Inn at Langley chef and his wife head to Montana to open roadhouse
Don't call! Don't write! I'll answer "The Big Question" right here and right now. What's open for eatin' on Christmas Day? Two answers: (some) hotels and (most) Chinese restaurants.
And now that I've got that off my chest:
After 14 years, chef Stephen Nogal and his wife, Sandy — whose seasonal, multicourse Northwest dinners brought further distinction to the distinctive Inn at Langley (400 First St., Langley; 360-221-3033), are leaving that posh post. They'll remain on hand through the holidays before heading to a new life in Montana's Flathead Valley.
"We did our 'Why not?' move 20 years ago. This is our next phase," says Sandy, describing the couple's decision to move from the East Coast to Seattle and, in 1989, to Paul and Pam Schell's elegantly rustic Whidbey Island retreat as innkeepers.
The Nogals have closed on a home in Whitefish, Mont., and are in the process of securing commercial property on the road to Big Mountain ski resort where they plan to open a roadhouse called McGarry's. If all goes well, the restaurant, named to honor Steve's grandfather (said to be the first to raise Angus beef in Iowa) will be open by next summer.
"We'll have a good steak-and-chop representation — though we're looking forward to having a very close relationship with Harry and Dick at Mutual Fish," says Sandy. "The mood will be casual, strictly 'friends coming over to eat,' but we'll sock 'em with flavors. Steve's been a new man since he discovered a flair for smoking meat, and I'll be there on the front line, dancing at the door as I always do." Word has it the Nogals' successor, chef Jeff O'Brien, is all but dancing his way to the door of the Inn at Langley, where he'll take over as chef/innkeeper after the first of the year.
Another husband-and-wife team, John and Kathy Casey, are also hard at work preparing to move. What they're moving is a world of holiday party-ready foodstuffs and giftables available at Dish D'Lish. Disguised as a giant gift box, their new food-lover's kitchen and kiosk in Pike Place Market offers an eyeful — to say nothing of a mouthful. The Caseys, whose
busy staff includes "corporate chef" Don Curtiss (late of Prego), are also doing big-business cooking-up such best-selling "Food T' Go-Go" as heat-and-eat "loaded" baked potatoes ($3.99 each), "Ultimate 4-Cheese Mac" ($5.99 a pound ) and Sake Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin Stix ($12.99 a pound).
Dish D'Lish's shelves are full of Christmas gifts galore, including picnic baskets, cookbooks and champagne buckets filled with d'lish edibles. Need a last-minute idea that won't break the $10 "Secret Santa"-limit? Dish D'Lish feeds your gift-giving soul with colorful Northwest-fresh chutneys, preserves and vinegars, and, for the New Year's Eve "bartender" in your life, such fresh cocktail mixers as Sapphire Mojito, Pink Cosmo and Lemon-Lime Sour. Dish D'Lish (to the right of the pig at 1505 Pike Place, 206-223-1848) is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and until 5 p.m. on Sundays through December.
Peter Levine, longtime executive chef at the BluWater Bistro — now with two locations (on Lake Union and at Green Lake) — defected last month to take on the chef/exec position at Vivanda Ristorante (95 Pine St., Seattle; 206-442-1121). Vivanda has seen a flurry of personnel changes since opening early last summer, though the revolving-door of lead chefs and the departure of their savvy wine manager hasn't seemed to affect the quality of food and service at this Mediterranean-inspired newcomer.
Keep clam
It appears I opened a can of — er — clams when, at the request of a reader, I reprinted John Hinterberger's Clam Spaghetti recipe in my Dec. 4 column. More than a few diehard "Clam Spaghetti"-makers wrote with letters such as this one, from Christine George.
"OK, what gives? I have the original (at least, I thought it was the original) recipe for John Hinterberger's Clam Spaghetti. I even had it laminated to protect it from years of olive-oil splatters. Upon reading yesterday's paper, I find a different recipe for the spaghetti, claiming to be the original. What's the real story here? Does the original really have white wine, black olives and mushrooms sautéed in butter? Not that those additions wouldn't be a delight, but all these years I've been making it without them. What does John say? Inquiring minds and cooks want to know the truth."
So, in search of the "truth" I inquired, and here's what Hinterberger has to say: "The recipe changed over the years, as I played with it. I'm not sure if white wine was in the original." For the record: by "original," John meant the recipe published in The Times in 1973, not the version that appeared in 1980 or its 1987 successor (the one precisely replicated in my recent column). "As for the mushrooms," said Hinterberger, "they're an option because I like mushrooms. The olives were added for 'eye-appeal.' "
David Cottrell has been making Hinterberger's Clam Spaghetti since 1973. Thirty years later, one can only assume he's an expert, applauding his letter which emphatically states: "There is a matter of technique originally included in the recipe, but recently omitted, that I think is very important. After mixing the sauce and cooked pasta in the skillet, continue frying and tossing it for several minutes ... you want to drive moisture from the pasta, making it firmer and giving it texture. That is what separates Hinterberger's from other clam sauce pasta." Hinterberger weighs in: "Absolutely."
And a bushel of clams to careful reader Earl Wallis, who wrote: "The (recent) version in the paper calls for two 4-½-ounce tins of chopped clams. That should be two 6-½-ounce tins, as I suppose you know already from other readers' getting back to you questioning that item." Actually, Earl, you are the only one who pointed out the four-ounce discrepancy, noting the standard canned-clam size. What does Hinterberger have to say regarding the can-size conundrum? "You know, that guy is right."
And not that anybody asked, but I make a terrific mussels linguine. That said, don't even think about asking me for the recipe, which involves wine and garlic but neither mushrooms, olives nor cans. I've learned my lesson regarding bivalve recipes, and I'm keeping my clam shut!
Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.
More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.