If you walk down cozy Commercial Street in Anacortes, also known as “restaurant row,” you’ll see the happy faces of diners entering and exiting the many cafes and restaurants of the beautiful seaside town. Trees, flowers, and outdoor eating areas surround the sidewalk at Tide & Taste, where you’re greeted with a warm smile. Run by husband and wife Nick and Kami LaLonde, Tide & Taste opened in January of this year. Nick wanted to put his years of chef experience towards a place that he and his wife could call their own—one that serves Anacortes with a youthful touch.
“We really wanted to open the kind of place that we would want to hang out in, because lots of young families are moving here,” Kami says.
Photograph by Rylie Obergfell
And it shows—tastefully, of course. A black-and-white theme, ‘90s hip-hop, and an open kitchen meet you as soon as you walk in. The menu isn’t huge, but the perfection of each dish explains why: every part of each dish is intentional. I started with raw oysters on the half shell, something I’d never eaten before, and this was the perfect place for an introduction. Locally sourced from neighboring Similk Bay, the oysters had a distinct, bold, salty flavor that made me reminisce about a childhood beach day.
Photograph by Rylie Obergfell
The LaLondes pride themselves on the abundance of oysters at their disposal, and the community loves them for it—and for their dollar oyster Mondays.
“We’re trying to carve our spot out as ‘the’ cocktail bar of Anacortes, and kind of the same with the raw oysters,” Nick says. “That’s kind of become our identity: oysters and cocktails.”
Photograph by Rylie Obergfell
Next, I enjoyed the Heirloom Tomatoes & Roasted Beets, which include strawberries, mint, and goat milk fromage blanc. I was able to try some of their signature seasonal cocktails alongside the next dish of octopus and potatoes. Needless to say, my taste buds were jumping with joy.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, a plate of salmon doused in red curry and garnished with roe was placed before me, along with the Cascadia Mushrooms, a side dish of mushrooms smothered in a rich brown butter vinaigrette.
Photograph by Rylie Obergfell
The menu rotates every few months, “to keep things fresh,” as Nick puts it. There is no reason to believe that the winter menu won’t be just as delectable as the summer’s. And keep your eyes open for news of their latest addition; they’re expecting to launch a new bar up the stairs overlooking the restaurant sometime this winter, complete with a unique selection of drinks and foods.
Stuffed to the brim with some of the best food I have had in a while, I rolled out of Tide & Taste in a jovial mood, hoping that I don’t have to wait too long before my next visit. 414 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, 360.399.7904, tideandtaste.com
