Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/599676
8 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t 8 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t "I really embrace those kinds of seasonal fluctuations," says Wetzel. "In fact, the menu here is meant to showcase those. So, there may be times of year when you do have lots of green leafy vegetable dishes in a row, but hopefully showcased differently and interestingly enough to be part of a great menu." And, how does he deal with that acid issue? Wetzel glances through his storeroom at glass jars full of dried smelt, baskets of birch branches and vessels full of fir tips, and explains that he goes to great lengths to harvest under- ripe gooseberries. He also dries razor clams and sea cucumbers gathered by the local Lummi tribe. Albacore is ham-cured to the texture of prosciutto. Sea cucumber and halibut guts are fermented for homemade fish sauce. Bulk kelp—think that long, bul- bous seaweed that gathers on beaches—is collected during its two-week season, and the seed is harvested and capered. We experience this later in the night when it appears like roe atop a slice of rock cod lolling in a broth made from its own bones. Wetzel can be mercurial, suddenly changing a dish on the seven-course-tasting menu when he discovers, for example, that beach roses are in bloom. That means his team must be equally innovative, and equally ready to change directions on a whim. Given that the beverage program is dedicated to "Cascadia" wines—those coming from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia—and is dominated by small producers, this can be a challenge. "You'll come in on a Thursday to, potentially, something entirely different," says Wine Director Phaedra Brucato. "So, you have to find something else that works. Usually we can do that, but sometimes it's a mad dash to procure enough for the weekend, and take us through our week. "Last week we had to change a bunch of the wine—for the dessert and other dishes—and we had a Waitsburg Cellars Solving the acid problem with homemade vinegars. Wetzel and team at work on the night's menu. 8 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Bread and butter showcases wheat farmed and milled every Wednesday just for Willows Inn.