For 11 years Ballardite Peter Birk was the head chef at Ray’s Boathouse along Ballard’s western waterfront.
But earlier this year he got a call from the vice-president of the culinary department at McCormick & Schmicks, owner of the newly renovated Harborside Restaurant and Bistro at 200 Westlake Ave. The VP made Birk an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“I used to work for them in Los Angeles and Kansas City,” Birk said. “They said, ‘we think you’re the right person’ and here we are.”
At Ray’s, Birk oversaw a kitchen staff of about 45. There will be at least 40 staffers at Harborside. This weekend, Birk and a northwest regional chef at the company will host a private, soft-opening before next Tuesday’s grand opening.
Meanwhile, the final touches to the restaurant and the kitchen are being put in place. Birk is still assembling his staff and figuring out the menu. He has his favorites but is waiting to get all the other variables in place before focusing on any entrée that strikes his particular fancy.
“My focus will be sustainability,” he said. “We’ll be focusing on Northwest products and the rest of the country for ideas as well. But I see a very big evolution coming. I had a lot of success at Ray’s and now it’s my chance to raise the bar even higher.”
November 17
Ballardite Birk optimistic on QA restaurant opening
Uncategorized
0 comments