Michelin-starred chef Spero to open Passage at Inn at Langley

Johnny Spero chose Langley after driving through downtown and seeing a town that felt alive, calm and welcoming, and that decision will soon put one of the region’s most closely watched dining openings inside the Inn at Langley. Passage is set to open in summer 2026, turning a South Whidbey landmark into the latest stage for a chef whose career has already crossed Washington, D.C., Netflix and the Michelin Guide.

Spero, who grew up in Baltimore, appeared on Netflix’s The Final Table and built his reputation in Washington, D.C., where he trained under James Beard Award winner Johnny Monis and worked at José Andrés’ Minibar. Michelin says he earned Eater’s Chef of the Year and helped Minibar land a four-star Washington Post review. His own restaurant, Reverie in Georgetown, opened in 2018 with modernist tasting menus that stretched to 16 courses, earned a Michelin star and then suffered a devastating fire on Aug. 12, 2022, shortly after that honor. Spero later said, “I lost everything.” Reverie closed for good on Oct. 4, 2025, after a seven-year run.

Now the focus shifts to Langley, where the Inn at Langley says it will reopen in late May 2026 after a thoughtful renovation and is already welcoming reservations. Passage will offer a multi-course tasting menu at dinner, along with à la carte beverage offerings and curated pairings. Guests at the inn will also get complimentary breakfast. The concept is rooted, the inn says, in the abundance of the Pacific Northwest, with ingredients drawn from Whidbey Island’s forests, waters and farms, plus the wider Pacific coast.

For Island County, the arrival matters beyond the dining room. A chef with Spero’s pedigree brings outside attention, tighter reservation demand and a stronger draw for overnight stays at the inn, while also creating a bigger market for local growers, fishers and foragers who can supply a destination kitchen. It also raises the bar for Langley’s restaurant scene, where residents have long treated dining as part of the town’s identity rather than just a visitor amenity.

Spero’s move suggests Whidbey is not simply scenic background for a high-end project. It is where an ambitious chef chose to reset, and where downtown Langley is about to test how far a Michelin-level restaurant can deepen the island’s food culture without losing its local feel.