FORK DORK
BY CHRIS NISHIWAKI
Shayan takes on sommelier post at Willows Inn on Lummi Island
Kirkland resident Yashar
Shayan was appointed as
the sommelier and assis-
tant manager at the ac-
claimed Willows Inn on
Lummi Island off Belling-
ham. Shayan will start his
new post in April.
“I feel like from what I’ve
seen, this is a great restau-
rant,” Shayan said. “It’s a
chance for a sommelier to
do something that matches
the food. It’s world class
food. It’s an opportunity
to make a world class wine
list.”
The Willows Inn serves
prix fixe 5-course dinners
with additional “bites” and
“snacks” before and be-
tween courses. Everything,
from the juices to the bread,
is made fresh daily with in-
gredients sourced locally.
Shayan brings extensive
experience to the tiny and
tony 40-seat restaurant.
Most immediately, Shayan
was the wine director at
Seattle’s iconic Palisade.
Previously, he was the
sommelier and wine buyer
at bin on the lake in Kirk-
land, sommelier at Sea-
star in Bellevue and cellar
master at Matthews Estate
in Woodinville. He also
worked at the retail stores
Wine World Warehouse in
Seattle and Fine Wine &
Cigars in Redmond, in ad-
dition to the winery Efeste
in Woodinville and the res-
taurant Wild Ginger in Se-
attle.
Shayan said he will work
in collaboration with Chef
Blaine Wetzel, who was the
sous chef at Noma in Co-
penhagen. Noma has been
rated the best restaurant on
“The World’s 50 Best Res-
taurants” list the past two
years.
“I like to collaborate with
chefs,” Shayan said. “(Wet-
zel) had a very clear sense
of what the end destination
is for the wine program. He
feels he doesn’t have the
knowledge that it takes to
that end. That’s where I can
help.”
Copyright 2012 WoodinvillePatch