Art of the Table is a tiny little restaurant in Fremont that has one seating in the evening. They open their doors at 6:30, and the dinner begins at 7. The reason for the lengthy duration of our conversation was due to the fact that at this one seating, one four course meal is served. In other words, you don’t choose what you’ll be consuming from a menu—the menu is determined for you. I have a laundry list of foods that I don’t eat: I have an aversion to nightshade vegetables (eggplant and squash weird me out) and I am a cute-atarian, which means that I don’t consume animals that I find darling (this includes cows, ducks, bunnies, goats, lambs, frogs, etc.) I was concerned that as I mentioned all of my restrictions the woman would tell me to beat it, but she was intrigued and accommodating. After taking my credit card number to hold our spot, we said our goodbyes and she mentioned she would look forward to meeting us soon.
The day before our dinner, I received a call from Laurie(the aforementioned woman’s name) to confirm whether or not some of their offerings on Saturday would be acceptable. There would be a dish containing Japanese pumpkin- was this okay? Not wanting to be too particular, I agreed that this was fine. The worst thing to happen would be that I didn’t like the dish and simply would not eat it. They were serving a rabbit ragout for one of the courses and she promised that they would have a (likely) fish alternative for me. I was struck by how considerate the call was and was excited to see what this place was all about. Aside from this tiny little window into what our meal would contain, I hadn't a clue what to expect.
On the evening of the event I began to primp and preen (par for the course no matter where I go) but Brett insisted that I should keep it casual-- this is a jeans and oxford kind of place. It is my belief, however, that most Seattleites consider this uniform to be appropriate no matter what the occasion so I continued to curl and coif. Brett decided upon a simple yet chic outfit of dark denim and a black James Bond-esque Merino zipped sweater whilst I chose a new Ted Baker sheath and paired it with freshwater pearls, pink Wolford tights, and a pair of black Avant-Garde ankle strapped heels.
Dressed to the hilt, we were on our way. After a short drive to the northern end of Fremont, we had already descended upon the restaurant and were able to procure a parking space right in front of the entrance. Upon arrival, I was struck by how cozy and homey the place seemed- it had an air of 70's modernity. Laurie greeted us with a warm, friendly smile and asked for our coats. She allowed us to choose our table in the small triangular dining area. A party of four already occupied the corner table leaving the option of two window tables, or a space at a long dining table with seating for eight. I chose the window seat closest to the kitchen so we could see what was going on throughout the night.
Though I had brought a bottle of Gorman's Syrah for the occasion, we each decided to start with a glass of wine. It was Brett's birthday after all, and as far as I could tell we were in for a long evening of indulgence. The only drawback (and really, is it?) to Art of the Table is that they serve beer and wine-- no spirits. So instead of Brett's classic Tanquerey up with a twist, he chose a glass of Stephen Vincent Zinfandel. Fully embracing the festive milestone, I went with a glass of Organic Can Vandrell Brut Cava. The dinner begins at seven, so in the interim I soaked in the environs and relished with Brett.
Laurie's photography adorns the walls-- the images taken from her travels with chef/owner (and in my estimation, lover) Dustin Ronspies. Aside from these black and white pictures, there are only sheer floor length curtains decorating the space. A service window allows diners to see into the kitchen, as well as an open door that invites you to walk right in and watch Dustin prepare each course along with his sous chef Phil Lehmann. At the entrance, a chalkboard lists the farmers and vendors from which the meals ingredients were procured.
At 7pm, Dustin came out, banged a small gong and proceeded to share the story of his restaurant with us. Whilst he told the story, Laurie and Phil passed around a soup to start the "Weekend Supper Club." I all but licked my bowl clean of this glorious carrot soup which contained a heady autumnal mixture of cumin, coriander, fried parsnips and was topped with a chili-cilantro creme. As he spoke, I was overwhelmed with the sense of being a guest in his home such was the vibe from this intimate dinner party- style atmosphere. For many years, Dustin was a private chef for families on their yachts, so it's my belief that this is why he began the style of restaurant he did. Furthermore, the simple four course style is a great way to showcase the fresh, seasonal and local ingredients he uses (sustainable agriculture being a specific passion of his). At once mellow and excited about every facet of each meal and its ingredients, his stories are laced with history and a unique brand of wit. Brett and I smiled at each other as we realized we were in for not only a thrillingly delicious meal, but a sort of theatrical performance as well.
After his introduction and welcome, Dustin mosied back to the kitchen and began to prepare our official first course: a leek and goat cheese tart topped with chanterelles and pancetta served with a frisee salad mixed with shallot vinaigrette. Upon completing each dish for the 17 guests present that evening, he again came out to ring the gong and tell us the story of the first course. This would prove to be the theme of the evening: our three hosts had a flawless waltz in which Dustin would begin to tell his story while Laurie and Phil wove between each other and graced us with our plates. The crust of this tart was a recipe from Dustin's great grandmother, a recipe which fulfilled all his tart and crust making needs. I immediately became lost in this dish-- the flavors exploded in my mouth harmoniously and I almost began to sing in happiness from the tartness of the shallot vinaigrette. The portions were pleasingly balanced being neither overwhelmingly large or obnoxiously small. I ate every last bite before Laurie took away the dish and we awaited our next course.
While waiting, Brett and I took our glasses of wine and walked up to the service window. Dustin smiled and began chatting with us as he spooned some sort of delicious looking sauce over plump prawns on a baking sheet. Earlier in the evening he had mentioned that he used to promise himself that he would never open a restaurant and I asked why this was. Having been a private chef for so many years, it was a transition he hadn't thought he would want to make. To be honest, he initially thought he would become an architect before dropping out and going to culinary school instead. Not wanting to distract him too terribly, we sat back down and made small talk with Laurie before Dustin made his way over to the gong again.
The second course featured Alaskan Spot Prawns which were apparently the last of the season. They rested on a celeraic remoulade, roasted cauliflower puree, and pumpernickel toast and were served with a side of pickled rhubarb slaw. The din of chatter ceased as everyone dug in to this delicious little sandwich that harkened a classic Po' Boy feel. Each course has a recommended wine flight, and the one with this course sounded too unique to pass up: a 2006 Domaine Capitain Gagnerot "Les Gueulottes" Bourgongne Hautes Cotes de Beaune. Simply put, this white Burgundy was comparable to an un-oaked chardonnay. It was the slightest bit sweet, but still smooth and delicious.
Before presenting the third course, a mystery palate cleanser was distributed and presented in small cordial glasses. I detected the presence of fennel and tapioca so being the impatient type I began to ask Laurie of what this palate cleanser was comprised. Much to my surprise, the main ingredients were spaghetti squash and dill pollen! Everyone oohed and aahed with delight and I again, licked the glass.
Finally, the third course was upon us, which was to be the rabbit ragout. Dustin was particularly proud of this dish because the rabbits used were grown expressly for Art of the Table down on a small farm near Olympia. The ragout was served atop red wheat pasta -- the dish laced with a parsley pesto and topped with thick curls of shaved Parmesan. I was struck by the nuttiness and chewiness of the pasta, which had been handmade by Phil with red wheat procured from the Ballard Farmer's Market. My ragout was comprised of diced Ahi in lieu of rabbit and was juicy, tender, and sublime. Throughout the evening I couldn't get over how seamlessly and creatively Dustin wove each ingredient together to orchestrate a perfectly harmonious dish. His presentations truly were the manifestation of art and I was revelling in every moment. Since I had insisted that Laurie enjoy a small glass of my Gorman wine, she presented me with a taste of the wine pairing for this course: a 2003 Batasiolo Arsiga Dolcetto d'Alba which was an absolute perfect match to this dish.
At this point in the evening, Brett and I were heavy-lidded and contentedly full but one more course remained: the dessert course.This offering was quintessentially autumn and featured a spiced pumpkin crepe topped with vanilla apples, hazelnuts, and rosemary ice cream. There happened to be three other birthdays that evening so I asked Dustin if we could all sing a round of Happy Birthday. He agreed and told me to ring the gong (apparently a first at Art of the Table) and make my announcement. Giddy with wine, I stood before the guests and conducted a cheery and relatively in tune rendition of the birthday tune before each birthday guest blew out their candle. With that, we dug in and gulped down a glass of Blandy's 10 year Madeira Port before leaning back and soaking in the past three hours of our night.
Our hosts had retreated to the kitchen and the quiet whir of a dishwasher could be heard issuing forth from the room. As the lights continued to dim, the evening's entertainment had drawn to a close, it would seem. I linked arms with Brett and we made our way into the crisp night, looking forward to our next visit to Art of the Table's Weekend Supper Club.
It is a fabulous little place. I think Dustin is just magical with his palette. You described your evening perfectly! I was just there last week and I am still talking about it.
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