Loud, Live and Local...

riesling & ginger poached samish bay oysters, cucumber, honey gel, daikon
heart of palm, tangelo, apple-late harvest vinaigrette

seared foie gras, quail-arugula-hazelnut salad, blackberry-onion paint, profiteroles
fig dressing

citrus brined smoked catfish, dirty grits, leek-bacon composure, chia-fennel pollen yogurt

roasted beets, cacao nibs, tangerine sorbet
grapefruit-ginger-tarragon soda with bloomed chia

wagyu beef ribeye sous vide, truffle-hedgehog-tripe ragout, celery root pudding
thumbelina carrots, carrot creamed nettles, carrot powder, huckleberry sauce

spice crusted duck breast, roasted pear, salsify, brussel sprouts, walnuts, squash

jasmine-honey pot de creme, beignets, banana pudding, peanut butter-chocolate bar
cherries, coffee ice cream, blood orange-chai sorbet, maple-bourbon ice cream
~

Just like some of the Seattle music scene! Loud, in that it rang loud and clear of the taste, flavor and texture. Live...it was clearly alive, and live in the moment of our preparation right in front of our guests eyes. Local...most of the ingredients are local, or at least within a 100 mile radius, and for those that were not...oh well, get over it. It tasted great! if I have to search the world over to find the best ingredients, and I do, then so be it. I am local so that is where the idea originated from. Our team had a great time cooking. They did a wonderful job. I am so proud of them each and every day and am blessed and honored to work with them all. They keep me inspired and hopefully I inspire them too. Thanks peeps. Looking forward to what ever is next on the horizon. And like the music scene..if it's too loud...your too old!

Big Easy Food...

Spicy Sauteed Shrimp "Bayou"
dirty grits, tasso, smoked cipolline onions, leeks and pecans

Dungeness Crab "Sardou"
slow poached egg, creamed spinach, artichokes sous vide, spicy hollandaise

"Big Easy" Fried Catfish PoBoy
citrus brined, smoked & cornmeal breaded, pickled jalapenos, arugula, andouille aioli
apple-heart of palm-black radish slaw, pickled okra, herb baguette
~

Simple. Creative. Sexy. Super Tasty! This not-so-glamorous elevated bar menu playin to the likes of Bourbon Street and the blues was nothing short of fun, flavorful and fantastic. Not mind blowing in terms of fanciness. Not raising the bar or pushing the envelope in terms of modern cuisine and technology, although we did use a few that we employ daily. In a word...playful, or is it tasty? Sexy? Maybe awesome? Perhaps kick-ass! Whatever the case, we have fun in this kitchen and we aim to please. Please ourselves. Please our guests. Please all who entrust in us to have good food. This night didn't disappoint. I have to admit, I have never been to New Orleans. I know some that have. I have read about it. I have eaten at places and with chefs that have cooked there. I seemed to have lived vicariously through them on this night. Am I a poser? perhaps. The way I see it, I was inspired by our event and dove into what I believed good food should taste like, embellished with nuances of the Big Easy and presented and prepared it with love and through my own eyes. Shit, I never  claim to be authentic on these kinds of things and I don't want to be. I want a new spin. An interpretation. A perspective of my own. Rustic is good in the right place. This was the right place and all in attendance said nothing short of "killer". Here's to another bite of spicy shrimp and another sazerac!

Mardi Gras Night...

Just a glimpse at the menu for tonight's play and take on a nawlins' classic. An interpretation. A rendition. An inspired movement towards Bourbon Street! Photos of the chefs gone wild will surely follow...stay tuned.

marinated creole enhanced chicken gumbo

with louisiana smoked tasso ham, peppers and okra

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spicy sauteed shrimp "bayou"

dirty grits, smoked cipolline onions and pecans

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southern style buttermilk fried onion rings

tasso spiced remoulade with granny smith apples

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"big easy" fried catfish "po-boy"

cornmeal crusted with pickled jalapenos, arugula, andouille aioli and a crisp vegetable slaw

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"french quarter" muffaletta

ham, swiss, salami, provolone, peppers and lemony chickpeas

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dungeness crab "sardou"

carrot creamed spinach, artichokes, sous vide egg, spicy brisket oil hollandaise

~

mardi gras buttermilk-pecan beignets

with banana pudding

Prelude to a Kiss...

opah cheeks, fennel-citrus salad, kumquats, crispy pork belly, lentils, chianti jus

american wagyu rib eye, foie gras, honey glazed cipolline onions, hedgehog mushrooms
glazed salsify & thumbelina carrots, acai laced heart of palm
blackberry-syrah sauce

pb & j chocolate bar, white chocolate cones, tea-honey pot de creme
blood oranges, cherries, tangerine sorbet, espresso-coffee milkshakes

A young, wonderful couple had notified me the day prior, that they were unfortunately unable to attend the special St. Valentines day dinner that we were preparing for and how sad they were to have to miss it. Then, he(mr. wonderful couple) emailed me back to say that although they could not attend that night, they both found themselves with the unique and fortunate ability to spend the afternoon with us for lunch that day for a special menu if we were so able and inclined to do so...hell ya I say! No time constraints...no restrictions...no allergies! Wooohooo. It is why I love this business so much...to be able to do something special for someone and go out of our way to do it, only to make them happy and because we can. For no personal gain of our own. Here is a special rendition of the menu that followed in it's wake later that night.

Passionate, Intimate, Amore...

foie gras mousse, prosecco-honey gelee, grapes, pears, micro greens, crispy potato

seared scallops and root beer glazed pork belly, crisp vegetable salad, beet tapenade
carrot powder, carotene-saba dressing, micro arugula

smoked duck breast salad, goat cheese flan, pear stuffed profiterole, muscovado topping, apples
smoked hazelnut crumble, micro celery, cassis vinaigrette

grilled hawaiian opah cheeks, sweet potato gnocchi, hearts of palm, black garlic aioli, citrus salad
sea urchin sauce

sous vide beef tenderloin, pan roasted sweetbreads, hedgehog mushrooms, pumpkin polenta,
grated orange cauliflower, crosnes, turnips and red ribbon sorrel

dessert for two...
chocolate pb &j bar, cherries, apricot stuffed zeppole, white chocolate cones, crispies
espresso-coffee milkshakes

parting pleasures...
rose & elderflower heart shaped macaron sandwiches
salted caramels

many other words can describe the night of love, loving and lovers. Sexy, Sensual, Erotic, Sexual, Heartfelt, Beautiful...and so on. I was happy to see many happy, smiling faces in the dining room last thursday for the night where we as cooks have a unique opportunity to really set a couples night in motion and turn up the heat. Get the blood rushing so to speak. I love cooking for valentines day. I love cooking any day and night, but have always really enjoyed this evening. Here is how it went down...uh, did I really just write that? Cheers to Cupid and the lovers out there alike!

Lucidity in Cooking part 2...

sous vide salmon amuse
prosecco-citrus-elderflower gelee, golden caviar, pummelo, chervil

seared scallop & quail breast salad, arugula, black radish-carrot composure
carrot powder, carotene-saba-pear dressing

grilled hawaiian opah cheeks, hearts of palm, cara cara orange, sweet potato gnocchi
chia-yogurt-honey, chia-citrus butter

pan roasted black bass, braised leeks, salsify, sea urchin-vermouth essence, micro peppercress

snake river farms wagyu eye of the rib
squash polenta, baby turnips glace, crosnes, blackberry-onion jam, hedgehog mushrooms
whipped peppered cherry, blackberry-zinfandel sauce

another round of moments in thought, clarity and focus in our cooking. Hope it inspires.

Focused, Passionate Lucidity...

seared foie gras, blackberry-0nion jam paint, pear butter stuffed profiteroles
muscovado topping, smoked hazelnut crumble, pears, chocolate, micro arugula

fennel pollen crusted fluke, caramelized thumbelina carrots, roasted pears
leek-black garlic pancake, truffle vermouth sauce

pickled golden beets, kumquats, honey gel, kumquat sorbet

grilled marinated quail stuffed inside wagyu eye of rib "carpaccio"
granny smith apples, black radishes, mustard, arugula, pecorino, fig balsamic

flat iron of beef sous vide, hedgehog mushroom strudel, salsify, tuscan kale
celery root-oxtail "gratin", carrot powder, huckleberry sauce

Lucidity in cooking and taste. Clarity in the style in which I present it. Clarity in the flavor profiles that become of the juxtaposition of ingredients arranged. Focused on the vision of preparing something unique and fun for the diner..exciting and flavorful...memorable. These are some dishes of late that were lucid enough to get snapped on the keen eye of my smartphone in the middle of service...