Cuisine:

• Others
• East and West
• Northwestern
• Contemporary

Herbfarm Restaurant Description:
Since 1987, The Herbfarm has been a culinary theatre for foodies, offering a dramatic nine-course, five-hour dining experience. Set among wineries in bucolic Woodinville (about a 45-minute drive northeast from downtown Seattle), the restaurant resembles a Hollywood vision of an elegant French farmhouse. With the departure in 2007 of long-celebrated chef Jerry Traunfeld, there was much speculation as to what the new chef, Keith Luce, would bring to the table. The welcome news is that the quality---from the ingredients to the presentation---is still first-rate, although a bit uneven at times. The major disappointment, however, is that The Herbfarm, once on the cutting edge of Pacific Northwest cuisine, feels a bit dated. While chef Luce certainly brings his own flair and creativity to the menu, there is less culinary magic, perhaps because the concept is no longer new. Themed menus, which change every two weeks, continue to highlight the seasons. Your evening begins with tours of the impressive wine cellar and fragrant herb farm by gracious proprietors Ron Zimmerman and Carrie Van Dyck. Back in the elegant restaurant, your extravagant feast debuts with sparkling wine and a 20-minute dissertation by chef Luce about the upcoming meal. "The Summer Sketchbook" dinner, for example, begins with a trio of miniature appetizers, including a morsel of Dungeness crab in Asian-style custard. Roasted sockeye salmon, touched with a foie gras emulsion, precedes the next course of (slightly over-salted) Kodiak Island weathervane scallops. Lavender-crusted loin of lamb pairs with sweet peas and turnips on a roasted garlic and potato gratin. A tiny scoop of carrot sorbet crowns the lemon verbena and chamomile panna cotta. Elegance ends the meal with miniature cherry donuts and rose-scented chocolate cake. True to tradition, service is professional and the ambience convivial rather than pretentious. For those willing to spend almost $250 per person, which includes six high-quality Northwest wines, service and tax, The Herbfarm continues to offer a splendid dining adventure.


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