"Simple elegance" is the most appropriate way to describe the
dishes of La Boucherie on Vashon Island. Their Sunday Ragu features a
slow-cooked sauce of Italian tomatoes and beef and pork ribs, while a
Grilled Rib Steak is made even more mouthwatering by adding homemade
lemon-scented farm butter. Dishes like Spicy Korean-style Brisket Stew
with Poached Egg add an international flavor, while the Charcuterie
Platter stands out as the dish you cannot
miss (photo by Charity Lynne Burggraaf). Since 2008, La Boucherie has been impressing Vashon Island
residents and Seattleites alike with simple yet delectable food that
strictly adheres to the concept of farm-to-table cooking.
George and Kris never set out to own a restaurant. Then again, they
never set out to create their own self-sustaining farm, either. Twelve
years ago they started the small, family-run Sea Breeze Farm on Vashon
Island, raising their own cows, pigs, chickens and other assorted
animals. Despite selling their homemade meats, eggs, wines and raw dairy
products at multiple markets throughout the city of Seattle, it wasn’t
until George Page was offered the empty space left behind by a seafood
restaurant that La Boucherie was born.
Excited about bringing his unique farming style directly to the
plates of diners, it didn't take long to be convinced to start a
restaurant. The small, intimate interior and quaint outdoor patio
seating made the location perfect for fine dining. A deli case was
already built into the front counter, which made it a perfect place to
display and sell their homemade sausages, bacon and other meat products
to customers on Vashon Island.
The Pages are very hands-on owners who like to take part in all
aspects of both their farm and the restaurant. It’s not unusual to see
Kris Page helping out at the restaurant or answering the phones. They
enjoy meeting patrons and establishing a relationship with customers,
whether they’re dining at the restaurant or shopping at their market.
They follow the philosophy that everyone should know where their food is
coming from and who is producing it for them.
George Page courtesy of Sea Breeze Farm
Sea Breeze Farm, of course, supplies the fresh, home grown meat and
dairy needed to fuel the restaurant. Most of the fruits and vegetables
are obtained by trading meat and dairy to a few vegetable farms that are
also located on Vashon Island. With a constant supply of the freshest,
healthiest ingredients a restaurant could possibly obtain, it is the
ideal kitchen for chef Dustin Calery.
Calery hasn’t followed the same path as most other chefs. He never
attended a culinary arts school or obtained formal training, which is
quite rare for a chef of his caliber. You’ll rarely find him eating at a
restaurant himself, and he has no interest in following food trends or
watching cooking shows. Although he holds high respect for other chefs,
he is not interested in what they are doing, preferring instead to stay
in his own little food bubble which, judging by the quality of food at
La Boucherie, is working out perfectly well for him.
Preparing farm-to-table meals is second nature to Calery. He learned
to cook while growing up on his family’s small, self-sustaining farm in
Kentucky, which he describes as being very similar to Sea Breeze Farm.
Though cooking was always an activity he enjoyed, it wasn’t until he
traveled throughout Europe, Central and South America that he realized
how passionate he was about food. The tiny local restaurants and
countryside farms serving authentic farm-to-table dishes are what
inspired him to say goodbye to his English degree and pursue a career as
a chef.
Settling in Seattle, Calery trained under several prominent chefs
before being hired as the Executive Chef of Harbor Club, a huge,
downtown-based restaurant known for hosting catered events for up to 300
people. It wasn’t long before Calery’s joy turned sour. "Produce venders
hated me," he says with a laugh. "None of their produce was worthy of
being cooked. I was always sending it back." After being spoiled by a
childhood of home-grown food, who could blame him?
Calery was already a big fan of the Seattle Farmer’s Markets and Sea
Breeze Farm when he found out they were looking for a chef to head their
restaurant. He applied right away, hoping to get the job. "When I had my
interview, George brought out a big chunk of meat, and I went to his
house and made dinner for them," he says, smiling. He admits that he is
spoiled as a chef now, having access to the best ingredients and not
having to deal with low quality products or stubborn food vendors.
It is the ingredients themselves that are the biggest inspiration for
Calery and his intern, Cody (who is also a pastry chef), when they’re
creating a menu. Since they spend so much time at the farmer’s markets,
they know what is in season and available. If a product looks good,
they’ll create a dish for it on the next menu.
Photo by Matthew Williams
Farm-to-table cooking does, however, pose some challenges. Sometimes
Calery has an idea for the menu, but an ingredient he needs either isn’t
in season or just isn’t available locally when needed. Winter can be a
challenge, because chickens lay fewer eggs and produce less meat, cows
produce less milk and growing produce slows down; all obstacles that he
has to use his creativity to work around.
Yet for Calery, the pros far outweigh the cons. He enjoys working in
a small restaurant with lots of freedom. The Pages have a great deal of
faith in him, and never push him to change his menu or use items
differently. Adhering to the Pages’ idea that everyone should know their
food producers, in this case their chef, he likes to interact with his
diners, something he never got to do while working downtown. After our
interview, the first lunch table arrives and Calery waits on them
himself before heading back to the kitchen to cook their meal.
Calery’s methods may be out of the ordinary, but then so is his food.
He presents me with a braised pork rib and pumpkin stew with Caribbean
seasoning that can only be described in words unsuitable for a PG-rated
magazine. An accompanying salad tastes like what my grandmother would
pluck from her backyard garden in the mornings. His is a truly timeless
cooking style that celebrates the simplicity of home-grown ingredients.
Photo of lamb chops by Tim Aguero
Those of us at Seattle DINING! are not the only ones to
realize the beauty of La Boucherie. In January, you can see La Boucherie
featured on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.
December 2011
Emily Mercer is a food and motorcycle enthusiast, working and
writing for both Mixed MEDIA! magazines, Seattle DINING! and
Sound RIDER!
