For 26 years now Pacific Northwest Ballet’s The Nutcracker has dazzled young and old alike with stunning Maurice Sendak stage designs and flawless choreography. Kent Stowell is the one to thank for the latter. Food lovers also owe him a big thanks for instilling in son Ethan (the restaurateur behind Union, Anchovies and Olives, et al) such refined culinary taste. Seems pleasing the Seattle masses is a family thing.

Tell me about a really terrific meal you had.

The standout meals for us started many years ago. I really enjoy when our family gets together. We’ll have a bunch of different oysters with champagne and crab and smoked fish. Really it’s the sharing of the experience with people you care about and not rushing through it.

In our family the wonderful meals have always centered around events. Ethan cooked a fantastic dinner on his wedding day. We had oysters—kushies, cotton virginicas—with prosecco and then roasted vegetables, kale, and chicken stock, and then chopped veal with a Tarte Tatin. It was the balance of different things on the menu and the spirit of our family getting together that made it special.

*Favorite cookbook?
Ethan’s, which is coming out next fall. It’s going to be terrific. It’s about our family motto of sharing things and eating small portions, but more of them—the idea of sharing and enjoying it all together. It’s sort of a family history of our eating pleasures.

Favorite market stall?
I love the Ballard market. The richness of it is just great. People with children and all the different ingredients—I just love it. You can get eggs, goats—everything under the sun.

Favorite food?
Sweet bread. I like it salted with butter and olive oil and cream and shallots. One of those things that’s very bad for your cholesterol.

Name one food trend you’d like to see die and why?
People on the Food Network who stuff 600 hot dogs into their mouth. The state of the world doesn’t need to see how much we can eat or how heavy we can get.


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MORE FOOD FINDS HERE.