Match Makers: Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Here’s a secret for those who want to see some of the Walla Walla Valley rock star winemakers with their hair down — book a table at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen.
“I’ll think, ‘Please don’t let anything tragic happen here because we’d lose a chunk of the winemaking community,’ ” said general manager Island Ainsworth. “I’d say there are at least two winery people here every night.”
The reasons for the attraction are many, but it starts with Chris Ainsworth and his wife, Island. His culinary skills have earned him six consecutive nominations for the iconic James Beard Foundation Awards’ Best Northwest Chef title. (The Seattle Weekly dubbed him the region’s Susan Lucci because he’s still waiting for win No. 1).
And then there’s Island, whose vivacious attitude and uncanny ability to remember names and faces disarms almost everyone who enters Saffron.
“When you walk in the door and get hugged — that’s part of what makes it awesome,” Chris said. “A place like this is hard to find, but for Island and I, what we bring is unique to us. The food and the front of the house is what we offer. And we have fun with it.”
If you haven’t been to Saffron, the Ainsworths and their team will want to get to know you, so plan on an enjoyable and leisurely two-hour dinner. Their tables are made out of riddling racks, but they won’t seat a party larger than six guests.
Nothing is static at Saffron, just a few blocks from the Marcus Whitman Hotel. Chris’ menu can change several times a week in the summer, and the reason Island doesn’t post her wine list online is because she changes it daily.
“A sense of place, terroir, is why we are here and why everything ties together,” she said. “It becomes an experience here in the valley, and it becomes more than just going wine tasting. The guest will say, ‘My server told me about this wine. I had this wine and then I had to go out to the winery.’ It becomes this magical thing. You get to taste the place.”
It’s something restaurants in Walla Walla can do, but not those in Woodinville. And being a part of wine country is why they left Seattle. The Ainsworths first spent year at a winery/restaurant in the Tri-Cities before moving to the Walla Walla Valley in the spring of 2007.
“That time in the Tri-Cities confirmed that Island and I could work together, and I also really began to source from local farmers and having relationships with them,” he said. “I was looking in Seattle and other places to open our own restaurant, but Walla Walla kind of grabs you. People are friendly, and it has its charms.”
As is the case with many chefs, before Ainsworth put roots in Walla Walla he rarely stayed in one restaurant for more than a year. He grew up in a Massachusetts household that enjoyed seafood and cooked Italian, then moved to Alabama where he attended Troy University and helped an uncle who was opening an Italian-American restaurant. By the sounds of it, the nephew did most of the construction work, and then when the doors finally opened, Ainsworth found himself in the kitchen.
“There were long hours of going to school in the morning then going to work at the restaurant — first doing prep and then working all the way through to close,” Ainsworth said. “For some reason, cooking just came super-easy to me, and that’s when I thought, ‘Man, maybe I should follow this cooking thing.’ “
So he enrolled in Walt Disney World’s well-rounded apprenticeship program. In 1996, he intended for his next step to be the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., but changed his mind after learning a bit more about the French Culinary Institute. The next year, after graduating, he moved to Connecticut and found himself working for a star on the rise, celebrity chef/restaurateur Todd English.
“This career is a lot of hard work, a little bit of who you know and a little bit of being in the right place at the right time,” Ainsworth said.
He cooked in several of English’s East Coast restaurants, then abruptly decided to leave for Mexico, a moment he refers to as his “walkabout.” In the back of his mind for many years was a desire to live in Seattle, so he stuck out his thumb in Baja and hitchhiked north. Fortunately, the first car to pick him up was bound for Seattle, and he ended up living in the driver’s basement for a year.
“When Island met me, I was still living there,” he said with a smile.
Ainsworth was far from a bum. He used his Todd English references to work at The Dahlia Lounge for Tom Douglas and Brasa for Tamara Murphy. However, the siren of Todd English lured him back — first to help open Bonfire in Boston, then heading back to Seattle to launch The Fish Clubinside the Marriott. Making both cross-country trips was Island, who grew up in Kent and surrounded by her Vietnamese family.
“He says that when he met me, he was interviewing for his GM,” Island chuckled. “I’ve always been in customer service. My background was in coffee in Seattle.”
You will get no denial from Chris.
“I always knew that I would have my own place and that my wife probably was going to work with me,” he said. “We met, and we were inseparable from Day One.”
Ainsworth got The Fish Club going in 2005 but left for wine country after a year. In time, their friends at Monteillet Fromagerie in Dayton — Pierre-Louis and Joan — recruited them to Walla Walla. They opened Saffron in May 2007.
“We did this all on our own,” Chris said. “We took the little bit that we had and made it work.”
Six months later, as if one restaurant wasn’t enough, their landlord convinced them to take over his own office space and open a Vietnamese pho restaurant adjacent to Saffron. Shared prep areas and recipes adapted from Island’s family have been critical to Sho Pho’s success.
“It’s made with the same love that goes into Saffron. It’s all natural and local. We hand-roll every egg roll. We hand-roll every meatball, and we don’t use MSG,” Chris said. “Once you eat it, you are hooked, and it’s been on a slow and steady incline from the start. We’d get hate mail if we ever closed it. And I’d go hungry. That’s where we go eat a lot of the time.”
Their lives would be less complicated without Sho Pho, but the loyal clientele and low employee turnover means the Ainsworths still have time to dote on their Rhodesian ridgebacks, hang out with winemaking pals or go target shooting. Chris unwinds playing disc golf, while Island takes time for yoga, knitting and sewing.
“I’m pretty crafty,” she said.
And while this spring will mark seven years of Saffron, they don’t appear to be slowing down.
“The statistics for couples in this industry are not good,” Island said. “It’s very hard on every relationship you have. You miss things. You work on weekends. You work on holidays. For the longest time in our relationship, we were like ships passing in the night. You just need to celebrate your successes and talk about your weaknesses — and we’re both so different from each other.”
For the Match Maker project, the Ainsworths collaborated on an appetizer — their octopus dish made with local potatoes, olives, pimentón and extra virgin olive oil — to pair with the Adamant Cellars 2012 Estate Albariño from the Walla Walla Valley.
“Albariño, being of Spanish origin, should work well with the octopus, the olives and the pimentón because they are friends in general flavors of Spain,” he said. “This Albariño doesn’t have a ton of acidity, but the little bit of sweetness counters nicely with the olives and other stuff going on in there.”
Perhaps as a tribute to the name of their restaurant, they paired the Bunchgrass Winery 2010 Triolet, a blend of red Bordeaux varieties, with Lamb Tagine al Maftoun, which includes saffron chaariya. The richness and tender nature of the naturally farmed lamb from Upper Dry Creek, simmered in the dark spice blend, held its own against the black cherry, toasted oak and depth of the Triolet.
“We can’t have a super-big oaky wine and can’t have a soft wine,” he said. “Our flavors can be bold, but this wine does well with the spicy flavors of a tagine. Bunchgrass, they do nicely balanced wines, and that’s important.”
Bunchgrass tends to be a constant on Saffron’s wine list, which leads with 30 local wines and a handful of glass pours, but Island adds, “We try to give everybody in the valley a little love.”
That starts to explain why she holds wine seminars with the servers each week, and it’s also why the entire team approaches each table with the expectation of presenting a wine pairing dinner.
“When my sisters come to visit, they ask, ‘Do you know anyone who is NOT in the wine industry?” Island said. “But that’s why we’re here. I get so excited when the wineries win awards because I’m so proud. It’s wonderful.”
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen
saffronmediterraneankitchen.com
125 W. Alder st., Walla Walla, WA, 99362
509-525-2112
Wine:
Adamant Cellars $22
2012 Albariño, Walla Walla Valley
— 90 cases, 13% alcohol
For many in Colorado during the 1990s, the adult beverage of choice was beer. Devin Stinger was different. he was an Albariño guy. “I was drinking wine in my 20s and I got hooked on Spanish Albariño,” Stinger said. “That was my everyday drinker. I can’t really explain it, but I would buy this one particular Albariño, and I would buy it by the case.” Now his Adamant Cellars is one of a handful of wineries in the pacific Northwest producing Albariño, and it’s a standout in the Walla Walla Valley.
“I always wanted to make some because I love its character, but I couldn’t get any grapes,” he said.
So in 2009, Stinger and his artist wife, Debra, partnered with Scott Sears to establish Gateshead Vineyard just northeast of famed pepper Bridge Vineyard. they planted 3 acres of Iberian peninsula grapes — 2 acres of tempranillo, and a single acre of Albariño. the 2012 vintage marks his first commercial production of Albariño, and it accounts for less than 10 percent of his total production.
“It gives you these little tiny clusters and you don’t get a whole lot of grapes per cluster,” Stinger said. “I’d like to be able to get 4 tons per acre out of it, which would get us to about 120 cases, but right now we’re just over 3 tons.”
Stinger styles it bone-dry and oak-free, presenting it as a deliciously fun alternative to Pinot Gris, opening with aromas of starfruit, Asian pear, melon, gooseberry and white peach. Those hints of white fruit transition to the palate that leads with white peach, backed by slightly spritzy citrus acidity and a finish of peach pit.
In 1999, Stinger began making wine in the basement of his Portland home, a hobby to share with his father. Family ties and the search for grapes introduced him to Walla Walla, so when decided to take the next step, the former software developer at Intel launched Adamant at the airport. He was part of the inaugural class of five incubator wineries nurtured by the Port of Walla Walla in 2006.
“Us and Trio Vintners were the very first ones in there,” stinger said. “We’ve since graduated — or hatched, as I call it — next to Buty, so we didn’t move very far.”
Adamant Cellars, 525 E. Cessna Ave., Walla Walla, WA, 99362, 509-529-4161, adamantcellars.com
Recipe:
Octopus with Potatoes, Olives, Pimenton and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Serves 2
5 pounds octopus
2 bay leaves
6 red potatoes
1⁄4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1⁄2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 tablespoons Pimenton dulce
2 tablespoons Pimenton picante
1⁄4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
Lemon juice, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
1. Clean the octopus by removing the beak head. Place octopus and potatoes in a pot large enough to hold them. Fill with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Add bay leaves and season with a pinch of sea salt.
2. You may need to weigh down the octopus with a plate to keep it in a the pot. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about an hour.
3. While octopus is simmering, make the seasoning by adding cumin, coriander and salt into a spice grinder and grinding until fine. Add spice and salt into a small bowl and mix in the pimenton dulce and pimenton picante and set aside. This is your pimenton seasoning salt.
4. When octopus and potatoes are done, remove from heat and let cool just enough to handle. Make sure to save the broth. Chop the octopus and potatoes into large bite-sized chunks.
5. Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add a few ounces of the broth. Quickly add the olives and the chopped octopus, potatoes and a dash of fresh lemon juice.
6. Spoon the octopus, potatoes and olives onto a serving platter or bowl, and include the juices. Sprinkle the pimenton seasoning salt over the dish so it looks like a red dusting over it.
7. Spread some picked flat-leaf parsley around randomly and drizzle with EVOO. Enjoy warm.
Chef’s note: The octopus and potatoes can be cooked 1-2 days in advance if necessary. However, they would be even better if flash-grilled over a charcoal or wood grill before tossing dressing.
Wine:
Bunchgrass Winery $28
2010 Triolet, Walla Walla Valley
— 175 cases, 14.3% alcohol
Tom Olander moved from San Diego to Walla Walla in 2001, leaving one famous hotel for another.
And while the hospitality industry lured him to the valley, the wine community led Olander to friendships, a winemaking educationand ownership in one of the region’s oldest brands.
“I moved up from the hotel del Coronado because I was recruited to open the Marcus Whitman hotel,” Olander said. “I was there for the first six months, and in that time I fell in love with Walla Walla.”
Soon, he served as restaurant manager and wine buyer for renowned Whitehouse-Crawford, spending nearly five years there. He took part in the first winemaking classes at Walla Walla Community College before moving to Abeja, where he worked at the winery and inn. Along the way, Olander met winemaker Roger Cockerline, who founded Bunchgrass Winery in 1997, but Cockerline also was one of the first grape growers in the valley.
In 2006, after nearly 25 years in the wine industry, Cockerline, a retired educator, wanted to step aside, so Olander and his longtime partner Barb Commare stepped in. Bunchgrass continues its longtime bond with Walla Walla Vintners, which is where Olander makes the red wines. It’s allowed Bunchgrass to grow from 400 cases to 850 cases, with a goal of reaching 1,200 cases in 2015.
“For the Bunchgrass wines, it’s not only about the great fruit, but there’s also a savory quality that comes through in this wine,” Olander said. “the dried herbs and cedar are the qualities that makes this great to pair with food. And as a trained sommelier, I don’t want there to be heavy oak, either.”
Bunchgrass’ flagship wine remains the Triolet, and its formula has been a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with a focus on Dwelley Vineyard for the Cabs and Frazier Bluff Vineyard for the Petit Verdot. In 2010, the combination was 68-28-4.
“Petit Verdot is just so dark and rich and has such great color,” Olander said. “It adds all those elements and shows up in the finish, adding depth and helps lengthen the finish on the wine.”
Bunchgrass Winery, 151 Bunchgrass Lane, Walla Walla WA 99362, 509-540-8963, bunchgrasswinery.com
Recipe:
Lamb Tagine al Maftoun
Serves 2
5 pounds boneless leg of lamb
3 eggs, uncooked
2 sweet onions, grated
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1⁄4 pound butter
1⁄4 cup sweet paprika
1 tablespoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cinnamon sticks, whole
2 teaspoons saffron
4 quarts water
1⁄4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped
Lemon juice, to taste
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
Zest from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups cappalletti noodles – broken into 1.5 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 quart saffron water
1 cucumber – cut into strips
1 cup cilantro
1⁄4 cup parsley
Salt & Pepper
1. If using a tagine, be sure to have prepped it according to its specifications and use a heat diffuser if it is made of clay. Be sure it is a cooking tagine and not a serving tagine. Serving tagines are usually quite decorative looking.
2. Cut the leg of lamb into chunks and marinate with about a 1/4 cup of grated onions and half of the chopped garlic.
3. Season liberally with salt and pepper and some olive oil, and let sit in the fridge for a couple hours.
4. In a large cooking tagine — or a skillet if you can’t find a tagine — heat the butter until just starting to brown. Add the lamb chunks and cook, just getting a little color on the meat.
5. Remove the chunks and add a little olive oil just to coat the pan if you need to. Add the rest of the grated onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the lamb back in continuing to cook. Add the spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the herbs. Add the water to just cover. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
7. Simmer for about an hour and a half or until tender. Season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Lemon yogurt
1. Grind garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle.
2. In a bowl combine pressed garlic, yogurt, zest of 1 lemon, the juice of the one lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Saffron noodles
1. Grind a pinch of saffron in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a powder, or grind in a spice grinder.
2. Add to water and heat to a simmer. Season well with salt and reserve.
3. Heat butter in a separate pot. 4. Add the broken noodles and cook, stirring until they start to turn a golden brown. 5. Add the saffron water to just barely cover the noodles and simmer until just starting to soften. The noodles should be turning yellow and able to bend a bit without breaking. Just 1-2 minutes.
6. Strain in a fine mesh sieve over a sink and run cold water over them until fully cooled, removing the starch. Let drain in the sieve for 5-10 minutes or until needed in the next step.
Final assembly
1. Once the lamb is tender and the simmering sauce has been reduced and seasoned to your taste with some fresh lemon, salt and pepper, add three uncooked eggs to the middle of the tagine. Season the eggs with a little salt, pepper and a pinch of ground cumin.
2. Add the noodles to the center of the tagine, covering the eggs by making sort of golden nest on top of the eggs, lamb and sauce.
3. Cover the tagine and continue to simmer for a few minutes until the eggs are set and the noodles have been steamed through.
4. Dress the picked parsley, cilantro and cucumbers with a dash of fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl.
5. Present the tagine at the table. Be sure to use a towel or tile as not to burn the table. Drizzle the yogurt over the noodles reserving some for the side.
6. Garnish with the dressed herb and cucumber salad.
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Eric Degerman is co-owner of Great Northwest Wine, a news and information website. Go to www.greatnorthwestwine.com.
This story was originally published March 11, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Match Makers: Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen."