You might have realized that the guy was ambitious when you found out his domain name was "ChefJasonWilson.com." Mind you, this was in the remote dark ages of the internet, when we all had AOL or Compuserve handles. At the time, how quaint, he actually did have a restaurant, an ambitious place called Crush, in a house on the slope between Capitol Hill and Madison Park, And a consulting business.
Even in those early days, Wilson turned up as "consulting chef" at quirky places like The Local Vine in Belltown and Urban Enoteca in SoDo. He wasn't one of those guys who sits still waiting for a restaurant to "come together;" he was out there every day, hustling. Along the way (2010), a James Beard award as best chef, Northwest.
After Crush came Millers Guild, a downtown steak house (with an Rube-Goldberg, wood-fired grill) in the Max Hotel. Then El Gaucho Hospitality--an upscale group of steak and seafood houses in Seattle, Bellevue, and Portland, announced Wilson would become their culinary director (in addition to his other jobs).
Last month a snappy spot called Lakehouse in Bellevue opened its doors, with (surprise!) Jason Wilson in charge of the menu, Good reviews.
But that was sooo last month. This week, today in fact, Wilson's latest project was revealed: a boutique (10-suites) resort complex in a 300-acre vineyard to be called Eritage in eastern Washington, a deal that brings together El Gaucho's expertise in hospitality and Justin Wylie (the owner of Va Piano vineyards).
And that house on Cap Hill? Still there, but no longer a restaurant. Instead, it's home to yet another Jason Wilson venture, Coffee Flour, that's going to save us from drowning in spent grounds.
Leave a comment