2007.9.9. Celebrated my first climb at Herb Farm. An delightful experience, but not plentiful. Menu changes twice a month. Extensive wine list. Crowded tables with 5 wine glasses and a water cup for each guest, and most guests have to share the table with others. Even though this is a 9 course meal paired with 5-6 courses of wine (possible to order other selective pairings), I ended the evening with my neighbor's desert. Slow but reasonably attentive service. Arrived at the restaurant at 4pm, left at 9:20, content and sleepy.
Before dining, Angela lead a brief yet wonderful tour of the kitchen garden, handing out a few herbs / flowers for the guest to taste (my favorite was day lily, fennel flower and cinnamon basil come the second), and visited two cute pigs.
Both chef Jerry Traunfeld and sommelier Tysan Pierce gave a quick run-over of what we would be tasting during the first course, introduced the staff and walked among the guests throughout the evening. The reservation confirmation email stated that the wine will be poured freely. That's not my experience. Only one of the wines I asked for a bit more (what everyone was given was very little to begin with), but I didn't get any.

1st course: Behold the Tomato
Sungold tomato and goat chease tart
Albacore tuna on fried green tomato
Herbed tomato and melon cocktail
2002 Argyle Oregon Brut
(The tart and tuna were wonderful. I had half of a pineapple basil leaf in the wine: one of the three to choose from.)

2nd: Essence of Corn Soup
with Grilled Matsutake, purslane, and tiny ears of corns
2006 Nefarious Cellars Rieslings, Stones Throw Vineyard
(The soup was exceptional, just too little: maybe just one table spoon. Mushroom was a bit too salty.)

3rd: Lummi Island Reef Net Salmon
Gently roasted in a squash blossom with fine herbes sauce
2003 McCrea Cellars Roussanne, Red Mountain
2002 Seven Hills Windery Viognier, Columbia Valley

4th: King Boletes & Chanterelles
with Hebed Gnuddi, red pepper sauce, and globe basil
2004 L'herbe Sauvage Pinot Noir, Etzel Grapes of Wrath Cuvee or
1994 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir.
(They wouldn't pour me more wine!)

5th: Lavender-Crusted Muscovy Duck
3 colors of beets, onion pudding, fillet beans, Huckleberry sauce.
2002 Buty Winery Rediviva of The Stone.
(The best course of the evening. Both magret and confit were delicious.)

6th: Estrella Creamery Farmstead Cheese
with Apple-sage Strudel.
(Strudel was better than the cheese.)

7th: Watermelon and Blueberries
with Cinnamon Basil Ice.
(The sorbet was fabulous. Just too little: smaller than my thumbnail.)

8th: Stone Fruits and Herbs
Balckberry-rose Geranium Ice Cream Cone;
Plum, Lavender, and Walnut Tart;
Caramelized Pear, and Almond Cake;
with Anise Hyssop Ice Cream.
(The tart was the best.)

Last course: coffee, or tea and Small Treats
Raspberry Gel;
Chocolate Mint Macaroon;
Vanilla Palmier;
Lemon Verbena & carrot White chocolate;
Candied Fennel Dark chocolate Truffle.
(My favorites were the raspberry and the dark chocolate. About 10 different tea to choose from. I picked something familiar: jasmine dragon pearl.)