Sitting on the Swinomish Channel, Nell Thorn Waterfront Bistro & Bar is a must-visit in La Conner. This cozy, sophisticated eatery is co-owned by General Manager Albie Bjornberg and Chef James Donohue, who both have an undeniable passion for locally-sourced, artisan crafted, and supremely fresh ingredients.
Photo by Cocoa Laney
“Everything just has a special vibrancy about it, because it’s so hyperlocal and hyperfresh—that translates directly to the plate,” says Bjornberg. “[We] make relationships with local farmers and granaries, beef producers, anything and everything.”
“Most of the farmers out here, it’s pretty unreal what they’re able to do with the quality that they’re sending out,” Donohue adds. “Sometimes the guy’s in the field picking the stuff and he’s bringing it over in his golf cart like, ‘Alright, here it is!’ I mean, it is fresh.”
Photo by Cocoa Laney
While maintaining relationships with providers to keep certain staples on the menu, they’re always buying from a fluctuating number of area farms, fishermen, and foragers to source ripe, interesting ingredients.
Bar Manager Gwen Knight is equally as excited about innovation and quality. She made us three drinks, the Moonbeam Rider ($13), the Buddy System ($12) and the Nitro Cold Brew Martini ($12), each showcasing the care and crafting that goes into cocktails at Nell Thorn.
Photo by Cocoa Laney
“Our food is so heavily influenced by the surrounding farm area and what’s in season. Our menu changes every day, and I want our cocktails to reflect that same ideology,” she says. “It’s inspirational! When the first rhubarb of the season comes in and I start playing with fruit again, I get really excited.”
The cocktails, microbrews, and extensive wine list are themselves a top-notch draw, and that’s before you even start sampling the food. You can’t sit down for a meal at Nell Thorn and not enjoy their fresh baked Nell’s Bread ($5), a sourdough made from Cairns Springs Mills grains with a crunchy crust and soft, hearty body.
Photo by Cocoa Laney
We had it with the house-made butter, which changes frequently. When we visited it was flavored with truffle, garlic, and aromatic herbs. Simplicity is not easy, so when a restaurant nails the bread and butter this hard, you know everything after is going to be amazing!
The freshness of Nell Thorn’s ingredients truly shine through in their salads. Their raw greens and veggies are absolutely bursting with juicy flavor, and even cooked they’re firm and crisp, reminding you that some of these things left the ground just days (or sometimes even less) prior.
The Warm Pear and Beet Salad ($21) is perfect for those who love a sweeter palate. Sliced and roasted red and yel – low beets from Ralph’s Greenhouse in Mount Vernon are paired with caramelized Bosc pears, gorgonzola, crushed Marcona almonds, organic arugula, and drizzled with burnt honey vinaigrette.
Foodies will know the salad Nicoise is a classic French salad, but Nell Thorn’s take, the Wild Salmon Nicoise ($28), is a masterful display of color and variety that further highlights the tasty bounty of our area. On a bed of Well Fed Farms organic lettuces is a slab of grilled wild Alaskan sockeye salmon. Nicoise olives, rainbow fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, organic asparagus, capers, soft-boiled egg, parmigiano, and a lemon wedge all add to the layered flavors of this meal.
Photo by Cocoa Laney
We were also treated to two of their pasta dishes, the Dungeness Crab Spaghetti ($38) and the Rigatoni Arrabbiata ($28). Nell Thorn makes all of their pastas fresh and in-house, so regardless of if you’re noshing the semolina rigatoni or spaghetti, or the egg yolk tagliatelle, you’re in for noodles worlds away from stale or soggy. The crab pasta was complimented with a rich and zesty butter lemon sauce, while the arrabbiata dish was perfectly piquant thanks to piquillo peppers.
Lastly, we had a meringue dessert, the Pavlova ($12). The meringue is baked to toasty perfection and filled with sage-thyme whipped cream, and topped with a triple berry coulis of raspberry, blueberries, and blackberries.
Our entire experience at Nell Thorn was colored by the blatant joy and pride everyone at the establishment takes in their food, the experience they provide, and in their community. Cruise down to La Conner’s waterfront for a fresh experience every time! 116 S. 1st St.., La Conner, 360.466.4261, nellthorn.com
