# Event Details - **Event Name**: Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd - **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Wed, 16 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm (-07:00) - **Event Description**: A three day immersion into the unique culinary landscape of Whidbey Island, which is just 35 miles north of Seattle but is a world away.About this EventWhat’s included in your Culinary Retreat ticket:A multi-course welcome dinner with wine pairingsTwo days of activities, including a farm visit, coffee conversations with local entrepreneurs, oyster shucking lesson, hands-on pizza workshop and moreSunday dinner, Monday lunch and dinner, and Tuesday breakfast and dinner.Note: Tickets purchased here are for meals, cooking lessons and field trips only and do not include lodging. Participants are encouraged to stay in the town of Coupeville. The Coupeville Inn is a great option, as is The Anchorage Inn. You will get the best rates by booking with the hotels directly by phone rather than through a booking platform.Situated just 35 miles from downtown Seattle but in a cultural and culinary world of its own, Puget Sound’s Whidbey Island is a place of fresh seafood, family farms and boldly creative food businesses. Join Milk Street’s Associate Director of Education April Dodd for an exploration of Whidbey that focuses on these themes over the course of three days of great meals, hands-on cooking, talks with local food entrepreneurs, farm visits and an oyster-shucking workshop.Our retreat begins with a welcome dinner at Oystercatcher, a celebrated Whidbey Island restaurant created by Sophia Kitay and Ben Jones, who will be with our group each day. As you enjoy a multi-course dinner and meet your fellow travelers, Sophia and Ben will share the behind-the-scenes story of what it takes to start not one but three successful food businesses on an island whose population swings dramatically between seasons. And you can ask about the sourcing of any ingredient you see on your plate from squash to scallops.We start our second day by heading to Foggy Hill Farm. Started in 2020 by a young female farmer, Foggy Hill provides produce to the restaurants we’ll be visiting and exemplifies sustainable agricultural practices—even in a notoriously chilly and damp climate. On our way back, we’ll enjoy lunch at a former farm known for its loganberry pies, then spend time exploring its demonstration garden and wetland trails. After a break to recharge, we reconvene for an oyster shucking lesson at Osprey, the second of Sophia and Ben’s Whidbey institutions. Never fear: we guarantee you’ll leave the shucking lesson with the same number of fingers you started with—and with the confidence to source, shuck and enjoy oysters safely at home. Your dinner is rounded out by dishes from Osprey’s kitchen, which serves local versions of classic seaside fry-ups.Your final day begins at Little Red Hen Bakery, a local institution. Red Hen’s founders will welcome you to the bakery, set you up with your favorite morning beverage and give you a tour of the bakery before settling in with a giant pastry spread to enjoy while they share their perspectives on the joys and challenges of culinary entrepreneurship on the island. Once you’re caffeinated and inspired, we’ll give you time to enjoy Coupeville and the surroundings on your own, whether that means kayaking in the cove, exploring the local bookstore and craft market or strolling through a nearby sculpture forest. We reconvene in the mid-afternoon at the last of Sophia and Ben’s culinary projects: Goldie’s, a pizza joint that’s local all the way down to the heirloom flour. You’ll learn to make great dough with that very special flour and top your crusts with produce we harvested the day before.You’ll come away from this retreat with a nuanced understanding of what it takes to grow, cook and serve seriously local food in one of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest. We offer only a very small handful of these retreats per year. This one is limited to just 14 travelers.Getting there and away: If you are coming from Seattle, the easiest way to get to Whidbey is via car. You have two options: you can take the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry or drive across Deception Pass Bridge. While you can’t reserve spots on the ferry ahead of time, you can consult the to see whether there are long waits. If there is traffic at the ferries, then driving over Deception Pass will likely be faster.ABOUT THE TEAM:About your local culinary guides: Husband and wife duo Ben and Sophia Jones opened the fourth iteration of The Oystercatcher in Coupeville, Washington in June of 2023, bringing a combined 25 years of restaurant experience to the table. Ben kicked off his cooking career in his home town of Winthrop, Washington at Sun Mountain Lodge. From there, he moved to Panama where he lived and cooked for several years, honing his love for local seafood. After moving back to the States, he worked at Seattle staples like Pink Door, Emmer & Rye, Bis on Main and most importantly Local 360, where he met Sophia, who was working as a server and bartender at the time. Sophia spent time serving and bartending at Aerlume, AQUA by El Gaucho, and Vendemmia before the couple bought The Oystercatcher. The couple also spent several months living in Los Angeles, where they worked for Michelin star chef Joshua Gil at Mirame. Sophia and Ben share a passion for high-quality ingredients that inspire a feeling of place and community, and of course, delicious reverence. In addition to the Oystercatcher, they now also run Goldie’s Pizza and Osprey Fish Co.About Alanah Lawrason & Foggy Hill Farm: Alanah Lawrason owns and operates Foggy Hill Farm, a two-acre mixed produce and flower farm now in its seventh year. Alanah and her team focus on providing high-quality, nourishing products to all their customers in their community and beyond. The farm prioritizes organic and sustainable practices to ensure the health of the land, the farm team, and our community. Alanah sells farm products to restaurants, grocery stores, the local food hub, farmstands (including the onsite stand), farmers markets, non profits, foodbanks, and weddings. Alanah has over a decade of farm experience working and managing farms in Texas, Arkansas, and Washington. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Texas A&M and is passionate about educating people on where their food comes from. Alanah is currently the board president of the Washington Young Farmers Coalition. When Alanah isn't farming, you can find her biking, hanging with her cats, cooking, or spending quailty time with her loved ones.About Little Red Hen Bakery: Tyler Hansen, Sara Hansen and Patrick Goldacker, the creators of Little Red Hen, began getting serious about bread while running their previous restaurant in 2015. Back then, they were baking loaves out of eight Dutch ovens, but with more and more people wanting to buy bread, they needed a bigger oven. In order to purchase a proper bread oven, they started a bread club to sell subscriptions. The island residents came through and they were able to buy an oven in February 2016. Since then, they’ve continue to expand their bakery, leading to the launch of Little Red Hen Bakery in January 2019. They partner with Ebey Road Farm to grow wheat for the bakery, making Little Red Hen a local establishment through and through. Tyler has worked in restaurants for more than 25 years, including nine years as the chef owner of Oystercatcher. Sara started out front of house before venturing into bakery production four years ago. Patrick has been in the restaurant world for over 20 years, including stints at diners, steak houses and fine dining.About Emily Wilder: Emily Wilder is an island-born entrepreneur and oyster fanatic with over a decade of supporting sustainable food-oriented businesses, most recently with her business Salinity Seafood & More. Salinity has a retail store on Whidbey Island and offers shipping across the country! The specific focus is our native oyster species, the tiny Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida), but Salinity also offers goodies from dozens of small businesses & artists on Whidbey Island and in the Pacific Northwest. After working for some of the top shellfish farms in the country, Emily returned to Whidbey Island to start the Whidbey Oyster Network, a peer-to-peer info sharing and guest speaker series dedicated to getting more oysters onto the island’s beaches by incentivizing waterfront property owners to start their own shellfish gardens.About April: April is Milk Street’s Associate Director of Education. She runs Milk Street’s program of guest-taught cooking classes, teaches livestream and in-person events and leads the cooking school’s sponsorship and partnership programs. A native of southeastern Washington, she has traveled to the Pacific Northwest every summer of her life. She joins the trip to Whidbey for this first departure.FAQsIs this an in-person event?Yes. This event takes place on Whidbey Island, WashingtonWhat are my transport options getting to the event?If you are coming from Seattle, the easiest way to get to Whidbey is via car. You have two options: you can take the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry or drive across Deception Pass Bridge. While you can’t reserve spots on the ferry ahead of time, you can consult the to see whether there are long waits. If there is traffic at the ferries, then driving over Deception Pass will likely be faster.Is my registration ticket refundable?No. We do not offer refunds for in-person registrations. However, your ticket is fully transferable to another person for this event on these dates. You are responsible for finding someone to use your ticket, arranging reimbursement, and for sending us the new attendee's full name, contact information, and any special dietary requests.If you purchased tickets for this class on behalf of someone else, please be sure to forward this message to them so they can come prepared.Are meals included?Yes. The Following meals are included: Sunday dinner, Monday lunch and dinner, and Tuesday breakfast and dinner.Is lodging included?No. Tickets purchased here are for the Cooking activities only and do not include lodging. Participants are encouraged to stay in the town of Coupeville. The Coupeville Inn is a great option, as is The Anchorage Inn. You will get the best rates by booking with the hotels directly by phone rather than through a booking platform.I have an allergy or dietary restriction. Can I still come?We work hard to accommodate as many allergies and dietary needs as possible. You are welcome to write us at cookingschool@177milkstreet.com to get more detailed information on whether this event is a good fit for you.Are children allowed?Children 11-17 are allowed to participate if they attend and cook with an adult parent or guardian. The minor and the adult must each have a ticket to the event.How many people does one ticket cover?One ticket covers one attendee.I'm an Insider. Do I get a discount to the in-person classes?This event is not hosted at Milk Street, so Insider benefits do not apply to it.These dates don't work for me. Will this class be offered again soon?We offer in-person events on a very limited basis. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that this class will be offered again soon.Where can I contact the organizer with further questions?Write to us with any other questions at cookingschool@177milkstreet.com. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/coupeville/flavors-of-puget-sound-three-days-on-whidbey-island-with-april-dodd/100001987339837953 - **Event Categories**: workshops, business, trips-adventures, food-drinks, health-wellness, art, cooking, nonprofit, science-fair, virtual - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Location: Oystercatcher - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 1313.66, max: 1313.66, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Coupeville - **state**: WA - **country**: United States - **location**: Oystercatcher - **lat**: 48.220664 - **long**: -122.6870365 - **full address**: Oystercatcher, 901 Grace Street Northwest, Coupeville, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/3321eba5195a042f00ebc19f4318f74a6bdaf60a1fe8aa4e2986257f2f8500ce-rimg-w1200-h600-dcc1d0e6-gmir.jpg?v=1778090627 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd being held? - **A:** Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd takes place on Mon, 14 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Wed, 16 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm at Oystercatcher, 901 Grace Street Northwest, Coupeville, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd? - **A:** Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd is organized by Milk Street Cooking School. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd is ideal for foodies, craft beverage enthusiasts, and festival fans looking for the best local flavors and experiences. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Coupeville, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Flavors of Puget Sound: Three Days on Whidbey Island with April Dodd", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/3321eba5195a042f00ebc19f4318f74a6bdaf60a1fe8aa4e2986257f2f8500ce-rimg-w1200-h600-dcc1d0e6-gmir.jpg?v=1778090627", "startDate": "2026-09-14T18:00:00-07:00", "endDate": "2026-09-16T18:00:00-07:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/coupeville/flavors-of-puget-sound-three-days-on-whidbey-island-with-april-dodd/100001987339837953", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Oystercatcher", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "901 Grace Street Northwest", "postalCode": "98239", "addressLocality": "Coupeville", "addressRegion": "WA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "48.220664", "longitude": "-122.6870365" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "A three day immersion into the unique culinary landscape of Whidbey Island, which is just 35 miles north of Seattle but is a world away.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-06", "availabilityEnds": "2026-09-16T18:00:00-07:00", "validFrom": "2026-05-06", "lowPrice": "1313.66", "highPrice": "1313.66", "price": "1313.66", "url": "https://allevents.in/coupeville/flavors-of-puget-sound-three-days-on-whidbey-island-with-april-dodd/100001987339837953" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-05-06", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-05-06", "url": "https://allevents.in/coupeville/flavors-of-puget-sound-three-days-on-whidbey-island-with-april-dodd/100001987339837953", "price": "1313.66", "name": "Culinary Retreat Ticket" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Milk Street Cooking School", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/milk-street-cooking-school/23232344", "description": "About Milk Street Cooking SchoolWelcome to Milk Street Cooking School. In spring 2020, our cooking school moved online. Starting in summer 2022, we will offer a very limitedc number of in-person events at our space in downtown Boston. At our in-person events, you can expect:Hands-on cooking experiences in pairs at fully-equipped cooking stationsTastings, culinary experiments and supported creative challengesEngaging learning with expert teachers and peersTransformative flavor combinations, techniques and ingredient combinationsPractical, relevant skillsEncouragement to take risks and make mistakes (It’s the only way we learn!)Plenty of fun!To learn more regularly with Milk Street, we encourage you to check outour virtual school.In-person events take place in our downtown Boston kitchen at 177 Milk Street. Our classes are designed for students 18 and older, but responsible teenagers (age 13+) are welcome with an adult.About Christopher Kimball's Milk StreetChristopher Kimball’s Milk Street in downtown Boston is home to our editorial offices, development kitchen and cooking school. It also is where we record Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street television and radio shows. Milk Street is changing how we cook by learning bold, simple recipes and techniques from cooks all over the world. These lessons are the backbone of what we call the new home cooking. For more information, go towww.177milkstreet.com." } ] } ] ```