A Bite of Bellingham

This coastal Washington city, just two hours north of Seattle, has serious culinary chops.

- Emily Wilson

Oysters and shrimp at Taylor Shellfish Farms, near Bellingham, Washington

STEPPING OUT of my car at Little Squalicum Beach, I was overwhelmed by the briny scent of the sea. It made sense, as I was in Bellingham, a city on Puget Sound around 20 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border, in the heart of the West Coast's oyster region. Kumamotos, the small variety prized for their sweetness, are plentiful there, as are other Pacific oysters that are creamier and more plump than their East Coast counterparts.

Wanting to try some of the area's prized bivalves for myself, I drove 30 minutes south to Taylor Shellfish Farms, where five generations of the Taylor family have raised oysters since 1890.

Inside the restaurant Estelle