The Bohemian

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I had the privilege of writing for the Seattle edition of Conscious Choice Magazine, and it was sad to see them close up shop a few weeks ago. I wanted to share my first article with you about a fabulous restaurant, The Bohemian, in my neighborhood of West Seattle.

Le Bohemian
Awaken your inner poet with provincial bites and vintage cocktails

Inspiration for The Bohemian, West Seattle’s new neighborhood restaurant, began years ago in France where Jason Rice, owner and chef, was taken by the uncomplicated Provincial foods, at once simple and well produced, yet impressive and culinarily advanced. As he puts it, “food that doesn’t need messing with.” Rice married that approach to a European café culture, specifically that of the Bohemian era of nineteenth century France where artists, musicians and poets led unconventional and alternative lifestyles. The Bohemian is aptly named with its rustic cuisine, Art Nouveau décor, and friendly unpretentious staff.

We sat down at the long bar and asked Eirik, master elixir-mixer and brother of Jason, to guide us through his inventive drink menu. I ordered the Lavender Lemon Drop ($8), a beautiful concoction complete with a house made lavender-infused honey swirled inside the glass. Had I not been in public I would have shamelessly licked out the honey, but I refrained and instead nibbled my way around the lavender sugared rim. Other beverages range from vintage cocktails, such as The Sazerac ($6), to Eirik’s Purple Passion ($9), a house-infused blueberry vanilla vodka.

This chef-owner is committed to providing foods that are seasonal, local and organic and blending them with world flavors that creates an eclectic, yet approachable menu. Specializing in small plates to share we ordered up an assortment. We started with his take on baña calda. Reflecting his rustic theme, this dish of whole roasted garlic cloves atop sun-dried tomatoes ($6) and served with a selection of artisan bread was beyond comfort on a cold evening. A Spanish white anchovy version is also offered (or $8 for both). To me, there is nothing better than smearing golden roasted garlic over a good piece of bread.

Jason was determined to restore or recycle as much of the original structure as possible during renovations on the charming brick building. If you order the delicious raclette (ranging from $10-$18 depending on size) you’ll find the scrumptious melted cheeses bubbling in a fire-hot cast iron Lodge dish resting upon a wood plank. That plank is a section of the original floorboards salvaged to incorporate into the dinner service.

The Bohemian’s twist on the standard American mac and cheese is a delicious eyes-roll-to-the-back-of-your-head smoked bleu, from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery, melted together with whole wheat pasta, spinach, caramelized shallots, smoked bacon and topped with a Pacific Northwest favorite of mine: hazelnuts, toasted and crushed.

For dessert, try a sorbet martini “du jour” with a splash of either champagne or navan vanilla cognac ($5-8) or one of his “candy shop treats” such as a farro biscotti ($1.25 each) or a dark chocolate trufflette (.25 each). Looking to cleanse your palate with something more savory, order up the chef’s selection of artisan cheeses served with fig compote, quince membrillo, fresh fruit and breads ($9).

Jason credits everything he learned about sustainability to Suzanne Cameron of Cameron Catering in Ballard where he worked as a chef. As a result, he is passionate about leaving as little footprint on our dear planet as possible. All cup and paper products for their to-go tea, coffee, and pastry service are corn-based, and all in-house paper products and food waste are composted. In fact, for a busy restaurant they take out only a few small bags of garbage a week, slightly more than the average family, and at week’s end the recycling bins are overflowing. Within 60 days, Cedar Grove, the company that handles his organic waste has converted the restaurant’s waste into useful compost. Their kitchen oil is also trucked away by Standard Biodiesel.

My bet is that The Bohemian will become a weekly destination for many West Seattleites, not just a place folks go once a month for a splendid meal, but the neighborhood place.