Chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are opening a new restaurant in Seattle called The Coterie Room. In 2008 the duo opened Spur Gastropub in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood which Food & Wine magazine placed on their Go List of "the most outstanding, must-visit restaurants in the world". A year later they brought Tavern Law, named by GQ Magazine as one of the best bars in America, to Seattle’s Capitol Hill. The Coterie Room, two doors up from Spur on the corner of 2nd and Blanchard, will open sometime in the fall, with an October target. The restaurant will serve brunch, lunch and dinner with late night dining planned as well to meet demand.
The 2,200 square foot space in the 1920s brick building is located at 2137 Second Avenue. This will be the acclaimed Chefs’ first restaurant; Spur and Tavern Law are both 21-and-over establishments.
“The food will be approachable and delicious, good American classics. Lunch will have a very simple service where you pick your sandwich, your side and your drink and you pay $15 across the board,” says Tough. “We did a brunch the other weekend at Spur to test things out and we’re in love with a few items that are absolutely going on The Coterie Room’s brunch menu: a corned duck hash, some fritters, and a great version of an eggs benedict. Dinner’s going to offer small plates, entrée size dishes and family style servings so people can pick what they want for dinner, late night… for dining or sharing.”
“With The Coterie Room we’re going for a feel of elegance and class, stripped of the stuffiness you often find in older places with that great sense of presence. Modern touches, natural botanical elements, and an approachable nature of good service and good food have us really excited,” says McCracken, himself a Belltown resident.
Taking a decidedly modern approach to a timeless craft, Chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough honor and elevate their carefully sourced ingredients. They have been named in the nation's Top Five Chefs by Gayot, as Rising Star Chefs, and were nominated by the editors of Food & Wine magazine for The People’s Best New Chef awards. The Chef Owners propelled their restaurant Spur onto Food & Wine magazine's coveted Go List and Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List of the world's best restaurants. It was one of the Top Nine Best New Restaurants last Summer in Tina Brown's Daily Beast and was named Seattle's Best Restaurant for Cutting Edge Food. Tavern Law, their Prohibition-era inspired cocktail bar, was named by GQ Magazine as one of the Best 25 Bars in America. Tavern Law has been mentioned in Details magazine, the New York Times, Food & Wine magazine and Gourmet magazine. This spring Worth magazine cited Tavern Law as one of the world’s top five secret hot spots. In May Bon Appetit magazine showcased their recipe for a housemade grapefruit soda in their Good Health section. McCracken and Tough’s collaboration dates back to 2005 where they worked together under Chef Maria Hines.
To join The Coterie Room’s email list for more information as it becomes available, visit www.thecoterieroom.com. Follow the Chefs on Twitter: @McCrackenTough.
Providence Cicero, Seattle Times restaurant critic, puts together a list of some of the best food she has sampled at area restaurants in 2011. "Chefs do it. Why can't I? In the spirit of auld lang syne, I've composed a virtual tasting menu culled from my favorite dishes of the year. Granted, as a single meal it's better suited to a Roman orgy, but portions will be small. If you're hungry afterward, just set your GPS for any of the locations listed in the sidebar. Here's to more good eating in 2012! So many menus open with nibbles these days. These three knocked me off my bar stool: The Coterie Room's truffle fonduta with "cracklins" (faux pork rinds that taste like porky, deep-fried air)..." 12/30/11
