Loulay Kitchen & Bar

The Chef in the Hat works his magic

When you've run a small fine dining restaurant for 26 years, and run a small casual neighborhood bistro for four years, creating a large, urban, modern brasserie in a downtown hotel is, yes, a risk. As Thierry Rautureau says, "A downtown restaurant was scary and appealing. I'm a chef. If it's scary, I'm doing it."

And he has. He's looked downtown before, but nothing panned out. While in the process of closing Rover's in 2013, he was planning his new adventure. "I wanted to do something different. Rover's was wonderful; it was like an artist's workshop. We did some conventional things, but were able to experiment and try new things. Even so, it's a square box: a small fine dining restaurant. I was able to accomplish what I wanted and feel great about that. We didn't have to close. After 26 years, business was still good. We extended our closing date three times because people wanted to get in for a few more meals. I learned something: I will never again have a grand opening, but I will have grand closings. We did amazing business! And then we toasted with a glass of champagne, turned the lights off and walked out."

Photo courtesy of The Chef in the Hat

The first place Thierry and his wife Kathy looked at was the Sheraton Hotel. "That was it. I knew it. The Sheraton partnership has been so welcoming and so nice. And we needed each other. They had done a $190 million dollar expansion five years ago. The jewelry store opened in 2008, right before the collapse, and didn't make it. The space sat empty for six months. It was boxy and we worked with an architect to see if we could make it into a restaurant. We added a staircase and balcony and a remote location for the walk-in and prep area. Kathy worked with Peggy Marvels, an interior designer, to put our ideas in place. We had the vision, but how do you attack it?"

The result is beautiful but approachable, with an outside entrance as well as a side entrance from inside the hotel. A small marble bar greets you, with tall cocktail tables and a "lover's corner," a table for two tucked away. It's first come, first serve on that table and we're thinking it will become one of those "most proposed at" tables. Just inside the entrance, the staircase heads up to the balcony where tables for two line the railing overlooking the main dining room floor. A custom-built wine cabinet graces the wall. And the very end table on the balcony is a table for one. "Restaurants either hide singles or stick them by the kitchen," says Thierry. "We put them on a pedestal with this table overlooking the dining room and kitchen. It's ideal for someone who wants to enjoy a nice meal but doesn't want to sit at the bar and talk to anyone." There's even a guest book at the table so you can put your thoughts down.

A few steps up and there are tables in the mezzanine, overlooking the hotel on one side and the dining room on the other. This area is also used as a private dining room, seating 32.

Brasserie seating fills the main floor, tables in straight lines on a wood floor, no linens. To the right are "Hollywood" booths with slightly higher, tufted leather backs: great spots to party. And behind those are smaller booths, hidden against the back wall for quiet meals. The soaring ceiling above is filled with ceiling fans and glitzy, round lights. The large wall to the left is filled with a custom-made mirror, 7' x 12', weighing 475 pounds. On top is gold work that at first glance seems simply decorative. But then you realize, there's a deer with antlers, a fish, and, yes, two chapeaus-The Chef in the Hat fedoras grace the mirror. "It's important to us that people know this isn't a serious place. We don't want people to think 'Should we go to Loulay?' We want them to think 'Am I hungry? Am I thirsty?' It's a place with no commitment. Come in and have a beer and a burger at the bar, or slip into a quiet booth and have a romantic dinner. You decide what you want. And we felt the hats in the mirror show people it isn't a serious place. It's fun, not scary."

Thierry has a love of 1950s American diners. At the back of the main dining room, there are seats along the counter in front of the kitchen. Stacks of plates partially hide the kitchen activity. On the wall above the counter is a "Loulay" sign, edged in red neon. "I wanted to have the neon you used to see that buzzed, and also wanted it to look like signs in France." All of these things help define Thierry's concept: an accessible, urban, modern brasserie. "Basically, this is an updated version of those '50s diners: popular places with counter dining, where you can still have a nice dinner, too," explains Thierry. "Seasonal, local food. It's a modern take of my childhood memories. Seattle deserves to have a sparkling new place in its vibrant downtown."

Photo courtesy of The Chef in the Hat (farmers breakfast)

Despite being in a hotel and near the Convention Center, their customers are 90% local and 10% travelers. "Our customers have followed us, and word on the street is that Loulay is good, so we're gaining new customers," smiles Thierry. Their dinner menu is separated into small, medium, and large sections, and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus weekend brunch. They're working on a pre-theatre menu. Bottle wine runs from $30-$100, plus there's a reserve list. "We want people to know it's a casual place for good food and we're open every day from 7 a.m.-11 p.m." Drop in and check it out; Thierry's done it again.

Loulay
600 Union Street
Seattle, WA 98101
206-402-4588
www.thechefinthehat.com

Connie Adams/August-September 2014