Pat My Butter

in the many months i’ve been hearing about mistral kitchen, the new project of william belickis, chef owner of now-closed mistral, i’ve become more and more confused as to what the place is about.  there was going to be a woodfire oven imported from naples, i was told, as well as a chef’s table, a regular, averagely priced dining room, molecular gastronomy, a large bar, and an separate area for extravagant, multi-coursed meals.

the restaurant is now open in south lake union, and happy hour seemed like a low risk opportunity to mentally digest the space – and help me decide whether i might someday want to commit to a $190 tasting menu.  the happy hour is simple – oysters with grapefruit granita are $1 and other snacks are cheap.  a piece of cheese is $1.50 (it’s not an ounce like the menu says, but whatever).  there are olives.  there’s a salt-deprived hamachi crudo and a charcuterie plate (four varieties, each excellent), a steal at $5.

but the true highlight of the bar is the drinks (this seems obvious, but it’s often not the case).  barman andrew bohrer is a pro.  whether it’s taking five minutes to hack ice into a slow-melting sphere or making you something based on your mood, his skills ensure you’ll end up with something excellent.  we (three girls who work in restaurants and talk about almost nothing but) were gifted the most wonderful drink i’ve had in months, something bohrer said he made for folks in “the industry”.  a sphere of ice, wrapped in a thick peel of orange, was tucked snugly into a glass, then topped by blood orange, fernet, and rye syrup.  it was the perfect balance of everything that makes a cocktail great – complex without being too muddled, not too strong, bitter or sweet, but just enough of each. unfortunately, the size of the restaurant and the complexity of the drinks means bohrer can’t make every drink.

a look around the restaurant left me feeling skeptical curiosity.  it’s extensive and expensive (a woman’s restaurant lounge?  for hiding after an in-restaurant break up?).  it’s sleek, with muted, mild grays and flickering candles in the usual places.  the jewel box, for pricey, multi-coursed dinners (original mistral style), is hushed and served by waiters in suits, but hardly catches the eye (more gray, more white tablecloths).  the focus is on the food, i’m sure, but i guess i’d conjured up more color from the word “jewel”.  the chef’s table, where belickis gets to share his creative whims with eight diners, could make for an indulgent, intimate birthday party, though i would wish i could see the food being made from where i sat.

“seattle’s not ready for a restaurant like that”, i hear people say when discussing places that are glossy and sleek, very expensive, or have chef’s tables.  i have to disagree – i don’t think it’s a matter of being ready, but a matter of preference.  last tuesday at least, matt’s in the market or how to cook a wolf packed in more diners than expansive mistral kitchen.  in seattle we like le pichet, we like salumi, we like places that are small and personal.  an indulgent night out finds us at harvest vine or tilth, neither of which is sleek or large.

enhancing the issue of big restaurants in seattle is the problem of staffing.  mistral kitchen is extensive not just in square footage, but in food and drink offerings.  to make the concept work, you need a lot of staff who cares enough to (at least!) remember the happy hour cheese offerings.  with the abundance of new (and excellent) restaurants in seattle, there simply aren’t enough individuals devoted enough to the point very high prices demand.

in conclusion, i need to go back.  it will probably be to the bar.