Thursday, August 16, 2007

Welcome, Chef Angie!

Raise your forks to BOKA's newest member of the family! Angie Roberts, a highly respected Seattle chef with an affinity for local and sustainable ingredients, will join BOKA KITCHEN+BAR as its executive chef effective Sept. 4.

Angie brings to BOKA her acumen for sourcing and working with Pacific Northwest producers. As a committed advocate of sustainable agriculture and local farmers, she places a strong emphasis on local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. Angie's contributions will enhance BOKA’s Urban American menu concept, deepening the restaurant’s local roots by utilizing her trusted network of producers and suppliers and bringing those relationships to her new culinary team.

Talent and creative collaboration have always been the foundation of BOKA’s “Bold Original Kitchen Artistry.” The new chef joins a highly capable culinary team, including chef de cuisine Davin Klippel, who worked alongside chef Mark Sullivan at the Village Pub in Woodside, Calif. (Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef, 2002); sous chef Giles van der Bogert, a Northwest native who garnered experience at Ponti Seafood Grill; sous chef Larry Monaco, a Southern Californian who worked at Danny Meyer’s Tabla and Gramercy Tavern; and pastry chef Liz Jenkins, who honed her abilities at Seattle dining favorites Ponti Seafood Grill and Canlis.

Angie most recently served as the chef of Flying Fish, heading up kitchen operations since 2005. Previous credits include a prestigious, six-year tenure at the W Hotel in Seattle. There she served on the hotel’s opening team and progressed through many culinary positions, including sous chef for Earth & Ocean restaurant and executive sous chef for the entire operation. During her career there, she had the opportunity to work alongside celebrated chefs Johnathan Sundstrom (now chef-owner of Lark and Licorous restaurants) and Maria Hines (now chef-owner of Tilth restaurant), both of whom earned honors as a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef while at the helm of Earth & Ocean.

Angie began her career at age 18, formally studying both nutrition and culinary arts. She secured her first sous chef post at age 21 and cooked at the famed James Beard House in New York with Earth & Ocean opening chef Jean Michel Boulot at the age of 23.

Please welcome her on your next visit to the restaurant!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Fortify, on the Fourth of July!

This you'll love: BOKA's picnic plates on the patio

BOKA Kitchen + Bar puts the American in Urban American Cuisine with a picnic plate, featuring melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef burgers grilled and served all day long on its First Avenue patio, in the heart of downtown.

BOKA’s picnic plate includes the Wagyu burger, potato salad, and Dry Soda for $12. July 4, Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. BOKA is also open for its regular dining on July 4. You know where to find us, 1010 First Ave at Madison; www.bokaseasttle.com

Friday, June 8, 2007

Happy Bokaversary, to us! June 26

BITE INTO BOKA’S BIRTHDAY BEST
An amazing prix fixe menu with optional wine pairing affords an opportunity to try even more of a good thing

Maybe it’s our chic surroundings, the creative, habit-forming menu, or the people who love to serve you. Whatever the case, BOKA KITCHEN + BAR has flourished as an ultra-luxe restaurant destination raved about for an innovative urban American menu, hand-crafted cocktails and spirited atmosphere. To toast its first year of success, BOKA is celebrating its birthday with a five-course dinner menu and optional wine pairing starting Sunday, June 24 and ending Saturday, June 30. The dinner is $50/person with optional wine pairing an additional $20.

The first course brings poached scallop quenelles on arugula (BOKA house brut rosé 1999 Willamette Valley); followed by mixed field greens tossed with alpine strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette; (Cedergreen Cellars rosé 2006 Columbia Valley). In true Northwest spirit, the third course offers copper river salmon with creamed corn, chanterelle mushrooms, mission figs, walla walla onion jam, bacon jus, (Domaine Drouhin “Arthur” chardonnay 2005 Willamette Valley); and an intermezzo of cucumber melon sorbet, cucumber mint salsa. Then dive into the main course, a succulent pan roasted muscovy duck breast (Montinore pinot noir 2005 Willamette Valley )and a surprise birthday dessert (Distefano “St. Johns” 2003 Columbia Valley).

As an added gift, BOKA will buy a bottle of specially-labeled BOKA sparkling rose for any table (two or more guests) that exclusively orders the birthday menu.

Call 206-357-9000 or visit http://www.bokaseattle.com/ for more information.
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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Seis passes the BOKA toque

BOKA Kitchen + Bar bids a fond farewell to Executive Chef Seis Kamimura on May 18 when he becomes the new executive chef and assistant general manager of Wolfgang Puck’s catering operations at the Seattle Design Center and Benaroya Hall.

Kamimura hand-picked the talented BOKA team, whose excellence continues to keep customers coming back and the restaurant highly regarded among food critics and travel writers.

One such talent, Executive Sous Chef Brian Erskine, will serve as interim chef and continues to build upon BOKA's innovative concept of Urban American Cuisine. Erskine played an instrumental role in the initial menu development and now implements the ongoing seasonal changes.

A candidate search has commenced and an announcement is anticipated in the near future. We wish Seis the best, and if you don't already know Brian, stop by and say hello!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

"Cellar" Spring Cleaning: Divine by the glass

Cheers to a "spring cleaning" in wines by-the-glass! Out with the old and in with the new! BOKA celebrates the Northwest.

New glass pours feature the talents of Washington and Oregon producers. Sample the region with the likes of Dunham Cellars, Hedges Cellars, Woodward Canyon and Nota Bene Cellars, and Domaine Drouhin.

BOKA stays value driven with samplings of the best in a price-point that won’t and for those who would like to try sips of what is normally only available in bottle, Marc is offering “top tier” pours in three or six ounces. Try a flight!

Half price wines (bottles) are offered Friday Lunches and Tuesday nights. Enjoy a bottle from either the BOKA list or Marc’s List at half off!

And don't forget about Studio tastings; Wine Wednesdays run from 5:30-7 p.m. Up next:

  • April 18th: Andrew Will Winery’s new vintages of Sorella Red Wine, Champoux Red Wine, and Two Blondes Vineyard Red wine. Vintages are all 2004. Rarely will you have the chance to taste this Northwest Icon’s wines by the glass.
  • April 25th: Rosés: A prelude to summer! Taste some of the season’s early releases. These are dry roses and nothing says summer like these crisp, refreshing and in some cases, quite profound, wines.

    All tastings are accompanied by cheese and Charcuterie; $30 dollars complete. These wines will be available in BOKA during the dinner hour in flights or by the glass, on Wine Wednesday nights only.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Take a Sip Trip

Signature cocktails at BOKA embody the essence liquid leisure. We welcome the springtime return of the “Fresh” along with other classics like the “Smokey Hibiscus Margarita” and new interpretations on classic libations…BOKA style baby!

· The return of the Fresh! a refreshing muddle of Cucumber, Mint, Lime and Aviation Gin, topped off with a splash of Soda.

· Ginger Thai, a snappy mix of Lime, fresh ginger and our own ginger infused vodka, sure to dust out the cobwebs of winter.

· New Liquid Desserts to be featured on the “Sweets” menu.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Spring Fling

We all crave something new once in a while. For BOKA, it comes with the vibrancy of spring in the menu!

Featuring local seasonal ingredients, green is the color! Young pea vines in a Spring Pea Risotto. Enjoy the enchanting whimsical sketches of Chef Kamimura and team as they “lighten” up the menu with the fresh flavors of the season;
· Pea vines, green garlic, Favas and English Peas….
· Wild Alaskan Halibut poached in Carrots and citrus…
· The return of Wild Alaskan Salmon!
Enjoy the fresh flavors of spring.