Deep roots, new plans at The Oyster & Thistle

Two men stand confidently inside a professional commercial kitchen. On the left, a chef wearing a white double-breasted coat labeled “Joshua Van Horn, Chef” leans casually against a metal prep station. He has short dark hair, a beard, and a prominent tattoo on his right forearm. On the right, a man dressed in a white shirt and a colorful blue tie with red floral patterns crosses his arms. He also has a visible tattoo on his forearm. Behind them are hanging ladles, metal shelves with stacked plates and bowls, industrial cooking equipment, and a large ventilation hood, creating a clean and organized kitchen environment.

The new owners of The Oyster & Thistle have deep roots in the local food scene.

2–4 minutes

The new owners of The Oyster & Thistle have deep roots in the local food scene. 

Longtime maitre’d, now general manager, Duane Bunch worked for former owner Thomas Palmer for 14 years. Executive Chef Josh Van Hine is a 2004 graduate of La Conner High School. 

Palmer and his late wife Danielle have owned six restaurants in Skagit County since 1994, opening The Oyster & Thistle in 2014. “They trusted us and knew we would carry on their vision and legacy,” Van Hine said.

Georgia Johnson, former La Conner High School culinary arts teacher, recognized Van Hine’s passion for food when he was in her class.

Among her talented students, only Van Hine “followed the thread all the way through,” Johnson said.

Two men stand inside a warmly lit restaurant with wood-paneled walls and ceiling. On the left, a chef in a white double-breasted jacket, labeled “Joshua Van Horn, Chef,” rests one hand on a wooden booth. He has a short beard, tattoos on his arm, and a relaxed demeanor. On the right, a man in a white dress shirt with a colorful floral tie leans on the host stand, where an open reservation book and pencil are visible. The setting exudes a cozy, upscale ambiance with pendant lights and a framed landscape photo on the wall.

Photo by Nancy K. Crowell/La Conner Community News
Executive Sous Chef Josh Van Hine and General Manager Duane Bunch pose in Oyster & Thistle. Bunch and Van Hine bought the restaurant from former owner Thomas Palmer.

He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked his way up to executive chef at the Weston Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida.

“Anybody who commits to the fire in the kitchen has to have a lot of passion for it,” Johnson said. “And you have to pay your dues. That means doing the dirty work over and over again, chopping a lot of 50-pound bags of onions and mushrooms, and doing a lot of dishes.”

When Van Hine returned to La Conner in 2020, he launched Simply Sound Catering and joined Oyster & Thistle, where Bunch had been serving customers for a decade. 

Purchasing and running the restaurant together became a goal during the Covid pandemic. Achieving it has involved many details and decisions, like updating the décor and refreshing the menu, changing up recipes for many favorites, including salmon and scallops.

They’ve added a monthly shellfish meal featuring oysters from Judd Cove Shellfish. The next one is Sunday, Aug. 17, when oysters will be shucked and served on the patio after 2 p.m. 

“We can do pan fried or oysters on the half shell, and will offer specials on wine,” said Bunch, a sommelier school alumnus who makes sure the wine list pairs with Van Hine’s dishes. “I search out small northwest wineries that people probably haven’t heard of, but produce amazing wine.” 

Van Hine also relies on local suppliers. “We can’t source onions and romaine lettuce from the valley in the winter, but we can always get the fish,” he said. 

“I tell first-time customers to come with high expectations, because we want to exceed them.”

-Duane Bunch

Some of his vendors he’s known since preschool on the Swinomish Reservation. “I can make one phone call to say, “Hey whaddya got?” and it’s delivered to the back door.”

Making the menu relevant will keep people coming back, Van Hine believes. “We’re just breathing a little bit of fresh air into the restaurant.” 

Behind the scenes, Van Hine and Bunch run a staff that can pinch hit. “There is no front of house or back of house head butting,” Bunch said. “Everyone is responsible for washing dishes and can help out in the dining room or the kitchen.”

The duo is excited about running their own place. 

“I tell first-time customers to come with high expectations, because we want to exceed them,” Bunch said. 

Johnson is excited, too. “All of these people who have known Josh most of his life are so eager to see and taste what he can do.”

Anne Basye is a freelance writer based in greater La Conner.

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