Romantic, organic, delicious: Tilth Restaurant, Seattle
Earlier this winter, users of foodie website Urbanspoon determined Tilth to be Seattle's most romantic restaurant.
And acclaimed Walla Walla winemaker Eric Dunham long has been charmed by the Wallingford restaurant's owner.
"If I could have one chef cook my last supper, it would be Maria Hines," Dunham said.
Hines began to grow her Northwest fan base in 1999, soon after she traded life in beautiful San Diego for the Emerald City. A decade later, she received the coveted James Beard Award as Best Northwest Chef.
"I moved to Seattle because of the food scene," Hines said. "There's a lot of really great product to work with. Seattle has been a great fit for me. I love it here."
To those immersed in the culture of organic food and cuisine, Hines serves as an icon beyond the Northwest. She created Tilth in 2005, and her restaurant was certified organic by Oregon Tilth a year later. It was only the second restaurant in the country to earn that designation -- the first being Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., in 1999. It remains an exclusive club with only six restaurants in the United States earning such status.
"Maria always fought the local food fight and really 'walks the walk' when it comes to spending time where the food is grown," Dunham said. "That's important and very time consuming. She is a force of nature unto herself and definitely a culinary force to be reckoned with."
Hines sits on the board of the Puget Consumers Co-op Farmland Trust and leads the Seattle chapter of Chef's Collaborative. The organic movement has taken off beyond Seattle since she opened her restaurant, which might explain why Hines downplays the difficulty in achieving the Oregon Tilth certification.
"It's actually really easy," she said. "You have to be 95 percent organic, so you just have to source out the right ingredients. It's a little legwork up front, then you are always buying products from those people."
Her culinary approach and personality explains why it didn't take the diminutive Hines long to create a following in Seattle as long as her signature braid. And Dunham seems to be a charter member of her Northwest fan club.
"Maria worked at Earth and Ocean in the W Hotel when I first met her, and I couldn't help but be in awe of both her cuisine and finesse, but also of how much energy such a compact waif could contain," Dunham said. "I followed her through her East Coast sabbatical with restaurants.
"When she returned (in 2003) to take the lead at Earth and Ocean, that's when she tempura'd bacon for me," Dunham continued. "And I fell in love all over again."
Two years later, Food & Wine Magazine discovered Hines, rating her among its 10 Best New Chefs. By September 2006, she'd opened her own restaurant. In 2008, the New York Times named Tilth one of the 10 best new restaurants in the United States.
The accolades led to appearances on The Food Network's Iron Chef and The Martha Stewart Show. Last fall, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to appear with Michelle Obama in a campaign to fight childhood obesity.
In between, Hines opened a second restaurant last year, the Golden Beetle in nearby Ballard.
"It's a gastro pub with an Eastern Mediterranean theme," she said. "It's very spice-forward and a lot bolder, and it's a lot more casual atmosphere. You can pop in there wearing jeans and T-shirt, grab a craft cocktail and an appetizer or have a full dinner.
"At Tilth, you come here for the whole dining experience -- the wine, the food, the service -- all aspects."
Somehow, she juggles her time in the kitchens of both restaurants. That chips away at the time she enjoys spending time rock climbing.
"I do it mainly in the gym because I spend most of my time in the restaurants," she said. "There are a lot of beautiful areas to go climbing in the Northwest, which is another reason I picked living here. There's Smith Rock in Oregon and Mount Index in Washington. And I go to the Yosemite Valley, which makes for a good vacation."
Hines also dresses the part. On a vintage overcast afternoon in Seattle, her long braid dangled out the back of a green bandana. She rocked a beige and green Mountain Hardware fleece pullover, S.O.N.G. jeans and running shoes. Yet the kitchen has been her path since the product of Bowling Green, Ohio, was 15.
"I knew from a pretty young age what I wanted to, and everyone else in my family is smarter than me," she said with chuckle. "I really enjoy cooking. I love the creative process. I love that it's very kinetic. I couldn't see myself doing anything else."
Based on the concept, it's natural that Northwest wines make up half of Tilth's portfolio. Quaint tables inside the remodeled craftsman house don't leave room for a bulky wine list, so Andrew Bresnik's offerings are brief.
"We're going for more high-acid, Old World-style wines from Washington made from vineyards in a bit cooler climate, so I tend to look for wines from the Yakima Valley and the Columbia Gorge," Bresnik said. "Many of our dishes use a good amount of lemon juice, and they are balanced and not overly rich."
Among his favorite producers are Argyle in Dundee, Ore., Chinook in Prosser, Wash., Fall Line in Seattle, Teutonic in Portland, Tranche in Walla Walla and WillaKenzie in Yamhill, Ore. He seeks those that are self-distributed and produce reds laced with notes of high-toned red fruit.
"I will always have a place on the list for Argyle," he said of Rollin Soles' winery. "I love his sparkling wines and Pinot, and his Riesling is great to work with. He really hit his latest one out of the park."
Northwest cheese is spotlighted on a chalkboard between the dining rom and the kitchen. Making the list this winter were Fraga Farms in Sweet Home, Ore., Lark Haven Farmstead in Tonasket, Ore., Oakleaf Creamy in Grants Pass, Ore., and Samish Bay Creamery from Bow, Wash.
Tilth's concentration on regional ingredients can make pairings with Northwest wines rather seamless, even for vegetarians. Hines chose her Caramelized Fennel Salad -- a recipe by Jason Brzozwy, her chef de cuisine -- to pair with Kyra Wines 2010 Chenin Blanc from the Columbia Valley. Full Circle grew the fennel and arugula.
"The salad matches well because the sweetness of the raisins and the sweet honey quality of the wine pair up really well," Hines said.
Another wine available at Tilth is Corvus Cellars 2008 Syrah * Petite Sirah off Red Mountain, made for a remarkable match with Hines' Heirloom Bean Cassoulet. Seattle-based Forager and Found Edibles hunted down the wild mushrooms.
"It's a very bold and intense wine, and the smoked bean cassoulet, even though it's a vegetarian dish, has its own boldness, so they pair up really well together," she said.
Now that Hines operates two Seattle popular restaurants, the days of winemaker dinners are history, she said. Her finale was at Dunham Cellars.
"I have NO idea why she came all the way out to Walla for that dinner," Dunham said. "We were all just incredibly lucky!"
Corvus Cellars 2008 Syrah * Petite Sirah, Red Mountain, $28
--170 cases produced, 14.24% alcohol
Steve Lessard got his big break on Red Mountain as a winemaker before moving on to Walla Walla.
Now that he's making wine for his own label, Corvus Cellars, Lessard wanted to try something different.
"At Hedges I made a Syrah, and at Whitman I made a Syrah," he said. "I didn't want to fall into the same old thing and say, 'OK, here's another Walla Walla Syrah."
His young winery is a partnership with Randall Hopkins, and it is in the Walla Walla incubator project near the airport. But the fruit for his flagship wines, nicknamed SPS, is all Red Mountain, coming from the Corvus Vineyard and Hightower Vineyard.
The 6-acre estate vineyard stems from when Lessard worked at Hedges
"Randall came in 1996 and the tasting room people referred him to me because he was asking so many questions," Lessard said. "I spent three hours with him and his friends tasting through barrels. By the time they were ready to leave, he asked to work harvest. He did that the next several years -- even at Whitman. He kind of latched on to me."
They launched Corvus Cellars in 2005, but their business took full flight in 2011 when Whitman Cellars closed. In time, they plan to double production to 2,000 cases, with SPS leading the way.
"We like the way SPS kind of rolls off the tongue, and it gives us room to vary the percentage," Lessard said. "And the 2008 was the first year making that wine, so there's no record with it. We'll see how it evolves."
Petite Sirah is believed to be cross of Peloursin with Syrah developed in 1880 by French botanist Francois Durif. Some continue to refer to the powerful grape as Durif.
Lessard harvested both Syrah (71%) and Petite Sirah (29%) on Oct. 5 to create a dark, juicy and dense wine.
"I like that really bright layered blueberry and blackberry you get from the Syrah with the underlying black pepper, more tarry, earthy and coffee notes you get from the Petite Sirah," Lessard said.
Corvus Cellars, 596 Piper Ave., Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-241-0318, corvuscellars.com.
Kyra Wines 2010 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $13
402 cases, 11.5% alcohol
A generation ago, Chenin Blanc was a rather popular variety in Washington state.
That explains the reception Kyra Baerlocher often receives when she pours it in her Moses Lake, Wash., tasting room.
"People will say, 'Oh, I used to drink Chenin Blanc all the time!" she said. "It's as if they've found an old friend. Then, you'll get someone who's not familiar with it and pronounce it 'Cheney Blanc.' "
Another reason why she receives praise for her Chenin Blanc is because she's earned it. Baerlocher has won a gold medal for her Chenin Blanc at the Seattle Wine Awards for her past three vintages and picked up a Platinum from Wine Press Northwest along the way.
It's a particularly historic variety, with references of cultivation in the Anjou region of France's Loire Valley dating back more than 1,200 years, according to British wine writer Jancis Robinson in Vines, Grapes & Wines. The variety is known for its high acidity, and it is a rather late ripener.
Baerlocher has grown to trust her grower -- Harold Pleasant in Prosser, Wash. In 2010, he harvested the Chenin Blanc from his 27-year-old vines on Nov. 5.
The lackluster growing conditions of 2011 means Kyra will release half as much Chenin Blanc this spring.
It's a delightful drink because the bright acidity and low alcohol allow for a balanced yet off-dry approach. Its profile includes hints of baked apple, honeysuckle, lemongrass and sweet tea. And Baerlocher's sweet spot is 1.5 to 2 percent residual sugar.
"Our first vintage was in 2006, and we were trying to find an alternative variety to Riesling that would pair with a lot of the spicy foods that were coming out at that time," she said.
She's arrived at many pairing options since then, and thanks to Maria Hines at Tilth, she will have another.
"My wine club is always asking me for new recipes, so I'm really looking forward to getting this one," she said.
Kyra Wines, 8029 Andrews St. NE, Moses Lake, WA 98837, 509-750-8875, kyrawines.com.
Heirloom Bean Cassoulet
Serves 4
1 pound each: Cannellini beans, cranberry beans and adzuki beans
6 yellow onions, peeled, halved
6 carrots, peeled
6 celery stalks, leaves removed
3 bouquet garni (fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaf, tied together with twine)
12 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch chives, thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 shallots, peeled, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound butter
2 ounces black truffle carpaccio
8 ounces truffle oil
1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned, cut
For the beans: Soak the beans separately
overnight. There should be three times the amount of water to beans. Drain the beans and place in three deep pans. Divide the onion, carrot, celery and bouquet garni between the three pans. Cover with cold water, enough to cover the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a simmer, cover with foil and cook in a 300 degree oven. Stir every 20 minutes. Cook until tender. When the beans are finished, season with salt and pepper. Let cool. Drain the liquid and smoke the beans using apple wood chips.
For the tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and
cut an "X" in the bottom using a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water and shock in an ice bath. Remove the skin and insides of the tomatoes. Mix the tomatoes with the herbs, shallot, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes on a cooling rack and dry in a low temperature oven. When finished, julienne the tomatoes.
For the butter: In a food processor, com-
bine the butter, black truffle and truffle oil. Mix until well combined
To assemble: Saute the mushrooms in
canola oil in a hot pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown. Add the dried tomatoes and beans. Add enough water to cover half of the bean mixture. Bring to a boil, lower heat and stir in the truffle butter to taste. Adjust seasoning with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with bread crumbs.
Caramelized Fennel Salad
Serves 4
4 fennel bulbs, trimmed
2 cups white wine, separated
3 bouquet garni (fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaf, tied together with twine)
1 tablespoon plus
This story was originally published March 15, 2012 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Romantic, organic, delicious: Tilth Restaurant, Seattle."