A Weekend Trip to Woodinville, Washington

We just ran across our pictures of a quick trip to Woodinville, WA in the fall.  Woodinville is northeast of Seattle and located on the Sammamish River, historic territory of the Sammamish people.  The town began as a logging community in the late 1800s and is now the home of approximately 130 wineries and tasting rooms.  We are visiting one of the large wineries, Chateau Ste Michelle, for a Lyle Lovett convert on the winery grounds.  We walk over to the winery past fields of lavender and grapes.  At the winery, we meet friends for lunch on the grounds and discover our new favorite go-to white wine:  Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay (Columbia Valley).

Lavender

Grapes

Winery grounds

Soon the sun begins to set, the band sets up, we purchase a bottle of the Indian Wells Chardonnay (2 glasses), and take our seats for the concert.

Sun setting

Night falls

Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett has been performing here for many years as part of the summer concert series at the winery and we now know to look for the next year schedule.

Dining in Grand Case: Calmos Cafe

We dine several times at Calmos Cafe.  The cafe originally opened in 1996 and reopened in March of 2023 after being closed due to damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017.  We wandered in in 2023 and dined there several times that year and this trip.

Our first meal we share an appetizer of puff pastry with cheese, followed by triggerfish meneuier, shrimp, and ahi.

Appetizer

Main course

View from our table

Our second meal starts with smoked salmon and tuna tartar, followed by grouper and triggerfish [again].

Starter

Salad, frites

Mains

Today's view

Our third dinner (yes, we're in a rut, but what a great rut!) starts with roasted camembert, followed by triggerfish (again) and duck confit.

Roasted camembert, salad

Main courses

We've enjoyed every restaurant we've dined at in Grand Case, but particularly like the casual atmosphere, fabulous view, and great food at Calmos Cafe!

Dining in Grand Case: La Villa, Sunset Cafe, Spiga

We continue our gastronomic tour of Grand Case, Saint Martin, with dinners at La Villa, Sunset Cafe, and Spiga.  At La Villa, we start with pan-seared duck foie gras, caesar salad, and homemade lobster bisque.  We follow these with seared wahoo medallions and roasted branzino.  And, to finish up, profiteroles!

Foie gras, lobster bisque

Wahoo, branzino

Profiteroles

The next day at Sunset Cafe, located in our hotel, the Grand Case Beach Club, we start with escargot and hummus, followed by sea bass for all.  And, to finish, more chocolate.

Escargot and hummus

Sea bass for all

Desert

Later in the week, we go for fabulous Italian fare at Spiga.  We start with paccheri ai tre pomodori (paccheri pasta with three types of tomatoes, topped with confit tomatoes and stracciatella cheese) and tartare di tonno (fresh caught tuna hand chopped and topped with capers, diced apples, pickled onions and confit cherry tomatoes).  We follow this with spaghetti alle vongole (clams, white wine sauce, garlic crumbs, and fresh parsley), ravioli di aragosta (handmade ravioli stuffed with lobster and mascarpone cheese with lobster bisque), and risotto ai frutti di mare (acquarello risotto cooked in a seafood bisque served with calamari, clams, and shrimp).

Starters

Spaghetti alle vongole

Ravioli di aragosta

Risotto ai frutti di mare

What a trio of great meals!

Dining in Grand Case: Bistrot Caraïbes, Ocean 82

Grand Case, Saint Martin, is known as the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean, with a number of fabulous restaurants offering a delicious fusion of Creole flavors and the great traditions of French cuisine.  All served in a beautiful environment overlooking the beach, the Anguilla Channel, and the lights of Anguilla across the water.

One of our favorite restaurants is Bistrot Caraïbes, where we always have at least one lobster.  We pick our lobster from a tank in the front of the restaurant and enjoy our starters of tuna tataki and endive salad as the lobster is prepared.

Pick a lobster

Tuna, endive

The lobster emerges from the kitchen along with a sea bass for the non-lobster part of our group.  And, to finish up:  profiteroles.

Lobster, sea bass

Profiteroles

Across the street from Bistrot Caraïbes is another favorite, Ocean 82.  We start with seared foie gras and octopus three ways (Caribbean, Indonesian, breaded/fried), followed by salt-crusted whole sea bass (flambéed at the table) and risotto with scallops and seared foie gras.

Starters

Salt-crusted sea bass

Flambéed at the table

Served

Risotto

On our way out, we walk past a tank of lobsters in the front of the restaurant, many of whom will be dinner soon.

 

Lobster tank

Two great meals!