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.