Sherwood’s Hidden Gem Sublimely Delivers On The Refined Flavor

Taste of the Town: Trees Restaurant & Catering
By Dennis McNabb, Staff Writer | Photos by Malaina Kinne

Located under a canopy of beautiful trees that provide the coziest and most scenic views imaginable, and serving a fascinating and fantastic fusion of Italian and Creole flavors, Trees Restaurant & Catering is a culinary experience to remember! Tucked back into a natural reserve on the bottom floor of a three story building, and sandwiched between a couple of salons, it’s easy to drive by this hidden gem without realizing it, but it’s absolutely worth seeking out!

Owner and Executive Chef, Shannon Johnson boasts a whopping 35 years of dedicated experience in the industry. She graduated from the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, where her skills for creating amazing Italian and Southern dishes were developed. After relocating to Sherwood over 20 years ago, Shannon has incorporated Pacific Northwest flavors into her arsenal, resulting in some of the most wonderfully audacious and unique flavors imaginable. And all of it comes together, almost as if by magic, to create amazingly delicious and cohesive dishes, with all of these flavors complementing one another in amazing ways.

As chefs and contestants so often say on the Food Network, the dishes served at Trees represent Chef Shannon on a plate. The menu is a roadmap of sorts; incorporating ingredients, inspirations, and techniques from all of her many travels over the years. One menu item, the Smoky Turkey Focaccia Sandwich (smoked turkey with bacon, Brie cheese, and an in-house smoked blackberry and mango chutney) was even conceived from a dream! But everything on offer here was born from Chef’s Shannon’s genuine love and passion for delicious and innovative food.

Local favorites include Shannon’s Shrimp & Grits (which consists of buttery sautéed Gulf Shrimp served with Sicilian-style creamy parmesan grits made with polenta), her Tree House Salad (made with fresh baby greens, blue cheese, Mandarin oranges, housemade spiced sunflower seeds, all tossed with a housemade rice wine citrus vinaigrette), and her homemade ice cream (which they churn themselves, and infuse whenever possible the freshest of ingredients; no food coloring, preservatives, or nasty chemicals!). Everything on the menu is fantastic, and there is enough variety that everyone should be able to find something that speaks to their personal tastes. In case you’re just interested in meeting up for a quick drink with friends, they have a full bar, stocked with local wines, beers, and incredible hand-crafted cocktails prepared with the same level of care as the food. It’s not on the menu, but make sure to request the Rocky Pistachio Martini for a real taste treat!

Chef Shannon takes great pride in her community and uses as many fresh and local ingredients as possible, dependent on availability. Her long-standing partnerships with Apple Foods and Carlton Farms (both family-owned and Oregon-based) are of particular significance to her, but the proof is in the pudding. When you taste one of her dishes and you notice how fresh (and mostly organic) those ingredients are, you’ll never settle for less!

Of course, none of this is possible without a great staff, and Chef Shannon is fortunate to have an amazing core group of folks who make coming to work every day a joy for her. This is a locally-owned and operated business and a true labor of love. Passion and care is given to every single meal, every single day. And don’t forget, next time you have a party, a corporate luncheon, or a wedding, Chef Shannon is also a caterer!

Come on down today for lunch, dinner, or happy hour. Sit on the deck under the shade of the gorgeous trees, and see for yourself why Trees Restaurant & Catering is one of the favorite destination eateries in town. Fresh, local, and exquisite, while still affordable,you can taste the love!

Trees Restaurant & Catering is located at 20510 SW Roy Rogers Rd #160 in Sherwood. Order online or view their menu at eatattrees.com, or give them a call at (503) 822-5583.