Thursday Lunch Club at Spring Hill
Is it really necessary to tell you about Spring Hill’s Mark Fuller? As if you didn’t know that, in 2009 alone, he nabbed Food & Wine’s Best New Chef, StarChefs’ Rising Star Chef, Bon Appétit’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America, Travel+Leisure’s 50 Best New U.S. restaurants, and semifinalist for James Beard Best Northwest Chef, among others. Or before that, he skyrocketed from line cook at Etta’s into the chef’s hat at Dahlia Lounge during his seven year tenure with Tom Douglas. Or maybe you haven’t been wowed summer after summer with Mark’s dazzling demos at summer camp. Or were unaware that Mark (alongside Tom Douglas and Eric Tanaka) took on six-time undefeated Iron Chef Morimoto’s crew, and whupped their butts with a salmon. Or didn’t see him featured in The Week, SFGate, Edible Seattle, Sunset Magazine (twice), NY Times Magazine, Seattle Magazine (four times), Bon Appétit, Travel+Leisure, Yahoo! Travel, Seattle Weekly (thrice), Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, Culture, Rachael Ray Magazine, Examiner, Time, Parade, The Stranger, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, and Behind The Burner. But, I don’t want to mislead you: that was just in 2010.
Being from Seattle, Mark’s focus is naturally on the foods of the Northwest, but not just in a super-fresh, local, and top-notch way. His brand of freshness extends to the ideas and inspirations that he playfully infuses into his dishes, which keep his train of awards growing from year to year. So I’m over-the-top excited because Mark (and partner Marjorie) will open Spring Hill this Thursday for a special Seattle Foodies Lunch Club. The theme will combine our collective winter obsession with tropical beach postcards, and Mark’s early culinary experiences working at Kauai’s A Pacific Café. I’m talking about luau, NW tropical feasting, Mark Fuller-style. Here’s what it looks like:
Pupu’s
crispy kalua duck
ahi poke
bulgogi beef, kim chee
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Lunch
‘roasted’ chicken
stir fried emmer, smoked hedgehogs
baby sweet potato, yolk, up land cress
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Dessert
roasted pineapple
li hing mui sorbet, haupia
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Chocolates
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Wine pairing TBA
Airport security screening not required.
Where: Spring Hill
Address: 4437 California Ave SW
When: Thursday, Feb. 3rd, 11:30am
Cost: $35 (+ tax, tip, drinks), optional wine pairing $20
Right now we’re fully booked, but in case there’s a last-minute cancellation, email me if you’d like to join us and I’ll let you know!
Update:
As expected, Mark’s lunch was insane. How good? In the end, he emerged from the backroom to a standing ovation. Turns out 45 very happy foodies can make a lot of noise. Mark hung back and waved, smiling uncomfortably (he’s a tad shy). The applause continued, surging in waves, and stopping only when he disappeared into the walk-in fridge. Afterward, when I thanked him, he just looked at me and said, “THAT was embarrassing.”
I can think of a lot of adjectives to describe Mark’s food. But “embarrassing” is definitely not on the list. Click on any photo to start the slideshow, and see for yourself.
February Lunch Club At Spring Hill
Great news! Marjorie Chang Fuller at Spring Hill has given us the green light for February. They will open the doors for a special Seattle Foodies Lunch Club. Note this is will be on THURSDAY, Feb. 3rd at 11:30am.
Chef Mark Fuller is working out menu ideas, so I’ll post them and send out the usual announcement as soon as he’s ready. Mark has been orchestrating epic meals, so this is one lunch you’re going to regret missing. And I mean, take-it-to-your-grave regret.
But here’s the kicker: in less than two days, even with no menu yet, we have 40 reservations! This is one is going to be huge. So please email your R.S.V.P. if you can make it. And stay tuned for the juicy details…
(P.S. Send me an email if you’d like to get on the events announcement list.)
UPDATE: Spring Hill has cried “Uncle!” and asked to cap lunch at 40 people. So I’ve started a wait-list because, who knows, maybe we can talk them into adding more!