Trek to Salish Lodge for an Interactive, Intimate Dinner

Any time I have to choose my own ingredients for a salad, I’m setting myself up for utter culinary failure. (I’ve never been one to magically know which flavors go best together.)

So when I arrived at Salish Lodge & Spa in late June for its Salish Sip Series dinner–part of its interactive Culinary Adventures program, which includes cooking demos, canning classes and Full Moon Dinners at the Falls–and was told we’d be crafting our own salads from ingredients we would pick from its hillside garden, I feared a similar outcome. Armed with a glass of bubbly and a large metal bowl in which I’d be stashing my selections, I began my salad quest.

I picked with wild abandon–butter lettuce, blueberries, basil–and topped it off with extras like Beecher’s cheese, candied pecans and a house-made honey vinaigrette. It was the best (and best-looking; see below) salad I’ve ever created/eaten.

For the next few hours, me and eleven very fun, very talkative strangers sipped on wine from the Terra Blanca Winery while Salish’s executive chef Steven Snook explained each delightful course we would be devouring.

While the Sip Series has ended, you can still join in on all the interactive, chef-led fun with Salish’s Full Moon Dinners. Similar to my experience, the Full Moon feast is held from 7 to 10 p.m. in the lodge’s charming, newly renovated Chef’s Studio overlooking Snoqualmie Falls. You’ll dine on seasonally inspired dishes–prepare to get adventurous as the menu is unveiled upon your arrival–and have the chance to explore the garden and ask chef Snook questions (or, as I did, practice your British accent for him since he’s English). Reserve your spot now ($150; dinner is limited to 12 people) for the next one on Saturday, August 29!

Since you’ll be imbibing during your dinner, I suggest making a night of it and booking a room for the evening. Bon appetit!