A 9 Course 5 Wine Paired Culinary Journey in Washington Wine Country

The Herbfarm themed dining adventure is a bucket list item for many in the Pacific Northwest, and after having experienced it firsthand, I now fully understand and appreciate the foodie orgasm. Ron Zimmerman and Carrie Van Dyck, the husband and wife team behind the Herbfarm have meticulously orchestrated the perfect evening in Washington’s Woodinville wine country, taking diners on a 9 course culinary journey.

The original Herfarm restaurant operated in Fall City and had a reputation for a cut throat wait list longer than the French Laundry. When that location closed in 97 after a fire destroyed the restaurant, they eventually packed their knives and moved to Woodinville on Willow’s Lodge lovely grounds where they serve guests today. The wait list in Woodinville is not quite as long as it once was, but it should be. The 4-5 hour 9 course pre fixe meal begins with an optional 30 minute tour of the grounds and gardens led by Carrie, who educates guests on a unique blend of herbs and plants that are used in your meal. The restaurateurs pride themselves on incorporating ingredients from their grounds in Woodinville, and also pair several of their dishes with local Washington wines. After the tour diners are ushered to their seats at family style tables in the dining room where they will get to know their neighbors over the next several hours. The dining room seats around 52 guests, facing an open air kitchen where head chef Chris Weber and kitchen staff tend to the menu. The dinner theme of the evening was “Knife, Fork Smoke” in which every dish was cooked via fire, coal, smoke and primitive cooking techniques.

Courses included smoked penn cove mussels in freshly pressed tomato water, whole wood oven roasted Puyallup foie gras with duck sausage stuffed bell peppers, and ember grilled Oregon bison short ribs with sunchoke puree and twice grilled ribeye. Beautifully prepared meals at the Herbfarm aren’t just catered for foodies, they’ll pleasantly please the palate of winos as well. Head sommelier Joey Lopaka works closely with head chef Chris Weber to choose the perfect blend to compliment each dish. The Herbfarm wine cellar has an impressive collection of local and vintage wines including Treveri Cellars sparkling blanc de blanc, an array of Oregon Pinots, and a wine crafted when George Washington was still President: the 1795 Madeira, the oldest wine still being served by the glass anywhere. If you’re not big on wine, (then why are you in Woodinville?) the Herbfarm has an entire menu of fun non alcoholic drinks, using intriguing ingredients such as the stinging nettle sparkling tea, madrona bark tea, and a bucketlist item for the adventurous: the infamous Civet Cat coffee, world’s rarest coffee created from partially digested Arabica coffee beans eaten by Sumatra Civet cats and reclaimed from their droppings.

If you’re looking to celebrate your anniversary, birthday, or impress out of towners during Washington’s crush season, the Herbfarm culinary experience is a must. Some might find the $195-$225 a person price tag stifling, but many claim you will not experience a food orgasm quite like this anywhere else, and certainly not within 20 minutes from Seattle.

The Herbfarm 19490 NE 145th Street Woodinville, WA 98072