Leo & Leto's Winery and Bistro — Restaurant in Whidbey Island

We’ve been coming from Seattle to stay on Whidbey Island since COVID. It was a welcome reprieve from the stress of those times and lots of take out meals from local restaurants got us through. Now that our daughter lives on Whidbey we still come back frequently and enjoy exploring the many restaurants that catch our eye. We had not been to Blooms before and were excited to try this new iteration and very happy that it was open on Father’s Day. What an awesome addition this is to the island! Six of us tried a sampling of their offerings and there were no losers. We all shared several starters. We used to go to Coupeville for our mussels but no more. The Penn Cove Mussels here were steamed in a very flavorful yet simple white wine with lemon and garlic sauce- perfection. We’re still talking about the Savory Poached Pear in a sauce flavored by Gorgonzola and the winery’s Syrah with balsamic reduction. And that bread with both the mussels and pears was soft, chewy and so yummy. It was tough to choose between the Beef Bourguignon and mushrooms in another rich wine sauce and the seared Ahi Tayaki so we ordered both and they were equally excellent. Two of us totally enjoyed entree salads. The Seafood Wedge included perfectly grilled scallops and prawns along with the tomato and bacon bits, blue cheese and a blue cheese dressing. The Sweet Chile Chicken Salad was packed with grilled chicken, greens, a soy vinaigrette and was totally devoured in spite of plans take some home for next day’s lunch. The Seared Scallops were perfectly done with a crisp outside and tender flavors inside. My only complaint was that the veggie salad was lacking in both mango and strawberry and overpowered by the large mound of rice. The Seared Snapper had large pieces of sesame crusted Alaskan fish over fried rice with seared bok choy and a ginger soy blend - delicious. The Mixed Seafood contained seared scallops, prawns and mussels over mushroom risotto. As with other dishes, the seafood was perfectly seasoned and cooked. This was a rich dish and highly appreciated. We tried both red and white wines and were quite happy with all. I tried a taste of their popular Beach Cabin White and thought it a little too sweet to have with a meal. We all shared a chocolate mouse and declared it the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. We hope to have many more of those...

We tried Leo & Leto’s Winery and Bistro for a family celebration and were very impressed. The menu has 7 varied appetizers, We started with a savory poached pear which was a thick slice of pear poached in Syrah reduction and plated with a half cup of lustrous Gorgonzola sauce and crisped prosciutto with a sliced loaf of fresh bread. We cleaned the plate with the last slice of bread.

We added the Penn Cove mussels which were plump and fresh, the beef bourguignon in a wonderful red wine reduction, the ahi tatami, 2 oz. sliced, perfectly seared, and fresh, the antipasto board which included a 2 inch burrata, a 1/2 inch thick wedge of of rosemary flavored cheddar as well as slices of cured ham, pickled green beans, olives, sliced strawberry and roasted almonds, and the crab cakes. The latter were 2 three inch by 3/4 inch thick, moist, and flavorful.

Our dinners were all delightful. They included a seafood wedge salad which was 1/2 head of romaine with blue cheese and bacon crumbles and creamy blue cheese dressing with 2 large shrimps and 2 large seared scallops; the sweet chili chicken salad with grilled chicken on mixed greens, onion, radish, strawberry, cucumber, and chèvre with a soy vinaigrette; 6 perfectly seared 1 inch wide scallops; a sesame crusted red snapper fillet; and a mixed seafood risotto. All were perfectly cooked, fresh and presented artfully.

We finished with a dark chocolate mousse that was creamy, dense and slightly bitter sweet.

Seating was spacious and comfortable , noise level was low with multiple sound deadening baffles, service was prompt, informed, and professional.

They were willing to make modifications like subbing gf bread.

We are all eagerly waiting for the next...

We tried this new iteration in the former Blooms space in Freeland on a windy wet Saturday night in October. Same wonderful service, same kinda hit or miss food. The "crispy charred" Brussels sprouts were neither crispy nor charred. Half raw is not the same as crispy. They tasted steamed or possibly microwaved, The plump fresh mussels which I've enjoyed here in the past in a WHITE wine broth were way over powered on this visit by the red wine based broth. Wonderful warm bread, and I liked the white wine blend available by the glass. My husband's clam chowder and the halibut special were okay, if a bit salty.

What I REALLY feel is a big problem in this space is the very harsh bright white bulbs in all the pendant lights and all the ceiling lights. So bright and harsh it made me want to dine and dash as soon as we ate. The current lighting makes it feel more like a fast food joint than a decent wine bistro. Please consider investing in some warmer, dimmer light bulbs all around!!! And maybe some table votives???? I guarantee people will linger longer, ordering another round (Ka-Ching!!!) and maybe even returning for another meal. Right now, it feels like a cold event space when they turn up the lights to tell you it's...