Grand Expectations— “Soft” openings

September 29, 2009

With so many new restaurants opening in downtown Bellevue, it‘s timely to remind diners to set expectations appropriately.  The excitement of trying a new place can be met with disappointment if the experience leaves a little something to be desired.   There’s a good reason they call them “soft openings”.

Consider all the moving parts and pieces that take a restaurant from concept to opening.  Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a restaurateur.  First there’s the assessment of whether your concept will succeed in this market.  Then you’ve got to find a space.  Or a developer will come to you, like Schnitzer West came to John Howie; they offered him all four of The Bravern’s restaurant spaces.  John decided one would be a big enough challenge for his organization, and so we have John Howie Steak, a decidedly un-gentlemen’s club type of steak house, with an accessible, northwest feel. 

Next you have design and construction, which entails everything from perfecting the form and function of a commercial kitchen, to creating a desirable dining environment.   If you’re Chad Mackay of El Gaucho, you’ll spend six months sweating every construction detail, push to get open for the holidays, only to find yourself still trying to get your landlord to let you put up a sign so guests can find you – nine months later.  If you’re Terrance Brennan of Artisanal Group, you’ll go from raw shell to finished restaurant in an insanely intense four months and one week.  Or if you’re Larry Kurofsky of Heavy Restaurant Group, you’ll take on three spaces at once:  Barrio, Purple and a third to be determined (wisely held off until after the first of the year).  Every one of these proprietors puts their heart and soul into the spaces and experiences they create, and it is an all-encompassing thrill ride of ups (seeing it come together) and downs (dealing with recalcitrant landlords and unreasonable building inspectors).  You’d think they’d crossed the finish line with Opening Day.

Hardly.  Consider the kitchen:  choices on literally thousands of items, everything from the stoves, grills and salamanders, to the mixers, to the walk-in, the dishwashing system, everything to facilitate the transformation of raw ingredients to perfect plates delivered with perfect timing.  Think of stocking your entire kitchen at once – and multiply that by thousands:  hundreds of pounds of flour, sugar, spices and other staples.  Storage systems; knives and implements; pots, pans and mixing bowls.  Dishes, glassware, utensils, linens – what kind of table do you want to set? Now stock all the perishables – just the right number of days before opening.   And just for fun, try sourcing everything you can from local, sustainable sources – because that’s the right thing to do.   

Of course, you need a small army to operate one of these businesses.  If you have a long history in this area like Howie has, you can assemble the winners he brought together for Steak’s senior team.  But if you’re Terrance Brennan from Artisanal, you either bring out your team from New York (hey guys, you’ll love living in Bellevue!  Trust me!), or hire unfamiliar talent from here.  Then the kitchen staff must be hired, trained in your methods and approach to food, and cooking by opening day. 

Which brings us to the front of house, the ultimate proving ground and the place where guests will form their first impression.  And of course, you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Is the menu the right offering?  Can you find enough experienced servers?  Is a week long enough for a group of strangers to become a highly-functioning team?  (How long did it take you, in your business, to bring your team to high-performing status?)

So when you’re trying a new restaurant for the first time, try to have reasonable expectations – give them a break.  If the service is slow, or they get the plates mixed up, be patient.  If you walked out in frustration, try it again in a couple of weeks – they’ll get the kinks worked out, and offer a smoother experience.  Don’t be afraid to share your experience with the restaurant – they will appreciate the feedback, and try harder for you next time.

And one last word, a shout-out to our existing restaurants, who have already gone through this proving stage.  Don’t forget about Seastar, Tap House, Bis on Main, 520 Bar and Grill, Monsoon East, and all the options in the Bellevue Collection.  There are dozens of fine choices – both new and established – right here in downtown Bellevue, which is emerging as the preferred dining destination in Puget Sound.  So make your reservations today, and let us know, “How was your meal?”

Grand Expectations— "Soft" openings

With so many new restaurants opening in downtown Bellevue, it‘s timely to remind diners to set expectations appropriately.  The excitement of trying a new place can be met with disappointment if the experience leaves a little something to be desired.   There’s a good reason they call them “soft openings”.

Consider all the moving parts and pieces that take a restaurant from concept to opening.  Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a restaurateur.  First there’s the assessment of whether your concept will succeed in this market.  Then you’ve got to find a space.  Or a developer will come to you, like Schnitzer West came to John Howie; they offered him all four of The Bravern’s restaurant spaces.  John decided one would be a big enough challenge for his organization, and so we have John Howie Steak, a decidedly un-gentlemen’s club type of steak house, with an accessible, northwest feel.

Next you have design and construction, which entails everything from perfecting the form and function of a commercial kitchen, to creating a desirable dining environment.   If you’re Chad Mackay of El Gaucho, you’ll spend six months sweating every construction detail, push to get open for the holidays, only to find yourself still trying to get your landlord to let you put up a sign so guests can find you – nine months later.  If you’re Terrance Brennan of Artisanal Group, you’ll go from raw shell to finished restaurant in an insanely intense four months and one week.  Or if you’re Larry Kurofsky of Heavy Restaurant Group, you’ll take on three spaces at once:  Barrio, Purple and a third to be determined (wisely held off until after the first of the year).  Every one of these proprietors puts their heart and soul into the spaces and experiences they create, and it is an all-encompassing thrill ride of ups (seeing it come together) and downs (dealing with recalcitrant landlords and unreasonable building inspectors).  You’d think they’d crossed the finish line with Opening Day.

Hardly.  Consider the kitchen:  choices on literally thousands of items, everything from the stoves, grills and salamanders, to the mixers, to the walk-in, the dishwashing system, everything to facilitate the transformation of raw ingredients to perfect plates delivered with perfect timing.  Think of stocking your entire kitchen at once – and multiply that by thousands:  hundreds of pounds of flour, sugar, spices and other staples.  Storage systems; knives and implements; pots, pans and mixing bowls.  Dishes, glassware, utensils, linens – what kind of table do you want to set? Now stock all the perishables – just the right number of days before opening.   And just for fun, try sourcing everything you can from local, sustainable sources – because that’s the right thing to do.

Of course, you need a small army to operate one of these businesses.  If you have a long history in this area like Howie has, you can assemble the winners he brought together for Steak’s senior team.  But if you’re Terrance Brennan from Artisanal, you either bring out your team from New York (hey guys, you’ll love living in Bellevue!  Trust me!), or hire unfamiliar talent from here.  Then the kitchen staff must be hired, trained in your methods and approach to food, and cooking by opening day.

Which brings us to the front of house, the ultimate proving ground and the place where guests will form their first impression.  And of course, you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Is the menu the right offering?  Can you find enough experienced servers?  Is a week long enough for a group of strangers to become a highly-functioning team?  (How long did it take you, in your business, to bring your team to high-performing status?)

So when you’re trying a new restaurant for the first time, try to have reasonable expectations – give them a break.  If the service is slow, or they get the plates mixed up, be patient.  If you walked out in frustration, try it again in a couple of weeks – they’ll get the kinks worked out, and offer a smoother experience.  Don’t be afraid to share your experience with the restaurant – they will appreciate the feedback, and try harder for you next time.

And one last word, a shout-out to our existing restaurants, who have already gone through this proving stage.  Don’t forget about Seastar, Tap House, Bis on Main, 520 Bar and Grill, Monsoon East, and all the options in the Bellevue Collection.  There are dozens of fine choices – both new and established – right here in downtown Bellevue, which is emerging as the preferred dining destination in Puget Sound.  So make your reservations today, and let us know, “How was your meal?”

Mussels and muscles

September 21, 2009

There was a lot to celebrate recently when we met up with friends from the Downtown Seattle Association at a conference in the Midwest. The decision by the Frank Russell Investments company to move to Seattle coincided with the major events around the opening of The Bravern in Bellevue, as well as the recent naming of TransManage (our transportation management affiliate) as the top TMA in the Country. All the great news had us pumped up, and so we celebrated – where else – over a meal.

And boy, did Milwaukee flex its culinary muscle. At the Hinterland Gastropub in the city’s historic Third Ward district, we enjoyed a number of local and regional specialties prepared with care and a high degree of creativity. Starting with pig trotter fritters, we moved to salads: arugula with fried goat cheese, pea shoots prepared with ripe pear and sweet nuts. Entrees included elk, duck (with a sherry foie gras sauce), kajicki (a Hawaiian fish, prepared with grilled risotto cakes), local organic beef, and Prince Edward Islands mussels. Inventive ice cream paired with each dessert, such as goat cheese with flourless chocolate cake, chocolate stout with a peanut butter tart, and lemon/rosemary with green apple beignets.

Our second meal featured international small plates, and a dynamic young chef hard at work supporting the local food system, sourcing products from the area, including an innovated fish farm housed in an abandoned factory. His take on fresh beet raviolis, paired with a lemon-parmesan sauce, was out of this world. The third great meal featured a chef, formerly a nurse at Harborview, who brought that great Northwest sensibility about food back to her home town of Milwaukee. She’s got a number of Washington and Oregon wines on her list, and they paired well with the best meats the Prairie has to offer. Just like here in Bellevue, these chefs are working together to raise the level of awareness and appreciation for local products and excellent culinary experiences.

We can’t source much elk here in Puget Sound, but we do have mussels, and sorry Prince Edward Islands, ours are way better than yours. Everyone has their favorite way to prepare them, but we found some excellent recipes from an Old Bellevue favorite, Bis on Main, and Bravern newbie, Artisanal Brasserie & Winebar. This is a great time of year for mussels, and as we return to indoor dining on cooler evenings, what could be nicer than a warm bowl of steaming bivalves?

Courtesy of Chef Christopher Peterson of Bis on Main, here’s a great recipe for Green Curry Mussels:

Serves 4 to 6

Sauce (to be made in advance):

¼ ea  peeled carrot, onion, stalk celery & leek roughly chopped
1 ea  small knob ginger, roughly chopped
1 ea  jalapeno, seeded & roughly chopped
1 ea  mango pit, or other mango scrap
1 ea  thai basil stems
1/8 C  rice wine vinegar
½ C  white wine
¼ C  clam juice
3 C  coconut milk
¾ C  heavy cream
3 T  green curry paste  (mae ploy brand)

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine vegetables, ginger, jalapeno, mango pit & rice wine vinegar. Over high heat, reduce until vinegar is dry then add white wine & reduce by half.  Then add clam juice & basil stems, reduce by 1/3. Then add coconut milk & heavy cream, bring to a simmer & simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer, discard vegetables & while liquid is still hot, thoroughly whisk in the curry paste, making sure there are no clumps. Refrigerate.

To Complete:

2 lb  best available mussels (preferably penn cove) rinsed & debearded
3 ea  fresh, small, mild green chilies, seeded & small diced
3 ea  small thai eggplant or 1 japanese eggplant cut into small pieces & lightly salted
½ ea  mango;  peeled, seeded & small diced
1 C  picked thai basil leaves  or regular basil
1 ea  recipe green curry sauce  (shown above)
2 T  olive oil

Using a large, lidded sauté pan, heat olive oil until almost smoking.  Add eggplant, chilies & mango. Sauté briefly, about 45 seconds. Add mussels, sauté briefly, then add the green curry sauce. Quickly bring to a boil & cover. Cook until mussels pop open but do not overcook! The mussels should remain a whitish color. Discard any that turn orange or do not open. Toss in picked basil leaves, remove from heat & serve.

Courtesy of Chef Terrance Brennan, here is Artisanal Brasserie’s recipe for Penn Cove Mussels Provencal with Tomato Confit:

Serves 4 

Penn Cove Mussels Provencal Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 pounds Penn Cove (about 70 mussels) beards removed rinse clean under cold running water
1 cup Alsatian wine such as Gewürztraminer or Riesling
¼ plus 2 tablespoons Tomato Confit (recipe follows) or diced plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1” cubes
3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves
3 tablespoons thinly sliced parsley
Salt to taste
Black pepper in a mill 

Tomato Confit Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups olive oil, plus more if storing Tomato Confit
2 heads of garlic crushed
5 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 Roma Tomatoes (about 1 ¼ pounds total weight) peeled and deseed- cut into 1’pieces 

Tomato Confit Method:

Preheat the oven to 225*F. Place all ingredients in a baking dish and stir to combine. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Penn Cove Mussels Provencal Method:

Pour the olive oil into a heavy bottomed, 8 quart pot and set it over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they release their flavors, approximately 1 minute. Add the mussels and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and Tomato Confit (recipe above). Turn flame on high and cover with a lid.

When the mussels begin to open, approximately 1 minute, add butter and stir. When the butter is incorporated with broth into an emulsion, take off heat and toss mussels with parsley and basil. Season with salt and 8 grinds of pepper, or to taste. Divide into 4 bowls.

 

Finally I wanted to offer my own recipe for Thai Red Curry Mussels which has been my husband’s favorite dish that I’ve cooked up for the last half of our marriage:

Serves 4 as entrée

Ingredients:

2 T Peanut oil
3 T Red Curry Paste
½ C White Wine
1 can (14 oz) Coconut Milk
2 T Fish Sauce
2 T Fresh Lime Juice
1-2 Kaffir Lime Leaves*
2 cloves Garlic, crushed and chopped
2/3 C. Green Onions, sliced
½ C Piquillo peppers, rough chopped
1 T brown sugar 

2-3 pounds Penn Cove mussels
3 T chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
4 T chopped basil (pref. Thai)

Method:

Heat oil in bottom of stock pot; add curry paste and stir to loosen; add next 5 ingredients (through Kaffir lime leaves).
When simmering, add garlic, green onions, Piquillo peppers; stir thoroughly.
Add brown sugar to taste; let simmer 5 minutes.
Add mussels, stir into the liquid and cover for another 5 minutes.
For the last minute or so, add cilantro and basil and stir a couple of times, till the shells pop open (but no longer, you never want to overcook mussels!).

To Serve:

Serve in broad-rimmed, shallow soup bowls, spoon sauce over mussels and garnish with more cilantro. Sugggestions:  Serve with warm chunks of ciabatta or sourdough bread, and a fall-themed salad.  Pair with a dry but fruit-forward white wine like a Gruner Veltliner or a Washington Viognier.

*Kaffir lime leaves, as well as Thai basil, curry paste, and fish sauce, can be sourced at Asian markets here on the Eastside.

Bellevue wine experts in the know

September 15, 2009

If you haven’t seen it yet, the most recent issue of Seattle Metropolitan magazine features features 11 top wine experts and their picks for the best 100 Northwest wines under $50 (see “Premier Crew” at seattlemet.com).  In a veritable toast to Bellevue, five of the eleven experts consulted represent existing or about-to-open downtown Bellevue establishments:

April Pogue, General Manager at Grand Cru Wine Bar and Shop
Of note is her selection of the 2006 Bunnell Family Cellars Northridge Vineyard Mourvedre (from the Wahluke Slope), a winery we just discovered this spring.  Grand Cru is a great spot for a quick after-work visit, and if you’re not on their email list yet, you should be – wine tastings nearly daily!

Michael Anderson, Beverage Director at 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar
Michael earned a 2008 Award of Ultimate Distinction from Wine Enthusiast magazine.  He’s offering 9 selections.  We echo his endorsement of the 2005 Kestrel Cabernet – 2005 was an amazing year for Washington wines, particularly the red varietals, and it’s great to see them coming to market.

Lisa Rongren, Wine Director at John Howie Steak
Anyone with the Herbfarm on their resume has to be exceptional, and we’re looking forward to seeing Lisa at John Howie Steak (see “The Bravern Brings New York to the Table” blog post).  Lisa’s choices include some unusual varietals and she pays homage to Washington’s newest AVA, Lake Chelan, with her choice of the 2008 Benson Winery Sangiovese – bound to pair well with some of that Wagyu beef from Kyushu, Japan!

Lucas St. Clair, Wine Director at Wild Ginger Bellevue
With experience in the kitchen (including a Grande Diplome from the Cordon Bleu in Paris), as well as the dining room (Wild Ginger Seattle, and the legendary 11 Madison Park in New York), you know you’re going to get some superior suggestions to pair with your entrée at Wild Ginger Bellevue.  And it looks like he’s really gotten to know the winemakers, as his picks go beyond the usual suspects and include some up-and-comers like Luke Bradford (2007 CorCellars Momentum, Horse Heaven Hills).

Dawn Smith, Wine Director at Purple Café and Wine Bar and Barrio (opening in Bellevue Towers, late-September 2009)
Dawn graces the cover of the current fall issue of Bellevue Downtown, and we can’t wait for the doors to open at Purple.  Dawn’s picks include some stellar syrahs; she rightly notes Washington is gaining a great reputation for our syrahs, and she’s highlighted three:  Corvidae Lenore, Gramercy Cellars Lagniappe, and VaPiano syrah.  Purple is ‘a little something extra in itself!

With all the attention on restaurants lately, we thought due attention should also be paid to the wine side of things.  Get out there and sip a glass today!  These fine folks will be happy to help you make the most of your food and wine pairings.

The Bravern brings New York to the table

September 11, 2009

Ask Chef Terrance Brennan why he chose Bellevue as the first national launch of his renowned New York-based Artisanal Group, and he’ll tell you, “Bellevue chose me.”  Executives of Schnitzer West, developers of the new upscale mixed-use project in Bellevue were persistent, and apparently quite likeable.  After two years of convincing, Brennan finally signed on, and the results open this week:  Artisanal Brasserie & Winebar, and its more relaxed, Italian cousin, The Artisanal Table Pizzeria Enoteca.

The excitement around Artisanal’s arrival is building.  With New York DNA, but high emphasis on locally-sourced shellfish, meats and produce, Brennan and his team are creating a traditional French brasserie experience with a not-so-traditional menu.  The brasserie will be big, warm and buzzing, kind of like Brennan himself when we caught up with him last week, as the finishing touches were being laid on in the space on the second level, across from John Howie Steak.

Cheese is a huge part of the brand, something Brennan dived into many years ago – and it’s the heart of the artisanal tag.  In 2003, Brennan founded Artisanal Premium Cheese, a 10,000-square-foot facility dedicated to the selection, maturation and distribution of the world’s finest artisanal cheeses.  The over 150 cheeses offered at Artisanal Brasserie will be supplied from the New York facility and local cheese suppliers.  One unique feature of Artisanal Brasserie will be the Bar du Fromage – a Frenchified sushi bar, if you will, where you’ll select from up to 150 cheeses, as well as charcueterie, , and over 100 wines by the glass.  This promises to be the most authentically–French dining experience in Bellevue since Porcella Urban Market closed last year. The Artisanal Table will offer a smaller menu, geared more toward Italian fare, with creative, neopolitan-style pizzas and, an extensive array of antipasti (much produced in-house), a more focused wine list, and a relaxed, hip ambience.

Brennan’s commitment to the use of artisanal, sustainable and organic products, many sourced locally, is refreshing.  When we met up with him last week, he had just sat with a local cheese maker about producing a signature Bellevue Artisanal cheese.  And he’s said to be sourcing some of the charcuterie from Salumi in Seattle.

Personally, Brennan is affable, intense, and totally passionate about his work.  His approach to training is more about philosophy than technique.  He’s looking for his team to have an awareness and respect for the food they’re working with.  When asked about his management philosophy, he says he looks for 5 key elements in every person who works for him:

1.  Honesty – speaking the truth
2.  Integrity – doing what is promised
3.  Work Ethic – speaks for itself
4.  Discipline – being timely, leading by example
5.  Passion – without this, the food is empty.

These values are evident in the place, and we eagerly look forward to experiencing all that Artisanal promises.  They’ve taken the space from concrete slab to fully-functioning restaurant in 4 months and one week.  Here’s to enjoying memorable experiences in these two spaces for many years to come.

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