I was bettered prepared for our second visit to Willows Inn. Sometimes it's nice to know what to anticipate. We started our evening at the cozy corner table in the bar, right next to the kitchen where I could keep my eye on the kitchen in all it's beautiful harmony.
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The bar at Willows Inn
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In the dining room we moved through 21 plates with 5 wine and 1 cider pairing.
My top pick was the crab with pine nuts and pine nut milk. This dish couldn't have tasted any fresher. The crab was sweet and the nut milk a creamy compliment without being too rich.
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| Crab with pine nut milk |
David's favourite dish was the Black Cod doughnut.
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| Black Cod Doughnuts |
Roasted sunflower root with sweet onion puree really knocked it out of the park form me. I think we'll try to reproduce this one at home. The picture doesn't do it justice. The exterior was crisp and a little bit sticky with a melt in your mouth interior. I could put the sweet onion puree on just about anything and love it.
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| Sunflower root and sweet onion puree |
Oysters pickled in sauerkraut was every bit as good as it looks. Firm and briny.
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| Pickled Oysters |
A turnip broth took me by surprise. I didn't love it but it reminded me of childhood and was an excellent pallet cleanser.
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| Turnip Broth |
Salt-cured beets with gin flavoured yogurt was another of my top picks. Shaved thin slices with a toasted grain topping. Mine was bright red and David's bright yellow.
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| Salt-Cured Beet |
One of my favourite plates last year was the halibut skins stuffed with clams. It was the only real duplicaton this year and it fell a little flat. Check the difference in presentation.
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| Crispy Halibut Skins 2014 |
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Crispy Halibut Skins 2015
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I also loved the grilled salmon in caraflex cabbage. The cabbage was cooked just enough to yield nicely but not enough to become bitter, the salmon was rich and both were especially great with a Walter Scott "Curee Ruth" Pinot Noir.
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| Grilled Salmon in Caraflex Cabbage |
The savory dishes ended with fresh bread from heirloom wheat and local butter and salt. A loaf wrapped in brown paper is given to each guest at the end of dinner. It made great toast for breakfast.
I was surprised by a birch tea. The flavour and aroma was refreshing and set the stage for dessert, a delicious piece of sweet and salted pumpkin with pumpkin seed praline and raw pumpkin seeds. A little bit sweet and savory. My favourite kind of dessert.
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Cinderella Pumpkin
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I know the food preparation isn't simple but it tastes that way. Simply delicious. We booked for October next year.
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