We have long dreamed of owning our own farm—a place where we would be able to raise beef, poultry and lamb for our restaurants in a manner consistent with our values and standards. A place too for staff retreats, farm dinners, parties, and community building. In 2014, we purchased land on Whidbey Island, and with the help of farm manager Paul Houser, we started to realize this dream. La Ferme des
Anes, or The Donkey Farm, as we've come to call our little place, began with a modest hoop house, and grew to include not only vegetables, but also greens, herbs, flowers, nuts, fruit, and of course, animals. Heritage cattle breeds renowned for their flavor and quality are La Ferme des Anes' centerpiece. Our animals are lovingly raised, grass-fed, and just as importantly, grass-finished. Currently, some 40 Charolais, Maine-Anjou, and Limousin call LFdA home. Bateau, a contemporary steak house, is the outcome of all these efforts. Beef at Bateau is butchered and dry aged in-house. Specialty cuts from LFdA and other farms with similar commitments to quality, sustainability and animal welfare, are sold by weight alongside inventive sides, triple-cooked frites, iconic cocktails and an extensive bottle list. Service is friendly yet refined.
“'Bateau,' French for 'boat,' is a nod to our beginnings. The reimagined steakhouse menu is a collaboration between then and now, with Boat Street Cafe's bread pudding featured among dishes soon to earn a following of their own. The dining room also pays its respects to Boat Street Cafe by way of rough slate tables and Curtis Steiner’s 'jeffry' chalk drawing.
“At Bateau, we endeavor to express what's happening at our farm and to gesture toward our beginnings at the Boat Street Cafe, while also creating something new and exciting.”
— Chef-Owner, Renee Erickson
