Treat yourself to dinner at one of San Juan Island’s fine-dining establishments, and you’ll realize the island’s artists include a cadre of superb chefs. (You’re equally welcome in sports jacket or shorts, dressed up or dressed down.)

Stay close to your home at the Earthbox Inn & Spa in downtown Friday Harbor where you can enjoy the globally-inspired fare and creative mixology of The Back Door Kitchen, a local favorite and the “sort of gem that travelers dream of discovering” according to Frommer’s.  Or luxuriate in the intimate ambience at Coho Restaurant, whose owners have written a cookbook that reflects their fine, eclectic, Farm-to-Table fare.  For elegant Italian dining visit Vinny’s Ristorante which also offers downsized kids’ portions. 

Adventuring beyond Friday Harbor for a meal? Locals and visitors alike celebrate every possible occasion at Duck Soup, tucked in the woods in the middle of the island, for imaginative, fresh, local and foraged ingredients cuisine, created by a chef one international gastronome calls “a Picasso of the taste buds.” At charming, historic McMillin’s Dining Room—one of John Wayne’s favorite stops—you can look out over the Roche Harbor marina as you dine and watch the hustle and bustle of fishermen, kayakers, yachts and the great fanfare as the U.S. and British colors are lowered on late summer afternoons.