Canlis: A Place Where Magic Is Woven And Memories Made

It's a chilly Friday evening at Canlis. But it takes only a few seconds beside the wood-burning fireplace in the entrance to begin the warming process, mentally as well as physically.

Owners Chris and Alice Canlis, polishers of this jewel of Aurora Avenue since the death of his father, Peter Canlis, in 1977, are ready to weave a bit of Canlis magic.

A woman who celebrated her 16th birthday here has returned to observe a milestone - turning 40. She tells Chris that she knew facing this new age would be difficult, so she wanted it to be in pleasant surroundings. Chris has an idea. He invites the couple's children to accompany him for a tour of the kitchen, giving them aprons and a hands-on cooking class while their parents enjoy some quality time alone.

In training meetings the Canlis staff is reminding that it's the only 25th or 50th wedding anniversary dinner guests will celebrate, so there's an obligation to make it special.

One couple chose Canlis for their wedding day dinner last month. She had celebrated a birthday here, and although she wasn't engaged at the time, made a promise to herself that this was where she wanted to be the evening she was married.

Speaking of engagements, Chris, who has assisted at more engagement dinners than most matchmakers, has some advice: "Propose at the beginning of the meal." Most men delay popping the question until dessert, and they're too nervous to enjoy their food. If they do it early, others in the restaurant can share in the happiness. Sometimes there's a bottle of wine from people at the next table or a dessert from the waitress.

David Peterson of Woodinville has been a Canlis regular for 38 years. As a businessman he helped entertain kings and prime ministers, sometimes dining here two consecutive nights a week. Since retirement, he and his wife, Sally Peterson, have continued to frequent the place. "We didn't take our kids to Canlis until they were 16, but now our grandchildren have been with us twice, and they're not even 12. It's special to us."

Canlis is a favorite destination for another couple, Bruce and Carol Hosford of Seattle. "A lot of places have good food, but not many work as hard to create an atmosphere and maintain such a high level of service," Bruce says.

"It's the familiarity - the valet parking, the fireplace, the warm greeting, the music. It's looking around and seeing customers and waitresses that you know. And it's the celebrations. There's always a birthday, an anniversary, a business deal being celebrated. I think of this restaurant as a celebration of life."

The average age of the 50-member staff has become younger in the 1990s. When three waitresses retired last year, their combined service was 95 years. But employees with plenty of experience remain as backbones of the operation, including chef Rocky Toguchi, who has been preparing contemporary Northwest food with Pacific Rim influences for 26 years.

Chris started working in his father's kitchen at the age of 13, and with a passion for flying already strong (he later became a Navy pilot) he overheard conversations of Boeing executives in an adjoining banquet room. They discussed something amazing to him at the time - development of the 747, a jumbo jet that could carry 300 to 400 passengers.

"If only these walls could talk," Alice says. "And there would be plenty of laughter along with the talk."

The owners wouldn't think of tampering with classic menu items such as the Canlis Salad, but to evolve with the times and offer more variety, they replace some entrees. And occassionally they hear about it from customers. "I tell them that if they'll call me the day before their reservation, we'll fix their old favorites for them," Chris says.