“FieldTrips” is either a day trip or a few days where I visit food areas of interest which may include farm visits, producers, wineries, restaurants and/or other places that people can visit. This is about offering Vancouver Foodster readers a chance to get out of town and take a “Field Trip” for the day or a few days to explore, learn, taste and experience.

Field Trip to the Salish Lodge and Spa at Snoqualmie Falls

Recently stayed at the luxurious Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie, Wa which is located just 30 miles East of Seattle, it is just under a 3 -1/2 hour drive from Vancouver.

This 86 room lodge is known as a wellness retreat in a restored landmark building, effortlessly marrying modern hospitality with stunning historical architecture. The lodge is situated overlooking breathtaking Snoqualmie Falls.

Lawrence joined me for this wonderful weekend in the mountains, our room was well appointed with a very comfortable bed, had a work desk as well as comfy chairs, a gas fireplace along with a small fridge. The bathroom featured two side by side open raine water showers with Salish amenities.

We were also able to enjoy their Club 268 lounge that featured a complimentary breakfast buffet and hot dishes each morning, as well as snacks throughout the day, with lite appetizers and cocktails in the late afternoon. The lounge also featured their library as well as board games.

We experienced all of their dining outlets including The Dining Room for an outstanding dinner enjoying a Chef’s Tasting Menu; we also had a delicious lunch in their new Lobby Bar as well as a casual dinner in The Attic.

Chef.Christopher Kolakowski cooked up a wonderful chef’s tasting menu dinner in The Dining Room to give us a taste of his new and current Pacific North West dishes

We started off with an edible candle that was made of coconut oil and olive oil and once it melted we dipped the Sourdough and Olive bread into it, and this was an incredible way to start our dining experience.

1st dish: Roasted Pacific Oysters with miso, sambal, lime, toasted breadcrumbs, cilantro

2nd dish: Beet Ravioli with cashew ricotta, pickled fennel, frisee, lemon oil, goat cheese, thyme and candied walnuts, a very tasty dish.

3rd dish: Salish Baby Greens with seasonal citrus, blue cheese, toasted almonds, Salish honey, thyme vinaigrette

4th dish: Carrot and Sweet potato soup with roasted baby rainbow carrots, thyme aleppo coriander oil

5th dish: Northwest Free-Range Chicken with delicious grilled Sweet potato gnocchi, supreme sauce, swiss chard, lemon and sage

6th dish: Seared Scallop Pasta with local scallops, bucatini, cauliflower, sultanas, capers, breadcrumbs, rosemary; this was outstanding.

7th dish: Basque Cheesecake with seasonal fruit

8th dish: Apple Galette with a flaky pie crust, salted caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream which we both loved.

The hotel recently added a beautiful Lobby Bar and we had lunch there one of the days; I had the Tomato Soup while Lawrence had the Clam Chowder to start. We both then shared the Salish Tenderloin burger with fries.

The Attic located upstairs in the lodge is a more casual spot for dining and we had dinner here on the Saturday night during our stay. We both shared the Smoked Salmon Dip, the Attic Caesar and their Winter Squash & Prosciutto Pizza.

The lodge features a beautiful live fireplace in the lobby, a complimentary welcome drink of hot mulled apple cider, along with an energy station on each floor that provides complimentary trail mix for guests. They also feature a complimentary Happy Hour daily on the lower level offering up a variety of wines by the glass.

The Spa features a couple of soaking pools with turbo jets, a steam room and sauna along with a relaxation room that features complimentary tea and cold drinks.

As the lodge is part of Snoqualmie Falls Park they have a good walking trail on the property which we walked on a rainy day down to the base of the falls which was very picturesque.

Honey is an important feature at this resort as they have their own Apiary on site with their own bee keeper. They use the honey in a variety of products including honey sticks, elements to dishes in the dining room as well as for products sold in the gift shop.

Stay tuned for my next Field Trip outside of Vancouver.

By: Richard Wolak

Disclosure: Salish Lodge & Spa provided us with complimentary accommodation as well as meals in The Dining Room, Lobby Bar, and The Attic. As always, all opinions and photos are my own.