Tom Douglas delves into Greek cuisine with new restaurant
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Well kids, no "maybe" about it: The happy couple's restaurant fantasy is fast becoming our reality. Their latest venture, Lola — honoring Jackie Cross's Greek heritage and named for her grandmother — is slated to open early this summer at 2000 B Fourth Ave., adjacent to the new Hotel Ändra (née, the Claremont).
"We'll be playing with Greek food," says Douglas, describing the cuisine at his proposed 100-seat restaurant and bar. Here, he says, "We'll be mingling Northwest products in the Greek style," offering "simple, clean flavors" — and such specialties as grilled whole fish, de-boned for finicky customers at a very visible dining-room carving station.
The refurbished Hotel Ändra is directly across the street from Douglas' Dahlia Lounge (2001 Fourth Ave.) and within walking distance of Etta's Seafood (2020 Western Ave.) and Palace Kitchen (2030 Fifth Ave.). Speaking to his decision to open a fourth restaurant in such proximity, Douglas (who makes the rounds of his restaurants daily) jokes, "I'm kind of fat. I really can't walk farther than that," before reflecting more seriously: "The Palace is different from Etta's, and Etta's is different from the Dahlia. This will be different from the others. It's a beautiful space, there wasn't a lot of Greek food happening in Seattle, and a restaurant would go in (to the hotel) no matter what."
As at his other restaurants, Douglas will maintain oversight at Lola, leaving the day-to-day operation in the hands of a stalwart staff, some of whom have risen in the ranks at Tom Douglas Restaurants for a decade. These include executive chef Mark Van Mulken, chef de cuisine Daniel Braun, general manager Patty Jacklin and assistant manager Alissa Murphy. Lola will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, provide room service for the hotel and act as its exclusive caterer.
Lunch date with Thierry, plus dinner a la carte
Tom Douglas's KIRO radio-show sidekick Thierry Rautureau has announced that his fine French dinner house, Rover's (2808 E. Madison St., Seattle; 206-325-7442), will soon be open for lunch Fridays only from noon to 2 p.m.
"I can't do lunch five days a week," says the jovial "Chef in the Hat," famous for his laborintensive multi-course, prix-fixe dinner menu. But beginning May 21, he will offer his Northwestinfluenced French fare for those who can set a Friday lunch date. In addition to a three-course $35 lunch, Rover's will offer a la carte items priced from $8-$19. Reservations are encouraged.
What's more, starting May 25, Rautureau will add a la carte items ($14-$20) to his dinner menu, with a trio of prix-fixe options remaining available ($80-$125). And in case you were wondering whether this is a ploy to bring in more customers in a sad economy — customers who heretofore viewed Rover's as only a place for special occasions, Rautureau is quick to say, Bien sur!
"People think you have to break the piggybank to come to Rover's," he rightfully notes, adding that in this economy, that notion doesn't bode well for Seattle's higher-ticket restaurants — particularly those, like his, that have been hard-hit by the lack of convention trade. "We've never been a big-volume place," he says of his 15-year-old restaurant. "And the locals all seem to come out only on Saturdays. I've got to adjust to economic times, and to the dining trends."
By providing a la carte dinners, the four-star chef hopes to tip his hat to a wider range of patrons. "The message I want to convey is that we're not the 'most expensive' 'best restaurant' in the city: We're part of many great restaurants in Seattle. I want people to know that they can come to Rover's on a Wednesday night and have a 'normal' dinner." To which I can only reply: the reservations line is open, and bon appetit!
Last tango at Fandango
It's been four years since Chef Christine Keff introduced Seattle to the mint-kissed magic of a well-made mojito and to a wonderful world of Latin-inspired flavors at Fandango (2313 First Ave., Seattle; 206-441-1188). And it was a sad day last week when I reported that Keff will close Fandango May 2.
"Even though Fandango wasn't a success financially, it was a success on a lot of other levels," says Keff, citing friendships made with supporters who shared her passion for food that ventured beyond Mexican-for-the-masses, headed south to Central and South America and aimed for inspired authenticity rather than cross-cultural confusion.
Born at the tail end of the Belltown boom, Fandango was the second restaurant for the Seattle chef, who has received national awards and accolades for her work at Fandango and her spectacularly successful seafood restaurant, Flying Fish (2234 First Ave., Seattle, 206-728-8595). Keff plans to celebrate the life — and death — of Fandango at a special reservations-only gathering to be held on Cinco de Mayo (May 5), before refocusing her full attention on Flying Fish.
The Puck stops here
It seems like only yesterday when the amiable, thick-accented Wolfgang Puck and his over-the-top designer wife, Barbara Lazaroff, were passing pizza — and the time — at Wolfgang Puck Café's opening event atop Seattle's Harbor Steps (1225 First Ave.). Today the famous duo is Splitsville, and so is the café, shuttered early this month after a long Seattle run.
According to the folks at Brand Wolfie, the café's closure was the result of "repositioning" to "maximize and consolidate" the Wolfgang Puck brand: a brand that includes packaged and frozen foods, cookware and consumer products, books, TV shows, and the (more profitable) quick-service Wolfgang Puck Express franchises.
Doug Hixon, vice president of commercial real estate for Harbor Properties, says the well-situated restaurant space is presently on the market and has already generated interest. "The bones are there as far as putting in another restaurant. Someone can come in and re-brand it and redecorate it. We feel confident that it's a good location and we'll get a good operator in there."
Fire goes out
Elsewhere along First Avenue, yet another high-profile restaurant space is available for lease. Fire & Ice Lounge (1921 First Ave.) closed last week after eight months in business. Local lore suggests that this historic building, home to Seattle's first mortuary, is haunted. Which may or may not explain the sound of screams heard on the recorded message when I called the dearly departed restaurant shortly after its closure.
Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or taste@seattletimes.com.
More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.