Tuesday at the Table

When it came to our attention last weekend that one of Food&Wine's best new chefs for 2017, Jay Blackinton and his Hogstones Wood Oven, was just nine short miles from our island retreat, it didn't take long for us to inquire, and lucky us, we nabbed a reservation.



With seats for less than 30, just sitting there in the dining room felt noteworthy, and nothing else that happened the entire evening made us feel that any less. To start, was the subject of the wine list. As hubby perused it, he encountered a category that was unfamiliar: Orange. Orange? A brief conversation with our waitress, and we were enlightened. "They are white wines made by leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the juice, creating a deep orange-hued wine." [Wine Folly] Hogstone was pouring Dinavolino from Italy, and though it wasn't to my taste, hubby really enjoyed it, and we'd learned something!

Food-wise, first came pizza from the afore-mentioned wood oven - topped with smoked tomato, dried herbs, and fresh cow cheese. Uncomplicated, rustic, and tasty.

From there, things just kept getting more interesting as we tried a couple of small plates.... 'Rhubarb & Arugula, Grilled Sirloin of Henri the Pig'....

and 'Grilled & Preserved Leeks, Halibut and a Sauce of Its Bones'....

And with just two desserts on the menu, we obviously had to try them both.... Raw Milk Sorbet with Conifer 'leaves' and Rhubarb Sauce....

and Woodruff and Cream with Dandelion Root in what was very much like a caramel tartlet. (yum!)

According to Food&Wine, "If it doesn’t thrive on Orcas, Jay doesn’t cook it, a choice that makes for the purest expression of Pacific Northwest cuisine we’ve ever encountered." We thoroughly enjoyed our delicious evening experiencing the Chef's unique and exquisite tastes, and it was a perfect ending to our week away. Now back to reality in more ways than one!