DINING OUT The Table Restaurant in Bellingham
Transcription
DINING OUT The Table Restaurant in Bellingham
Given a choice, it's hard to decide whether to go for the breakfast fare or the lunch options—as we did, you may decide on both! A perfect gathering place, this new restaurant by The Bellingham Pasta Co. will have you returning again and again. the might present. Dave Reera, the head chef, was to be away that day but he was kind enough to send me the brunch menu via email a few days prior to our Sunday date. My wife has hinted more than once, and not too subtly I might add, that I have control issues. I thought well, okay, I don’t need to know what I am going to have for brunch on Sunday and so I chose not to look at the menu beforehand. Would this be an Italian brunch I wondered? I don’t know about you, but when I think of fresh pasta, as I do so often, I think of Italian cuisine. table by John Bollinger photography by Bridgewing Photography d i n i n g o u t I k n e w t h r e e things about The Table by Bellingham Pasta Co., the subject of our restaurant review, before our date to dine there: First, as the name implies, it was started by the owners of the Bellingham Pasta Co.; second, The Table opened in 2010 near the Mount Baker Theater; and third, they have Ravioli Thursdays! We were given the choice between dinner or Sunday brunch. We had yet to review a brunch so after a quick consultation with the team, brunch was a go. I was aware of the Bellingham Pasta Co., owned by Katie and Steve Hinton, and their stellar reputation for fresh pasta, but I admit I was curious about the dishes they 76 N W M O M M a g a zin e . c om Fall 2015 So what is an Italian brunch? I didn’t grow up Italian or on the east coast, I don’t speak Italian, and I have never even been to Italy. The only exposure I have had to Italian family meals is from movies. I have seen The Godfather, but that portrayed a different type of family. I remember watching John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino, and then later as Tony Manero, eating with family, hanging with friends, and dancing to the Bee Gees. And who can forget Cher ’s performance with Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck. Cher, who won an Academy Award for best actress for her performance, has raven hair and was married to a Bono, but that is as close to Italian as she gets. Cage, who played a Brooklyn bakery owner, actually has an Italian heritage. Because of the bakery parallels I decided that Moonstruck would be the closest imagery to draw from as I counted the days to our brunch. Cinematic influences aside, I was still unsure what an Italian brunch would look like. Quite frankly, I just assumed Fall 2015 N W M O M M a g a zi ne .c o m 77 the table Instead of cooked on the top of a stove, the vanilla bean pancakes were baked in a skillet and served with maple syrup and plump blueberries sourced from local farms. The pancakes were presented like a crater that perfectly held the butter and syrup in place for each bite. The menu cautioned us to allow 15-20 minutes for cooking time, and I can tell you they were worth the wait. Brunch is not brunch without Eggs Benedict. The Table’s adaptation to the classic dish is to make croutons from a baguette to replace an English muffin and to use grilled Canadian bacon instead of ham. The dish was applause worthy. For the next act my wife asked to try the glutenfree biscuit balls. To know Crystal is to love her and her penchant for ordering biscuits and gravy every time she sees it on a menu. These biscuit balls were stuffed with green onions and cheddar cheese, fried crisp, and finished in the oven. The unique and oh-so-perfect flavor of the 78 people everywhere had traditional breakfast fare for brunch, with a regional twist, no matter what zip codes or country codes followed an establishment’s street address. That was until we had Sunday brunch at The Table restaurant in downtown Bellingham. as a harvest table. When I was later informed by our waitperson that the owners’ original intentions were to create a gathering space atmosphere, the logo, long tables, great food smells, and fresh-cut flowers all came together quite nicely to set the table for an inviting experience. Upon entering the front door we were met with a sign that invited us to seat ourselves, and we had a choice between three distinctly different rows of tables. We opted for a four-top against the wall and settled in with mild curiosity and anticipation. As I looked around the restaurant I noticed that the center row consisted of two long tables that could each comfortably seat 10-12 guests. I then glanced at the menu and was immediately drawn to the restaurant logo. The top of the capital T is elongated to be part of what could be interpreted Our waiter, Joe Kensok, greeted us with menus and took our beverage requests. We selected two standard brunch drinks, a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa, and the chef also presented us with a wild card—the French 75. To my surprise Big Gin from Captive Spirits in Seattle makes for a crisp, refreshing brunch beverage—the French 75—when combined with simple syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling wine. N W M O M M a g a zin e . c om Fall 2015 For the warm-up act we started with pancakes, a traditional brunch item, but with a slight twist. All the dishes at The Table are prepared with the most fresh, local ingredients as possible. The garnish pickles are made at the restaurant and in themselves are delectable Need dinner? Pick up some fresh pasta and fresh sauce to go. · DINING o u t chicken sausage gravy was a touch of genius. They could get me to order them anytime I see them headlining a menu. I asked Joe if he was local to Bellingham or grew up elsewhere. He shared with us that he moved to the northwest three years ago after growing up in Wisconsin. My first thought was to ask him about recent Seahawk and Packer games but I chose not to go there, instead focusing on the merits of growing up in the land of cheese. Speaking of cheese, the Beet-Goat Ravs was the dish that first jumped off the program page. Anything with goat cheese is always considered, but as a personal rule of thumb when I see Pecorino Romano mentioned I almost always move that item to the top of the list. For 2,000 years chefs have included this slightly salty lamb production to offset the richness of pasta sauces, and I was sure I wouldn’t be disappointed. My one pause for concern was the word beets. I have had many different food items for meals early in the day but I have to say that beets have never been on that list! I was intrigued and so I cajoled, insisted, and finally implored my wife to let me include the Beet-Goat Ravs on our tasting request. Truth be told, she was as eager as I was to taste the dish—I just thought a little drama would add an Italian flavor to my review. The dish produced an awardworthy performance. The ravioli, of course, had the lead but was well supported by the rich taste of the golden beets. The kale, sage, and parsley worked well together in their bit parts and finished off the scene perfectly. The final act was to be shared by all at our table— the demi-fredo and the fusilli pasta with the brown butter hazelnut sauce. The bison-pork meatballs were an unexpected surprise. Even though I was already full I think I might have distracted the other three diners at the table long enough to eat most of the three delicious meatballs with nary a protest. The ladies at the table were discussing the graceful shape of the fusilli pasta, the soft earth tone colors with the delicate hazelnut flavor, and the hint of sage. We were satiated at this point in the meal, but we knew an encore was just an appreciative applause away. On cue Joe delivered a crème brûlée and a peach and white chocolate eggroll. I do enjoy crème brûlée but it was the eggroll that had my fullest attention. I have been a white chocolate fan since my older sister introduced it to me so many years ago at the Northgate Mall—so many years ago it was the only mall! Paired with peaches and housemade ice cream, it was the perfect ending to our culinary entertainment. Bravo to the entire cast of The Table restaurant for a production worthy of repeat performances! nwm Fall 2015 N W M O M M a g a zi ne .c o m 79