What's in this Issue:
Welcome to our Tom Douglas Restaurants Spring Newsletter. If you prefer to receive this newsletter only by email in the future, please e mail
office@tomdouglas.com and let her know. Thanks.
From Tom –
Thanksgiving in March??
We are shooting the Food and Wine Thanksgiving issue (Nov 2001) at our house this month. So what is a 'traditional' Northwest Thanksgiving meal? How about a slow roasted, salt brined turkey with King Boletus mushroom bread stuffing alongside a charcoal grilled whole Chinook salmon stuffed with lemons, onions, fennel and sea salt. Sesame-sweet potato hashbrowns and Loretta's favorite crescent rolls with huckleberry jam are on the side table, along with brown butter kale and sweet 'n sour beets. Mom would be so proud of my version of Grandma Fogerty's "Food for the Gods", a caramel-laced gingerbread crusted with pecans and dates. So when you pick up your Food and Wine Thanksgiving issue, only you will know it was a turkey filled St. Patrick's Day.
What a perfect lead in to where you should buy your corned beef this week... if they have any left. Market House, at 1124 Howell, where Jack will sell you his 14 day house cured brisket. He sells over 100,000 lbs of corned beef each year and 30 percent of that is for St. Patty's Day. Call them at (206) 624-9248.
The Complete Earthquake Dinner begins naturally with a martini, shaken, somewhat stirred. Cracked crab. Scrambled eggs. Shake and Bake. Jello. Fallen souffle. Brick flattened chicken. Pancakes. Rumble fish. Smashed potatoes. Creamed spinach. Crumble cake. Quaker oats. Banana split. Pheasant under broken glass. Duck. All washed down with Orange Crush. We were lucky - we only had two bottles of vermouth break. Which could have been a real loss considering the martini rush after the trembling stopped. Hope you all are well.
Whoever said that too many cooks spoil the broth, didn't know what they were talking about. One of the things that gets lost in the hoopla of our new cookbook, our specialty food line, three busy restaurants, endless TV and radio promotions and who knows what else, are the daily inspirations that I get from the talented people I work with. People are always surprised when I tell them we have over 200 co-workers at our mini empire. I am enamored with the multitude of talents that these people bring to the table.
When I first bought the 1904 Restaurant from our present mayor Paul Schell in 1989, I interviewed his confident and detail oriented assistant manager, Pam Leydon. Twelve years later she is our Executive GM, running all three restaurants. We wouldn't be open without her. Similarly, Eric Tanaka, who came to us six years ago from Michael's in Santa Monica/ New York and Gotham Bar and Grill, is fundamental to my being able to leave the kitchen crews whenever necessary. Colleen Kennelly, our GM at Etta's, was a server at Cafe Sport from the day it opened, and has thankfully, rarely left the building ever since.
When will we stop asking you to buy Taste of the Nation tickets? NEVER! Why? Because every dollar we (we = you and me) raise for Food Lifeline, buys 14 lbs. of food for hungry people. Tuesday, May 1st is your chance to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate people all over Western Washington. As we have in past years, we want to "sweeten" the pot or shall we say pie.… for every pair of tickets sold through us before April 15th, we'll send you a gift card to the new Dahlia Bakery, good for one 6 inch (serves 4) Triple Coconut Cream Pie. Please call Maureen at (206) 441-4122 and make a difference. Thanks!
We have officially gone into a second printing on our book,
Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen. One of the benefits of being on a national publicity tour is getting to eat, eat, eat! New finds: in Philadelphia, Cuba Libra, (try the mixed pupu platter) and Spice (modern Indian) both in Old Town near Independence Hall. In Boston, a terrific North African-inspired meal was had at Oleana. Chef Ana Sortun used to work with me at Café Sport (now Etta's) in 1985. New York presented it's usual array of "new and interesting". I loved Penang (Malaysian) for their handmade griddle breads, and Peasant for their simple Italian pizzas and risottos; both in SoHo. It was a real treat to revisit Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills for a most delicious roasted marrow beef bone in consommé and classic Wienerschnitzel.
America is such a great place to dine.
Enjoy the begining of this beautiful spring - Tom and Jackie
