Here’s a summary from TDR CEO Pamela Hinckley on our work with the Seattle Public Schools lunch program:
“In the summer of 2010, Seattle Public Schools Nutrition Services was awarded a federal stimulus grant to work on improving school lunch.
Their stated goals are to:
1. Get kids excited about eating fresh, unprocessed food
2. Evaluate the existing systems to incorporate fresh food
3. Get the school and kitchen staff excited about these new foods
4. Get parents and community involved
We (Tom Douglas Restaurants) were asked to collaborate on the development of these new foods but first needed to learn all about the meal preparation facility and the distribution methods from the central commissary kitchen. The per meal lunch budget is $1.10 and needs to include protein entree with vegetable sides, bread, and low fat dairy. In the 85 schools they serve 19,000 lunches daily.”
Here’s some really great reading material from Grist that details what our company is doing for the Seattle Public School lunch program.
January 6th, 2012 | No Comments »
Everyone needs that home away from home restaurant, where the only difference between eating there and home is you don’t have to cook or do the dishes. For me, it was Seattle’s only Czech restaurant, Labuznik. There the waiters knew that I liked my martini wet and my roast pork with extra gravy. They knew that here wasn’t a choice between soup and salad; I wanted both. They knew that I always wanted a side order of sweet carrots and creamed spinach instead of dessert. In fact, Labuznik was the kind of restaurant we all dream about finding, where the waiter brings you waht you want before you ask for it.
For me, chef and owner Peter Cipra was Labuznik. Peter had fled Czechoslovakia during the Russian invasion in 1968. He opened his first restaurant, Prague, in the underground of Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square in 1972. Five years later he moved and opened Labuznik (Czech for gourmand, or the lover of good food) in the then seedy First Avenue neighborhood, surrounded by sleazy bars and porno theaters. He turned out to be just a little bit ahead of his time, as the neighborhood became the precursor to the now trendy Belltown.
As a young chef, I was simultaneously drawn to his restaurant by knowledgeable foodie friends and intimidated by his legendary temper and brusque demeanor exacerbated by his thick accent. And yet Labuznik quickly became my home away from home restaurant. Watching his wife Susan run the dining room was a lesson every chef-restaurateur should take heed of. Her remarkable grace in the dining room, her diligent care of the customer, and her nurturing demeanor made her the best host in the city. Peter never threw me out, he never threw a pan at me (I can’t speak for others), and he ended up being a trusted friend and mentor.
Labuznik served the type of cuisine in which meat is slowly roasted until it falls off the bone, and most dishes are served with sauerkraut and dumplings rather than mashed potatoes and peas. I always started my meals there with the ground veal soup that had just a little slick of oil on top for extra flavor. My standard was the vepro, slow-cooked pork roast studded with caraway and drenched with gravy made from the caramelized chine bone and drippings. Jackie would invariably get the roast duck, its skin crisped golden brown, the richness of the duck lightened by the zesty sauerkraut. And oh those dumplings! Literally the best I’ve ever had. This was Czech soul food of the first order. Peter’s amazing Bordeaux wine list was better than that at almost any restaurant in town; it complemented the meat-heavy menu perfectly.
In the end Labuznik closed because Peter Cipra’s unyielding vision for the restaurant meant he refused to be a slave to food fashion. When everyone else was doing Pacific Rim, Peter was still serving schnitzel, incredibly delicious schnitzel at that. When Peter wasn’t in the kitchen, Labuznik wasn’t open. So when he was ready to retire, there was really no way for my favorite restaurant to carry on. For us, Labuznik is all about indelibly etched food memories. In fact the recipes on the menu that follows are a blend of those food memories, long phone conversations with Peter, and mysteriously disappearing emails. They are inspired by our memories of a spot we truly loved. We hope we do Labuznik’s food justice, because if we don’t we’ll hear about it- from Peter of course.
Editor’s note: this is the intro to the Labuznik chapter of our cookbook, Tom’s Big Dinners. The menu features slow roasted pork with caraway onion gravy and bread dumplings
December 27th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
To read the first part, click here! To read the second part, click here! And now to the third installment:
With temporary citizenship our goal and relaxation our quest, it turns out rejuvenation was and is our final destiny. Spending five straight weeks in the city of light wasn’t intended to and didn’t change our lives. Our stay/vacation did however put some much needed perspective on the very hectic life that we lead. Seems it was a chance to mentally evaluate decisions we make everyday and have made for the last thirty years together. A chance to let the mental pressure of everyday business subside a bit while evaluating a path forward. I suppose we all need to do this from time to time don’t we?
Everyday someone says to me “I don’t know how you do it, how do you find the time, where do you get the energy, and when is enough enough?” Well I can tell you, without question, in my mind (Jackie will have to speak for herself), until I’m dead, there wont be enough. ”It’s not about the money” sounds cliche, and probably is, but it really is about the excitement of running our business. The day to day interaction with you, our customer, the 650 or so folks I’m privileged to call my coworkers. The charge I get out of thinking of new ideas and then seeing them through from prospectus and blueprints to living, breathing businesses never dims. This obsession was reaffirmed every time we sat down for a meal in Paris. It was fun to dissect their business plans from location and menu, to service standards and socialist workers’ rights. Many meals ended with a friendly waiter or owner chat about local liquor laws, tip pools, taxes, etc, etc. Love that!!
Rejuvenation, turns out for me, was an affirmative of my passion for the restaurant business. Do you still care when you don’t have to? Is the food and service good just because you are overwhelmed by the magnificence of this city? Are restaurants great because the guidebook says so, or because you’ve tried enough of them to know what is what? Am I being overly competitive to suggest that restaurants in Seattle match up just fine with this town and that Parisian chefs as a whole, obviously with exceptions, could use a little bit of our organic passion for ingredients, our commitment to sustainable ingredients and a dose of reality that without 100 million tourists a year they would have to work much harder to stay in the black?
That said, we ate handsomely on many nights and were rewarded with delicious meals when we took the time to plan our destinations rather than simply walking in and hoping for the best. Our trip was intended to be a freestyle, with no “stars” and no reservations. After the first week, which happened to be Fashion Week, Paris was packed to the rafters so we moved to plan B. Research and reservations immediately improved our options, and in turn, our meals. Dining “in” at our cool flat in the sixth overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens and the Eiffel Tower was a competitive option because of the lovely Marche St. Germain located nearby. It was studded with two butchers, two fish stalls, 4 produce stands, an award winning cheese shop with butter and eggs thrown in, a Greek and Italian deli, a chi chi flower shop and a sweet, well curated wine shop/bar.
Without a doubt the most pleasant dining surprise of our stay/vacation was having the charming Cafe Tournon right across the street from our flat. Olivia and Ludavic, owners of our apartment, said in their house notes that it was decent and well worth a try, a typical neighborhood joint. Problem was it just didn’t look that way. Too bright, too plain, too yesterday to be relevant. Beginning with an espresso and baguette for breakfast moving to a grilled leg of lamb lunch with wok fried veggies and a surprisingly light blanquette de veau dinner- each meal we had was better than expected, nicely served and just the kind of place I hear my friends wishing they had in their hood (where everybody knows your name as the jingle goes). Tournon gained fame in the fifties as the Paris home of a few American jazz greats like Dizzie Gillespie and Duke Ellington. Now it is owned by an ex three star Tour ‘Argent chef who is “back to reality” cooking for the denizens of the French Senate and other neighbors in the sixth.
Christian Constant’s restaurant Les Cocottes was a delicious spot to stop for lunch after one of many miles long walks through the city. A long counter runs the length of one wall while communal seating occupies the other half of the restaurant. Blackboard menus adorn the walls with selections ranging from woodcock to veal liver. Christian owns two other restaurants on either side of Les Cocottes which I am told makes him the “Tom Douglas” of Paris…. ha ha!
Braiden and Laura, Seattle expats, now ensconced at their new wine bar and restaurant, Verjus, located in the 1st are killing it. Braiden worked with us at the Dahlia Lounge as a waiter and Laura was a tour and retail host at Theo Chocolate in Fremont. They had a classic bee in your bonnet moment when both decided to give living in Paris a shot, supporting themselves by offering beautifully cooked dinners in their apartment. ”Hidden Kitchen” became a media darling, appealingly secretive and bolstered by an adoring photosphere. Soon every weekend was booked out months in advance. Smartly heeding the practical advice offered by local friends, they have now gone legit and opened this sweet three story spot around the corner from the Palais Royal and the infamous three (now two) star Le Grand Vefour.
Poilane bakery bread was delicious as remembered from earlier visits to Paris and made for a daily dose of the perfect breakfast… two slices toasted to a dark brown edge still yielding its famous yeasty aroma and chewy long fermented crust soon slathered with salted Bretonne butter and topped with just a dab of Pierre Herme Montmorency cherry jam. A well aged stinky camembert from Normandy, thick slices of our butcher’s picante salami and steaming cups of thick French press coffee finished off the perfect mornings on our fifth floor terrace. Ready to hop on a plane yet?
It’s important to remember the mission for our 5-week Paris staycation when reading down the list of places that we recommend… freestyle, no “stars” (I think we actually ended up in 3 one star joints and 3 three star hotel bars because they are just so damn grand) and few reservations. Most are just local joints known for nothing more than delicious duck confit, maybe a great cheese service, economical yet deep wine list, or bio-sensitivity. Some were luck of the draw, others out of guide books on classic Paris restaurants. towards the end of our trip we referenced some of the many suggestions you all sent after our first newsletter hit the website (we enjoyed the thoughtful reviews of all of these.)
I have to say one of the best meals of our trip happened in our very own kitchen. Jackie made an impromptu omelette wth chanterelles, shallots, thyme, and chevre. On the side were crispy duck fat fried potatoes and lightly dressed watercress salad. So simple, satisfying, and soulful.
Cafe Comptoir Tournon…. the best version of everyday Parisian food- nothing fancy but when you’re stay-cationing you want a place like this.
Le Dome… classic seafood brasserie, expensive, fun. Try the butter fried sole.
Fish la Boissonnerie… part of the new wave wine bars in the tradition of Willie’s and Juveniles, try the lamb confit.
D’chez Eux…..cuisine traditional, nice wine list, gotta love a place that drops free salami as an introduction and moves you into their signature duck confit with duck fried potatoes.
Les Cocottes… perfect spot for a hip lunch or dinner. Feels a bit like dining in London and the food is delish. Try the monkfish with salty butter and crayfish.
Aux Lyonnais… What every American version of a classic French cafe tries to look like but happens to be missing a hundred years or so of patina. Try the boudin with onions and vinegar.
Mon Vieil Ami.. unexpectedly pretty, terrible service, communal tables, delicious food. Try the red and black radish and mackerel tart to begin then jump to the breast of pork.
J’go…. a chain but fun, hip, and happening. Try the rotisserie lamb leg plate.
Chez Louisette… at the Clingincourt flea market. Worst food and service we’ve ever had in France,…. but the singing chanteuses were worth the painful meal. Try…a glass of cheap wine.
Ze Kitchen Galerie… French Thai fusion that I liked more than Jackie. Right next door to the fine Les Bouquinistes. Try kabocha broth with sweetbreads and citrus then move into rabbit confit with peanut pistou. Finish with corn-soja soup, caramelized coconut, miso, vanilla marmalade.
Miroir…. a fine cote de boeuf for two and fun wine list.
Astier… fabulous marinated smoked herring to begin, then a silky roast veal chop and a not to be missed cheese tray to finish. All anchored by nice service and a well curated and priced wine list.
We had many more tasty treats including homemade soba at Yen, buckwheat crepes at Brettone, hot chocolate at Angelina near the Louvre, macarons at the delicious but snooty Lauderee, falafel at L’As du Falafel, Berthillon ice cream in most any flavor at the home shop on Ile Saint Louis, anchovies and spicy pepper pasta at Marco Polo, etc etc. Bon Appetit!!
December 27th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Last Sunday night, guest bartender and mixologist extraordinaire, Jay Kuehner of Sambar fame, joined our Dahlia bar team to produce some untraditional cocktails paired with Chef Brock’s traditional holiday snacks. This is a new program at Dahlia entitled D.I.N.E (Dahlia Industry Night Event) and it’s a way to provide a fun and inviting space to get all of our industry folks together for some awesome music, drinks, and snacks!
Our next D.I.N.E. night will be Monday, January23 to celebrate the Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Dragon and we’ll be tasting some delicious Chinese street-style snacks by Chef Brock and some equally delicious elixers from our staff bartenders, so all you industry folks come on down at 9pm when we start the celebrating!
December 21st, 2011 | No Comments »
On Saturday December 10, I worked the Seattle Milk Fund Cookie Fest. At this event, 25 of Seattle’s top bakeries each donate 20 dozen holiday cookies that are sold to the public for $15 for a baker’s dozen. The Cookie Fest sale raised $10,891 in 3 hours! The Seattle Milk Fund uses the proceeds to pay for child care grants.
There were over 100 people waiting in line when the doors were opened. Our cookies- chocolate truffle, Russian tea cakes, thumbprint cookies with cranberry gelee, and chocolate chunk cookies- were gone in an astounding 20 minutes!!
December 20th, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Last Friday I made a couple trips in the company van out to Providence Regina House to deliver mountains of presents for the families we Tom Douglas employees signed up to give gifts to this year. I was only delivering for Dahlia Lounge, Palace Kitchen, Serious Pie, Serious Biscuit, Dahlia Bakery and Dahlia Workshop, so the mountain of presents didn’t even include donations from the other 6 TDR properties!! Anyway, the folks at the Regina House were a little overwhelmed to see how generous our employees are! By the way, Regina House also received donations of 400 stocking stuffers from companies other than ours. Regina House helped out 90 families in need to have a happy Christmas this year!
Thanks so much to everyone for being so awesome during the holidays!
December 19th, 2011 | No Comments »
Here’s our photographer, Ed Anderson, shooting photos of the rum butter apple pie in his favorite spot- the loading dock behind Dahlia Lounge with a backdrop of alley, pigeons, and delivery trucks. He likes this spot because he can open the garage door and get plenty of natural light. Tomorrow is the last day of the photo shoot (fingers crossed), or at least the last day of shooting the recipes. We prepared over 90 different items (cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, sandwiches, etc etc etc) for this shoot PLUS 3 or 4 dozen more technique shots, plus many atmosphere shots, Dahlia Bakery shots, etc etc etc. So many people helped us get this huge project done!
Next week, life returns to something resembling normal for me. I still have to scramble to finish the details on The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook for February 1 delivery to our publisher, but I may find time to put up a blog now and then.
December 15th, 2011 | No Comments »
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