If you’ve gone up or down Chuckanut Drive as it curves around Samish Bay just north of Edison, you may have noticed trees and bamboo rising up from behind a long fence. Once the location of Karma Place, a Japanese garden, bamboo nursery and gift shop, this space now houses the Bow Sanctuary. The new space encompasses yoga, massage, meditation, healing treatments and a sauna. It also houses a small restaurant named Persimmon Bistro.
I first visited Persimmon not long after it opened in June 2023. I wasn’t sure what to expect — but when we found ourselves sitting next to a Japanese koi pond in the shade with iced tea, avocado toast with beets on Raven Bakery rye, and a delightful chicken and pesto sandwich, I knew there were good things going on here. I didn’t make it back again until recently, but I’m happy to report it’s just as nice as I remembered.
Persimmon was created by Christy and Shannon Fox (also owners of Evolve Café in Fairhaven’s Village Books), who call themselves The Laughing Wives. They describe the food at Persimmon as “thoughtful breakfast and lunch bites, made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients.” The restaurant is counter service, sharing space with the front counter for the Sanctuary, with some indoor seating, but the real attraction is the Japanese garden in the courtyard just outside.
The space is tranquil and beautiful, only occasionally marred by a particularly loud car on Chuckanut Drive, or a train going by behind the garden. Even so, the waterfall in the corner helps mask intrusive noises. Tables are set up in a few places in the garden, including some comfortable seating for just one or two people right by the pond. The combination of fresh, seasonal (and frequently beautiful) food and a serene garden makes the experience truly special.
The menu changes with the seasons and isn’t available online, although following Persimmon on social media might give you some glimpses as to current dishes. On my most recent visit, the menu was heavy on breakfast items, although most of them would do fine for lunch. The turkey sandwich and tofu grain bowl special sounded like dishes we’d enjoy even if we visited later in the day. We ordered at the counter, and the staff brought our food out to us in the garden.
The breakfast burrito ($14), available with either pork sausage or black beans, had potatoes, cheese, peppers and chipotle sour cream all loosely stuffed into a toasted tortilla, with a side of very mild pico de gallo and a big green salad with sliced almonds. It was perfectly fine, but I was much more enthusiastic about the PNW Lux Bagel: an everything bagel smeared with lemon-dill cream cheese, which was fragrant and sweet, topped with lots of flaked smoked salmon, kale microgreens and furikake ($10.50).
We also tried the tartine, a large piece of toast with seasonal toppings ($12). This week’s version, in a similar sweet-savory vein as the bagel, was loaded with goat cheese topped with jewel-like ripe sliced strawberries and honey, served with a big salad. The sweetness of the toast was an interesting foil for the salad, making a very refreshing light breakfast.
Four cheese quiche ($14), which also came with salad, was one of the most filling dishes we tried. The quiche itself was a tall, fat, dense slice, with surprising deposits of what seemed to be herbed ricotta here and there inside. It was very, very cheesy, very rich, and very good.
In addition to hot food, the bistro has granola with yogurt, and gluten-free baked goods from 5b’s Bakery in Concrete if you just want a little snack. To drink, there is a full espresso menu, plus a huge selection of tea, including green, black, herbal and rooibos. I had a beautiful herbal blend with South African honeybush, served on ice, that was perfect on a hot day.
The bistro is only open Thursday through Sunday with limited hours, but because the food counter shares a space in the lobby with the check-in desk, they’ve added a cold case for drinks so some refreshments are still available for customers when the bistro is closed. It also recently added extra hours on Saturday afternoons for happy hour with tapas.
Persimmon Bistro makes a lovely stop if you’re driving past and are looking for a quiet meal, and certainly worth visiting if you’re attending yoga classes or getting a massage at the Bow Sanctuary. It could even be a destination on its own. Bring a book, order a pot of tea and spend a perfect afternoon watching dragonflies buzz above the waterlilies.
Persimmon Bistro is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at 3533 Chuckanut Drive in Bow. Info: persimmon.love.
Jessamyn Tuttle is a freelance writer and photographer based in the Skagit Valley.
