The Shoalwater Restaurant, located in the historic Shelburne Inn in Seaview, Washington was established by Ann and Tony Kischner in October 1981. Tony, a Northwest transplant from his native Brazil in 1966, managed several of the finest and best-known restaurants in the Seattle area. During that period, he and Ann traveled extensively through the French and California countrysides formulating the concept for the restaurant they wanted eventually to open themselves. The restaurant they found for sale in the cozy country inn on the Long Beach Peninsula on the southwest Washington coast matched their needs and their resources.
The restaurant has come a long way from the original 45-seat, wood-paneled dining room with no bar and a small home-style kitchen. In 1983, the building's outside porch was enclosed and expanded to create a much-needed second dining room and the space which would eventually become the adjacent Heron & Beaver Pub/Cafe. Stunning century-old Art Deco stained-glass windows were salvaged from a church in Morecambe, England and incorporated into this addition, giving the inn and the restaurant its signature front. In 1986, the old kitchen was replaced with a much bigger and professional space, providing space for an in-house bakery and proper storage for Tony's expanding wine cellar. The Pub was completed in late 1987 and dedicated in memory of Tony's mother, a gracious Englishwoman who would have loved it's cozy charm. The Pub has provided an informal alternative to the Shoalwater's more sophisticated fare, and has garnered a following of it's own.
The Shoalwater Restaurant and Heron & Beaver Pub/Cafe menus features a wide range of regional products (with a strong emphasis on fresh, local seafood) and change regularly to reflect the seasons as well as the whims of the chefs; daily specials showcase the newest and freshest arrivals. During the NW growing season, most of the vegetables and herbs come from the restaurant's gardens or local growers. Award-wining desserts and breads are produced in-house; a variety of pates, condiments, jams and vinegars are also made in the restaurant's kitchens for its own use as well as for retail sale. In the Pub, an all-day menu of light fare is complemented by a wide slelection of beverages, with an emphasis on Northwest microberrs and single-malt scotches.
The continually expanding wine collection (currently numbering approximately 450 items) features the best wines of the Northwest as well as a full representation of other American and imported selections.
The restaurant and pub are open for lunch and dinner daily year-round, except for Christmas Day. Both are non-smoking; casual attire and children are welcome (a special children's menu is available). Special dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, low-fat) are readily accommodated. Reservations for the dining room are always appreciated; during the summer season, holidays and week-end nights they are highly recommended.
