The Melting Teapot

If you read my previous post, you know I spent last weekend on Orcas Island.  It was a fun-filled trip, and we wanted to dine somewhere special Sunday night.  After searching various online listings, Doe Bay Café caught my attention.  The chef is Abigael Birrell, previously executive chef at the popular vegetarian restaurant Candle Café in New York.  Doe Bay Café does offer beautiful vegetarian entrees, but it also has some wonderful seafood dishes.  Each menu item is listed with two wine pairing suggestions, and I could tell from the selections that these were thoughtful choices.   Vegetarian, seafood, wine pairings . . . this could be just about the most perfectly-fitting restaurant for me. . . ever!

The winding road between Eastsound and Doe Bay passes through Moran State Park, then turns and meanders through forest and field before arriving at Doe Bay.

A single lane bridge in Moran State Park

True to the name of the place, there are plenty of deer to be to be seen.  During our 20-minute drive there, we passed at least 30 deer standing in meadows or off to the side of the road. The café is tucked away in the Doe Bay Resort on the east side of the island, situated in a beautiful spot over the top of the bay. It has a spacious, charming interior, where you can appreciate the surrounding vista through large windows on three sides.

We arrived, and things got even better – the lone server on this quiet evening asked if we were would be staying for the movie.  What movie?  Evidently, Sunday nights are movie night.  This particular Sunday’s film was one of my favorites, O Brother Where Art Thou.  The movie would begin in an hour, so we had plenty of time to eat and enjoy a glass or two of wine.

But wait – there was more good news!  Sunday nights are also half-price bottle night, and since the wine was already reasonably priced by restaurant standards that made for a very good deal (about the same as what it would cost at a wine shop).  Hooray!

The menu is short at this time of year, the off-season, when only a few out-of-towners and locals are dining out.  However, it was still a struggle to make my choices because it all looked great.

Instead of the standard bread and butter on the table, we were served flat bread crackers with a red pepper dip.  It was a nice touch, one of several nice touches throughout the evening. For the starting course, Jeff ordered the soup of the day (black bean) and  I decided on the Sea Scallops with Sunchoke Soup.

Alaskan Weathervane Sea Scallops, served with sunchoke soup, crème fraiche, truffle oil, crispy sunchoke chips

Our main courses were beautiful and masterfully executed. Each dish had multiple layers of flavor and texture, with a finesse that allowed the wonderful local veggies to shine through. Jeff had an olive oil poached halibut, and I had my first ever dish featuring spring nettles.

Spring Nettle Gnocchi, house made nettle gnocchi, baby artichokes, green garlic, miner’s lettuce and meyer lemon cream

A Drouhin St.Veran Chardonnay was the suggested wine with the gnocchi, and it seemed like a good choice for the rest of our meal. It is not a wildly expensive wine, but it really was a great selection for a dinner pairing.

Eventually several small groups of people showed up, some dining beforehand with others getting food or small plates as the movie began.  Everyone was given a bowl of popcorn to munch on as the lights dimmed. The movie was shown on a fairly large, pull-down screen set up high so it wasn’t interrupted by the heads of diners. We had a relaxing evening of incredible food, great wine, popcorn, and a movie.

If you ever get to Orcas Island, take my suggestion and visit the Doe Bay Café, where the food is as spectacular as the view.  The ambiance of the place is relaxed and comfortable.  This is a meticulously clean and graceful spot to dine, but you won’t feel underdressed or out of place if you're in jeans and a nice shirt after a hike or a kayaking adventure.  Plus, if you’re there on a Sunday, you get free popcorn and a movie!

You can view hours and current menu on the Café website: http://doebay.com/cafe/cafe.html