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