This longtime Whatcom foothills restaurant is moving to Fairhaven
A longtime restaurant known as a stopping spot for hikers and skiers is moving to Fairhaven.
Sam and Nancy Hassan announced that they will move Milano’s into the Knights of Pythias Building at 1208 11th St., next to Drizzle Olive Oil and the Colophon Cafe, in Bellingham.
In an email Sam Hassan said they are aiming for a mid-February opening. Currently in Glacier, he said Milano’s will probably stay open in that spot until mid-January.
Known for serving Italian food, Hassan said the restaurant will continue to do so in Fairhaven with an expanded menu that puts an emphasis on seafood. It will also offer steak and Brazilian barbecue, something he was known for at his previous restaurant in Seattle. It will also have more than 100 wines to choose from.
Along with Milano’s, Bar Veneto will also be making the move to Fairhaven. The bar will serve a variety of drinks, including products made from Hassan’s distillery.
The building is owned by Daylight Properties. Daylight co-owner Bob Hall said he’s talked with Sam Hassan over the years to get him a space in Bellingham.
“Milano’s is one of, if not the best, Italian restaurant north of Seattle,” Hall said in an email.
Daylight Properties is also working with an architect to figure out what to do with the upper floors of the building. Some of those upper floors have been untouched for more than 60 years. Hall’s goal is to restore as much of those upper floors as possible, so it has the same look it did when it first opened in the late 1800s. One particularly nice feature, he said, is a large skylight for the large upper-level rooms.
According to Milano’s website, Tom and Jeannie Debari opened the restaurant in 1990, becoming a landmark in the Glacier community with its handmade pasta and fresh sauces. The Hassans purchased the restaurant in 2014.
For updates on the move, customers can join a group list by emailing milanosrestaurantbar@gmail.com.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
