David Campiche and Laurie Anderson have been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years as owners and operators of the Shelburne Inn on Washington's Long Beach Peninsula. During that time they have received acclaim for their gourmet breakfasts and have frequently been involved peripherally with the Inn's restaurant, but have always elected to lease out the restaurant operations. That changed last year when the long time peninsula favorite The Shoalwater Restaurant closed, as owners Ann and Tony Kischner moved on to their new venture on Astoria's river front. Campiche and Anderson decided to operate the restaurant themselves, a decision made easier since their son Michael, an experienced chef was available to take the helm in the kitchen.

Michael Campiche worked as a line cook at The Shoalwater from age 18 to 22 and then went on to work as a chef at restaurants in Seattle and Portland, as well as spending about three years as Chef de Cuisine at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River. Michael is joined at the Shelburne by Richard Windrich, a European-trained chef who has headed kitchens in Switzerland and New Zealand. Michael too is trained in classic European techniques and brings his experience with Northwest regional ingredients to the team.

In late June, the Shelburne Inn restaurant introduced their summer menu that takes advantage of Northwest ingredients and reflects the European influences of the chefs. Dungeness crab cakes are served with a lobster sauce and basil and pine nut risotto. A green peppercorn demi glace complements the grilled filet mignon served with a side of fontina macaroni and cheese. Chicken and scallop picatta is served with a light Dijon cream sauce. Daily specials take advantage of the best seasonal ingredients that become available.

It's hard to get more Northwest than salmon and on my visit I sampled the Shelburne's grilled Columbia River Chinook salmon from the new menu. The thick filet was nicely grilled and moist without an overwhelming oiliness that can sometimes dominate salmon. A light beurre blanc made a nice accompaniment and the salmon was served on a cold lentil salad enlivened with finely chopped cilantro. David chose an Eyrie Vineyards Pinot gris to pair with the dinner. Again, it's hard to get more Northwest than a wine from Oregon's pioneer of Pinot noir and the first producer of Pinot gris in America.

The wine offered a nose of apple and pear with some floral and citrus notes. On the palate, it presented a nice balance of acidity without any dominating sweetness. As a palate cleanser, it enhanced each bite of salmon, cutting through any oiliness. It also paired nicely with the baked brie appetizer that burst with flavors from roasted garlic, olives and aromatic herbs. The brie was served with an excellent house made flat bread by baker Toni Mageau. With the cheese, the wine tasted more buttery on the palate. The wine gained complexity over the course of an hour, revealing flavors of green apple, apricot, honeydew melon and lime with occasional hints of light vanilla, eucalyptus, and a lingering clove spice finish. I can see why Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave this one a 90 rating.

The Shelburne Inn menu is nicely balanced with plenty of Northwest ingredients, steak, lamb and a tea smoked duck breast, plus a vegetarian pasta of the day. The French onion soup is also a vegetarian preparation. The appetizer menu is also tempting with selections including pan-seared sherry-ginger tiger prawns, beef carpaccio served on a wasabi "paint," sesame-crusted ahi seared rare and classic Willapa Bay oysters on the half shell. The Shelburne Inn is located at 4415 Pacific Way in Seaview, Washington (360) 642-4150.