My guest this week is Carrie Van Dyck, co-founder of The Herbfarm Restaurant in Woodinville Washington with the book her husband completed prior to his unfortunate passing in 2023. The Spirit of The Herbfarm Restaurant is a great tribute and memoir with 100 recipes from this iconic restaurant!
This book brings together more than 100 unique recipes from and inspired by America’s first true “farm-to-table” restaurant with the story of its creation. Get a copy NOW!
Working together, founders Ron Zimmerman and Carrie Van Dyck turned a farm garage into a restaurant like no other. In their pre-opening manifesto, they vowed to use only local ingredients to reunite their guests with the increasingly forgotten nature that has sustained us for hundreds of years.
The initial offering was a single noon seating that began with a garden tour led by Carrie. This quickly became a nine-course chef-selected menu with a price that included wine pairings. The meals told a daily story in six or nine sequential dishes of what was in the garden, wilds, farm, and sea.
Unlike restaurants that would later cloak themselves in the verbal mantle of “farm-to-table,” The Herbfarm Restaurant first found the food and only then designed the menu. Everything in each dish was local, not just the protein or main vegetable. Even olive oil and lemons weren’t used in the first years until Oregon olive orchards blossomed. There were no “supplements” or extra charges. Since guests were charged in advance, they knew to the penny what the experience would cost.
Part memoir, part cookbook, The Spirit of the Herbfarm Restaurant is a walk down memory lane, written, photographed, and largely designed by Ron before his death in 2023. Delight in the history of the restaurant as well as the unique seasonal dishes and recipes and beautiful photography that cover all occasions. Follow The Spirit of The Herbfarm on Facebook and Instagram and Carrie on X
About Carrie Van Dyck
For 35 years I owned and managed The Herbfarm restaurant, nursery, mail order, events, retail, manufacturing, and school winning many international awards/acclaim. Which is now sold and being run by the Chef and Sous Chef to continued acclaim. Prior to that I organized location photo shoots and modeled as well. And with my college degree in technical theatre and psychology, I built props and sets for Broadway and other theatres.
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2020 J. Moreau & Fils Vouvray, from the Boisset Collection
100% Chenin Blanc Fermented in stainless-steel to preserve a maximum of fruit. – Alcoholic fermentation stopped by adding SO2 to obtain a residual sugar level of 20-30g/l depending on the acidity and the vintage. – Unoaked to preserve maximum freshness. Golden color with vivid brightness showing sweet notes of apple, green aniseed and acacia blossom. Elegant, rounded, forthright and well-balanced with aromas of nougat and English candy. Persistent with a fresh finish. The perfect wine for Spring and Summer or any time. Learn more here!
One of France’s most northerly winegrowing regions along with Champagne, the Loire Valley is celebrated for its mild climate and the beauty of its Renaissance chateaus. The river, a major trade axis and also an access route for invaders, played an important role in the history of the region. Vines were developed in parallel with Christianity from St. Martin, Bishop of Marmoutier, in the 4th century through to the ruin caused by the Holy Wars. The Loire Valley was also the cradle of artistic development in the 16th century with Ronsard, Du Bellay, Rabelais, Descartes and Leonardo da Vinci.