Popular coast restaurant moves to Dayton location
The Dayton version is located in the former Dayton Baptist Church, circa 1880, across from the park at 301 Main St. It’s next to Seufert Winery and the Soiree gift shop.
Over the years, the historic church has held an ice cream shop and other restaurants. It was a main attraction for the Bay House owners when they were seeking for a new location.
The brick building, which they remodeled, features an intimate setting for diners along with storage for some of the Bay House’s 14,000 bottles of wine. Prints of grapes and vineyards on canvas decorate the walls, along with live plants and fresh flowers.
In addition, the restaurant has a large kitchen space with windows, a rare perk for restaurant chefs. The Bay House team of chefs — Conan Haubrich, Nathan Bates, Alex Zenak and Susie Beck — said the space inspires them to be creative with the five-course tasting menu and à la carte options.
Haubrich, the force behind the kitchen at the restaurant’s former location at Salishan resort south of Lincoln City, said he enjoys the collaborative process at the Bay House’s new location. “It’s a chance to develop and create,” he said.
Bates, a Newberg chef and Lake Oswego restaurateur, joined the team along with his sous chefs after the move to Dayton.
He said he is enjoying the chance to prepare about 120 excellent dinners a week, rather than turning out huge quantities. “This is much more my passion, especially the creative aspect,” Bates said.
The Bay House was founded in 1979 by two servers who had worked at Salishan. They took over the former Marcella’s cafe in a 1937 building with “million-dollar views,” Wilson said. It overlooked Siletz Bay at the south end of Lincoln City, a few miles north of Salishan.
Wilson, a veteran of the food service industry, worked at Salishan in the 1980s before moving to Florida to pursue other restaurant and hotel management opportunities.
The Iowa native returned to Oregon to manage the Bay House, which was still on Siletz Bay, but had been purchased by Salishan. He suggested the restaurant expand with a bar and lounge, which added to its success.
“Steve spent most of his career giving advice” and supporting other owners, and now he finally had a place of his own, his wife said.
He moved the Bay House to Salishan during the pandemic, where the Cedar Tree ballroom offered enough space for socially distanced dining. The restaurant’s original building became the Pelican Brewery at Siletz Bay.
Wilson was running the popular restaurant when he met OCallaghan. They married on St. Patrick’s Day in 2024 and traveled to Ireland, where her ancestors are from. She grew up in Oregon, but has dual citizenship in Ireland and the U.S.
After losing the lease at Salishan and closing the restaurant temporarily last fall, the couple went looking for a new location.
She has a house in Dallas, and they have ties to the Salem area, so they considered moving the Bay House to Monmouth. When that didn’t pan out, they considered Dayton instead — and they’re happy they did.
“The feeling and energy in Dayton,” OCallaghan marveled. “And this building – the high ceilings, the wood and brick, the space – just gorgeous.”
Wilson quipped, “This is Maureen’s way of getting me to come to church every day.”
They worked with the Stoller Group to sign a lease for the property.
“We were really attracted to being part of Bill Stoller’s vision,” Wilson said, noting the Stoller Group, which lost its namesake founder this spring, also has just developed a hotel and retail space in the town.
They spent time remodeling the space and configuring it as they wanted, a “mix of historic and modern,” with a defined entryway and seating areas separated by racks holding bottles, all neatly numbered so they are easy to find.
“About 20% of our wine is on display,” said Wilson, who is still moving much of his collection from the Coast.
He paused to take a phone call from a party asking for a reservation. “Are you celebrating anything in particular this visit?” he asked, and as the caller told him about the occasion, he added, “Outstanding!”
Many people come for anniversary dinners, birthdays or other special events. Others just come to enjoy the food and service, he said.
The Bay House is open for dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Reservations are recommended, although walk-ins will be accommodated when seats are available.
Dining can be paced according to the customer’s wishes, Wilson and OCallaghan said. Dinner might stretch over 90 minutes to two hours, for instance. “We never rush anyone,” OCallaghan said.
The five-course tasting menu costs $150. It includes salad, followed by courses of halibut, pheasant and beef, and finishing with a trio of desserts.
à la carte options are available for appetizers, salad and main courses, which include halibut, scallops, lamb, pheasant, beef and vegetarian entrees. Three courses cost $120 and four cost $130.
The menu suggests wine pairings, as well. And OCallaghan said the chefs can accommodate dietary restrictions such as vegan or gluten free; customers should let them know when they make reservations.
For reservations and more information, call 541-996-3222.
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