What's the first thing you should unpack
when you arrive at The Inn at Langley? Your
binoculars. Every single one of this inn's 26 rooms, suites and
cottages has a world class view across the Saratoga Passage and
while whale sightings are not exactly ho-hum, you wouldn't call
them a rarity either. The day I checked in, the woman at the
front desk was still visibly excited about spotting a large pod
of orcas earlier in the morning.
I became visibly excited when
I laid eyes on my cottage duplex with a roomy patio, two
fireplaces, dimmer switches throughout (lovely touch) and walls
of window facing straight out over the sound which was so close I
could hear it lapping onto the shore. At certain times of the
year lucky guests can also hear migrating pods of grey whales
breathing down below you.
But I didn't have much time to linger
in my cottage since the $80, thrice-weekly, six course, set-menu
meal in The Chef's Dining Room begins at 6 pm sharp on Sundays (7
pm on Friday and Saturday and at 7 pm on Thursdays from mid-June
through August). Given the reputation of chef Matt
Costello””formerly chef at Tom Douglas' award-winning Dahlia
Lounge and Palace Kitchen in nearby Seattle and whose work at the
inn was deemed “Extraordinary” by Zagat in 2006””I didn't want to
miss a bite of it.
The dining room feels homey
and stylish with a massive double-hearth fireplace, wrought iron
light fixtures and more than a whiff of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Personalized menus with diners' names on the top are a charming
touch, though the wicker-frame chairs present a real snag-danger
to clothes. Not so the beautifully crafted dining tables, made by
local woodworker David Gray who spent an average of 25 hours
on each piece.
Costello, who is also the General
Manager of The Inn at Langley, is relaxed and enthusiastic as he
talks to the assembled diners about his passion for fresh, local,
seasonal food. Then he gets down to business. Ingredients have
been prepped and Matt works alone in his well-appointed but not
snooty (and obviously well-used) kitchen preparing every plate of
every course himself.
Though Costello humbly calls his meals
“Northwest Supper,” don't be fooled. Using his considerable
experience and skill he coaxes the very best flavors out of each
ingredient. The result is simply elegant food prepared and
presented with confidence. My husband, Eric, was not only
inspired to try two dishes starring his sworn culinary
enemies””mushrooms and stinky cheese””but he actually enjoyed
both.
Apart from “leave no morsel
behind,” here's another Northwest Supper tip: opt for the wine
pairing with your meal. At $60 per person, it's worth it just to
be proven wrong about the appropriateness of pouring a warm,
buttery, sweet Erhart Gewurztraminer with tuna presented on a
slice of pickled melon and sprinkled with sharp lemon basil. They
really don't just hand out Washington Wine Grand Awards (which
Costello's cellar won in 2006) to just anyone. In fact, only 16
other restaurants in the state were equally honored last
year.
In 2006 Travel & Leisure
also named The Inn at Langley to its list of 500 Top Hotels in
the World and called it one of its Top Five American Winter
Retreats. That same year Conde Nast Traveler put the inn
on its Gold List where it rated higher than any other property in
Washington state.
Farmers markets, art galleries and antique stores outnumber all
other types of retail relaxation in the charming blocks that make
up “downtown” Langley (all within walking distance from the inn),
but don't miss The Star Store and The Star Store Bistro Café and
Bar””think classic mercantile meets Anthropologie
meets a big city gourmet market.
Another worthy way to while away an
afternoon is Spa Essencia, located next to the inn on the beach
level. The spa puts an emphasis on all-natural products, has a
refreshing lack of regard for the clock (no assembly line
approach to client “service” here) and offers large and airy
treatment rooms, many with a view of the water so you won't miss
that orca pod should it decide to pass through in the middle of
your European Facial or Hot Stone Massage. I tried the Seaweed
Body Wrap ($90 for 60 minutes) and was thrilled when the seaweed
was applied through massage, not just brushed onto the skin,
making this a truly comprehensive body treatment.
My bathroom at The Inn at
Langley was three quarters of the way to spa-ville and came fully
loaded with radiant floor heating, playfully elegant Mario Russo bath
amenities (love the soap that comes out of the box looking like a
stone someone pocketed from a Zen temple) and a jet soaker tub
for two with a view of the sound. Double sinks, tiny, iridescent
mosaic tiles on the floor and walls and a huge shower head
completed the chicly relaxing scene.
This year all rooms at The Inn at
Langley will sport newly renovated balconies decorated with
invitingly padded wood chaise lounges and foot stools and
accented with river rocks””plus that view, of course. All rooms
are also slated to get flat screen TVs, which will be a welcome
upgrade since the two units in my cottage were clumsy low-tech
varieties plunked down on carts that could not be moved for
easier viewing. Rumor has it that the dorm-roomesque metal blinds
throughout the inn may also be replaced with classier wooden
versions.
But even if the metal blinds stay where
they are, The Inn at Langley is one of the best places to kick
back and relax in the name of whale watching. You'll have the
blinds open all the time anyway.
Rates start at: $265
The Inn at Langley
400 First Street
Langley, Washington 98260
Phone: (360) 221-3033
www.innatlangley.com
In April, 2006 peripatetic
journalist Karen Catchpole left her job as deputy editor of
SHOP Etc. magazine in New York City, jumped into a Chevy
Silverado and embarked on the Trans-Americas
Journey, a three year, 70,000+ mile
road trip through North, Central and South America. When she's
not reviewing luxury hotels, resorts, ranches and B&Bs, she
can be found enjoying the nearest campground.
