NEW YEAR'S EVE!

 

Just a few weeks left until New Years...my favorite party of the year.  We will be ringing in 2010 with the music of James and Levi...our favorite jazz swing duo from 7:30 through midnight, and we'll be wearing our favorite party hats...here's a pic of Angus, one of our favorite regulars, wearing one in the background with some of the newly created hats in the foreground.  This year we'll be selling them for $30 and proceeds will be going to the South Whidbey Children's Center...our favorite place for kids.  We'll be offering our regular dinner menu, along with a special champagne and sparkling wine menu, and a late night menu after 10.  We are about 3/4 full, so make a reservation soon!



I asked Colleen Graham, one of the genius minds behind Tuzzie Muzzie to give us a little info on their business...here's what she had to say:

Tuzzie Muzzies are unique party hats with handmade fabric bases embellished with an assortment of feathers, ribbons, sequins and other treasures. Professional Seattle milliners, Mikele Keiffer, and Colleen Graham are the creative minds behind Tuzzie Muzzie.

In addition to creating hats full time, Mikele has a degree in auto mechanics and Colleen teaches art to high school students. Tuzzie Muzzie began in 1998 when a well-known Seattle restaurant asked the milliners to create hats for New Year’s Eve. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that people began calling to ask for party hats. Since then Tuzzie Muzzies have graced the heads of party goers at weddings, showers, birthday parties, anniversaries, benefits, cocktail parties and holiday gatherings.  Tuzzie Muzzie party hats can be found in stores from coast to coast.  

 They’ve also been featured in Seattle Magazine, Seattle Bride, Lucky Magazine and at Teatro Zinzani. Tuzzie Muzzies make any gathering extraordinary…no party is complete without hats!!

3rd Langley Chefs Dinner a Smashing Success

This past Monday we hosted the 3rd Langley Chef's dinner...this time to benefit WAIF, the Whidbey Animal Improvement Foundation.  We raised over $4,000 and had a really great time! I am honestly so honored to be part of such a wonderful and generous group of people.  The spirit in the kitchen at these events is really amazing.  Here's what we served:

Jess Dowdell from Mukilteo Coffee prepared a date stuffed prawn, wrapped in prosciutto and grilled...with a cilantro pesto.  She paired with the Whidbey Island Siegerebbe.

Des Rock from Useless Bay Coffee gave us a soup, salad and squash course, paired with the Whidbey Island Pinot Grigio.

Next we received a roasted black cod with ox tail and wild rice, dry pomegranate juice and brussels sprouts from Matt Costello of the Inn at Langley.  Wine pairing was a Ca' Del Solo Sangiovese.

Donna Leahy from Chef's Pantry served a duck ragu with potato gnocchi, brown butter and white truffle, paired with Louis Changarnier Pinot Noir

We are so lucky to have Dave and Dawn Noble from Fireseed Catering join the group.  They prepared a homemade cracker with quince membrillo and Rivers Edge chevre for our cheese course.  Amantillado Sherry was the pairing for this course.

And for the dessert course, Sieb prepared a napoleon of candy cap mushroom ice cream with bitter caramel sauce with truffled sea salt, and the Warres Ottima 10 year tawny port.



Unfortunately we didn't get a picture, but Mona Newbauer of Island Angel Chocolates donated a last little nibble to everyone...a delicious pistachio cranberry truffle...just to ensure everyone really rolled out of here.

100% of proceeds goes directly to the charities we choose.  We are extremely grateful to live in a community where people are so excited to support our local causes, and where we can find this group of amazingly talented chefs willing to cooperate in this way.  The next dinner should be sometime in March...details coming soon!

GLASSYBABY!

I have always coveted Glassybabies from my first encounter...I have a couple of my own at home and REALLY wanted to get a few in the restaurant...which we now have!  I asked Valerie Waltz, Communications Manager with the company to give me a little background on the company...here's what she had to say:  Glassybaby were born in 1998 when founder Lee Rhodes was in her third round of battle with a rare form of lung cancer. Lee found serenity in a small, tough, colorful glass vessel made by a family member for whom she had purchased glass-blowing lessons as a Christmas gift. When Lee’s recovery progressed, she started making these glass vessels on her own, which she called “glassybaby”. She opened her first glassybaby store and studio in Seattle in 2003. Today, there are 5 retail locations, more than 70 employees and a dedicated legion of followers.  The mission behind the company is to give back to charity and inspire people with her product.

To date, glassybaby has given more than $300,000 to charity, and owner Lee Rhodes’ goal is to earmark 10% of all glassybaby sales to charity by the end of 2010.

DECEMBER NEWS

Happy December!  How are we nearing the end of 2009?  Unbelievable!  We hope your Thanksgiving was spent like ours was, surrounded by family and friends and lots of great food and drink!  We spent a lot of time thinking about how thankful we are for the opportunity that all of you are continuing to make possible for us...raising our family in this beautiful place and doing what we love!

Join us this Friday, December 4th from 4:00-6:30 for a special holiday Friday Night Flights...we'll be serving sparkling wine this go around!  Participants include Prima, The Chef's Pantry, and the Edgecliff...ticket cost is $20 and includes a 2 oz pour of wine and a small plate at each venue.  As always the fun continues Saturday with cooking demonstrations at the Chef's Pantry and the art walk in the evening...

ADDITION TO OUR MUSICAL LINE UP...every 1st Sunday (think this Sunday...December 6th), we'll be featuring the musical duo, Rendezvous  from 4:00-6:00... http://www.myspace.com/rendezvoustwo
We continue with our regular Thursday night music as well...Danny Ward 1st and 3rd Thursdays, Yours Truly 2nd Thursdays, and James & Levi, 4th (and if there is a 5th) Thursdays.

Reminder that we will be closed the evening of December 14th because of the Langley Chef's Dinner benefitting WAIF.  We will also be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

New Year's Eve...we're filling up so call to make your reservation soon!  James and Levi will be playing and I've got an order in for our Tuzzie Muzzie hats...this year crazier than ever and proceeds from the sales of the hats to benefit the South Whidbey Children's Center!  And you asked we answered...we will be open New Years Day this year!

Gift Certificates make great holiday gifts!  We give 10% off the price of any Prima merchandise (t-shirts/hats/hoodies) with the purchase of a gift certificate!  Give us a call and we can help you with the sale of a gift certificate over the phone and can even get it in the mail for you!

NEW AND IMPROVED HAPPY HOUR!!!    Along with our regular drink specials of 1/2 off well drinks, $1 off draft beer and glass pour wine, and a $4 glass pour red & white, we are offering $5 food items - all of our small plates, the calimari, and a half order of the burrata - such a deal!  And to answer a few questions we've been asked...you do not have to be sitting in the bar to get these specials, nor do you have to order an alcoholic drink.  Come up and keep us company during those in-between hours through the winter...we want to keep that open sign on all day, every day!  Happy hour is 3-6 ever day, excluding the first Tuesday of the month (as in this Tuesday) when we hold our staff meetings.

Again, thank you for your continued patronage and hope to see you real soon!

LE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EST ARRIVE!

 Come in out of the cold and join us tomorrow to sample the first wine of the season.  Sieb is preparing a delicious duck sausage that will pair beautifully with this easy drinking wine.  We only have one case so it's going to go fast!  Danny Ward will be playing so the evening promises to be enjoyable for all!

CHEF DINNER TICKETS SOLD OUT

The tickets for the 3rd Langley Chef's Dinner sold out in less than a day!  We are looking forward to this great dinner supporting WAIF and will be donating 100% of the proceeds...which in the end will be at least $4,500!

TICKETS FOR LANGLEY CHEF'S DINNER...available at Prima this upcoming Monday!

Tickets for the 3rd of our seasonal collaborative chef dinners will be sold beginning at 10:00 a.m. this upcoming Monday, November 16th at Prima (come up the back stairs...front door will be locked since we don't open until 11:30).  Sieb has partnered up with Matt Costello of the Inn at Langley, Jess Dowdell of Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, Donna Leahy of the Chef's Pantry, and Des Rock of Useless Bay Coffee Company in creating these quarterly charity dinners...this one will benefit WAIF.  We are also VERY pleased to announce that Dave and Dawn Noble of Fireseed Catering will be joining the fun so this time around will be a 6 course wine paired dinner...ticket cost remains $75/person.  Acceptable forms of payment are cash and checks made out to WAIF.  The dinner itself will be MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th at 6:00...at Prima.  Don't miss the fun!

OUR NEW SOUS CHEF...MILES HARRISON, by nick horton

If you've been to Prima in the past year--and let's hope you have--you've probably seen Miles Harrison in the kitchen. For the past 15 months, Miles has been logging long hours on Prima's line, mastering Chef Sieb's dishes, and generally keeping the place running smoothly. And last September, Miles was rewarded for his hard work: He became Prima's newest sous chef, succeeding Evan Leichtling in the role. Way to go, Miles!

Now, a bit about the guy: Miles, 23, was born in Minneapolis and raised in Northfield, a small city in southern Minnesota. (Northfield has many claims to fame. It's home to the original Malt-O-Meal headquarters, for example.) In the ten years that he's been working in restaurants, Miles has held practically every job in the kitchen--dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, and now sous chef.

On his first night working in a kitchen, the 13-year-old Miles washed all the dishes for a 315-person wedding party at The Grand, a historic venue in Northfield. "It was the biggest load of silverware ever," he says. The young Miles obviously wasn't scared off, though. After moving to South Whidbey seven years ago, Miles became the best dishwasher the town of Langley has ever seen. (Ask Evan. He'll testify.)

Miles washed dishes for five years before picking up a knife, and he's been prepping and cooking ever since. His current favorite dishes at Prima are the salade lyonnaise--"it's a classic dish that brings us one step closer to being a true bistro," he says--and the roasted free-range chicken breast.

Aside from his passion for food, Miles absolutely loves conversation. So the next time you find yourself upstairs at Prima, peek your head into the kitchen and say hello to our new sous. He'll be happy to chat.

Halloween at Prima by Nick Horton

It's the last day of October. Which means three things: wind, rain, and hilarious costumes. Prima's staff always makes the most of Halloween. Pictured in the photo above are an '80s rocker (a.k.a. Max the busser), a dignified pirate (Terry Jackson, server/manager extraordinaire), and Magnum P.I. (Christian, our wonderfully-mustachioed server/bartender).

Way to go, boys. You look fabulous!

november news

FIRST OFF...thanks so much to all of you who voted in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest...we won 1st place in the French category...how cool is that!  We really, really appreciate the love!  Really.
http://best.king5.com/winners/best-of-western-washington/4749/great-meals/french

HALLOWEEN:  Come in costume on Halloween night for a free dessert!  Or at the very least come just because Christian will be wearing his short shorts a la Magnum P.I. - you do not want to miss that.  Or Devin dressed as Sieb for the night...replete with authentic mustard cords, burgundy old navy shirt, chain wallet and birkenstocks. 

ADDITION TO OUR MUSICAL LINE UP...every 1st Sunday (think this Sunday...November 1st), we'll be featuring the musical duo, Rendezvous  from 4:00-6:00... http://www.myspace.com/rendezvoustwo
We continue with our regular Thursday night music as well...Danny Ward 1st and 3rd Thursdays, Yours Truly 2nd Thursdays, and James & Levi, 4th (and if there is a 5th) Thursdays.

NOVEMBER LANGLEY GETS LIVELY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS...we will be featuring Italian wines this go around...November 6th...4:00-6:30.  Venues include Prima, The Edgecliff, and the Chef's Pantry, ticket cost is $20 and includes a small bite and taste of wine at each spot.  Then on Saturday be sure to swing by Chef's Pantry between 1-3 pm where Donna will help you get a head start with Simple Ideas for Holiday Entertaining – they'll be sampling lots of the new products. 

NOVEMBER 8th, Pinot wine dinner (sold out)...we will be closed for dinner next Sunday, November 8th for our sold out pinot wine dinner.  You can still call and get on the waitlist...you never know who might call in sick, especially this year!

LANGLEY CHEF'S DINNER...tickets for the 3rd of our seasonal collaborative chef dinners will be sold beginning at 10:00 a.m. on November 16th at Prima (come up the back stairs...front door will be locked since we don't open until 11:30).  Sieb has partnered up with Matt Costello of the Inn at Langley, Jess Dowdell of Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, Donna Leahy of the Chef's Pantry, and Des Rock of Useless Bay Coffee Company in creating these quarterly charity dinners...this one will benefit WAIF.  We are also VERY pleased to announce that Dave and Dawn Noble of Fireseed Catering will be joining the fun so this time around will be a 6 course wine paired dinner...ticket cost remains $75/person.  The dinner itself will be MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th at 6:00...at Prima. 

NEW AND IMPROVED HAPPY HOUR!!!  Starting Wednesday, November 4th, from 3:00-600 we will be offering some expanded happy hour deals as we've decided to stay open all day every day (except for the 1st Tuesday of every month when we have our staff meeting).  We really see this as an opportunity to thank our awesome local, regular customers.  Along with our regular drink specials of 1/2 off well drinks, $1 off draft beer and glass pour wine, and a $4 glass pour red & white, we will be offering $5 food items from our appetizer and small plate menu.  The jury is still out on which items we will be offering at $5...but we know they will include a half portion of our burrata, the calamari, the chicken liver mousse, the pork belly, the escargot and a few more.  Come up and keep us company during those in-between hours through the winter...we want to keep that open sign on all day, every day!
 

NEW YEAR'S EVE...it's crazy but the holidays really are just right around the corner...so we want to make sure you start planning on spending New Year's with us...James and Levi will be playing this year and I just put in an order for the Tuzzie Muzzie hats again...this year the proceeds of the sales of the hats will be going to the South Whidbey Children's Center.

As always, thank you everyone for you continued patronage and support.  We hope to see you very soon!

Jenn and Sieb

BEST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON!!!

Our most sincere thanks to all of you who voted for us in the King 5 Best of Western Washington contest...we are truly honored to have won...thanks for the love!

David Price exhibit

We are pleased to announce our latest exhibit...acrylic paintings by Langley's own David Price.  Come see his work...it is really amazing.  He can be contacted at dflat@flatrockproductions.com

Artist's statement:  A man working in a field…A lone, abandoned farmhouse set high in a field…A woman in a café, waiting for someone….A street sweeper leaning against a worn and peeling wall, centuries old…An old family portrait from the early 1900’s, their faces stern and familiar, the dress formal, the characters posed…the sun setting between two distant hills, a cluster of very familiar farm buildings in the foreground. What is the common thread? Buildings that belong. People that belong. They belong in their surroundings. They are so entwined with their landscape that it is sometimes difficult to separate one from the other.

 To create my paintings, I assemble images in my mind…a man sitting in a café in Paris, the rolling hills of farmland, a dozen shades of yellow, a glass of wine on a café table, the wall of an abandoned farmhouse, weathered and peeling, the layers of color telling a story of the passage of time and the hands that created that surface. I am also inspired by architecture. Not only architecture with a big A”, the cathedrals, monuments, opera houses and the like, often associated with great architecture; but especially architecture with a small a”; the simple, comfortable, common structures. It is a combination of these things that are the building blocks for my paintings. Sometimes I work literally and paint portrait style, sometimes color and texture are enough to evoke the spirit, essence, and history of a place.

Over the past 16 years, I have developed a unique technique to express these ideas using acrylic paints on a gypsum surface. I incise, scratch, run, and work the surface, layering colors to create a sense of age. Like sketching with a pen, each mark in the surface will always be there, a step in the process, a mark in time. This technique allos me to work quickly and spontaneously. I make few,
if any, preparatory sketches, instead allowing the images to flow onto the surface, to take on a life of their own, to have an unpretentious grace, an ease and certain comfort.

CLOSED OCTOBER 12TH AND 13TH

Apologies for any inconvenience but we will be closed Monday and Tuesday, October 12th and 13th for staff bonding time and restaurant renovations.  THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING!

EAT AND LOUNGE by Terry Davis Smith

One of our great customers submitted this blog post...I love it when someone else does the work for me!  They have an amazing rental place right here in Langley...within walking distance of Prima!  Check it out!

“Eat!” This is my absolute favorite quote from the delightful new foodie film, Julie & Julia. It’s the simple response that Julia Child (portrayed by Meryl Streep) gave her husband when asked, “What is it you REALLY like to do?” I’ve never related so much to a character as I did in that moment of the film. Fortunately, Julia was able to incorporate that passion with her love and aptitude for cooking, to create not only a legendary career, but also a sort of cooking revolution. Unfortunately, my passion stops at eating. Okay, I admit, I also like to vacation (or, more precisely, to lounge), which is exactly what I do when I visit Langley—eat and lounge.

 

I’ll start with eating—hallelujah for Prima Bistro! Luckily, during one of my sojourns to Langley, I stumbled upon what I consider to be the best restaurant in Langley. On that first visit, a perfectly seared ahi-tuna curry salad and a raspberry martini were enough to leave me wanting more. I sipped my delicious cocktail at the inviting bar while I listened to Food Network purring in the background. What more could a girl want? I couldn’t wait to come back and try another menu item, or maybe two!

Well, this girl returns to Prima Bistro every time she’s in Langley—EVERY TIME, and that’s no joke! I’ve enjoyed most menu items—from the agreeable cheese plate to the delectable bistro burger. (Who knew a burger could be so good?) Whether I dine at the restaurant or take out to enjoy in the comfort of my vacation rental, I have never been disappointed. And speaking of my vacation rental, here is a shameless plug for my fabulous vacation home rental. Next time you are in Langley, please consider staying at: The Barn at Langley (The Barn) (http://www.thebarnatlangley.com/). My husband and I renovated an old A-frame barn that was previously used as the location for the Whidbey Children’s Theater. When we first purchased the old barn, we found wonderful props and costumes, which were being stored there. Now, the barn is completely renewed as a comfortable and stylish vacation home. We feature my husband’s art (www.derinsmith.com) at The Barn, and you can even find a mini-barn sculpture made out of cardboard that was the impetus for creating The Barn.

I don’t know if I’m going to create a legendary career or ignite a revolution with my passions, but perhaps I can simply produce a stir with my revelation—a revelation that staying in Langley and eating scrumptious food is oh, so satisfying. I invite you to eat and lounge in Langley. I believe Julia would concur.

LANGLEY CHEFS DINNER #2

Last Sunday we held the 2nd ever Langley Chef's Dinner which benefitted Good Cheer's community garden, hosted at Mukilteo Coffee by their chef Jess Dowdell.  The 5 chefs include Sieb from Prima, Donna Leahy of the Chef's Pantry, Jess Dowdell of Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, Des Rock of Useless Bay Coffee Company and Matt Costello of the Inn at Langley.  We serve 5 wine paired courses that feature fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.  Each chef brings their own personal flair and style in their offerings.  This is a fun, collaborative and community spirited event that we are very proud to be a part of.

Here's what they did this time around:

1st Course...Matt Costello...sauteed oyster with soft chive eggs and caviar ...Argyle Brut sparkling

2nd course...Sieb Jurriaans...prosciutto di parma with a salad of mixed spicy greens from willowood farms, balsamic cherries, shaved pecorino toscano and almond-truffle vinaigrette (and strangely as seen in this pic, a garnish of Jess's head)...pio cesare 2008 arneis

3rd course...Donna Leahy... paupiette of halibut with lardons and a red wine reduction...

 Abonna Dolcetto

4

4th course...Des Rock...Useless Bay Coffee Company...

DiamondKnot Stout Braised Short Ribs w/ Barley and Chantrelle Risotto...Whidbey Island Dolcetto

5th course...Jess Dowdell...Mukilteo Coffee Company...pumpkin and squash tart and Whidbey Island Porto (sorry I don't have a picture of that...we all ate it too fast!)

We will be selling tickets to the next Langley Chef's Dinner on November 16th at 10:00 a.m. - the dinner itself will be here at Prima, on MONDAY, DECEMBER 14TH.  The charity of this dinner is TBA.  AND, I've already been receiving attempts at bribery...it's not gonna work people...you have to purchase your tickets IN PERSON on November 16th...I can't  hold tickets for anyone!!!  Tickets for last Sundays dinner sold out in one hour, so I'm anticipating a crowd of anxious ticket buyers...I haven't asked yet, but I bet the Feltons would allow overnight camping in the parking lot just this once!  just kidding Gene.       

PHOTO CREDITS: ROBERT LEAHY       

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

Happy Fall!

A couple of big things to tell you about...Oktoberfest details below, but first a mention of our upcoming and filling up fast wine dinner!  We will be featuring Pinot in all its various incarnations on Sunday, November 8th, in a 5 course wine paired meal for $75/person.  We are taking reservations for this long awaited evening between 5:30 and 8:00.  Please let me know if you would like to join us!

We are so thankful to all of you who have
voted for us in King 5 Evening Magazine's Best of Western Washington competition.  Someone out there nominated us in the French category - THANKS whoever you are!  We are at the top of the heap...how cool is that!  If you haven't already voted, we'd sure love to get your vote...
http://best.king5.com/contests/best-of-western-washington/4749/great-meals/french

Join us as we celebrate Langley's 2nd annual Oktoberfest. 
We'll kick it off on Friday night, October 2nd, with a Friday Night Flights focusing on Alsatian wines.  Tickets cost $20/person and include a 2 oz taster of wine and a small plate at each of our venues: Prima, The Chef's Pantry, and the Edgecliff.  Tickets available now at each venue.


Saturday, October 3rd, brings an amazing array of activities for people of all ages...find most activities in the courtyard and parking areas adjacent to Chef's Pantry.  Here's the lineup:
11:30-5:00... Diamond Knot Brewery Beer Garden and Root Beer Garden for Kids.  Purchase commemorative steins $10 each - includes one free pour and special discounts and offers around Langley
12:00...OKTOBERFEST PET COSTUME CONTEST!  to benefit WAIF...entry forms at Chef's Pantry.  Emceed by the one and only fabulous Sue Frause!
12:00-2:00... Authentic Brats and hotdogs with sauerkraut from Bavarian Meats and sponsored by the Lions Club!
1:00-4:00 - Enjoy an authentic Oompah band...The Bavarian Village Band playing in the middle of all the activities!
1:00 Pretzel baking demo at the chef's pantry
2:00 Polka demo and free lessons by Enzian Schuhplattler troup at Useless Bay Coffee
4:00...Bavarian Cooking and Home Brew beer contest...judging at chef's pantry. 
for more details on these events log onto www.chefspantryonline.com/events


We continue with our regular live music every Thursday night and our restaurants industry Monday nights.  Our fall menu will be rolling out soon, as soon as we catch our breath from this crazy summer!

We are so thankful to each and every one of you and look forward to seeing you again very soon!

AND...we will be closed mon/tue the 12th and 13th of October...we're going on a much needed retreat with our staff - and so many of you have asked if we'll be talking about work...NO WAY...just eating great food, drinking great wine and enjoying eachother's company!

Bon Voyage, Evan Leichtling! by Nick Horton

This past Tuesday marked a bittersweet moment in the annals of Prima Bistro: Evan Leichtling--our resident sous chef, punk rocker, and stylistic pariah--worked his last shift. The 22-year-old has made a name for himself at the restaurant by working incredibly hard, being awfully dependable, and wearing skin-tight orange jeans, a hat made of elephant skin, and a pair of sunglasses previously owned by Cruella de Vil.

Esoteric clothing aside, we'll miss Evan dearly. He is one of only two employees--aside from Sieb and Jenn, of course-- that were on Prima's opening crew three years ago. Thankfully, he's not going too far. Evan has already landed a job at cooking at Lark and Licorous, the Seattle restaurants run by the James Beard award-nominated chef Johnathan Sundstrom. ("His food is amazing," Evan says reverently. I concur.)

The young Mr. Leichtling is pictured here with a bottle of Blanton's bourbon, his absolute favorite beverage.  (In case you didn't know, "Leichtling" is an Austrian name that translates roughly to "little lamp-lighting boy." Seriously.) Evan will be moving to Seattle ASAP, bringing with him his prized motorcycle--a 1983 Honda Ascot 500--along with his penchant for blasting the "Duck Tales" and "Alladin" theme songs on Prima's stereo prior to opening. We may not miss the music, but we'll definitely miss the guy.

Good luck, Evan!

LANGLEY MEETS MUNICH DURING OKTOBERFEST, OCT. 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2009

Bratwursts, brews, and oompah-pahs will spice up the seaside town of Langley on Whidbey Island during OktoberFest on October 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

 Timed with the Langley Gets Lively activities held the first weekend of every month, OktoberFest gets under way with Friday Night Flights, a
walk-around wine tasting featuring Alsatian varietals and mouthwatering appetizers on Friday, October 2nd.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at The Chef's Pantry, The Edgecliff and Prima Bistro.

 On Saturday October 3rd, the festivities continue throughout the weekend asvarious Langley venues sell commemorative steins good for month-long discounts on OktoberFest beer and a free first pour at either of the beer
gardens behind Island Angel Chocolates on 2nd Street on Saturday, October
3rd from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm.  The beer gardens are hosted by Diamond Knot
Brewery and features India Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and a special OktoberFest
Brew for adults and pouring in the adjacent beer garden is Diamond Knot Root
Beer, Ice Cream Floats, a Bavarian feast complete with authentic brown
mustard and sauerkraut brought to you by the South Whidbey Lions Club, and
face painting brought to you by Whidbey Children's Theater.

 All throughout the weekend restaurants will tout special dishes in honor of
the event, and a cooking contest, including a pretzel demonstration,
sponsored by The Chef's Pantry will reap valuable rewards for winners and
tasters alike proceeds benefiting NorthWest Harvest.  At noon on Sat., Sue
Frause, Master of Ceremonies, will tout the fanciful prancing of dogs in
Bavarian themed pet costumes and judges will crown the very first Miss and
Mister Oktoberpaws, with proceeds benefiting Whidbey Animals' Improvement
Foundation (WAIF). Felines are also encouraged to participate by getting
their owners to take a picture of them in costume and submitting it prior to
the contest. Contest rules and registration can be found online at
www.chefspantryonline.com/events or http://www.visitlangley.com
<http://www.visitlangley.com/> . Also, if you're in Langley, stop by The
Chef's Pantry or Island Angel Chocolates for more information.

 Celebrants can munch on authentic grilled German sausages from The South
Whidbey Lions, learn how to make pretzels from Chef Donna Leahy and have
their faces painted, done by Whidbey Children's Theater. Restaurants will
lure revelers with its thirst-quenching lagers and ales, and the Bavarian
Village Players -- a 10-piece oompah band -- will serenade the festivities.
Complimentary polka lessons are on tap for this year's event at the Useless
Shed by Useless Bay Coffee and the Chef's Pantry has a home brewed beer
contest.

 Blown glass pumpkins are located in storefronts throughout the seaside
village adding a touch of Langley flare calling attention to the talented
glass artists who work and reside on South Whidbey Island and show their
work at fine art galleries on First Street. A Count the Pumpkin contest is
sponsored by Museo Gallery. And as an extra treat, Langley visitors can take
the Whidbey Island Farm Tour, a self-guided exploration of working farms
specializing in area produce and products, on Saturday, Oct. 3rd and Sunday,
October 4th.

Prima Peeps volume 1:
Christian Albright by Nick Horton

Last night got off to a slow start, so Christian and I decided to have a wee bit of fun. I asked him to pick out his favorite bottle of wine sold at the bistro, and he bee-lined it towards the racks of reds. The pick: the Justin 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, pictured here with Christian himself.

First, the wine: Christian loves this Cab because of its big body, but he also appreciates its ability to pair with many of Prima's dishes. In particular, he digs "the dark, rich fruit"--the wine has notes of bing cherry, plumb, and grape Jolly Rancher. (Just kidding about the Jolly Rancher, kids.) The Justin, which hails from Paso Robles, CA, would do well alongside Prima's grilled lamb chops, the hanger steak frites, or even the confit of duck leg.

Now for more about Christian, our beloved server/bartender. He's been mixing drinks, serving happy diners, and entertaining us all with his boisterous baritone voice since Prima's early days. (Seriously, if you call us and Christian answers, there's no mistaking it: "Prrrrrriiiiima Bistro!" he booms into the phone, not unlike a boxing announcer introducing a bout.)

Christian, who first came to love wine while working at Seattle's Cellar Bistro in 2005, is an especially avid fan of South American wines. And it just so happens that he'll be spending six weeks in Chile and Argentina this winter, studying up on his Malbecs, Cabs, Merlots, and Carmeneres (all of which are red wine varietals), and maybe even the occasional Torrontes (a white). More importantly, Christian will be reunited with his longtime girlfriend Lena, who is spending this semester studying in Santiago, Chile.

When he's not at Prima, you can find Christian at home, sharing a bottle of wine with his dog Ada (an Australian Shepherd/Lab mix that he rescued from Craigslist) and watching a film made by one of his favorite directors--Jim Jarmusch, Ingemar Bergman, or Wes Anderson. Come in and see him sometime. And be sure to ask about his first bottle of wine. There's a good story behind that one.

september newsletter

Although the kids are back in school and fall is right around the corner, our deck will be open at least through September so you can enjoy our typically (hopefully) beautiful indian summer out there under the heat lamps and blankets! 

 First off, we'd sure love it if you voted for us in King 5 Evening Magazine's Best of Western Washington competition.  Someone out there nominated us in the French category - THANKS whoever you are!
http://best.king5.com/contests/best-of-western-washington/4749/great-meals/french

We are also so pleased to have been mentioned in this month's Seattle Metropolitan magazine:
http://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/articles/wine-destinations-0909/2/

Today, September 4th from 4:00-6:30 come down for Friday Night Flights, our walk around wine tasting.   We'll be featuring Rhone varietals - think syrah, grenache, mourvedre, etc!  Tickets are $20/person - price includes a 2 oz taste of wine and a small bite at each venue...Prima, The Chef's Pantry, and the Edgecliff. 

OKTOBERFEST 2009:  Alsatian Friday Night Flights October 2nd...4:00-6:30.  Saturday, October 3rd...all day...Diamondknot Beer Garden and commemorative beer steins; Cooking demonstrations and contest at Chef's Pantry...this years contest will have 4 categories: sauerkraut, strudel, spaetzle, and home brewed beer; oompah band; polka lessons; WAIF Oktoberfest pet costume contest; and much more!

UPCOMING WINE DINNER: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH!!!!!
We've finally set the date for our next wine dinner, but are still working out the details...we'll keep you posted.

LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY MONDAYS...20% off when you present your food handlers or alcohol server permits.

We will be closing at 3:00 on Sunday, September 20th for a private event, and will be closed October 12th and 13th for a staff retreat!

AS ALWAYS...thanks for your continued patronage and support and we hope to see you real soon!

PROS AND CONS OF OWNING A RESTAURANT when you're six

Pro: grilled cheese anytime
Con: getting sick of my favorite food, noodles.

Pro: ice cream for dessert
Con: having to leave before dessert because my sister is too loud.

Pro: making money
Con: that mom and dad work so much and I want to have more family time.



Pro: shirley temple cake for my birthday made by me and dad
Con: gross food smells in the kitchen

Pro: making a lot of friends, like Gretchen
Con: needing to use my manners to ask for things.  always.

Nice nod to Langley and Prima in this month's Seattle Metropolitan magazine!

Seattle Metropolitan Magazine / Eat & Drink / Eat & Drink Articles / Detail

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ANNOUNCING THE 2nd LANGLEY CHEFS DINNER!!!

Tickets for the Sun. Sept. 27 Langley Chefs Dinner to be held at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters will go on sale this Thursday Aug. 27 at 9 am at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters. This dinner will benefit the Good Cheer Garden program. If you're not already familiar with our series, each of us prepares a course and pairs a wine with it. The chefs include Sieb from Prima, Matt from the Inn, Jess from Mukilteo Coffee, Des from Useless Bay Coffee and Donna from Chef's Pantry.

Here are some details regarding ticket sales -

• No advance or phone sales - tickets must be purchased in person at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters on Crawford Road
• No credit cards - cash or checks only - checks should be made payable to Good Cheer, with "Garden" written in the memo line
• Limit of 4 tickets per person - there are 28 seats available
• Tickets are $75 per person - they include 5 courses with 3 oz. wine pairings
• 100%of the proceeds is donated to the charity.
  

WILLOWOOD FARMS

We are so lucky to be surrounded by such an abundance of amazing local farms and farmers here on Whidbey. One of our main purveyors of local, fresh, seasonal veggies is Georgie Smith of Willowood Farms. It's been a pleasure working with her and the amazing product we receive from her on a weekly basis. It allows Sieb to create truly fresh and seasonal items with products from right up the road!

I asked Georgie to send us some info on her business and here it is, straight from the horses mouth...

“Willowood Farm, located in heart of the Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve on central Whidbey Island, was started by 4th generation Ebey’s Prairie native Georgie Smith in 2002. “Willowood Farm” was the historic name of Georgie’s farm, first used by the descendants of pioneer Isaac Ebey in reference to the once abundant willow trees that grew on the waterlogged prairie soil (which was later drained by an extensive system of ceramic tiles installed by Chinese laborers). The Smith family began farming the property in the 1890s and has lived on the property since.

Georgie has reinvigorated her family’s tradition of farming with new emphasis on sustainable and organically grown practices and direct marketing techniques that have sparked a revitalization of small family farms across the United States.

Willowood Farm grows produce that thrives in central Whidbey Island’s mild, maritime climate and the rich, loamy soil of Ebey’s Prairie. We grow without the use of harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers and we utilize healthy farming practices to ensure we put as much into our land as we take out.”

Find out more at :
www.willowoodfarm.net
www.littlefarmonebeyprairie.blogspot.com

BETTY SPANN PHOTOGRAPHY

www.bettyspannphotography.com

Many of you have been interested in our back room photos...here's a link to Betty's website. She's awesome. Buy her photos! We have our next show booked, but please let me know if you are interested in getting into our line up. I'm most interested in local artists...spread the word...THANKS!

THE PERFECT WINE...by Sam Carvey...wine rep and great friend

Excuse the length of this post...sam doesn't really ever know when enough is enough...I suppose that's why he ends up spending the night on our couch so often...


What would make a wine perfect? Is it big? Is it really expensive, and hard to find? Is it allocated, and only meant for restaurants? Is it red, or is it sweet? How is perfection in a wine quantified? Perhaps it's a 100 point score from Robert Parker or James Laube, or 3 glasses in the Gambero Rosso, or 5 stars from Decanter. Or maybe its none of these things. Maybe perfection in wine is such a personal thing, that there is no way to quantify it. Maybe it can't even be explained. Well I'm going to try.

I've had a lot of different wine, more than some at least, but certainly not as much as others. I've come across some wine that really made me stop for a second and focus in on it. I've tasted $300 bottles, and I've bought a handful of $200 bottles, hoping for something close to perfection, and we'll have to wait for a while on some of those. I even had, what I like to call an "emotional experience" with a glass of wine. An emotional wine experience is really cool. It happens when you dive into a glass of wine, and it stops your heart for a moment. The people in the room were loud a second ago, but now you can't even hear them, not that you care. You close your eyes, as if that will allow you to take in the nose even deeper. You hold the wine in your mouth and don't want to ever swallow it because that would be a half of an ounce that you will never be able to taste again. You want to cry because its so beautiful. Or at least that's how mine went. It was a bottle of Bruno Giacosa 1998 Asili Barbaresco Red Label. I also happened to be at Bruno's house, in the dining room, with Bruno at the head of the table, quietly watching me freak out over his artwork. Wow. But was it perfect?

While the Giacosa was amazing, I don't think it was perfect. What all the wine critics are missing is that at the end of the day, wine is a beverage. It's a consumable product. It is designed to go away, and if you're in my house, it goes away pretty quickly. I think that a perfect wine will show versatility in it's drinkability, value and availability, and yet it will retain extreme significance every time that first glass is poured. I think the perfect wine will be able to answer two questions. One, and as a person in the wine industry, I get asked this a lot, "what is your favorite wine?", but a more important question is, "if you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Think about that one. The perfect wine must be multifaceted.

Well, the good news is that I found it. I've never had an answer to either question, but now I do. For those that know me, or even for those that have been near me while a bottle of this magic was opened, you know exactly what I'm talking about: 2008 Les Domaniers Rose de Provence from Domaine Ott. Cinsault and Grenache wound together and laced with Syrah in the most seamless glass of wine I have ever had. Actually, it's the most seamless case of wine I have ever had. Okay, three cases...so far.

So here is where I gush about the wine. When I say seamless, what I mean becomes apparent once it hits the palate. There is plenty of vibrant acidity, but you can't tell its there. The alcohol is 13% but you'd swear it was 11%. The fruit is opulent, but not obvious. The nose is actually capable of taking you away to the wine's birthplace, with its pungent salt air breeze and orange blossoms and melon. I describe the wine's role during a meal by comparing the meal to the painter's canvas. Rather than competing with the food, the Ott is the white paint that covers the entire canvas to set the stage for the painting. The Les Domaniers creates the environment for a great meal to happen. The Les Domaniers is perfect.

So when the Wine Spectator rates this wine a year late next summer, and they give it the 88 or maybe 89 that they pretty much do every year, I want you to remember that you had the opportunity to drink perfect wine. I for one, am taking full advantage of that fact. Please join me.

NICK'S BASIL AND RASPBERRY GIN RICKEY

even though it's drew in the picture...

Muddle lime and basil, shake with a shot of gin, top with a dash of chambord and a float of soda.

This spring we planted a rooftop garden. We're harvesting a lot of our own herbs for our dishes, pastries, and cocktails from these beds, and our staff is enjoying the space during their breaks. My current favorite is our version of a caprese salad - but we use burrata (cream infused mozzeralla flown up from the Gioia cheese company of Southern California), local heirloom tomatoes, and basil picked from our roof - it's too good.

Our bartenders are using the herbs to come up with a bartender rooftop special cocktail...this is what Nick came up with a few days ago. yummo!

OUR FIRST BLOG!

I fought off the urge to blog for quite awhile, but alas, I've finally been overpowered. And so it begins...the need to be witty at every turn, to always make sure I'm spelling things correctly, and certainly never posting something that could offend anyone, anywhere, at anytime.

Let's just start out with some upcoming nitty gritty:

Friday Night Flights...this Friday, August 7th, featuring everyone's favorite...Chardonnay in its many incarnations! Participating venues include Prima, the Chef's Pantry and the Edgecliff. $20/ticket - available at each venue.

LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

START PLANNING YOUR OKTOBERFEST NOW! We'll be hosting Oktoberfest Langley style the first weekend of October...Alsatian wine flights on Friday, beer garden, oompah band and polka lessons on Saturday, and LOTS AND LOTS of other crazy activities TBA.