Nosh Pit

Revel’s Grill Shack Returns

Last summer’s whole-roasted animal party fires up for the new season.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 02, 2012 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

Revel’s outdoor grill, the site of a summer’s worth of carnivorous delights. Photo via Facebook.

Pink blossoms and light-filled evenings are great and all, but here’s an unequivocal sign that summer is on its way: Revel’s outdoor grill shack has returned. In November, the maniacally adored Fremont restaurant traded its alfresco meat party for a warm wintertime hot pot. But it’s May and sous chef Mike Whisenhunt and crew have resumed their practice of roasting whole animals on Revel’s patio.

The grill shack will take on a new animal each month; owner Rachel Yang says that May is all about sustainably raised Berkshire pigs from Pure Country Farm in Ephrata. The kitchen breaks down the pigs in house, and make sure the entire animal gets used up, from simmering bones for stock to making chicharrones out of the skins, she says. Three sizes of grill shack platters, available during dinner service, let you calibrate your meat consumption.

It’s been a bittersweet few days for Yang and husband-partner Seif Chirchi. On April 29, the couple’s first restaurant, Joule, served its final dinner in its cozy Wallingford digs. The restaurant is relocating to larger quarters in Fremont this summer.

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Tags: Revel, Rachel Yang, On the Menu, Mike Whisenhunt

Joule Is Moving to Fremont

The beloved Wallingford restaurant closes April 30, reappearing this summer in a space some say will be the next Kolstrand.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 22, 2012 at 09:45AM 0 Comments

You have until the end of April to enjoy a final meal in Joule’s cozy original digs.

Chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi have announced plans to relocate Joule from Wallingford to Fremont. While its newer sibling Revel gets a lot of glory and love these days, Joule, which the couple opened in November 2007, remains a Seattle dining gem and a go-to favorite among local food folk. Seattle Met critic Kathryn Robinson once called it the culinary equivalent of a “mousy librarian who moonlights as a secret agent”—the sedate brick exterior belies the bold continental-Korean fusion happening inside.

Joule will close its doors April 30 and reopen some time this summer at 3506 Stone Way N. The new location is part of a project called the Fremont Collective, a mix of retail and restaurant space similar in spirit (if not design) to Ballard’s Kolstrand Building. It also happens to be owned by the same people behind the Kolstrand, who also partnered with Yang and Chirchi to open Revel. So there ya go. (Hmmm one member of that trio, Chad Dale, is also a partner in Ethan Stowell’s new fast-casual enterprise. Just sayin’.)

Why the move? Joule 2.0 will be larger, with 36 seats, an open kitchen, a full bar, communal table, and outdoor seating for 20 in warmer months, which should make the restaurant’s annual series of global barbecues all the more enjoyable. The new space will presumably bring out more of Joule’s secret agent side, with a bold minimalist vibe more aligned with Revel. While the spirit of the food won’t change, Yang says in a release that the new digs will allow for more shareable and family-style menu options.

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Tags: Fremont, Joule, Revamps, Rachel Yang, Seif Chirchi, Relocations

Revel Turns One, Celebrates With Competitive Eating

It’s surprisingly tough to avoid inadvertent puns when talking about revelry at Revel.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:20AM 0 Comments

Revel’s transformation from this drab interior is reason enough to celebrate. Photo via Revel.

How best to celebrate the first year of a restaurant feted by Frank Bruni the New York Times and pretty much every restaurant critic in Seattle? Why, by shoving short rib dumplings in your mouth in rapid-fire succession and sharing that moment of glory on the internet.

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi’s second restaurant Revel, a major darling of Seattle’s restaurant realm, is celebrating its one year anniversary Sunday, December 18. Festivities include snacks, cake, celebratory bubbles, and a contest to see who can put away the most short rib dumplings in three minutes.

According to Yang, anyone interested in competitive dumpling consumption should call Revel first thing Sunday morning. The restaurant will sign up the first 14 people who call, and the winner gets a $100 gift certificate. The contest happens around 9:30pm, but if you can’t make it, Yang has promised to post the results on YouTube. Apparently Chirchi will be participating and has threatened to gorge himself to the point that Yang will have to cover all his professional duties at the restaurant the next day.

The birthday celebration runs from 9 to 11 Sunday night; Revel-ers are welcome to drop by even if they won’t be throwing back dumplings. Sidenote: Has it really been just one year since Yang and Chirchi introduced us to their pancakes, noodles and oh, those original ice cream sandwiches? Few restaurants speed their way into Seattle’s legion of classic restaurants with such rapidity.

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Tags: Revel, Rachel Yang, Seif Chirchi, Milestones

Revel Introduces Wintertime Hot Pot

Warm weather grilled meats make way for hot, spicy broth.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 17, 2011 at 11:10AM 0 Comments

The marrow-filled spicy beef hot pot: now warming you up at Revel. Photo courtesy of Rachel Yang.

Revel retired its popular summertime grill shack menu on October 31 (but not before sous chef Mike Whisenhunt went through a reported 18 pigs, four cows, six goats and 12 lambs). This week I happened to eat at the Frank Bruni–favored Fremont restaurant as part of a campaign to impress a friend from out of town, and noticed a new seasonal addition to the menu: Korean hot pots. So stop lamenting the departure of those tasty grilled meats; these bowls are designed to fight off winter’s encroachment with some fiery broth and a tiny ladle.

The spicy beef hot pot contains brisket aplenty, but what you notice first when the bowl arrives at the table are the four caveman-sized discs of bone marrow. According to chef-owner Rachel Yang, each serving comes with four of the behemoth bones. Spooning out the tasty marrow innards is highly encouraged. The hot pot runs $30 and contains Swiss chard and king oyster mushrooms. Two people can share it, but ladling the contents out between three our four people means more room for pancakes, noodles, and dumplings.

The hot and sour shrimp version is $26 and contains the titular shellfish, as well as glass noodles, tofu, daikon, napa cabbage, zucchini and shrimp chips. Vegetarians, don’t be shy: Just ask and Revel will do a vegetarian version.

Yang says the beef hot pot sold out on Tuesday night, its maiden voyage on the menu.

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Tags: Menus, Revel, Rachel Yang

James Beard Nominees Announced This Morning

Some May Surprise You

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 13, 2009 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

The most frothing foodies in the country have been on tenterhooks all winter for the news that quietly landed in my inbox this morning: The James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalists.

And without further ado:

Tom Douglas is the only Seattle restaurateur of 20 national biggies (including Chicago’s Richard Melman and New York’s Drew Nieporent) nominated as Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year.

Tamara Murphy of Brasa is the only Seattle chef of 20 national biggies (including San Francisco’s Michael Mina of Michael Mina and New York’s Tom Colicchio of Craft) nominated as Outstanding Chef of the Year.

Higgins Restaurant and Bar in Portland is the only Pacific Northwest restaurant of 20 national biggies (including Babbo in New York and Greens in San Francisco) nominated as Outstanding Restaurant of the Year.Yes Seattle, you read that right: the only Pacific Northwest restaurant.

Jerry Traunfeld’s Poppy and Justin Neidermeyer’s Cascina Spinasse both showed up among the 28 nominees for Best New Restaurant in the nation.

Rachel Yang of Joule showed up as the only Seattle chef among 22 nominated as Rising Star Chef of the Year. Others include Gabriel Rucker of Portland’s Le Pigeon and Travis Lett of Gjelina in Venice, California.

James Miller of Café Besalu was the sole Seattle representative among 20 nominees (including Mindy Segal of Mindy’s HotChocolate in Chicago and Deanie Fox of Ubuntu in Napa) for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

Canlis was the sole Seattle representative among 20 nominees (including Emeril’s in New Orleans and Picasso at Bellagio in Vegas ) for Outstanding Wine Service.

Both Canlis in Seattle and Café Juanita in Kirkland were nominated in the category of Outstanding Service. Among the 18 others were Daniel in New York City and Alan Wong’s in Honolulu.

For Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, Northwest nominees were Alex Golitzin of Quilceda Creek in Snohomish, WA; David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard in Newberg, OR; and Stephen R. McCarthy of Clear Creek Distillery in Portland.

And finally, in the category of Best Chef: Northwest, the entire roster:
Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, Walla Walla, WA;Dustan Bristol, Brick 29 Bistro, Nampa, ID;Kevin Davis, Steelhead Diner, Seattle; Matt Dillon, The Corson Building, Seattle;Scott Dolich, Park Kitchen, Portland, OR;Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe, Seattle;Mark Fuller, Spring Hill, Seattle;John Gorham, Toro Bravo, Portland, OR;Maria Hines, Tilth, Seattle;Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez, The Harvest Vine, Seattle;Taichi Kitamura, Kappo, Seattle;Daniel Mondok, Sel Gris, Portland, OR;Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, OR;Andy Ricker, Pok Pok and Whiskey Soda Lounge, Portland, OR;Charlene Rollins, New Sammy’s Cowboy Bistro, Talent, OR;Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR; Scott Staples, Restaurant Zoë, Seattle; Ethan Stowell, Union, Seattle; Jason Wilson, Crush, Seattle; and Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, OR.

Whaddya think, Seattle? Who would you vote for?

Unfortunately I can’t provide any of the smart-ass commentary you’ve come to depend on from The Tablehopper, as I am one of the judges. Finalists will be announced March 23; winners May 4.

Until then…try and get some sleep.

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Tags: Tom Douglas, Mark Fuller, Brasa, Poppy, Justin Neidermeyer, Cascina Spinasse, James Miller, Cafe Besalu, Cafe Juanita, Kevin Davis, Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe, Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez, Harvest Vine, Matt Dillon, Jason Wilson, Restaurant Zoe, Joule, Ethan Stowell, Maria Hines, Tilth, Crush, Steelhead Diner, Spring Hill, James Beard Awards, Jerry Traunfeld, Canlis, Rachel Yang, Tamara Murphy, Scott Staples