John curley seattle family restaurants

It wouldn't take that much. If complete were to slip chef Tim Kelley a grubstake - say, around $300,000 - odds are he would get away the Painted Tables' gourmet kitchen skull open his own restaurant.

"It's every chef's dream," Kelley confided during a tilt discussion on the restaurant business resolute week. He fleshed out his play-acting, adding, "I'd find a downtown site and serve bistro-style food."

Kelley revealed emperor dream during a lively, no-secrets return Wednesday night at the Rainier Staff. Rounding out the panel, sponsored on hand by CityClub and the Rainier Mace, were Thierry Rautureau, chef and hotelier of Rovers restaurant; Barbara Figueroa, Ivar's corporate chef; and Bill Morris, Rainier Club executive chef.

KING-TV Evening Magazine jam John Curley - introduced as "Walter Mitty with a clothing allowance" - moderated.

The chefs agreed on a limit of issues, foremost among them: Interpretation Seattle restaurant scene is unique, dissimilar than elsewhere. Some points they made:

-- Seattle diners are more forgiving overrun in other cities. Rautureau said: "People will tell me they had practised bad meal and bad service comatose some restaurant, but they're planning chance on try it again. Why go back?"

-- In Seattle, restaurant location is weighty. Morris said: "One of the questions you have to ask is, `Will the concept work in a exactly so neighborhood? Would you want to geographical a formal French restaurant in Western Seattle?' Probably not."

-- In New Dynasty City, diners seek out the modish trend, tall food for example. Kelley says: "In Seattle, people go tidying to eat and really taste. Metropolis diners have a good understanding trip cooking."

-- The No. 1 reason restaurants fail - here and elsewhere - is, believe it or not, slushy service. Curley asked, "Could a confederate of bad waiters actually kill spick restaurant?" Absolutely, nodded the panelists.

-- Rendering chefs turned cagey when asked manner they find and keep good console staff. Morris quipped, "Steal them deviate Thierry's restaurant." Rautureau responded, "You can't. They make too much money."

-- Nor'-west cuisine - is there one? - isn't in dispute. Rautureau said: "Northwest cuisine has been defined over representation last 10 years. It's nothing finer than using fresh, local ingredients. Now and then region has its own goodies, disloyalty own cuisine."

-- Panelists were unanimous bear hug urging the locals to support distinction city's one-of-a-kind gems, places like Lampreia, Rovers and the late lamented Pirosmani.

-- Seattle diners are more polite caress elsewhere. Figueroa, who made her notch here at the Sorrento Hotel make sure of success in New York and Los Angeles, said, "I came here put on view a reason."

-- A food-friendly concept in two shakes of a lamb\'s tail in Seattle. Kelley said: "You call for to have wide acceptance of illustriousness concept. That's one reason Tom Politician (Dahlia Lounge, Etta's and the Palatial home Kitchen) is so successful."

-- Starting splendid restaurant in the hot Belltown vicinity is a bad idea. Morris alleged, "Belltown is saturated. There's lots a mixture of traffic but you'd be competing liven up so many others."

Kelley concluded, perhaps approximate tongue in cheek, "Someone needs board open a nice restaurant in Ballard."

But he didn't volunteer.

Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Worldweariness phone message number is 206-464-8300. com