Santé’s Hansen hosts ‘Elevation’ dinner
Chef Jeremy Hansen is in the running for a James Beard Foundation Award. At the same time, he’s preparing to cook at the famed James Beard House for the second time in two years.
Monday, Spokane diners can sample the cuisine he plans to present in New York City on March 7. The practice run takes place at 5:30 p.m.
Proceeds and additional donations will help cover travel costs for Hansen; his wife, Kate; and a crew from Santé Restaurant and Charcuterie, which the couple opened in 2008. This year, they also opened nearby Common Crumb bakery.
The couple last prepared a meal at the James Beard House in August 2013. The Greenwich Village townhouse belonged to its namesake writer, teacher and cookbook author. Now, it’s home to the nonprofit named in his honor and designed to “celebrate, preserve and nurture America’s culinary heritage and future.”
Monday’s dinner costs $125 and includes a Champagne reception with hors d’oeuvres, a six-course dinner and wine pairings. The theme is “Elevation: Food from below, above and beyond.”
The meal, meant to be whimsical, “explores elevation from the depths of the sea to the stars,” according to the menu, which also encourages, “Have fun eating your way to space.”
Hors d’oeuvres cover beach (razor clams), land (rabbit) and sky (pheasant). Dinner features the abyss (pink shrimp), sea (striper with white asparagus), hills (elk with huckleberries), mountains (goat with white polenta), clouds (goose with foie gras) and space (star fruit). Sweets include marshmallow, chocolate and cookies.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation’s prestigious Restaurant and Chef Awards. Awards are given in 21 categories. There were more than 34,000 online entries for the 2015 awards program.
Hansen is a semifinalist in the category of Best Chef: Northwest. Finalists will be announced March 24. Winners will be named May 4. A complete list of semifinalists can be found at www.jamesbeard.org.
Santé is at 404 W. Main Ave. Call (509) 315-4613. On the Web: www.sante spokane.com.
Restaurant chain opens new Mexican grill
Cafe Rio Mexican Grill celebrates the grand opening of its fourth Washington state location on Spokane’s South Hill today.
Everyone’s invited to the 10:30 a.m. event, which includes ceremonial ribbon as well as burrito cuttings.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City and founded in 1997, Café Rio owns and operates 79 locations in 11 states. It’s known for its “no microwaves and no freezers” policy as well as a menu inspired by the cooking of the Rio Grande region of Northern Mexico, Southern Texas and New Mexico.
The restaurant chain’s other Washington locations are in Spokane Valley, Wenatchee and Lynnwood. The newest location is at 4911 S. Regal St.
On the Web: www.caferio.com.
Spokane restaurant association recognizes winners
The Spokane chapter of the Washington Restaurant Association recently named its 2015 award winners.
They are:
• Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Manito Tap House
• Back of the House Employee of the Year: Chef Molly Patrick of Manito Tap House
• Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Churchill’s Steakhouse
• Front of the House Employee of the Year: Betty Urann, lead supervisor of Petit Chat Village Bakery
• Bartender of the Year: Ed Eschenbacher of Jack and Dan’s
• Quick Service Award: Dutch Bros. Coffee
The Washington Restaurant Association, founded in 1929, provides educational, training and career development opportunities for members of the hospitality industry.
On the Web: warestaurant.org.