We've got a couple upcoming dates to look out for! Along with a story close to my heart

Well, look at this beautiful newsletter template! It's safe to say, I did not make this, but it's a great way to introduce Toshiro Stang of Mariworks. Toshiro and I are very, very old friends. From when I was a young cook at Lark, we as cooks would often end up at Quinn's for a late night burger, whiskey and beer. Toshiro headed up the bar there for years, and we quickly became fast friends. Fast forward 15 years, and now Toshiro has gone into digital design work. All of our fun flyers over the years? Toshiro has been quietly helping us out in the backround. If you haven't checked out our website recently, you should head on over to our webpage and check out the incredible job he's done redesigning it.

We've got a handful of dates to look out for coming up, with an exclusive first chance at our Christmas Eve and New Years Eve reservations before they go live.

We'll be hosting a cooking class at Off Alley (Our very first! Hopefully first of many)

• Wed Nov 19th, focusing on Oysters and Sweetbreads

We'll be closed for service

• Thurs Nov 27th for Thanksgiving

• Fri Nov 28th for Black Friday We'll be giving our staff a well deserved break, and observing the Black Friday protests by closing.

We had so much fun with Kily at our LTD Edition Izakaya take over, we're doing it again. This time, we're turning Off Alley into what I hold so near and dear to my heart, a Spanish Tapa's bar.

Focusing on wines from Escoda in Catalunia, we're pulling out the chairs, spilling out into the chilly rainy streets, and serving small little bites of food to go with some of our favorite wines. (I visited the vineyard, back in 2018, and got a full tour of their cellar, along with an absolutely beautiful lunch from a chef born in Washington State!)

• Sun Nov 30th no reservations, just show up! We'll be starting early before 5! Details to be announced through Social Media

Lastly, Holidays in December

Currently we haven't scheduled any holiday buy outs, so there's no closures to announce, but if you're still planning a holiday celebration feel free to reach out by e-mail, or make a request through tock

• Wed Dec 24th

Christmas eve we're bring back Feast of the the seven fishes, our favorite all  seafood blowout dinner.

• Wed Dec 31st

New Years eve, we'll be rolling out all the stops, and treating it like we're in 1800's in France. Might as well go out with a bang, right? Anyone know how to build a guillotine?  We feel like it's a day to indulge, and if you've ever heard the story of why I have Gluttony tattooed on my arm, you'll appreciate the sentiment. 275$, all inclusive, no service charge or tips required. Just taxes.

We've got a few other things planned in December, involving a lot of pigs feet, but we're bound to secrecy until we get closer to the event, but I've never been particularly good about waiting for surprises..

Lastly, a very personal story, in the season of remembrances, and one that I've received permission to share.

I find often great stories start in the middle, as does this one.

A couple months ago, we had a group of five or six guests join us, in a celebration of life, and death after ten years of the passing of their family member Tyler. At the beginning of their meal, one of the family members let me know they were here celebrating the life of this individual and this space (Off Alley) was very important in that celebration.

A couple of courses into the evening, we noticed as a staff that the party was frequenting our bathroom a lot, with unusually long times in it. Eventually, curiosity sparked, and we asked them why they were all spending so much time in our bathroom. As it turns out, the whole reason they were celebrating the life of their passed loved one Tyler at Off Alley, was because there was a piece of graffiti in our bathroom mentioning him, that a friend of the family mentioned to them, but they couldn't find it. So one by one, each member of the family would go to the bathroom, and try to find it amongst all the writings on our walls, and ceilings. Over two hours passed, and no one was able to find the graffiti they were looking for. Just as they were leaving, they gave it one last shot, and struck gold. They found it, and all members of the family were able to see it. As this was happening, one of our front of house staff asked "Can you show me where it is?".

Sometimes, we have very late nights. As I was wrapping things up in the kitchen, placing the last of my orders and such a little past midnight, I asked said staff member, "Oh, can you show me the graffiti?". As it was pointed out to me, my heart was filled with unbridled joy, and sorrow all in one moment. It hit me like a truck, the graffiti everyone was looking for? I wrote it, about one of my biggest mentors, Tyler Moritz. Not only was he one of my biggest mentors, he opened up arguably one of the more memorable restaurants Seattle has ever seen, La Bête. Which as it happens, when he stepped away because of health complications, was also my first Chef job. Shoes, I knew I could never fill, but was honored to even a part of.

Now, for the beginning of the story. Tyler was probably one of the most talented people I've ever met, in all of my years and all of my travels. He worked at some of Seattle's best kitchens, from being the Chef de Cuisine at Union, Ethan Stowell's first restaurant, and working for John Sundstrom at Lark, at the beginning, and later on until he opened up his own restaurant. Tyler taught me how to run the stove at Lark, the most intensive station I've ever worked under any chef, and was the one to truly teach me classic French technique, finesse, discipline. There are so many moments, lessons, and quotes from Tyler, that have shaped every aspect of my career. Hell, the first time I hired Karel Cipra was at La Bete as chef, and now I've hired him 3 times!

But my favorite?

He was running the kitchen at Lark on a Sunday, and a cook kept forgetting to send a salad. At one point, after asking multiple times, Tyler frustrated, asked the cook where the hell was this salad.

The cook replied, in his best sing-songy voice “ it’s just around the river bend!” To quote the Pocahontas Disney film.

I don’t think I ever saw Tyler more angry in my life. He just quietly turned around, face flushed, absolutely furious but he never let his anger get the better of him. He didn’t even flinch. It was an impressive moment. I can still see it to this day, as it is a reminder to me every time I get frustrated in a moment.

It became a memory for the cook and I, as a way for us to pay respect to Tyler. I wrote "It's just around the riverbend! - For Tyler Mortiz " after the first time the cook who irritated him so, dined at my restaurant. We talked about our time at Lark, and Tyler, and I was so inspired by the evening and how much Tyler touched me, it felt necessary in our bathroom.

So, Tyler will always be a part of me, and now, he'll always be a part of Off Alley. There's a beautiful tradition, in many cultures, that as long as a name is mentioned, the person never really passes. Tyler still touches a lot of parts of Seattle, and we're so honored, that he still touches us, and our space. His birthday was on Halloween, and I sat and wrote this passage, for him that evening, in remembrance.