A Caprice Kitchen

I rang A Caprice Kitchen promptly at 9am on Wednesday morning from my work phone and expected that perhaps I would be connected to voicemail. Much to my delight, Anne Catherine actually answered the phone! She sounded a bit confused as to why I would be requesting reservations for 6pm on a Wednesday night, but nevertheless took my particulars and said she would look forward to seeing me that evening. I was extremely excited to partake in this small local restaurant found perusing the internet. Particularly exciting about the portent of the evening was that I would be passing it with Brett and my dear friend DeAnn.

When she picked us up at a quarter of six, I wedged myself into her back seat amidst boxes occupying most of the space and allowed Brett to sit in the comfort of the front. Guiding her north, we arrived moments later and were able to procure a parking spot directly in front of our destination. Tucked away on a sleepy Ballard street just north of Ballard High School, A Caprice Kitchen is quaint, unassuming and homey. Relatively new, Anne Catherine (both owner and chef) opened Caprice back in November of 2008 and builds all of her menus around seasonal harvests of local Washington farmers.

this week's list of local suppliers

We walked in and were to be the first guests of the evening. Despite this fact, I still notified the server of my reservations. She smiled graciously and led us to the front window table where adjacent to our seating was a 50's era record player. Our table was adorned with mismatched silverware, a vintage milk jug housing three dahlias and tiny copper salt and pepper shakers. I was beginning to feel as though we weren't in a restaurant, but rather a young eccentric woman's home.

Our server guided our sights toward the large chalkboard at the front of the restaurant, which featured the starters, mains and desserts for the week. Choices are limited due to the fact that Anne Catherine procures her ingredients on a near daily basis, but her offerings are varied and delightful.


The three of us decided to indulge in all three starters: spinach salad with a warm bacon-tomato vinaigrette, wild watercress salad with a pickled farm fresh egg, and a trio of artisan cheeses served with house-made crackers and fig compote.

pickled egg atop watercress salad

My favorite starter by far was the wild watercress salad. The watercress was delicately bathed in a tarragon aioli dressing and had Valentina cheese crumbled in as well. The concoction served as a lovely sort of nest for the pickled egg, which was absolutely superb. The combination was at once tart, bitter and creamy. After a few bites of each, we passed our dishes clockwise. I found the spinach salad to be slightly on the bland side-- but perhaps subtle would be a more apt descriptor. The feta tasted like more of a chevre and I was hard-pressed to find a bacon essence in the vinaigrette. The trio of cheeses, featuring Seastack, Wynochee blue and Brewleggio was enjoyable, but the house-made crackers were the real star of that show being crispy, thin and flaky.


We shared a delicious bottle of Petit Syrah from a small vintner in Yakima (only 70 cases of this particular wine were produced.) Our original selection, a wine entitled "Animale" was not yet available due to the fact that the gentleman who makes the wine swings by to make his delivery after he's completed his work day. Sure enough, he wandered in around 6:30pm. Whilst we dined, Anne Catherine popped in and out to attend to the local vendors delivering their wares before heading back to the kitchen to cook our meals, I can only assume, from scratch.

enjoying the wine and good company

Three entrees were offered that evening and Brett, DeAnn and myself each ordered something different: I chose the chicken and chantrelle pot pie, Brett decided upon the lamb shank, and DeAnn opted for the lobster mushroom farro risotto with smoked salmon. Accompanying each of our meals was a side of braised kale, which was smoky and crisp. My pot pie was unlike any pot pie that I have ever experienced since it was not creamy, but rather broth-based. I giggled to myself when the server described this dish as "chicken-y" but really had to hand it to her once I had indulged in my first bite since that is the most accurate adjective I could come up with as well. In my estimation, we were all pleased with our choices. The lively conversation had ceased and we began focusing our attention on the task at hand. All of us ultimately becoming members of the clean plate club.

lobster mushroom farro risotto with smoked salmon

lamb shank

chicken-y roasted chicken and chantrelle pot pie

As the evening progressed, A Caprice Kitchen filled up pleasantly. Despite this fact, the quality of our service never wavered. Attention was paid to ensure we had everything we needed, but we were never hounded, ignored, or rushed. I no longer felt like I was at someone's home, but as though I was in a bustling french bistro (a sensation that was likely intensified by the fact that Edith Piaf was crooning in the background.)


What I found to be most memorable about our time here was the feeling of wholesome satiety we all enjoyed after the meal. Not only was our experience at A Caprice Kitchen a culinary delight, but a tour of what our indigenous farmers have to sustain us.