Nosh Pit

How to Look Like a Seattle Restaurant

Opening a Seattle area restaurant? Check out our handy design template!

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 06, 2012 at 09:00AM 3 Comments

Tin Table, a Type 2 Seattle restaurant. Exposed brick wall, check.

Prospective restaurateurs, listen up: Anyone opening a restaurant in the greater Seattle area is legally bound to follow one of three design mandates, on file in the city licensing office. Doubt it? Then why does it seem as if every new Seattle restaurant looks like one of the following?

1. Cool. Stark. Minimalist. Hard-edged. (Frequently deafening.) Think Black Bottle, Spring Hill (soon to be Ma’Ono), Revel, Crush, Boom Noodle, Mistral, Madison Park Conservatory.

2. Hipster chill, mottled concrete floor to exposed ductwork ceiling. Must have at least one wall of exposed brick; extra points if faded paint from a ‘40s-era wall ad is barely discernible. Think Tavolata, Brave Horse Tavern, Staple and Fancy, Terra Plata, Tin Table.

3. Elegant Designer Living Room, upholstered in creamy neutrals. Think Art at the Four Seasons, Canlis, The Book Bindery, John Howie Steak House.

Of course there are exceptions. Think of the overwrought Old World opulence of the Georgian Room; the early-Rococo, late-exploded-flea-market Bizzarro Italian Café; the sparkling, retro-cute Skillet Diner. And don’t forget the magnificent theater pieces from restaurateurs/set designers Deming Maclise and James Weimann, whose Poquito’s is a visual feast of lush Mexican tile and wrought iron, and whose Bastille could be arrested for impersonating a Paris train station.

Maclise and Weimann will be among the panelists tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 7) at Town Hall in the Seattle Architecture Foundation forum, Restaurant Design: How Design Affects the Dining Experience. My esteemed colleague Allecia Vermillion will moderate as they, along with restaurateurs Ethan Stowell and Chad Dale, discuss and debate and digest this most under-discussed critical aspect of the dining experience.

Should be great. See you there at 7pm.

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Tags: Mistralkitchen, The Book Bindery, Spring Hill, Black Bottle, Critic's Notebook, MistralKitchen, Terra Plata

Restaurants with Cushions

If your tushy could talk, where would it beg you to take it for dinner?

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Jan 23, 2012 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

RN74’s cushy booths and chairs.

I get loads of requests for restaurant recommendations, but here was a first:

“I have a ‘bony butt’ which means it’s painful to sit on chair with little or no padding. I carry a cushion in my car so that if I end up in a place with hard chairs I can use it. However, I don’t want to carry my chair pad into a restaurant with my colleagues.”

(Not to mention the prospective job candidate she was seeking to impress.)

“I was hoping you could suggest a few restaurants that have excellent food, are not too loud, and have comfortable, somewhat cushy seating. I know I am not the only one with this issue; it might make a good post!”

Indeed. As I stopped to reflect, however, I realized that this was not going to be an easy question to answer. I had recently dined at Terra Plata, which has hard wood chairs, and Altura, in which my seat was hard as a church pew (indeed, it probably had once been a church pew)—but neither bothered me overmuch, owing probably to a posterior which I’m fairly sure has no bones at all.

I reflected on a few super pillowy places—-the Moroccan belly-dancing haunt Kasbah; the lay-down-if-you-want-to Thai joint in Madrona, Naam neither belly dancing nor full-body reclining seemed particularly right for a client dinner. A few casual places have struck me as comfortable over the years; namely Madison Valley’s casual French bistro Luc; Fisher Plaza’s TV-and-burger emporium Sport; and the sceney, singlesy Sip downtown. All are ‘third places’ of a sort, encouraging the kind of lubricated lingering my friend wasn’t talking about. The Herbfarm in Woodinville also has notably cushiony chairs; but then they’d better have when dinner comes in nine courses over four hours.

What she was talking about was a place like the elegant and comfortable Book Bindery, whose lightly cushiony chairs I remembered as very comfortable. Or RN74 downtown, whose booths and chairs both allow a nice friendly sink.

In fact she chose the latter, and had a wonderful time.

If your derriere has any favorite restaurants, won’t you please invite it to share them here?

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Tags: The Book Bindery, RN74, Critic's Notebook, Terra Plata, Altura

The #3 New Dish of 2010: Hamachi Crudo at the Book Bindery

So many dishes to celebrate at this Fremont bar-raiser, but this one is certainly the most beautiful.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Dec 29, 2010 at 07:00AM 0 Comments

Photo: Lindsay Borden

Hamachi crudo at the Book Bindery.

We’re counting down the top 10 new dishes of the year.

First, nobody was talking about it. (Not to brag, but it was this very blog that first broke news of it).

Then, suddenly, everyone was.

But without question, The Book Bindery has been the most important restaurant opening of the year.

Among Per Se alum Chef Shaun McCrain’s highly lauded dishes: cavatelli pasta with foie gras emulsion, a composed salad of warm apples and pork belly, glazed Cattail Creek lamb shank with artichoke hearts, slow-roasted tomato, lamb jus, and chickpea “croutons.”

But behold, if you will, this hamachi crudo with avocado marble, pickled pearl onions, chili crisps, breakfast radish, and dashi gelée.

The farm-to-table simplicity that Seattle is famous for is wonderful, but this, oh, this! This is art.

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Tags: The Book Bindery, Top 10 Dishes of 2010, 2010 in Food

What constitutes a restaurant review?

Plus: a sneak peek of the Book Bindery.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 07, 2010 at 11:00AM 11 Comments

Photo: Geoffrey Smith

Hamachi Tartare, avocado, breakfast radish, dashi gelée—$14 on the restaurant’s starter menu.

View Slideshow » Photo: Geoffrey Smith

Hamachi Tartare, avocado, breakfast radish, dashi gelée—$14 on the restaurant’s starter menu.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy Geoffrey Smith of LookatLao

Hand-made smoked Cavatelli, Hen of the Woods mushrooms, Sylvetta, Pickled Pearl Onions, and Foie Gras Emulsion, a $16 main course.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy Geoffrey Smith of LookatLao

The dining room.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy Geoffrey Smith of LookatLao

The bar.

View Slideshow » Photo: Courtesy Geoffrey Smith of LookatLao

The kitchen.

“Back in the old days, no self-respecting restaurant reviewer would ever review a restaurant before it was at least a couple months old. Unlike a Broadway show, restaurant crews don’t get to rehearse much, if at all. If you really think about it, the very notion of an opening night review for a restaurant is ludicrous.”

That’s Sumi Almquist, part-owner of The Book Bindery, in a recent email she sent announcing the restaurant’s official opening. This is a common complaint I hear from restaurateurs regarding the flurry of reporting that surrounds an opening, just when a business is trying to find its footing. But the question I wanted to ask Almquist—who, in an interesting twist, used to work as a restaurant critic—was this: “What constitutes a review?”

So I did. And then she put the question back to me. “What do you think constitutes a review?” It’s a question I ask myself a lot, so fortunately I had an answer at the ready. “A review evaluates the food and service.” This, to me, is what distinguishes a review from a “news” piece about a restaurant. A news piece says: “Hey look y’all, it’s here.” A review says: “this is how good it is.” And yes, writing a review of a brand-new restaurant is considered a no-no for good reason. And there’s a wide world of bloggers and Yelpers and Tweeters, some of whom do not respect this long-respected rule. Should they? They’re not professional reviewers, they’re entitled to their opinions, who is anyone to tell them it’s not okay? It’s hard on new restaurants. It’s hard too on publications that adhere to the no-review-for-a-few-months rule but are still trying to compete in the current market. Ahem. But that’s the way it is.

What are you going to do? Nothing you can do.

Almquist says the restaurant (after serving a few blogger shutterbugs in its early days) is toying with the idea of banning flash photography, a la it’s-just-food-eat-it David Chang. Is it worth it? Would they actually enforce the rule? Remains to be seen, says Almquist. Meantime, enjoy these lovely provided photos from the Book Bindery; they come courtesy of Patric Gabre-Kidan.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, The Book Bindery

The Book Bindery to Open Sans Greenhouse

After holding up permits, plans for that space are put on hold.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Sep 17, 2010 at 02:07PM 0 Comments

Ponti gets a neighbor: the Book Bindery will open along the Fremont Canal at 198 Nickerson Street.

Earlier in the week @CitySearchSEA sent out a query to her tweeps: “Does anyone know when the Book Bindery is open? Have I missed this news?” Here’s an update for you, @CitySearchSEA: As we reported in this roundup of new restaurants, manager Patric Gabre-Kidan expected construction would wrap this week, with a soft debut to follow soon after.

The bistro-style Book Bindery is one part of a larger, way ambitious operation located on the Fremont Canal. Owned by Mike Almquist, he will dedicate the rest of the 20,000-square-foot space to his Almquist Family Vintners. In an email from McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants announcing an upcoming tasting of Almquist blends, the restaurant’s open date is put at October 1.

Plans for a greenhouse, which was to seat diners as well harvest foodstuffs, have been scrapped for now, says Gabre-Kidan: “We have sadly had to abandon that for the time being. We are still going to build it, but we won’t break ground on that phase for a month or two. That … will reduce our seating capacity by half giving us 28 seats plus 12 bar stools in the meantime.”

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Fremont, The Book Bindery

Why the Delays for the Book Bindery Opening?

The DPD is being particularly picky with this one.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jul 29, 2010 at 09:36AM 0 Comments

Patric Gabre-Kidan will manage the Book Bindery when it opens.

Nosh Pit readers will recall in early June we surfaced the news Patric Gabre-Kidan, former business partner of Ethan Stowell, is a key player in the ambitious new restaurant the Book Bindery. He’ll manage the Fremont Canal bistro when it opens. When I last chatted with owner Mike Almquist, that was to be any day now.

But an update from Gabre-Kidan says the 20,000 square-foot space at 198 Nickerson Street—also slated to house a winery, custom crush facility, craft distillery, and tasting room—isn’t likely to make its debut until the first week of September. Why?

“It’s [a] complicated building so close to the canal…they [DPD] want to know we aren’t going to poison the fish more than the millions of boat spewing diesel fuel already are.”

Bummer, we’re getting antsy to sample the culinary chops of chef Shaun McCrain.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Fremont, The Book Bindery

Patric Gabre-Kidan to Head New Fremont Restaurant

Ethan Stowell’s former business partner collabs with longtime friend and accomplished chef Shaun McCrain.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jun 09, 2010 at 02:06PM 1 Comments

Patric Gabre-Kidan

Patric Gabre-Kidan, the erstwhile business partner of Ethan Stowell, is heading a new venture in Fremont.

The Book Bindery, a bistro-style restaurant serving contemporary American fare, is scheduled to open somewhere between mid and late July, owner Michael Almquist confirmed to me. Gabre-Kidan will act as general manager and has been helping with the buildout of the space at 198 Nickerson Street, Almquist continued. The former Dier’s book bindery (hence the name) sits along Ship Canal near Fremont Bridge.

Gabre-Kidan’s longtime friend and former colleague Shaun McCrain will chef the new restaurant. McCrain brings a lustrous culinary background: After working with Gabre-Kidan at the Painted Table, he moved on to Masa’s and La Folie in San Francisco, then to the kitchens of Paris’s Elyse du Vernet and Taillavent. Next, New York, where he spent four years at Thomas Keller’s Per Se, eventually becoming executive sous chef. In 2008 he landed in the Bay Area to work with Michael Mina before returning home to his native Seattle. Considering Gabre-Kidan’s also-accomplished past, this is a powerhouse partnership.

While the restaurant will seat 60, it is situated in a 20,000 square-foot space, the remainder of which is reserved for Almquist Family Vitners. At once a winery, custom crush facility, craft distillery, and tasting room stocking 30 unique spirits, this is the first venture in hospitality for Almquist, who notes he is incredibly lucky to have hooked up with such talented individuals.

The Book Bindery’s opening is contingent on the completion of an attached greenhouse. That space will seat diners in the summer and harvest foodstuffs during the remainder of the year.

Longtime Seattleites might recognize the name Mike Almquist, or, as he was once known, “Squish,” for his involvement with F5.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, The Book Bindery,

Ethan Stowell’s Erstwhile Business Partner Moves On

What’s Patric Gabre-Kidan up to these days? He is consulting on a new Fremont resto and helping out Linda Derschang at Smith.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 25, 2010 at 11:17AM 2 Comments

Patric Gabre-Kidan, once a frequent sight at Tavolata, has left the restaurants he ran with Ethan Stowell to start a consultancy business.

Nosh Pit readers know that Chris Howell has been cheffing Smith since this December, so I sorta shrugged when I received a press release yesterday from the restaurant, announcing that he was the chef there.

But the press release, as it turned out, was not without its surprises. The contact, identified at the bottom of the document, was one “Patric Gabre-Kidan, General Manager, Smith Restaurant & Bar.”

Now, Gabre-Kidan has been featured before in Seattle Met. I talked to him about a year ago, around the time he and Ethan Stowell were opening Anchovies and Olives. As it turns out, Gabre-Kidan and Ethan Stowell parted ways quietly this January.

The two ultimately decided not to send out a press release, but I got ahold of the one they drafted.

Patric Gabre-Kidan, business partner of chef Ethan Stowell and the creative force behind the look of Ethan Stowell Restaurants, is moving on to start a restaurant consulting business.

“For as long as I can remember,” says Gabre-Kidan, “tinkering has energized me and as I’ve grown the scale by which I tinker has grown too. I’ve gone from building model airplanes to building restaurants and the process is what I love. Concepts, permits, dishes, 2×4’s, staffing, design—every little thing that goes into getting a place open is what feeds me. I’m a Juggler, and my plan is to help others open restaurants by starting a consulting business.”

Gabre-Kidan’s first project will be a restaurant attached to a winery located on the Fremont Canal for Mike and Sumi Almquist. It is scheduled to open in the summer.

And there you have it. I look forward to learning more about this new Fremont venture. Have a look inside the winery, Almquist family cellars, here.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, The Book Bindery