Dine At The Source
The Long Beach Peninsula’s Remarkable Culinary Range
Draws Inspiration And Ingredients From Nature

When sea air stimulates the appetite, the Long Beach Peninsula satisfies with a mouthwatering mélange of restaurants. Ranging from casual bistros to distinctive dining rooms, they share a devotion to the abundance of fresh local ingredients thriving in this fertile region. From one end of the peninsula to the other, food-savvy travelers find fascinating opportunities for viewing edibles at their very source – and savoring them on the plate.

Steps from the shore, this is a destination awash in just-caught seafood, like Dungeness crab, tuna, halibut, razor clams, and butter clams. To the north, the pristine estuary of Willapa Bay nourishes succulent oysters prized worldwide. To the south, treasured salmon and sturgeon spawn in the Columbia River, with whitefish and tuna harvested in deeper waters.

Visitors trolling for their own catch-of-the-day can buy in-season specialties at Goose Point Oysters, Oysterville Sea Farms, Jessie’s Seafood Market, OleBob's Seafood Market, and Jimella’s Seafood Market, where culinary standouts Jimella Lucas and Nanci Main also offer cooking classes.

Crimson cranberry bogs brighten the Long Beach Peninsula, whose Cranberry Museum details the growing process of this tart little gem and offers tastes of cranberry specialties. During the October harvest, travelers can pick their own cranberries at Cranguyma Farms, which also features a U-Pick blueberry patch from July through September.

Area chefs and diners alike go wild for mushrooms. Third-generation forager Veronica Williams, a local celebrity, tracks down such flavorful fungi as Lobster, Oyster, Angel’s Wings and Golden Chanterelle. These and 14 more locally gathered wild mushrooms find their way into recipes created by the destination’s vibrant culinary community during autumn’s Wild Mushroom Celebration and throughout the year.

From source to server, Long Beach Peninsula restaurants boast the talents of high-profile chefs who have relocated to the rural setting for its slower pace, stunning beauty and proximity to ultra-fresh ingredients.

The 42^nd Street Café honors nature’s generosity with such mouthwatering dishes as Dungeness crab beignet and cedar-planked Chinook salmon, crafted by harp-playing chef Cheri Walker.

Trains no longer stop at The Depot, but diners throng to the intimate eatery, where former Portland chef Michael Lalewicz works wonders with the region’s incredible edibles, including scrumptious Willapa Bay steamers and razor clams. 

At the Port Bistro, with tables overlooking the Port of Ilwaco marina, Larry Piaskowy is turning the dining scene on its head with the likes of seared, rare, local Albacore tuna served over Dungeness crab polenta with sautéed baby spinach, a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and chipotle popcorn.

Teri Dodson incorporates fresh local seafood into traditional Italian favorites at Ilwaco’s marina-front Tuscany Café.

A newcomer to the Port, Jeff McMahon’s Pelicano Restaurant is serving up delicious seafood stews and other tasty creations using local fresh catch in an elegant dining room with marina views.

New in Long Beach is Café Akari, where Jared Oakes dishes up eclectic fare including a giant hummus plate, mouth-watering fish tacos gourmet panini alongside more traditional beach fare – clam chowder and fish ‘n chips.

Inns and bed and breakfast establishments are also part of this rich culinary community.  Inspired breakfasts utilizing fresh local ingredients can be found at The Shelburne Inn, Boreas Inn, Charles Nelson Guest House, Caswells by the Bay, and others.

Naturally, Long Beach Peninsula visitors can still eat their fill of traditional seaside sustenance, like clam chowder and fish-and-chips. But that’s only a taste of what’s available in this appetizing destination, brimming with bounties from land and sea.

# # #

# # #