It's late afternoon when I knock tentatively on the kitchen door inside Casia Lodge & Ranch in Twisp, Washington. We're looking for Chef Jason Wilson, who is leading today's cooking class. A man wearing chef's whites and bearing a broad smile opens the door. “Welcome!” he says. “Ready to make dinner?”
My husband and I just arrived in this town of 1,000 in the Methow Valley, four hours' drive from Seattle. It's a stop on the Cascade Loop, a popular scenic route through the North Cascades. From the moment we walked through the lodge's doors, we were spellbound by the view through the massive windows of its great room: the snow-dusted peaks of Gardner Mountain, Robinson Mountain and McKinney Mountain rising up ahead of us in perfect symmetry. Crisscrossed by trails, these steep volcanic slopes with elevations close to 2,500 metres are best saved for serious hikers. We're happy to take in the scene from the serene comfort of the lodge, which opened under new ownership in June 2023.
Those vistas and the utter peacefulness of the valley lured the three co-owners to the property composed of the lodge and cabin, which collectively have 14 rooms, set on an alpine ranch. The luxurious retreat was designed to showcase the agricultural valley and the soaring views of the Cascades, which change from dawn to dusk as the light on the jagged peaks reflects their colours.
Chef Jason Wilson and Deborah Friend-Wilson had previously lived in the Puget Sound, where Jason Wilson ran the Seattle restaurants Miller's Guild Steakhouse and Crush. (He continues to operate The Lakehouse in Bellevue.) The pair fell hard for the Methow Valley last year and jumped at the chance to join Kevin Flamm as managing partners at Casia Lodge. Together they hope to help guests create meaningful and authentic connections to the valley, from the cuisine cooked on site to its stable of horses, which guests can ride on the property's 275 acres.
Wilson now helms the kitchen here, where he offers guests private culinary classes followed by a sumptuous meal, which we'll have a hand in cooking, in the lodge's restaurant, Veranda at Casia. We've signed up for a 90-minute private session to witness his skilful creations unfold as we do our part to help stir, season and chop. The four-course menu, inspired by seasonal, locally harvested ingredients, features black cod with puréed cauliflower, crispy-skinned salmon with artichokes and asparagus, and Wagyu beef short rib on a bed of crispy brussels sprouts, but we're starting with a side dish of roasted carrots and a dessert of caramelized apples. On the counter lie ingredients Wilson has carefully chopped in advance: bowls of preserved lemon, garlic, basil and mint, with plates of asparagus, artichokes, carrots and black trumpet mushrooms ready for action.
Wilson was recognized with a James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Northwest in 2010, along with three more nominations in previous years. But he carries no pretension, in or out of the kitchen. The 53-year-old is just happy doing what he loves most: creating exceptional cuisine in an environment that inspires him with its wild beauty and peaceful embrace.
This story has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the original version in the Spring/Summer 2024 edition of driver magazine.
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