As of today, I’ve now transformed from the Seattle Asian Eats Examiner to the Seattle Restaurant Examiner. (See yesterday’s “finale” post.) In some ways, I’ll miss the exclusive focus on Asian food, but rest assured that I’ll continue covering cuisine from the East, enjoying Vietnamese noodles, Szechuan peppercorns, sushi, and more. But you can see why I’m excited to broaden my focus if you check this list:
- Chef Mark Fuller of Spring Hill
- Chef Stuart Lane of Cafe Juanita
- Chef Vuong Loc of Portage
- Chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough of Spur
- Chef Colin Patterson of Sutra
- Chef Jason Wilson of Crush
- Pastry Chef Dana Cree of Poppy
- Pastry Chef Matt Kelley of Rover’s
- Mixologist Jim Romdall of Vessel
- Sommelier Nelson Daquip of Canlis
- Chef Adam Stevenson of Earth & Ocean at W Seattle (Hotel Chef award)
- Chef Ethan Stowell of Union, Tavolata, How to Cook a Wolf, and Anchovies & Olives (Restaurateur award)
- Chefs Joshua Henderson and Danny Sizemore of Skillet Street Food (Restaurant Concept award)
- Chef Maria Hines of Tilth (Sustainability award)
You’re surely getting a sense that these are award-winners; more specifically, all are 2009 Seattle Rising Stars Award winners. StarChefs.com’s editorial team conducted in-person tastings and interviews of nominees from over 75 Seattle-area restaurants to come up with this elite list.
Want to sample the winners’ creations? One month from today, on March 24, StarChefs.com will present their Rising Stars Revue at McCaw Hall. In addition to an awards ceremony, Rising Stars is a walk-around tasting gala for the public, enabling you to try signature dishes and drinks. I peeked at the menu, and liked the looks of Venetian rabbit livers, wood-fired spot prawns, spice-braised pork belly, and more—not to mention wine pairings, an Obama Nation cocktail, and a couple of great desserts for a sweet end to the night. (I’m looking forward to Cree’s bittersweet chocolate terrine with seasonal flavors and Kelley’s goat cheese Bavarian with red beet foam, lemon coulis, and candied walnuts.)
Tickets are $75 per person, with a portion of the proceeds donated to FareStart. Gastrolust readers can enter promo code GSTLST to get a $10 discount.
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