Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
100 N. Commercial St.
&
360/647-0800.
Reservations recommended. Main courses $9-$12 lunch, $15-$24
dinner. AE, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm; Fri 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-9pm; Sat
5:30-9pm.
ON CHUCKANUT DRIVE
The Oyster Bar
NORTHWEST Located near the southern end of
Chuckanut Drive, this restaurant is the most upscale and formal of the handful
of restaurants along the scenic drive. Of course, as the name implies, fresh local
oysters are one of the specialties here, but the restaurant also serves up a wide
range of imaginative dishes, the likes of which you aren't likely to find on any
other area menus: wild boar with wild mushroom gravy, salmon with cham-
pagne-raspberry-and-pistachio sauce, abalone with hazelnut-lime butter. There
are also great views of Samish Bay and the distant San Juan Islands. Desserts here
often feature local fruits and berries, and there is an excellent wine cellar.
2578 Chuckanut Dr.
&
360/766-6185.
www.theoysterbaronchuckanutdrive.com. Reservations highly rec-
ommended. Main courses $7-$13 lunch, $15-$50 dinner. AE, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-10pm.
Rhododendron Café
NORTHWEST/INTERNATIONAL
Located at the southern end of Chuckanut Drive amid the Samish farmlands,
this place looks from the outside like any other farm-country roadside diner.
However, take one look at the menu, and you'll find that the farmers in this area
are a lucky group. The menu melds creative Northwest cookery with influences
from around the world, and each month there are specials from a different part
of the world. You might find Vietnamese, Guatemalan, Turkish, or Caribbean
food on the menu when you stop by, and these adventurous specials are always
worth trying. The regular menu includes lots of local produce, fresh herbs from
the restaurant's garden, and oysters from nearby Samish Bay. The casual atmos-
phere and creative meals are a surprising and very welcome mix.
5521 Chuckanut Dr., Bow.
&
360/766-6667.
www.rhodycafe.com. Main courses $7-$11 lunch, $12-$17
dinner. AE, DISC, MC, V. Wed-Fri 11:30am-9pm; Sat-Sun 9am-9pm. Closed Thanksgiving-Jan 1.
BELLINGHAM NIGHTLIFE
The
Mount Baker Theatre,
104 N. Commercial St. (
&
360/733-5793;
www.
mountbakertheatre.com), is downtown Bellingham's other major landmark and
is the city's premier performing-arts venue. The theater's 110-foot-tall lighthouse
tower is visible from all over the city, and though the exterior decor is quite sub-
dued, inside you'll find an extravagant lobby designed to resemble a Spanish
galleon.
Finds
