We traveled to Friday Harbor, Washington from Anacortes, Washington back on May 2, 2023 for a summer as Interpretive Rangers at San Juan Island National Historical Park. We're fast closing in on our last day on island the middle of September.  

While I may edit this list below before then (and now have done so several times), what you find listed are the restaurants and bars we have been to, sometimes numerous times over our months here and consider worth a try should you find yourself in Friday Harbor, Washington on San Juan Island.

Cease and Desist

After trying a few other places in the vicinity, Cease became my (Steven's) favorite place for a double IPA which are rotated out and come from breweries all over the PNW.

Overlooking the harbor and very near the ferry terminal, Cease is a smallish hole-in-the-wall where locals and those in the know find a nice variety of beers on tap.

With three outside tables to choose from, Cease provides a very pleasant way to spend some time sipping a favorite brew while checking out all things happening in the harbor.

After dining for two nights with most of the board of directors of the Global Collaborative Law Council, our last evening is Seattle found us with just two other folks, one of whom, John, previously served as president of GCLC's board, and his wife, Kathy at Terra Plata. 

John and Kathy planned to stay a day or so beyond the conference to visit with a friend of Kathy's. We resumed our volunteer roles as interpretive rangers at San Juan Island National Historical Park on Monday.

Starting with our table which was located in front of an open floor to ceiling window looking out on a pleasant Capitol Hill street, a nice cool evening and ending with great deserts, we throughly enjoyed our last evening in Seattle with good friends.

Next time we'll request a rooftop table at Terra Plata.

Friday night in Seattle found our group of 11 (Global Collaborative Law Council)  dining at Lark. Located behind our hotel (Silver Cloud Hotel) and only about a city block away, we all walked over and were promptly seated in a semi-private dining area off the main dining room.

This year marks the 20th anniversary for Lark. Our group enjoyed another fine dining experience and I also recommend it to you. A few of us, including myself, had great lunches there too.

From the website:

Celebrating twenty years of business, Lark has elevated the standard for modern American restaurants in the Northwest. We invite you to share in chef John Sundstrom’s award winning cuisine in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, welcomed by legendary hosts and co-owners Kelly Ronan and J.M. Enos.
Opened in 2003, and relocated to a stunning new space in December of 2014, Lark is an artisan-focused restaurant in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Chef John Sundstrom, a James Beard Award-winner, is known for his intimate knowledge and deft use of the Northwest’s unique ingredients and has created the perfect place to celebrate the bounty of the region. The four-course menu changes each month highlighting the best seasonal products available. Lark was honored with Restaurant Design of the Year at the Seattle Design Awards in 2015.

There are many reasons for my wanting to dine at June Baby.  But foremost is I'm a Southerner, born, raised, religiously indoctrinated, then educated and now expatriated. 

I first gained an appreciation for southern cooking from Frank Stitt at his flagship restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill, while I worked as a waiter there shortly before graduation from law school in 1987. I continued working for Frank in that capacity until taking and passing the bar in the early 90's. 

Frank is also, in large measure, responsible for my love of cooking and the joy of providing a great dining experience for family and friends. Frank was at the time I worked at Highlands still the working executive chef at Highlands. Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club was sous chef for a time before leaving to work with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.

For a person who had little knowledge of food preparation, the culinary education was amazing. There were "family meals" for the staff before every shift where wait staff ate, caught up with each other and where we reviewed the menu for the evening with Frank or Chris. 

After Melanie and I were married, I often traveled with her when she had work obligations in different cities around the country and became our travel concierge. Because of this we've had the privilege of dining in some of the country's great restaurants tasting the local Cusine, something we continue to present as we travel.

Our reservation at June Baby was a bit of a continuation of our tradition, but this time not just for us, but for 9 other people who were attending a board meeting and continuing legal education in Seattle for the nonprofit for which Melanie is executive director, Global Collaborative Law Council.

June Baby didn't disappoint. From the cornbread, more aptly described as corncake because of the velvety texture, to my first chitlins experience, the meal was very fine. 

Maybe it was because we had southerners sprinkled among us, but to a person everyone enjoyed the items they ordered. Vegetarians in our group also found the menu accessible. Service was impeccable. 

Highly recommended even if you lack southern DNA.