Foodies Love Breakfasts at Friday Harbor Inn

Hello Tucker House staff –

Responding to your Guest Follow-Up email, I have to tell you that our stay was no less than perfect.  Erin went above and beyond trying to lend me her semi-dry suit for diving.  Didn’t fit….but couldn’t believe the willingness to help out so much.

Breakfasts were scrumptious.  That is saying a lot as both my husband and I are major foodies, and he owns a food marketing company.  He was dazzled with the meals we enjoyed from your kitchen.  Yum!!!

We loved the deck and had a fun party and BBQ on it with our dive group.  Flowers and shrubs were beautiful and we were blessed with a gorgeous day on Saturday, the 6^th of June….not so pretty on Sunday, however.  But that’s just the Pacific NW for you.

There is no doubt we won’t choose to stay anywhere else on future trips to the San Juans.  We’ve enthusiastically told many friends about your property and accommodations.  Perfectly located, as well.

Bottom line. . . . . we can’t think of anything you need to improve upon.  Even our cottage had every single thing we needed or wanted.  We say…….Keep Up The Great Job!!!

Kind regards,

Linda and Jay C.

For more on diving in the Pacific Northwest, see Experiencesanjuanisland.com/blog .  To read what’s happening at the restaurant and our sister inn, go to www.harrisonhousesuites.com/blog and www.cohorestaurant.com.  You can now follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Harrison House Suites & Tucker House Inn

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 ¾ cups                     Semisweet chocolate chips or chunked chocolate (divided)
4                                  Large eggs
2 teaspoons                Vanilla
2 teaspoons                Espresso coffee, finely ground
10 Tablespoons          Unsalted European style butter
1 ½ cups                     Brown sugar
½ cup                          Sugar
2 cups                          All purpose flour
½ cup                          Cocoa powder
2 teaspoons                Baking powder
½ teaspoon                Sea salt
1 cup                           White chocolate chips

1. 1.  Melt 2 ¾ cups of chocolate chips either in double boiler or in microwave until smooth.  Set aside.
2. 2.  Beat eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then add espresso.  Let stand until coffee is dissolved.
3. 3.  Beat butter and sugars in a separate bowl until combined.
4. 4.  Add egg and chocolate mixtures to butter and sugar; stir until combined.
5. 5.  Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
6. 6.  Add dry ingredients, remaining cup of semisweet chocolate and white chocolate chips to the butter mixture.
7. 7.  Cover and let dough sit for 30 minutes until it reaches a fudge-like consistency
8. 8.  Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Spoon dough onto cookie sheets lined with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.
9. 9.  Bake for 10 minutes until edges are set – centers will be soft.  Cool on pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool, or better yet, serve immediately.
10. 10.  Enjoy, and think of us in Friday Harbor!

A Day at the Inn – The Chocolate Pusher

I admit it – I am an addict – a chocolate addict.  I have to have it each day – just an ounce or two of deep, rich, dark chocolate.  Certainly you chocolate lovers and maybe menopausal women can identify with my plight.  Inn keeper John is my “candy man;” he brings little chunks of chocolate to the business office, just quietly sets them on my desk in a cute little plate, and heads out the door.

John orders big, 5-kilogram or 11-pound blocks of Callebaut chocolate for use in making the pot de crème, and other desserts at Coho Restaurant and those oh-so-luscious Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies that guests salivate over.  We recently hosted a tour of the inns for industry professionals, and those cookies were almost as big a hit as the inns!  Almost.

Unique Method to Break Up a Chocolate Block

Well, John must have finally gotten tired of making daily trips across the parking lot from the Harrison House to the Tucker House because he ordered an extra block of Callebaut just for me.  Lucky me.  But here’s the thing:  how do you break up an 11-pound block of chocolate?  Being tall, John simply places the tip of a chef’s knife vertically into a section and bears down on the knife.  Tiny inn-owner Anna Maria wraps the chocolate in a towel and drops it from a second-story window.  Our friend Eleanor Hartman’s granddaughter, who begged us to get her a block of Guittard Chocolate to take back home to South Africa, has her own “unique” way of dealing with the block, which is: “Why bother breaking it up?”  She’s shown here with her first bite!

You can now follow Tucker House on Facebook, and read our other blogs at Harrison House Suites, Coho Restaurant, and Experience San Juan Island.

Dining in Friday Harbor

Winter on the island has been exceptionally mild this year. March is usually still cold and drizzly, but we’ve been enjoying gloriously sunny days with higher temperatures. Growers are in transition, pulling out their winter crops, re-bedding with Spring produce. The CSAs haven’t started up yet, and local produce deliveries to our Food Coop are a bit sparse, but carrots are one thing we can always count on. Incredibly sweet and crunchy, they become a favorite snack but are also a homey meal when cooked in soup and paired with a salad of local greens.

This recipe was actually given to us by a resort chef while we were vacationing in Fiji, but it works well with our local product. You can easily substitute fresh ginger for the anise.

CARROT SOUP WITH STAR ANISE
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
6 thyme sprigs
5 whole star anise
2 bay leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 lbs of carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces – if you want to save time use pre-peeled baby carrots.
4 cups homemade chicken broth

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, 3 star anise, bay leaves, and garlic. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and broth. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove thyme, star anise, and bay leaves. Working in small batches, puree soup in food processor until smooth; return to same pot. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

To serve – garnish with sour cream and whole star anise with sprig of thyme.

Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

San Juan Island Hotels – Spring Specials

Join Coho Restaurant April 9, 2009 at 6 p.m. for a dinner featuring

Small Vineyards Wines from Spain and Portugal
Sustainably Farmed – Hand Harvested and Family-Owned Producers
6 Tapas Style Courses Paired with Wines
$45/per person
$25 for wine pairing
Reservations are recommended. Call 360.378.6330 for more details.
Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

San Juan Island Bed & Breakfast; San Juan Island Lodging, Friday Harbor

Green Cardamom and Cranberry Sorbet
(perfect for a palate cleanser between courses or as a savory dessert)

1-1/2 lbs. fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and any stems removed
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. water
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Triple Sec
1 tsp. green cardamom ground with mortar and pestle

1. Make a simple syrup by adding the sugar, water and cardamom and bringing to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, add the cranberries and orange juice.
2. Continue to boil until the cranberries burst, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Let the mixture cool. Puree in a food processor or blender and strain.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and liqueur.
5. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let completely cool.
6. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

San Juan Islands, Washington Thanksgiving at the Tucker House

Thanksgiving Dinner
November 26, 2009
3-8:30 p.m. Coho Restaurant
Amuse Bouche
(Lunetta Prosecco NV Brut – Italy)

Appetizer
Roasted Pork Belly with Potato Pancake & Cranberry MarmaladeorCorn Fritters with Wilted Mizuna & Maple Syrup
(Saint Laurent Winery Lucky White 2007 – WA)
Soup and SaladRoasted Yam Soup with Candied Pecans
and
Mixed Green Salad Tossed with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Topped with Quail Croft Farms Goat Cheese
(Andeluna Torrontes 2007 – Argentina)

Intermezzo
Entrée
Smoked Turkey Breast or Turkey Leg Confit or Pan Fried True Cod Entrée served with Oyster-Apple Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Sage Gravy and Seasonal Vegetables
(J Lohr Valdeguié Wildflower 2007 – Monterey – CA)
DessertPumpkin Cheese Cakeor Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pieor Cinnamon Ice Cream with Ginger Snaps

(J.P. Azeitão – NV Moscatel de Setubal – Terras da Sado – Portugal)

Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

Fine Dining Friday Harbor, San Juan Island – Coho Restaurant Receives Wine Spectator Award

Coho Restaurant receives 2009 Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator

Coho Restaurant is proud to be the recipient of a 2009 Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. Coho’s wine list, culled from the great international producers as well as those from Washington, Oregon, and California complement the range of menu offerings. Coho seeks out small producers that create authentic, handcrafted wine using natural and sustainable techniques that convey a sense of place. This parallels Coho’s use of local agricultural products evident in their participation in the Island’s Certified Local Program.

“We are passionate about food and wine”, says Anna Maria de Freitas, one of Coho’s co-owners. “While the ingredients that we use are local, our wine list is international to match the diversity of our menu.” Coho’s wine list of 225 bottles includes sparklers, whites, reds and dessert wines from the Pacific Northwest and the great wine producing regions of the world including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. “We make every effort to demystify and create a stress-free atmosphere for choosing the perfect wine to accompany our guests’ meals.”

Coho Restaurant, located at 120 Nichols Street in the historic Nichols district serves dinner Wednesday – Monday, October – May and Monday – Saturday during summer beginning at 5:00 p.m. Each night the creative team will prepare a three course ($35) chef tasting menu offered nightly between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Coho’s intimate setting, with select seating, provides the perfect atmosphere for any occasion. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Coho Restaurant is set in a historic Craftsman House – three blocks from the ferry landing in Friday Harbor, one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2008 “Dozen Destinations of Distinction.”

Background on owners:

Anna Maria de Freitas and David Pass, moved to historic Friday Harbor in 2005 to pursue their dream of owning a bed and breakfast. They started with Harrison House Suites and expanded a year later to include the Tucker House Inn. They have lovingly rebuilt these three historic buildings to provide an atmosphere of casual northwest elegance for their guests. Now, with the expansion of Coho Restaurant, they have the opportunity to share their passion of food and wine with not only the guests at their Inns but also the general public. Prior to moving to Washington, Anna Maria co-chaired the Baltimore Chapter of Slow Foods International. Anna Maria and David have a curiosity and passion for food that extends to their food centric vacation destinations takes them on vacations to food-centric cultures. These trips have expanded their culinary horizons and provided them with a wide palate of flavors and tastes that are evident on Coho’s Menu.

Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

San Juan Island WA Weddings at the Tucker House

We found these pictures of a bride and groom cake from a wedding that we catered this summer at Lakedale Resort. It was one of those hot summer days and the cakes had lots of whipped cream so in order to keep them from melting we kept them in the refrigerator until the last possible moment before bringing them out to the guests. Unfortunately, these shots are from the fridge….The groom’s cake was an old fashioned white cake with berries and whipped cream between the layers. The bride’s cake was a moist chocolate cake with chocolate ganache between the layers and a rich chocolate buttercream frosting. The blue cascading fresh flowers and white sweetheart roses were a fabulous contrast to the chocolate frosting. With a bit of imagination you can envision what these cakes looked like.:)!

San Juan Island WA – Dining at Coho Restaurant

Lodging and Dining Friday Harbor, WA San Juan Island
Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn
Coho Restaurant

Washington Recipes – Tucker House

Tucker House Inn, a Best Place to Kiss, was featured in the Best Places to Kiss Cookbook just released. The Tucker House’s Broiled Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Italian sausage are included on page 33. The Harrison House was also featured with its Molten Chocolate Cake with cherry sauce on page 112. We feature this yummy chocolate cake at Coho Restaurant for special dinners.

Thanksgiving on San Juan Island

Locals and visitors alike celebrated Thanksgiving on San Juan Island. Some shared a community dinner at the Grange, others joined friends and familes at their homes, while others prepared a traditional dinner in their suites at the Harrison House and Tucker House. Some chose not to do either but share our first Thanksgiving Dinner at Coho Restaurant. Paul Stevens our chef served up quite a menu. The pork belly with cranberry relish and the corn fritters were both popular appetizers. Everyone loved the yam soup. It was so beautiful drizzled with a balsamic reduction and sprinkled candied pecans. We served an orange ginger sorbet to cleanse the palate before turkey, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes. For dessert, we offered a choice of three homemade desserts – chocolate burbon pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake or cinnamon ice cream with soft chewy ginger snaps. Everyone walked away satiated. Several of our guests took their desserts to go and I am sure enjoyed them on Friday….maybe even as early as breakfast!

Vinny and Amar joined us for dinner and Amar has a photo essay of dinner on her facebook site. You can check it out at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43364&l=29804&id=814919105

Fall is in the Air in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

We have been enjoying beautiful fall weather. There is a crisp breeze in the air. The sky has been beautiful at night. Many days, we wake up to a blanket of fog that burns off by late morning.

We are preparing for Thanksgiving and a weekend full of guests. We are dusting off our favorite fall cookie recipes and savory breakfast entrees. Coho Restaurant is planning a traditional holiday inspired Thanksgiving Dinner including Roasted Pork Belly with Potato Pancake & Cranberry Marmalade or Corn Fritters with Wilted Mizuna & Maple Syrup for a starter. Our soup will be a Roasted Yam Soup with Candied Pecans served with a Mixed Green Salad Tossed in an Apple Cider Vinaigrette Topped with Quail Croft Goat Cheese. For dinner, we will offer a choice of Smoked Turkey Breast for those who like white meat or a Turkey Leg Confit for dark meat fans. There will also be a fish option of Pan Fried Ling Cod. Each dish will be served with Oyster-Apple Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Sage Gravy and Seasonal Vegetables. For dessert, we will offer a choice of Pumpkin Cheese Cake, Chocolate-Bourbon Pie or Cinnamon Ice Cream with House made Ginger Snaps.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

Friday Harbor Food, Fun & Friends

As the winter season is approaching there is still plenty to do on the island and the Tucker House is still bustling with guests! Weather has been good, a little rain here and there but still pretty warm and inviting during the day, perfect time to go out for a fall walk and see some of the changing trees or cuddle up in front of a fire at the inn and watch a good movie while eating popcorn. Warm up in the chill of the night with your private hot tub, or read a good book down by the harbor while the sun is shining. Check out the Farmer’s Market still going on Saturdays now at the high school come and support our local farmers! Theatre productions and events still happening come and see for yourself! The winter season is a perfect time for those who are watching budgets during these wallet constricting times. Many restaurants are participating in the Savor the San Juans and have plenty of 3 courses for $30 specials throughout October. Our restaurant, Coho, will be supporting these hard times throughout the winter season continuing the 3 courses for $30 special so families and couples can continue to go out and enjoy a nice meal without the worry of prices. We are also having specials for the holidays with four course meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas for only $45 a person. With Salad, Appetizer, Choice of Entree, and Choice of dessert from a special holiday inspired menu. For the new year we are also be featuring a Champagne tasting dinner! Log on to the coho website – cohorestaurant.com for updates and subscribe to the mailing list to receive the menus for these holiday events!

As a new person to the island (3 months now) I was amazed to see Halloween out here, streets were safely blocked off for the young ones to go trick-or-treating seeing soem very original costumes as well including a deviled egg (devil horns and a white t-shirt with a yellow circle painted on). The children also had a parade with lots of cotumes and pumpkins, the restaurants all doing Savor the San Juans and pumpkin pie being a special along with toasted pumpkin seeds and everyone dressed up at their jobs was quite entertaining!

Friday Harbor is still the place to be – Food, Friends, and Fun!

Coho Restaurant Wine Dinner, Friday Harbor, Washington

Our first wine dinner at Coho Restaurant was last night with Mt. Baker Vineyards. Winemaker and owner Randy Finney took time away from this very busy season of crushing grapes to spend the evening with us. It was a fabulous evening of great stories, food, wine, and company. The menu prepared by Coho’s Chef Paul Stevens was truely inspired. The presentations were as beautiful as they were tasty. Next time, we are going to remember to bring our camera so we can share the artistic creations as they are presented to our guests. Here is what our guests enjoyed:

Amuse Bouche
Watermelon and Homemade Mozzarella Salad on a Coriander Cracker
Sparkling Wine Cocktail

Appetizer
Braised Smoked Duck on a Schezwan Pancake with a Pomegranate and Hibiscus Flower Essence
2006 Barrel Select Roussanne

Soup
Pumpkin Bisque with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pepitas
2006 Reserve Viognier

Salad
Greens from the Islands with Almonds and a Toasted Triple Brie Crudité
2007 Marsanne

Intermezzo
Peach Sorbet

Fish
Halibut with a Puttanesca on a Bed of Roasted Polenta
2005 Malbec

Meat
Herb Encrusted French Cut Lamb Chops with Bread Pudding drizzled with a Blackberry Veal Glace
2003 Syrah

Sweet
Walnut Cake with Caramelized Apples & Crumbled Stilton
2004 Late Harvest Viognier

Coho’s October Specials

We are putting together a marvelous menu offering in October as part of the Savor the San Juan Islands festival. We will be offering 3 for $30 menus – that is an appetizer, entree and dessert for just $30. The entree choices include homemade spinach fettuccine with meat balls and our homemade marinara, chicken cordon bleu stuffed with black forest ham, Gruyere cheese and a sage butter sauce, and as a vegetarian option – roasted acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, currents, and pepitas. Our dessert choices include creme brulee, pot au creme for our serious chocolate lovers, and a fruit crisp of the day served warm with vanilla ice cream.

We will also be offering 3 wine makers dinners – 7 courses for $100 – October 3 Viognier to Viognier, October 11 Flights of Red and October 17th From Madelaine to Mona. Oct 3rd will feature the wines from Mt. Baker Vineyards, October 11th from 4 small boutique producers who make voluptuous, chewy, and jammy red wines, and the 17th with feature our local wine producer – San Juan Vineyards and our private label Mona Vino.

Our new fall menu has 3 dinner entrees to choose from for $20! The entree includes our amuse bouche (our treat from the chef), homemade bread and butter, and our parting chocolate truffles.

Looking forward to having you join us throughout the month for what we hope will be wonderful evenings of food, fun, and friends!

Coho Experience + Inn Apples

Hi everyone its Shaylynn (that’s me with Anna Maria at a recent Chamber meeting). I recently had the opportunity to go to the Coho restaurant and get the full experience, I sat down and was looking over my menu while nice warm bread and butter was put on the table and my drink order was taken. A few minutes later I had a small plate brought to me with a little tasting which we call “Amuse” it was a crustini with a little chicken on top, really delicious. I got to try the black cod over soba noodles the cod was like butter and melted in my mouth immediately. It is definetly a must try. I also got to try the beef tenderloin which was cooked to my liking and served with vegetables and fingerling potatoes which I must say was absolutely delightful. I got to enjoy after my meal a nice cup of chamomile tea and a chocolate torte! I barely had room for the dense rich chocolately dessert but I managed a few bites and took the rest home with me (wrapped into a swan). All in all it was a lovely evening. On another note about the inn our apple trees are ripening and I got to pick some apples with a special basket device (which was a lot of fun) and I get to make some filling for apple pies and cakes, so you must join us soon and try some of our delectable breakfast desserts!

Coho Restaurant Opens in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Coho Restaurant opened this week in downtown Friday Harbor. The kitchen team was busy making fresh sauces, rolling out homemade pasta, kneading bread, and creating desserts for the restaurant’s first patrons. It was opening night! We all felt the same trepidations as an actor before the curtain rises. Each of us had butterflies and the adrenalin was soaring. We dimmed the lights, lit the candles, started the music, and waited for our first guests. All the months of planning and preparation were behind us. The ballet began to unfold. We greeted guests and relaxed into our roles. The first dish emerged from the kitchen. It was an amuse-bouche – a tiny bite-sized morsel that means “mouth amuser“. It is our way of thanking our guests for dining with us. We wanted it to stimulate the taste buds while perusing the menu. The amuse was presented on a small square plate nested on a second diagonal square plate – a bed of wilted leaks, a floret of marscapone cheese, and some fresh herbs were the perfect resting place for a hazelnut encrusted twice baked goat cheese souffle. There were a few drops of chili oil for a splash of color. We all took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the kitchen’s first creation. Then more guests arrived and the energy in the restaurant and the pace in the kitchen began to speed up. There were a few hot moments when we all missed a step or two. We gracefully fell back into our choreographed roles without our patron’s knowledge. The local ingredients took on the starring roles – simple greens, freshly shucked oysters, local tenderloin – simply prepared and beautifully presented. Coho is open Friday -Sunday (April, 18-20) and Wednesday – Sunday the week of the 23rd.

Coho Restaurant – Friday Harbor’s Hottest New Restaurant

A million and one last minute details, or so it seems, are underway for Coho Restaurant’s open April 11th, 2008. It has been quite a week. Murphy struck a few times on April 1st – a bad April Fool’s job for sure….plumbing problems – ovens dying….We perservered and kept on saying the show will go on.

Dave is putting the finishing touches on the wine list as I type. We are proud of our first wine list and look forward to growing it as new releases become available. It was quite an education and act of will power to cull and hone the list from the thousands of wines available to a manageable restaurant list. We believe the list reflects the diversity of tastes and winemakers and will be a great complement to the menu. We just got word that salmon will be available for our open so our signature Whole Seed Encrusted Salmon with mirin sauce can be featured for our opening night. We have been speaking with our farming partners this afternoon and the last bite of winter has delayed the harvest of some vegetables. Nevertheless, there will be sorrel, pea tendrils, and some brocoli for open. We are all brimming with excitement, anticipation, and fear and looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor with our guests and the San Juan Island community this coming Friday.

Lodging San Juan Island – Thanksgiving

Well, we had a houseful of guests who stayed at the Harrison House and Tucker House and celebrated Thanksgiving on San Juan Island. Some where here to visit family who live on the Island, others started new holiday traditions, and yet others came for a change from the ordinary. We infused a bit of holiday tradition into breakfast. Dessert on Thanksgiving morning was pumpkin pannacotta and the cookie fairy delivered pumpkin nut cookies that afternoon. You can find the recipes in La Cucina Anna Maria: Good Life Recipes from San Juan Island. The weather was absolutely spectacular and many of our guests worked off their breakfast and thanksgiving dinner by enjoying long hikes along the beaches and parks.