If you need an excuse to hop on a ferry and spend the day on Vashon Island, here’s a good one.<\/p>\n
Right in the heart of town, The Hardware Store Restaurant has been a Vashon favorite for more than 20 years, and now the longtime gathering spot has a fresh new look, an updated menu and plenty of reasons to make the trip across the water.<\/p>\n
The building itself dates back to 1890, when it became the first commercial building in the town of Vashon. Over the years, it sold everything from feed and seeds to dry goods and, yes, hardware. The restaurant officially opened in the historic space in 2005 and has since become one of the island’s best-known gathering places. Today, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<\/p>\n
Now, The Hardware Store is entering a new chapter with a refreshed dining room, a more seasonally driven menu, and Chef Nick Green helping lead the way as co-owner and chef.<\/p>\n
But don’t worry, this isn’t one of those renovations where you walk in and wonder what happened to the place you loved.<\/p>\n
“The goal was never to change what people love about The Hardware Store,” Green said. “It was about making the space more comfortable and accentuating the things that already make it special.”<\/p>\n
After more than 20 years as a restaurant, the space was ready for a little love. Updates include new finishes, furnishings and lighting, along with changes to improve the overall flow of the restaurant. Some of Green’s favorite details are the refurbished stained-glass windows above the bar and vintage Vashon photography throughout the dining room.<\/p>\n
The result feels fresh without losing the character that has made the restaurant such a fixture on the island.<\/p>\n
And that history matters here.<\/p>\n
“The Hardware Store means something different to everybody, yet it continues to feel familiar to everyone,” Green said. “That’s incredibly rare in hospitality, and it’s something we’ll always work to preserve.”<\/p>\n
Green, a Seattle native, brings nearly two decades of culinary and hospitality experience to Vashon, including time spent cooking in Japan and working in restaurants and hotels around the country. His background includes serving as chef de cuisine at the former Willows Inn on Lummi Island and working at Michelin-starred Kichisen in Kyoto.<\/p>\n
While Green draws inspiration from those formative experiences, the ingredients and seasons of the Pacific Northwest are what drive the menu at The Hardware Store.<\/p>\n
“I’m drawn to the simplicity and precision of Japanese cooking, the bold flavors of Mexico, and the classic techniques of European cuisine,” Green said. “I love taking those influences and applying them to the incredible ingredients we have here in the Pacific Northwest.”<\/p>\n
For summer, that means seafood, fresh produce, fruit and berries, with many ingredients coming directly from Vashon farms and producers.<\/p>\n
Green shops the Vashon Farmers Market on weekends and even looks to his own team for inspiration. Produce grown by staff members and their families regularly makes its way onto the menu, including Romano beans from team member Rosie and potatoes from Stella.<\/p>\n
“I love that the food can have such a direct connection to the people who work here and the island itself,” Green said.<\/p>\n
So what should you order?<\/p>\n
For a first visit, Green recommends starting with the ceviche, followed by clams steamed in curry butter and roasted King salmon with a citrusy beurre blanc.<\/p>\n
But longtime Hardware Store fans shouldn’t panic. There are still plenty of familiar, comforting options in the mix.<\/p>\n
Green also gives a shoutout to the burger made with local Wagyu beef and the fish and chips featuring local rockfish in a light, tempura-style batter.<\/p>\n
His philosophy is refreshing: “At the end of the day, it simply has to be delicious.”<\/p>\n
Part of the appeal of eating at The Hardware Store is everything surrounding it.<\/p>\n
“The ferry ride is part of the experience,” Green said. “Within an hour, you can feel like you’re in a completely different world, surrounded by beaches, forests, farms and one of the most welcoming communities in the Pacific Northwest.”<\/p>\n
Before or after your meal, Green recommends checking out Point Robinson Lighthouse, walking the trails at Maury Island Marine Park or heading to Dockton Forest for a longer hike.<\/p>\n
If you’re visiting on a Saturday, stop by the Vashon Farmers Market, then spend some time wandering through the island’s independent shops and galleries.<\/p>\n
And you don’t necessarily have to head home after dinner.<\/p>\n
Right next door to The Hardware Store is The Yard, the restaurant’s sister space with its own food and cocktail program, plus live music, trivia and other events. The outdoor space has a retractable roof, allowing it to stay in the mix even as those warm Northwest summer nights eventually turn into fall.<\/p>\n
Speaking of fall, Green is already planning what’s next. The restaurant will continue transitioning its dishes and cocktails with the seasons, and he’s particularly excited about introducing a dry-aging program for the restaurant’s beef.<\/p>\n
But no matter what changes on the menu or inside the dining room, Green says the bigger goal is keeping The Hardware Store what it has always been: a place where people want to stay awhile.<\/p>\n
On a busy summer evening, he says, the restaurant can almost feel like a party. Great music, great food, locals catching up, visitors settling in and maybe a few people who planned on stopping for one drink but somehow ended up staying all night.<\/p>\n
Honestly, that’s not a bad way to spend a day on Vashon.<\/p>\n
Kate Neidigh is a writer for Seattle Refined, covering travel, lifestyle, real estate, gift guides, feature stories and more. See more of her work on Instagram here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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