The Schooner the better
Enjoy fine food on the shore of Netarts Bay
The Schooner Restaurant & Lounge, located at the boat launch on Netarts Bay, boasts a menu that sources from local producers as much as possible.
“We were one of the pioneers of the farm-to-table concept here on the coast,” said General Manager Lexie Fields. “We put back into the community as much as we can by supporting our local partners.” Nan Devlin, executive director of the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association and North Coast Food Trail, said The Schooner was one of the leaders in setting up the trail, which features the best of the food and beverages produced on the North Coast.
“Their menu is built around the predominance of using seasonal, local foods,” Devlin said. “They’re very supportive of local farmers and producers.”
The restaurant is known for their fresh-from-the-bay oysters, coming directly from Netarts Bay on a daily basis, which is about as local as it gets.
“I love when someone asks where we get our oysters from and I can point right to the farm,” Fields said. One of their signature dishes, Oyster Rockoyaki, what Fields refers to as “a Japanese twist on a traditional Oyster Rockefeller,” was recently featured in a television segment on Destination Oregon. Even the Rockoyaki is served on a bed of locally sourced agates. Voted “Best Waterfront Dining” in Tillamook County, The Schooner boasts a spectacular view of the bay from every table in the dining room and on the deck.
“You could sit there for hours enjoying a glass of wine and eating freshly shucked oysters while gazing out at the activity on the bay,” Fields said. “I love seeing the seals sunning themselves on the sandbar and when the pelicans are here it’s so fun to watch them diving for their dinner. It’s just a gorgeous experience here.”
Both of The Schooner’s covered decks are heated and sheltered by plexiglass so customers can enjoy dining outside in any type of weather. In 2020, to accommodate customers with dogs, the restaurant added a pet-friendly deck. This family friendly, beachy-casual restaurant offers high-end dishes that are always made fresh to order. Popular menu items include The General’s Wings and Dungeness Crab Mac + Cheese featuring Tillamook Creamery sharp and medium cheddar. The wood fired pizzas are also a customer favorite.
“We used to only offer our pizzas from fall to early spring,” Fields said. “But so many guests would ask for them during the summer, so we redesigned some menu items to be able to free up oven space and made it happen — year-round pizzas!”
The Lounge offers an open and inviting space where customers can catch a game on one of the big-screen TVs and enjoy craft beers or specialty cocktails made with fresh ingredients, such as the GrapefruitJalapeno Margarita. The Schooner hosts live music in the lounge on Saturday nights from 7 to 9 pm. Prior to the pandemic, the restaurant would host specialty wine pairing dinners a few times per year.
“I really miss those, they were so much fun,” Fields said. “We did a huge wine and salt pairing dinner with PBS tasteMAKERS in coordination with Jacobsen Salt Company and Patricia Green Cellars.” The 20-person sold out event included several courses paired with Jacobsen salts and PGC wines. “That was the most creative and fun experience pairing the gourmet salts with each course; our team did an amazing job pulling that night together,”
The Schooner not only supports local producers, but they are also passionate about addressing hunger in the community. The restaurant hosts an annual Thanksgiving Dinner benefiting the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook County Services. Devlin said people can come for a Thanksgiving meal and pay as they can; all meals are donation-based.
“They are very generous, they raise tens of thousands of dollars for our local food bank,” she said. “It’s good food for a good cause.” Fields estimated that back in 2014, her first year at the restaurant, the event raised around $9,000, and has grown exponentially each year since. Last year, even when pandemic restrictions allowed take-out meals only, they were able to raise $28,000.
“It’s a lot of work and planning and re-planning as numbers grow,” Fields said, “but when it’s all said and done, it’s the most rewarding experience to hand that check over to the Food Bank. I get a little choked up every time!”
In March, The Schooner welcomed Executive Chef Peter Gibson, who comes to the restaurant with a plethora of experience. Gibson grew up on the East Coast, spent several years working on fishing boats and canneries in Alaska and trained in the culinary arts in France. He honed his skills in North Carolina before returning to the Northwest.
“He has a multitude of experience and knows Pacific Northwest cuisine,” Fields said. “He’s constantly in the prep area creating specials and challenging our team. We are very lucky to have him.”
The Schooner was purchased by Barry Boring and Tom Flood, Sr. in 2005. Flood sold his shares to Boring and his wife, Ann Batchelder-Boring, in 2020. Boring also runs Banks Construction, while Batchelder-Boring is a family nurse practitioner at Adventist Women’s Health in Tillamook. Fields has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years. After a 14-year stint with McMenamins in Portland, she came to The Schooner as the front of house manager in May 2014 and became the general manager in January 2019.
For more information on The Schooner Restaurant & Lounge, check out their Facebook page, website at theschooner.net or call 503-815-9900.