Wed 1 Apr 2009 8:15 pm
Food & Wine Magazine has named its 10 best new chefs of 2009, and Mark Fuller of Spring Hill is on the list. Fuller, formerly head chef at The Dahlia Lounge, particularly impressed the judges with “olive-oil-poached albacore tuna with smoked king clam panzanella, arugula and avocado.” The chef has won raves for Spring Hill, and was also on the recent list of Seattle’s “Rising Stars.”
The group of 10 chefs from around the country will be pictured on the mag’s July cover. Fuller told Nancy Leson from New York that the photo shoot “was all white on white, with us dressed in our chefs coats. I was holding a white ceramic pitcher. At first it was awkward, but it was really painless and fun, I enjoyed it.”
Another Northwest name was on the 2009 list: Naomi Pomeroy, who’s been making waves with Beast in Portland. (She had made a name previously, with former husband Michael Hebberoy.)
Full list of winners is here. Fuller makes it a 5-year streak that Seattle has had a chef on the prestigious list, following Ethan Stowell (’08), Matt Dillon (’07), Jason Wilson (’06), and Maria Hines (’05).
I adore Beast. The closest comparison in Seattle The Corson Building (but w/o family style serving). The food is outstanding, and the wine pairings are exceptional.
In talking to Portland friends, many grudgingly acknowledge Chef Pomeroy’s talents, but have not forgiven her for the Clarklewis debacle.
Me, I can’t look at a Beast menu and not start spontaneously salivating.
Beast is a restaurant that is hard to pass up when we go down to Portland. Aside from being outstanding food, it is cheaper than most equivalent places in Seattle. And they also have a killer Sunday brunch (with wine pairings as well) and I adore their Charcuterie plate.
My husband and I are also fans of Spring HIll (except for their Monday night spaghetti and meatballs supper). We think they do their fish particularly well.