Written by Shelley Sharp. Published August 2018.
In an age where people travel to eat, there’s a heightened focus on food—both quality and diversity. If you consider yourself a foodie, the Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites, part of the San Juan Island Inn Collection, offer guests a morning meal filled with locally-sourced, fresh ingredients from the culinary bounties of our land and sea.
Whether sourcing from our own gardens or local farms and vendors, Chef Jessica and staff serve up a fresh, beautiful morning meal that can combine the flavors of both breakfast and lunch. Whether it’s a savory frittata featuring salmon and home-grown vegetables and herbs, or French toast made with fresh-baked bread and local fruit, the Inns of the San Juan Island Inn Collection raise the breakfast bar.
Farm-to-Table at every Meal
Whatever the ingredients, you can be assured that we search from a wide variety of Washington State food producers who are committed to sustainability and humane practices. “Chef Jessica changes the menu from day-to-day depending on what our farmers deliver according to what’s in season,” says Owner Anna Maria de Freitas. “Stone fruit from Maria the fruit lady may find its way to the table alongside our homemade yogurt and granola. Dairy from Medosweet will enrich sauces and dressings, and your baked duck egg (a treat when we have them) will come from our neighbor Jill, down the road.”
Chef Jessica, who brings your meal to life is dedicated to sourcing locally and cooking what’s in season. “It keeps me creative,” she laughs. “I mean, sometimes I have to ask, how can I make squash five ways?” She also believes in neighbors-helping-neighbors. “It’s satisfying knowing that we are supporting hard-working families.”
Weekly Visits from the “Mad Hatcher”
Case in point: Poultry Man Bernie Nash, founder of Poulet Bleu, pulls his white pick up truck up to the Inn once a week, starts his run before sunrise to journey from Ephrata, Washington to the San Juan Islands. Along the way he picks up fruit in the fertile Skagit Valley before boarding a morning ferry for Friday Harbor and neighboring San Juan Islands.
The son of a cattle farmer, Bernie learned the farming ropes early in life. In his 20s, he was named Washington State’s 1972 Junior Poultry Man of the Year. He founded Mad Hatcher in 2007, and now provides Seattle’s top chefs with organic, free-range poussin, chicken, turkey, quail, rabbit and eggs.
Would you like Flowers with that?
San Juan Island resident Susie Wampler delivers sprays of color. The beautiful gardens at her homestead, Wild Berry Farm, provide the Inns cut flowers for arrangements, and edibles that may garnish your Asian breakfast rice bowl with splashes of orange, yellow, and red. For Susie and her family, “growing things and eating well are a way of life,” — a sentiment near-and-dear to our hearts. Their free-range chickens, eggs, vegetables, berries and orchard fruits also provide fresh ingredients for the farm’s seasonal farm-to-table dinners.
Return guests already know that breakfast at the Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites is something special. If you haven’t visited us yet, we hope you will become a future fan of our thoughtful approach to your morning meal.
Meet some of other local farms we support:
- Organic Antics (San Juan Island)
- Sweet Earth Farms (San Juan Island)
- Cascadia Mushrooms (Bellingham)
- Ralph’s Greenhouse (Mount Vernon)
- Hopewell Farm (Everson)
- Cedarville Farms (Bellingham)
- Pelindaba Lavender (San Juan Island)
- Mad Hatcher Poultry (Ephrata)
- Aurora Farms (San Juan Island)
- Maria, The Fruit Lady (Orondo)
- Boldy Grown Farm (Skagit Valley) squash
- Local Roots Farm (Duvall) shallots
- Sauk Farm (Concrete) apples, cider
- Hedlin Farms (Mt. Vernon) squash, onions
- Tonnemakers (Woodinville) peppers, tomatoes, corn, winter squash
- Youngquist Farms (Mt. Vernon) berries
- Blueberries from Oregon
- Pelindaba Lavender (San Juan Island) culinary lavender
- Mini More Farms, duck eggs
- Twin Brooks Dairy, (Skagit Valley)
- MeadoSweet Dairy
- Wold Gold Honey
- Right from our own garden: herbs, apples, pears, figs, plums, squash, potatoes, beans, radishes, greens
If you find yourself looking for dinner, the Coho Restaurant part of the San Juan Inn Collection will satiate you with a Pacific Northwest dining experience. Chef develops exciting menus developed around the availability of seasonal ingredients from around the islands that create delightful, fresh dishes. Our selection of wine and intimate setting are also ideal for a romantic date night before settling into your room at the Tucker House Inn! For even more of our recommended dining options, be sure to download our free vacation guide.
