blog @ the shelburne inn

Wannabe Blueberries

Innkeeper — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:42:07 +0000

Warm, sunny weather has been a bit spotty this summer in parts of the Pacific Northwest. Everything in the garden is harvesting about a month later than normal. A case in point–we have some very old blueberry bushes in our yard in Seaview. Normally, we would have harvested buckets and buckets by now, but just yesterday I was scrambling to pick enough for my “Mixed Berry Pie” for the Shelburne Restaurant. Here are some photos that chronicle the journey from bush to pie…

Wannabe Blueberries

Fresh PNW Berries

Mixed Berry Pie in progress

The finished pie didn’t last long. That’s always the amazing part of baking. When you think how long it took to ripen those berries, then to pick them, clean them, make the crust and assemble the pie and bake it. And then, to watch it disappear in a matter of minutes. The reward is most certainly the smiles on the faces of the satisfied eaters. After all, nothing lasts forever.

Mixed PNW Berry Pie

The recipe I used was one I found at Chow.com, a very fun website. Be sure to check out their “Chow Tips”, which showcase short instructional video clips on everything from food preparation to making cocktails.

Julia Child Week at the Shelburne Restaurant & Pub

Innkeeper — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:03:34 +0000

Julia Child was born in the summer time, August 15th, 1912, to be exact. In her honor our Chefs have chosen to add their rendition of several of her favorite dishes to our menu this week at the Shelburne Restaurant & Pub. Summer time in the Pacific Northwest brings such a plethora of fresh produce and seafood. In addition, baskets full of foraged local products arrive with regularity this time of year and on into the autumn months. The result of that is an increased flow of our creative juices, and a big reminder of why we do what we do…because we (like Julia) are passionate about food, its preparation, presentation and the sharing of it. We hope you’ll visit us, if not this week, then some time soon to savor an inspired meal. Breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here’s this week’s dinner menu:

Weekly Changing Menu

Week of August 13 2010

In Honor of Julia Child

august 15 1912 – august 13 2004

The Shelburne Appetizers

Sake Steamed Willapa Bay Clams 13-

Pan Fried Willapa Bay Oysters 15-

Salmon Quenelle with Basil Lemon Beure Blanc 16-

The Shelburne Salads

ABGV Salad

Mixed Greens, Apples, Blueberries, Blue Cheese and Blueberry Vinaigrette

Chef’s Classic Caesar Salad

Hearts of Romaine Tossed with our own Caesar Dressing, Parmesan Cheese and Homemade Croutons

Add Ahi Tuna, Crab Cakes, or Pan Fried Oysters for 8 bucks

The Classic Nicoise

The Shelburne Soups

Cup 5- Bowl 8-

Innkeepers Mussel Chowder

Vegetarian French Onion Soup Au Gratin

Soup of the Day

The Shelburne Mains

Chef’s Special Pasta of the evening

Price changes depending what we have in the pasta

Fire Kissed Rogue River Salmon 28-

Huckleberry Glaze, Quinoa Salad

Dungeness Crab Cakes 26-

Served with Smoked Chipotle Rouille, Seaweed Salad, Wild Rice Risotto

Ling Cod Meuniere 22-

Capers, Orange Glazed Parsnip, Sherry Wine and Fine Herbs

The Shellington 36-

Beef Tenderloin, Porcini dust, Oyster Mushrooms, Phyllo tuille, Horseradish Smashed Potatoes, Garlic Shrimp

Harrison Ranch Angus N.Y. Strip Loin Bordelaise 32

12 oz, Pan Seared to your liking, Wild Mushroom Bordelaise, Red Wine Syrup Smashed Yukon Gold Spuds

Cioppino 26-

A selection of Seafood, including Prawns, Salmon, Halibut and Clams, Green Lipped Mussels, Saffron and Truffle oil

Rack of Lamb 33-

Broiled to your liking, Sorghum Juniper Glaze, Minted Sour Cream Sauce, Herbed Roast Potatoes

Hudson Valley Brick Seared Duck 25-

Served over Yukon gold potato gallette, Lingonberrie sauce

Cuisine by Chefs Richard and Rob

Shelburne History

Innkeeper — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:34:10 +0000

The Shelburne Inn was built in 1896 as a hotel with a dining room.

This year, 2010, marks the 114th year of business for the Shelburne Inn, Restaurant & Pub. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Washington State. Many of our guests ask about the details of that history, so we printed up a flyer that offers up some of the Shelburne’s colorful past, though not as colorful as some have imagined–to our knowledge it never was a brothel. It has always been our goal, in any of our projects here at the inn, to maintain the design integrity of the past while accommodating the modern traveler. We’ve run the inn since 1977, and in that time have developed a relationship with it that is more animate than inanimate, or shall we say innanimate? Needless to say, we like old things. When properly cared for, they exude a certain comfort and character that is difficult to recreate in new construction. Here’s a brief history…

The Shelburne Inn was established as a retreat for Portlanders, and has operated continuously since 1896, making it the oldest continuously operating hotel in the State of Washington. Charles Beaver chose the name Shelburne for the home and boarding house he built, naming it after a grand hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Charles Beaver married Inez Stout, daughter of Jonathan Stout, who platted Seaview and who was also instrumental in the founding of the town of Gearhart, across the Columbia River in Oregon. In 1911, to better accommodate increasing numbers of summer visitors, a team of horses was used to pull the Shelburne across the street to join it to another building. In those early days, travelers ventured up the Columbia River to Astoria on the sternwheeler T.J. Potter. From Astoria they ferried to Megler and then traversed the Long Beach Peninsula via the narrow-guage Clamshell Railroad. The Shelburne Station was one of the main stops, dropping off summer residents and visitors to the inn.

David Campiche and Laurie Anderson purchased the inn in 1977, and under their ownership four major phases of refurbishing and new construction have been completed. Wireless Internet service has been added to accommodate the modern traveler. A transformation of the restaurant dining room was begun in 1983 with the expansion and enclosure of the old front porch which surrounded the building. The glorious Art Nouveau stained glass windows which dominate the restaurant’s front dining room and the pub date back to the late 1800’s. David and Laurie were able to salvage them from a soon-to-be-razed church in Morecambe, England.

David and Laurie and their staff invite you to step back in time while savoring a longstanding Pacific Northwest tradition in heartfelt hospitality and outstanding cuisine.

Hot Cross Buns

Innkeeper — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:23:24 +0000

We hope you’ll be able to join us for Easter Sunday Brunch this Sunday, April 4th in the Shelburne Restaurant. We’ll be serving our brunch menu from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm on that day. If that isn’t a possibility for you, and you’d like to add a bit of Shelburne tradition to your own Easter menu, we suggest that you try your hand at our recipe for Hot Cross Buns. You can make them the day before and re-heat in a 300 degree oven wrapped in foil for about 15 minutes. You’ll wonder why these are served only once a year! Here’s the recipe and a photo of the finished product:

These buns are a festive addition to the Easter table with their shiny glaze and cross on top.

For the buns:

8 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons dry yeast

1 ½ cups warm milk

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup currants

2/3 cup dark raisins

2/3 cup light raisins

Mix 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, the yeast, warm milk and warm water. Cover the bowl and set this sponge aside for 20 minutes in a warm place.

Mix the remaining flour with the salt, spices and remaining sugar.

Add the softened butter, beaten eggs, dry ingredients, currants, dark and light raisins to the yeast batter, blending after each addition. Mix well to form a soft dough, adding extra flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about ten minutes by hand or two to three minutes with a mixer and dough hook.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about one hour.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, punch it down and knead it for about 2 minutes.

Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape them into buns by cupping your hand around each piece and rotating your hand in a circle while simultaneously pressing down lightly on the dough to form a small sphere. Place them on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place until they’ve doubled in size.

Just before baking, top each bun with a cross using a pastry tube fitted with a small opening and filled with the following paste (the consistency of frosting).

For the cross:

½ cup flour

3 to 4 Tablespoons cool water

Bake in a 375˚ oven for about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and brush each bun with a sugar glaze while still hot.

Sugar Glaze:

¼ cup granulated sugar

5 Tablespoons milk

Dissolve the sugar in the milk over low heat. Raise the heat and boil rapidly for two minutes.

How to Clean Razor Clams

Innkeeper — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:19:10 +0000

David Campiche, owner of the Shelburne Inn, a Washington Historic Hotel, demonstrates how to clean Razor Clams, a Northwest specialty. David grew up on the Long Beach Peninsula and has enjoyed digging, cleaning and eating Razor Clams all his life. He shares with you the sometimes messy but always gratifying job of preparing these delectable clams for your favorite recipe.

RECREATIONAL RAZOR CLAM OPENER: The March 2010 recreational razor clam opener will proceed as planned. The marine toxin tests have been completed and the Washington Department of Health has found razor clams are safe for human consumption. The following are the dates and locations of this razor clam harvest opportunity:

Friday, March 26, (4:29 p.m., +0.1) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Kalaloch
Saturday, March 27, (5:19 p.m., -0.1) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Sunday, March 28, (6:04 p.m., 0.0) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Monday, March 29, (6:35 A.M., -0.1) Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
Tuesday, March 30, (7:22 A.M., -0.7) Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
Wednesday, March 31, (8:07 A.M., -1.0) Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
Thursday, April 1, (8:52 A.M., -1.0) Long Beach and Twin Harbors only

Please be aware that every beach is not open every day. Having the flexibility to offer variable beach openers allows us to provide more harvest opportunity.

If you are unsure of the name of the razor clam management beach where you plan to harvest razor clams, please take a look at the map we have at the following web link: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/graphics/map_beaches.jpg

Note two important items:

A new license will be needed to participate in any harvest after April 1.

· The tides switch from P.M. to A.M. on March 29.

Winter Activities at the Beach

Innkeeper — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:06:31 +0000

The thought of winter weather at the beach on the Washington coast conjures up word associatons such as “cold, windy, rainy, stormy and inclement.” The truth is that if you’re prepared with the right clothing, a visit to the beach in winter can surprise and delight just as at any other time of year. One of the things we like about winter weather is that it’s often dramatic. We’ve also learned that if you’re willing to go out in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning you might just catch some rare scenery. Take for example the scene at North Head Lighthouse during winter crab fishing season. The following photos were taken from about 4:30 to 6:30 a.m. in December.

David and I recently celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary. It happened to be a sunny, though freezing winter day. We opted to dress warmly and pack a picnic. We drove to Ecola State Park, just under an hour from the Shelburne Inn, near Cannon Beach. Indian Beach can be found there and that was our location choice for the picnic. We took a walk on the beach, which is at the base of a very tall cliff. There is a small stream that empties onto the beach. The freezing weather formed icicles at the base of the stream.

Cannon Beach, Astoria, Ilwaco, Seaview, Long Beach and Ocean Park all have interesting Art Galleries, Museums and shops. After a day of sight-seeing and browsing you’ll find yourself in the perfect position to take advantage of the local cuisine. The Shelburne Restaurant & Pub’s winter menu is designed to comfort the weather-weary and feed the adventuresome soul. A new winter menu will be launched on Friday, February 5th, 2010.

Stained Glass Inspiration

Innkeeper — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:42:57 +0000

Many guests ask about all the stained glass windows installed in the Shelburne Inn, Restaurant & Pub. David Campiche and Laurie Anderson procured most of the windows that front the building from an old friend who had imported them from Morecambe, England in the 1980’s. The windows had been salvaged from a soon-to-be-razed church. They are from the Art Nouveau period and their floral design and colors cast a beautiful glow in the rooms they adorn. Recently, professional photographer, Doug Plummer, photographed the large window in the area of the restaurant we call the “Inglenook.”

Others have found inspiration from the windows, as well. We were emailed a photograph of a replica created by a former guest, Stephanie Bergeron in her own home. Stephanie wrote:

I had a lot of fun doing this.It only took one afternoon and evening to complete– about 6 hours. It was done with Gallery Glass glass paints and the Gallery Glass Redi-Lead. It was done while the door was still hanging on it’s hinges in the doorway. I do have a bit of a stiff shoulder today…:)

Here’s her photograph of the result:

Co-owner, Laurie Anderson, with the assistance of her teacher, the late Barbara Wagner, created a needlepoint rendition of the stained glass window. Laurie has created needlepoint kits for others to reproduce the “window” to hang in their own home.

Fall Culinary Delights

Innkeeper — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:13:46 +0000

Here on the Long Beach Peninsula, it’s impossible to ponder the Fall season without thinking of the bounty of wild edible mushrooms that pop up at this time of year. Our 8th Annual Wild Mushroom Celebration brought out crowds of mushroom lovers to sample our Chefs’ creations as well as those of Guest Chef, Larry Piaskowy, formerly of the Port Bistro, in Ilwaco. Larry and his lovely wife, Jennifer Williams promise to return next year for another Guest Chef Dinner during the Wild Mushroom Celebration 2010.

Shelburne Reataurant Culinary team, left to right: Richard Windrich, Kim Pickering and Michael Campiche

Our Chefs, pictured above, produced a remarkable Wild Mushroom feast of multiple courses showcasing the bounty of wild mushrooms that grow in our surrounding countryside. Some of the dishes are pictured below.

Fortunately, we harvest enough wild mushrooms that we’re able to serve them almost year-round. When fresh, local produce and wild things show up at our door, it really gets our creative juices flowing. We invite you to celebrate the season by joining us to sample the bounty of the region.

Joys of Summer

Innkeeper — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:15:11 +0000

Summertime brings with it so much that we wait for all year long, here in the Pacific Northwest, specifically, good weather with enough warmth to wear less clothing, and all the beautiful produce that grows in this region. I scored some perfect Marion berries recently and was inspired to bake a pie for the restaurant. Here’s a photo of the pie and the recipe, too. It’s so simple and sooooo good!

Marion berries are a summer treat with a unique flavor all their own.

Marion Berry Pie

The Shelburne Restaurant & Pub

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare pie crust for two crust pie, and roll out bottom crust. Prepare filling:

4 cups berries, washed

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup unbleached flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Mix above ingredients, except for butter and fill pie shell. Dot the top with butter. Roll out top crust and make slits to allow steam to escape. Apply to top of pie and crimp edges. Brush with milk and then sprinkle top with sugar.

Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for ten minutes. Cover with foil and reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 40 minutes more. Remove foil for last ten minutes so that crust browns nicely. Allow pie to cool before serving, as the juices set up. You can substitute blackberries for the Marion berries.

Birders Flock Together

Innkeeper — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:39:45 +0000

M. Angels Nieto, of Salardu, Spain enjoys and takes seriously her passion for bird watching.

We were recently hosts at China Beach Retreat and the Shelburne Inn to a lovely couple from Spain, named Joaquin and M. Angels Nieto, who had found us on the Internet. They were drawn to our location largely due to our large bird population, as they are avid bird watchers. They were delighted to hook up with a member of our local chapter of the Audubon Society, Mary Atherton, of Discovery Coast Audubon Society. Mary met them early one morning and showed them where to go for some great bird sightings. Interestingly, they own Hotel Mauberme, in Salardu, Lleida, Spain. The area from which they come is also quite a mecca for birders. A visit to their website will reveal this, as well as the Nietos’ passion for bird watching (in other parts of the world, too, such as Africa). While it may be difficult for us to get away from the inn for any extended period during the summertime, we feel as though the world comes to us because of our diverse clientele. The Nietos were kind enough to send us this photo of M. Angels that was taken of her on their hike in Pacific County. If you would like to learn more about birding in our area, please visit our local Visitors Bureau website, funbeach.com, where you’ll find a wealth of information.