Bay Café: A taste of Lopez Island’s finest
by Julie Ubben, Assistant Marketing Manager
Start with adjectives like ‘divine’ and ‘delectable.’ Combine them with ‘Northwest & International Cuisine.’ Toss in a spectacular location, ocean sunset views from every table, and an owner/manager whose passion is fresh, organic local food and fresh seafood (not hard to come by when you live on an island) — and you’ve got a splendid recipe for dining.
Lopez Island’s Bay Café always earns rave reviews from BA guests. In the 23 years we’ve been bicycling the San Juan Islands, the Bay Café always tops the post-trip restaurant survey.
Our guests are not the only ones to rave. Bay Café has been featured in Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Food & Wine magazines, to name a few. Owner Daren Holscher has invested his life into the restaurant — and his eyes sparkle when he talks about it. “I was 26 years old when I moved to Lopez Island and took over the Bay Café,” he muses. “It was a challenge to move to a seasonal, remote island in the Northwest. But it has become my way of life — and 12 years later I feel like it was only yesterday. When you love something and have a passion for it, you can spend endless hours and never feel like you worked. It’s the most rewarding experience in my life.”
The menu is seasonal — it might include fresh steamed Puget Sound mussels with Andouille sausage, tomatoes, garlic and white wine, or handcrafted ravioli with cognac and herbs — so it’s guaranteed to be fresh. Paired with magnificent sunset views and a driftwood-edged beach setting, the Bay Café is the perfect place to feed both body and soul.
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