible.