Tag Archives: altura

Bar, Food, Restaurant

Semifinalists Announced for 2012 James Beard Awards

It’s awards season, and the Seattle food scene is again abuzz about the just-announced James Beard Award nominations. Today we learned who the semifinalists are, with that list getting whittled down to finalists on March 19, and winners announced on May 7.

The full list is well-worth a look. On the national level, Altura earned a nomination as best new restaurant. (I agree!) Canlis cashes in for both Best Restaurant and Best Wine Program categories. Perennial participant Tom Douglas is a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, Holly Smith for Outstanding Chef, and Blaine Wetzel for Rising Star Chef (meaning under 30). In the new Outstanding Bar Program, Zig Zag Cafe represents Seattle.

Especially interesting is the Best Chef Northwest category, which this year features interesting semifinalists from Seattle and further afield in Washington state:

  • Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen (Walla Walla)
  • Matt Costello, Inn at Langley (Langley)
  • Matt Dillon, Sitka and Spruce
  • Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe
  • Jason Franey, Canlis
  • Ethan Stowell, Staple and Fancy Mercantile
  • Jason Stratton, Spinasse
  • Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule

I’m always curious about the Portland nominees, and the list there is also solid (including three from elsewhere in Oregon):

  • Aaron Barnett, St. Jack
  • Matthew Bennet, Sybaris (Albany)
  • John Gorham, Toro Bravo
  • Christopher Israel, Grüner
  • Brendan Mahaney, Belly (Eugene)
  • Naomi Pomeroy, Beast
  • Adam Sappington, The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar
  • Cathy Whims, Nostrana
  • Justin Wills, Restaurant Beck (Depoe Bay)

The other regional nominees:

  • Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill (Jackson Hole, WY)
  • James Honaker, Bistro Enzo (Billings, MT)
  • Jeff Keys, Vintage Restaurant (Ketchum, ID)

My early guess is that Seattle and Portland will be almost split in the final five contenders for the Best Chef Northwest category. Stay tuned!

Eats, Food, Restaurant

Altura Serves Up the Allure of Seasonal Italian Cuisine

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Amuse bouche: tomato water

Starters: golden jubilee tomato soup (with cherry tomatoes, Genovese basil, and Ligurian olive oil), grilled baby octopus (with butter bean puree, lemon cucumber, and torn mint), and cold smoked kampachi crudo (with shaved celery, preserved lemon, and Beldi oil)

Tagliatelle with fried garlic, fried parsley, and cured tuna heart

Pecorino ravioli with sungold tomato, Calabrian chili, and wilted arugula

Yukon gold potato gnocchi with Abruzzese style ragu of lamb and Whidbey Island beef

Agnolotti with squab and pheasant, black truffle, and sage

Pappardelle with spot prawns, Dungeness crab, tarragon, and lime

Pacific weathervane scallops with fried shelling beans, bitter garden greens, and porcini

Mad Hatcher chicken with farro, roasted grapes, wilted arugula, and fried pine nuts

Columbia River steelhead salmon (including smoked belly) with Maltby corn, fava beans, and Dungeness crab

Cheese plate

Bourbon caramel semifreddo with hazelnut praline, chocolate fondue, and vanilla tuile

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With all the culinary action at the Pike/Pine corridor of Capitol Hill, it’s nice to see a base of restaurants developing at the north end of Broadway. The latest to open is Altura, where Nathan Lockwood serves up seasonal Italian cuisine.

Counter seating enables diners to watch preparation of the dishes (there’s also a chef’s table in addition to the regular tables), and while you can order a la carte (you’ll have to ask about such pricing, as it’s not on the menu), most people opt for three, four, or five-course tasting menus at $49, $59, or $69, respectively.

A tasting menu can easily turn into an extravagant feast. My meal (see gallery of photos) included a chance to try all five pasta dishes. Each one was fantastic, boasting unique flavors. In fact, I was pleased with my entire meal, from the tomato water amuse bouche to the bourbon caramel semifreddo for dessert. My favorite dish of the night was the gnocchi, as I savored the richness of the Abruzzese ragu of lamb and beef.

With a mission to incorporate locally foraged and grown ingredients, including some from his own garden, Lockwood impressed me with an assortment of herbs and peppers—some spicy—in many of his dishes. Be sure to budget time for your multi-course meal (preparations are complex…some might say slightly fussy), and be ready for delicious food that’s sometimes bold and surely satisfying.