From Farm to Sea, Pacific Northwest Bounty

At Lighthouse Grill, a fine-dining restaurant that is part of the Hotel Bellwether, the Market Fresh Fish is a celebration of the agricultural bounty of the Pacific Northwest. Fresh, wild-caught halibut, sourced from nearby waterways, is the menu showstopper. Hazelnut-crusted, it’s paired with blackberry sauce, pickled blackberries, wild mushrooms, tangled potatoes and a seasonal vegetable. “The dish is grounded in the flavors of our landscape and crafted to showcase the beauty of the Pacific Northwest,” says Omar Anzaldua, executive chef.

The best-selling dish reflects a keen understanding of local ingredients. A butter-mounted blackberry sauce delivers sweet richness, while pickled blackberries cut through that sweetness to bring balance. The hazelnut crust on the halibut lends nutty depth and umami, while wild mushrooms, both foraged and farmed, bring earthiness and vibrancy to the dish. “Our ‘tangled potatoes’ offer a playful twist on shoestring potatoes: crisp, delicate strands on the outside with a tender center,” he says. “To finish, I scatter toasted chopped hazelnuts over the top for a layer of crunch and flavor.”

Perfecting the components took trial and error to achieve the level of refinement the chef envisioned. “Initially, I made the blackberry sauce without butter, but the dish was too sweet. I added apple cider vinegar to cut through the sweetness and mounted it with butter to create a well-balanced sauce that is sweet and creamy, but not overpowering,” Anzaldua notes.

Read more Best of Flavor 2026