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Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, The Edgewater Hotel has become a Seattle landmark. Throughout the years, it has maintained its reputation as a "nice" hotel; in January of 1988 it was purchased by Noble House Hotels and Resorts and massively renovated. Since 2004, another $20 million in renovations has taken place. And yet…they’re not done. Sure, there are some physical changes still taking place, but the important news is how they are positioning themselves and the steps they’re taking to make it happen.

Photo: The Edgewater lobby

Owner Patrick Colee started his career in leasing, developing and managing properties in Seattle and continued developing office space after moving to Los Angeles in 1979. In 1981, he purchased an office block in Dallas that held The Adolphus Hotel. Unable to find a company to manage it, he took it on himself. In 1994, he changed his company’s name to Noble House Hotels and Resorts and relocated to Kirkland, where they are headquartered today. All properties stay true to the culture and environment in which they’re located.

Over the last several years, Patrick and his wife Diane have begun the serious process of positioning the Edgewater to be one of Seattle’s top hotels. They’re "all about the food" according to staff members. Other Noble House restaurants have received top culinary awards (see www.noblehousehotels.com for specifics).

In October 2007, Executive Chef Jordan Mackey was hired from Noble House’s Grove Isle Hotel & Spa in Miami (now sold). Rudy Sharp, Regional Managing Director, arrived in November 2007 from Centex Destination Properties in Austin, Texas. With full commitment from management, he has put a strong leadership team in place in all areas. Roy Breiman was hired as Hotel Manager in July 2008 (formerly executive chef at Salish Lodge & Spa) overseeing all hotel and restaurant operations, and Ric Nicholson was hired in September 2008 as Director of Sales and Marketing, moving from The Adolphus, a Noble House property in Dallas. Tom Wright was hired February 1 to be the General Manager of six │seven restaurant, moving from the Grove Isle Hotel & Spa.

Photo above: Hotel Manager Roy Breiman

All are excited to be in Seattle. Rudy is originally from Seattle and a UW grad. Roy was at Salish for five years forging relationships with local producers and foragers to create seasonal menus. Ric Nicholson and his wife, interestingly, met at a networking event in 1975 at The Edgewater. They raised their kids in Kent. Jordan is thrilled to have access to amazing products so close at hand and wants to raise his family in the Northwest. Tom keeps stopping to gaze out the windows and says "There’s just no comparison between the glitz and glamour of Miami and the natural beauty of Seattle."

The concept for six│seven is inspired seasonal cuisine, meaning the menu will change often. "We want to execute this in a very Seattle way," explains Roy. "A more casual feel, but a high-end dining experience. We have such abundant product selection in this area and can offer great quality. Our menu will have a section for organics and sustainable items. We’ll also be offering organic wines." The new menu will start in April following the Dine Around Seattle promotion in March. "I’m excited about our April menu," says Chef Jordan. "We’ll have ‘regional local’ items. What I’m really excited about is the migration to summer when we’ll have so much choice in ‘local local’ products. After you’ve worked in the industry for awhile, you develop a respect and appreciation for farm fresh products. It’s such an enjoyable experience to work with local farms."

"Seattle is unique," says Roy. "It’s a boutique market stylistically and leads the nation in sustainability. Being involved in this just makes sense. Rudy is developing the ‘specialness’ of this location and ensuring a culture of excellence. These changes started several years ago, but the restaurant has gone through a number of alterations. We now have the team in place to make sense of what we’re doing." Because of the changes, Seattle-ites don’t have a good idea of what six │seven is about. Jordan agrees. "We’re moving more toward an American-based menu versus global. There’s a history here with Asian food. In early 2000, there was a sushi bar here; we’re moving away from that."

Photo below: Executive Chef Jordan Mackey

Chef Jordan brings a true passion for food to six │seven. Originally from New York, he started washing dishes in an Italian restaurant in Naples, Florida, at the age of 14. The chef/owner cooked all the food and Jordan would stand next to him taking it all in. Naples had a number of cutting edge restaurants and Jordon worked at several of them. Serious about cooking, he attended the New England Culinary Institute and graduated at the age of 20. He mentored under French Master Chef Michel LeBorgne and interned with Wilhelm Gahabka. He worked 2-3 jobs at a time, trying out different places to learn everything he could and hooked up with Noble House in late 2001. He was on the opening team of La Playa Beach & Golf Resort and spent three years there as chef de cuisine.

The siren call of being managing partner/chef of a restaurant in Naples pulled him away from Noble House for a year and a half. When the owner sold, the timing was right to take the job of executive chef at Grove Isle Hotel & Spa in Miami. He stayed there 2-1/2 years before moving to the Edgewater. "I enjoyed Grove Isle and the hot Miami food scene," says Jordan. "But the availability and number of products in Seattle is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I feel very comfortable here."

Photo below: penthouse bath
Time doesn’t diminish a cared-for location like The Edgewater. "Our rooms are well-appointed and the beauty of the venue never changes. It’s stylistic and dramatic even though a 1962 building," says Roy. Chef Jordan has brought high-end cuisine with a Northwest focus. Ric Nicholson has brought a fresh look to marketing with a continually updated website. Food and wine events keep the fun factor high. Now that we all know what to expect, we can put the Edgewater and six │seven back on our list of places to go.

Connie Adams/March 2009

Photos courtesy of The Edgewater Hotel

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