One of the most dramatic and accessible series of views in Whatcom County is found on the stretch of road that connects downtown Bellingham to downtown Fairhaven. And one of the best places to see those views is at The Chrysalis Inn & Spa, perched above Bellingham Bay. Just as well-known as the hotel is the Chrysalis Spa, offering luxurious massages, soaks, body wraps, and more.
And what better way to soak it all in than dining at Keenan’s at the Pier, an elegant but casual bar and restaurant that shares space with the hotel and spa. The star of the show at Keenan’s at the Pier is the fresh and local Northwest fare, featuring a menu that has recently been written by Keenan’s new Executive Chef, Eli Cobb.
From Farm to Table: An Executive Chef’s Life
While Cobb was born in Bellingham, he did a lot of his growing up in West Virginia. And it turns out there were some early hints about what would happen later in life. “My stepdad was a self-proclaimed chef. He would do pig roasts for weddings and things like that. I remember on my tenth birthday, we shot a duck, and he taught me how to roast it,” Cobb says. “I didn’t know that I was going to become a chef at that point, but that experience helped me become the chef that I am.”
In his early teens, he moved back to Whatcom County and graduated from Nooksack Valley High School. He held a few odd jobs as a teen, and at one point found himself working as a dishwasher. “My chef told me to make some salads, and it turned out I was fast and good at it,” Cobb says. “I got the feel for the kitchen, and got the bug.”
New Horizons and New Experiences With Chef Cobb
Cobb followed his new interest through the kitchens of a few mom-and-pop restaurants in the area before he decided to make a big and bold move. “I knew that I wanted to go to culinary school, and I wanted to try something new, and New York seemed like the biggest, scariest place I could do that,” he says. “I thought, if I’m going to commit to this, I want it to be an experience.”
After working his way through the ten-month program, Cobb decided he wanted to get as much experience as he could in various restaurants, making a variety of foods in as many different settings as he could. One way to accomplish that goal was to take seasonal jobs at resorts and tourist destinations, which introduced him to larger kitchens and the unique challenges of running a restaurant attached to a hotel.
Coming Home to Keenan’s at the Pier
Eventually, he found himself close to home, cooking at the Majestic Inn & Spa, a boutique hotel in Anacortes. His position there began to feel a bit routine, so Cobb started looking for other options that might give him the opportunity to be more creative. That’s when the Executive Chef position at Keenan’s caught his eye. “I came and checked it out,” he says, “and realized it felt like home.”
Because Keenan’s updates their menu biannually, Cobb has already had a chance to settle in, as well as make his mark on the place. He is currently working with his team to come up with a new set of offerings for the spring season. “This new menu coming up is going to have a lot of me, and the team, too. We’ve got good sous chefs, and they’ve got great ideas,” he says. “We’re trying not to pull from a bag of tricks; we want to come up with something fairly original for the place.”
Fine Dining Inspiration in Keenan’s Backyard
“My philosophy is that we live in a beautiful place, and there’s inspiration around every corner in the Northwest. When I was working in Arizona, I would look out at the desert to see what’s available,” Cobb says. “I want my food to represent what’s available and seasonal, so the food I cook is directly related to what we have in our backyard.”
When it comes to ingredients, Cobb is happy to have good relationships with local purveyors. That means everything he brings into the kitchen is fresh, and the seafood is right out of Bellingham Bay. “As far as my influences, it’s kind of a worldly thing. With this new menu, we’re bringing in global inspiration, pulling some recipes from African food, and things like piri piri shrimp,” he says. “There are a lot of different kinds of flavors to highlight.”
As he looks to the future, Cobb sees an open road full of possibilities. “We’ve got a really good foundation, so I just want to keep raising the bar higher with every menu change. We just keep climbing the ladder, pushing ourselves to be creative, and putting out great food.”
Keenan’s at the Pier, located at 804 10th Street in Bellingham, is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at 360.392.5510.
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