Bastille Café & Bar

Bastille has hit its stride, according to Executive Chef Shannon Galusha* (pictured). Open since June 2009, the focus is on the food and the menu is where he wants it to be. The nightly full house tells the story. On weekends, it's not just full, there's a line to get in. With 200 seats to fill, that's a lot of happy customers.

Diners return frequently and experience Bastille in different ways. The dining room looks like a Paris metro station with white tile, black arches and a metro station clock. Booths, tables and cocktail-height tables all have a view of the open kitchen. An enclosed, heated patio feels less bustling. Scuttle down the hallway past the kitchen and turn into the Back Bar, a dark and inviting speakeasy space with an enormous chandelier where you can enjoy the bar or full menu and happy hour. Each area offers the right experience for your frame of mind.

"To me, a café is like someone's living room," says Shannon. "We want people to come in 2-3 times a week. As a neighborhood place, we keep prices down and offer new items frequently. One section of the menu changes weekly. That's seasonal to me. Three menu basics probably won't change: moules frites, steak frites and chicken fricassee. Specials are written on mirrors around the room." Shannon sources local products and ensures menu prices remain as low as possible. He works with a farmer to hand-select all their lambs, has chickens raised to his specifications and even has potatoes grown specifically for Bastille. He currently has relationships with 40 purveyors.

"In Paris, people have minimal kitchens. That's why the café culture evolved," explains Shannon. "I don't think of French food as particular dishes, it's more of an idea. Throughout the country, people use the food that is grown nearby." In keeping with that tradition, Bastille has a rooftop garden, growing lettuces, vegetables and more. "One day last summer, we took 400 pounds of produce off the roof in one day. About 5% of the produce used in the kitchen comes from the roof, but one dish may use 100% of what we've grown." Colin McCrate of Seattle Urban Farm Company helped set the garden up and maintains it. During warmer weather, they have bee hives on the roof, using honey in food and cocktails.

Arugula growing on Bastille's rooftop garden

Shannon knows what he's talking about when it comes to French food. At 18, he worked at Fuller's in Seattle for several years. He was encouraged to attend culinary school and chose the New England Culinary Institute. One of his instructors had worked in Napa and helped him with placement after graduation. He chose to work at The French Laundry working with Thomas Keller because he liked the location. He didn't realize how famous the restaurant and Keller were. After working there for two years, he realized he missed the Pacific Northwest and wanted to return to Seattle. Chef Kerry Sear was opening Cascadia; Shannon helped open the restaurant then moved to Campagne, becoming the executive sous chef for both the restaurant and café. Cooking French food is one thing, truly understanding the culture behind it another. Shannon went to France to experience it firsthand. He worked for over six months at high-end restaurants. This was a time when many chefs were leaving larger restaurants and starting their own small neighborhood spots. Shannon and a friend rented a car and drove all over, sampling food and experiencing the culture.

Returning home in 2001, he contacted Danielle Custer with whom he had worked with at Fuller's. She was opening 727 Pine in downtown Seattle. He helped open the restaurant, but fairly soon it went through an ownership transition. He stayed on for a year. "I felt torn because it was my first chef position, but it was turning into a hotel restaurant with a standard menu. I learned a great deal though." At his ten year high school reunion, he reconnected with a friend looking to open a restaurant in Seattle with a unique concept. They partnered to open Veil. "In retrospect, it was kind of silly," says Shannon. "We couldn't afford an expensive lease, so we found a stand-alone space in the Queen Anne neighborhood. We created a space with a South Beach/Manhattan/Asia de Cuba feel where we offered progressive American food. Fed Ex was my best friend. I was flying food in from everywhere. It's really a very few people who can create something new that changes how people think, like Alice Waters or Thomas Keller. At the end of the day, it's a business and not about experimenting on diners. I feel the food at Bastille is more honest than what we offered at Veil."

After Veil closed, he joined up with Bastille owners James Weimann and Deming Maclise in November 2007. They wanted to do a French café concept, loved the historic buildings in Ballard and wanted to fill one with items found in French flea markets. They bought the building in 2008 and began a lengthy renovation that included creative build out and placement of fixtures. "Farmers' markets and relationships with farmers were always the inspiration," says Shannon. "We always wanted to be local and we've hit our mark now. The best food is the simplest. I remember trying an incredible carrot soup at a restaurant in France. I asked what was in it and was told ‘milk and carrots.' It's that simple with the right ingredients."

Cocktails are delicious and straight-forward. "Our bar manager is not a chemist," smiles Shannon. "We have a solid bar and cocktail scene, but we're not creating outrageous beverages." French cocktails join a wine list that is 75% French and 25% Washington/Oregon. The wine and cocktail lists are as approachable and reasonably-priced as the food.

Back Bar

Despite its size, Bastille has nailed the neighborhood French café concept with its physical environment, familiar and well-executed food, friendly service and its separate-yet-connected bar. If you haven't tried it out or you've only been there once this week, it's time for a visit.

Connie Adams/December 2010

* Shannon left in early 2011 and now works with Columbia Hospitality