Coho Restaurant
While staying in Friday Harbor we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Coho Restaurant. The restaurant was intimate, the service attentive, and the food was delicious. The owners Anna Maria and Dave could be seen bustling about as they took orders, served food and chatted with guests. This is the type of place if you visit more than once they would remember your name, greet you with a sincere smile and treat you like their best friend. While chatting with Anna Maria in between courses I was reminded why I am such a big proponent of small businesses. I admire people like Anna Maria, who have carved out a life for herself where she can do what she loves on her own terms.
Coho Restaurant is within walking distance from the ferry terminal and getting there makes for a lovely meandering stroll through town. Once we were settled at our table we were presented with an amuse bouche of pureed chickpeas, arugula, and fennel on a thin slice of crusty baguette. For our starters we enjoyed butternut squash soup and field greens salad topped with fennel, apples, beets and goat cheese. For our main courses we had Pan Seared and Stuffed Rainbow Trout and Braised Beef Ribs and we ended our meal with a quartet of desserts.
Coho Restaurant refers to itself as an island grown Pacific Northwest cuisine with a mediterranean flair. I can think of no better description of their food. Anna Maria said one of the best things about their restaurant is how they are able to make use of small quantities of locally foraged food. For example, if someone approaches them with five pounds of freshly foraged morels they are able to put them to good use. The first word which comes to mind when I think of my meal at Coho is fresh; you can easily taste and detect each ingredient in your meal. Horseradish mashed potatoes were one of the stand outs of my meal. I don't think I will ever be able to eat mashed potatoes again without thinking they could use a hint of horseradish.
In addition to Coho Restaurant, they are also the proud owners of Tucker House and Harrison House Suites. Both these properties are located a block and a half from Coho Restaurant and are a delightful bed and breakfast option while staying on San Juan Island.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Coho Restaurant. All opinions stated here are my own and I was under no obligation to write anything other than my personal experience. I will never write about anything I did not enjoy or find to be a valuable experience.
