Hogstone’s Wood Oven Cooking Up Expansion Plans on Orcas Island

Over the past few years, Hogstone’s Wood Oven restaurant on Orcas Island has made quite a name for itself serving farm-to-table fare ranging from rustic pizzas to elegant tasting menus. Now, chef Jay Blackinton says the restaurant is in expansion mode.

Blackinton intends to open a second restaurant inside his existing space at 460 Main Street in Eastsound, splitting his pizza and tasting menu operations into two distinct experiences. “Shared plates, fire pits, and the general backyard chaos will continue and be allowed to flourish at its highest potential as we make adjustments and add amenities to our backyard space for our guests who wish to dine with us in this unique setting that we are lucky enough to be able to provide,” the Hogstone team shares on its website. “We aim to find ways to extend our backyard season by adding shelter and warmth.”

There are also promises of a greenhouse full of herbs, vegetables, and flowers, that will double as a dining space. Does it get any dreamier than that?

The indoor dining room will get its own name and focus on tasting menus ranging from four to twelve courses. Blackinton plans to launch an Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaign soon to try to raise $50,000 for the expansion; meanwhile, the restaurant is already accepting donations via its website in exchange for rewards like a “mixtape of the top songs that made up our dining room playlist for the first 4 years” plus a pizza and two Rainiers for $50. For $5,000, you could even secure pizza for life.

No timeline is available just yet for the new project.