oddfellows café and bar

UPDATE:  April 13

Well that was short-lived.  It seems Ericka Burke has quietly parted ways with Oddfellows, choosing instead to return to her post at Volunteer Park Café.  It appears to be amicable, and it’s not terribly surprising given the relatively outspoken criticism of the food (including by Derschang herself).  Brendan Kiley breaks it down over here.

Best news yet?  Apparently culinary rock star Matt Dillon of Sitka & Spruce and Corson Building fame will be on board during the interim, although I can’t tell if he’s actually cooking or just consulting on a menu redesign.  Only one way to find out!

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Last month, in the midst of the snowstorms and giftwrap, local coolhunting impresario Linda Derschang quietly opened her latest venture on Capitol Hill – Oddfellows Café and Bar.  Established in the century-old Oddfellows building on 10^th and Pine and promoted as a collaboration with chef Ericka Burke (of Volunteer Park Café and Carmelita fame), I was immediately intrigued by the concept.  Would the place succeed as both hipster mecca and soccer mom sanctuary?  I strapped on my snowshoes and set forth to find out, that friggin’ R.E.M. song stuck on permanent repeat in my head (you know the one).

Speaking of music, Derschang has always focused on the significance of music at her establishments, and Oddfellows is no different.  There is no jukebox here, but the music is loud and notable and the playlist is meticulously crafted.  There is nary a dead animal in sight.  I guess Linda has finally gotten over the taxidermy chic so prominent at Smith and King’s Hardware.  Instead, the décor is all vintage sepia photographs and antique kitchen wares.  There is an enormous, faded American flag hanging on the wall by the front door.  The space is cavernous and rustic, all brick and worn hardwood.  The sheer size of the airy room is shocking in comparison to Derschang’s other places around town.  It reminds me of an old-school dining hall, with long tables and benches and a constant low level roar.

The menu is equally thoughtful, and highlights Ericka Burke’s straightforward approach to food preparation.  Lots of grilled sandwiches and baked goods and other comfort foods.  A postage stamp on the printed menu says “We love… we love… SHEPHERDS PIE”.  As it turns out, so do I.  Creamy florets of buttery mashed potatoes are delicately piped over savory ground beef, diced celery, carrots and onions.  Simple and warm and good.  Perfect with a pint of Rogue Dead Guy Ale, one of my very favorite winter beers.  The café menu during the day is not substantially different from the bar menu at night, with the most obvious distinction being that the deep fryer is not functional while the sun is out.  So in the evening, when the baby strollers have been replaced by laughably tight jeans, you can order french fries served in a great big silver coffee tin and a side of special sauce to go along with your Oddfellow sandwich (apparently ketchup and curry powder equals special).  During the day you must place your order at the bar and take a number to your table, but traditional wait service is offered at night.

That signature Oddfellow panini is really quite exceptional – a trio of meats (salami, coppa and ham) grilled up with tangy, pickled red onions and melted gruyere on toasty slabs of dark wheat bread.  A perfect harmony of bold flavors.  Those fries however, were not so good.  Mealy, underdone, bland.  On the other hand, the pork rillettes served on crostini with cornichons, dijon mustard and more of those outstanding pickled onions ranks with some of the best I’ve ever had.  Rich and lush and served in a cute glass jar, slather the shredded pork over the crispy hunks of bread and try not to drool on yourself.  Enjoy with the signature Oddfellow cocktail – bourbon and cointreau and blood orange bitters.  In general, the drinks are strong and served in quaint, old-fashioned cocktail glasses (check out the Elder Fashion No. 2 – gin and campari and grapefruit).

I think my only real complaint with Oddfellows has to be the ridiculous amount of energy spent on branding.  I know Derschang is an incredibly successful businesswoman, but from the sandwiches to the cocktails to the cookies (chocolate chips, walnuts, molasses), nearly everything seems to be appended with the Oddfellow^TM name.  There’s even Oddfellow swag for sale – tote bags, t-shirts, postcards, etc.  I know name recognition is important, but this seems like overkill to me.  Of course, maybe I’m just annoyed because I still can’t get that frickin’ song out of my head.  Why do the heathens rage behind the firehouse…?

smith

UPDATE:  October 29

Wow, musical chefs continues at Smith.  As of last week, looks like Palagi is out and Eliot Guthrie is in (Artemis, Campagne, Le Pichet, Lark).  That’s some impressive chops.  He’s reportedly bringing some new dishes to the menu, as well.  Stay tuned!

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When I first moved to Seattle almost a decade ago, I lived in a studio in Queen Anne and the rest of my expat friends landed on Capitol Hill.  We spent a lot of time at the Comet in those days.  And we usually recovered the next morning over omelettes at Linda’s.  Hair of the dog and the nicest people on earth.  Plus there was always something good on the jukebox.

Fast forward to 2008 and Linda Derschang’s new(ish) venture Smith on 15th Ave. E. just turned ONE in June.  To me it’s always seemed like the culmination of her vision, and I couldn’t feel more at home amidst the taxidermy and the noise, drinking and eating and celebrating with my friends.  Or curing a hangover the following morning.  Particularly helpful: the grilled gruyere and onion jam sandwich (with bacon), and requisite greens on the side.  You’ll be shuffling in your Converse again before you know it.

Stopped by a couple of weeks ago for an acquaintance’s farewell party and… I just realized that earlier in the summer I went to another bon voyage party at Viceroy.  I think that’s the charm of Linda’s joints — you want to say goodbye to the space as much as your friends.  And there’s always something good on the jukebox.  Guaranteed.  Anyhow, Smith wasn’t as crowded as usual, probably because of the bizarre heatwave crushing Seattle that weekend.  Shared a crispy oxtail terrine with parsley and orange, which was tasty, but very crispy — there was little indication that a “terrine” had ever been involved.  Also split the cornmeal crusted catfish with hamhock and lentils (much better, the fish was moist and the lentils were tender and flavorful).  Finished with a butter lettuce salad with radishes and parmesan, which was refreshing for such a hot night.

I’ve been ridiculously obsessed with Grüner Veltliner this summer, and I was thrilled to score the last glass of the evening.  I actually don’t recall the winemaker, though I do remember drinking Maker’s Mark for the rest of the night.  There’s probably a correlation there.  Additionally: after hearing that there had been some shakeup in the kitchen, I discovered that the original menu was designed by Gordon Wishard (of Harvest Vine and Licorous), but is currently being run by Tyler Palagi, late of Ferrara on Vashon Island (never went).

I love Smith.  Try the poutine.  It’s nontraditional, and lighter than anything you’d ever get in Quebec.  Stay away from the Ham and Cheese Donuts.  Just trust me on that.