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| Chef Jennifer Cato, seated, and sommelier Geoff Williams Jr. (standing, center) are engaged, but they’ve been too busy runnning the Delicate Palate Bistro to plan their wedding. They’ve been running the Pacific City restaurant since August 2006 with the help of server Jim Showman, left, and bartender Sean Matthews. OCT photo. |
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Presenting the Palate
This Pacific City bistro offers
a palette for passions in food and wine
By NIKI PRICE
Oregon Coast Today
In the nine months since Jennifer Cato and Geoff Williams Jr. arrived at the Delicate Palate Bistro, in the Pacific City Inn, they’ve been treated to one surprise after another. Some were astonishing (November floods, December winds) and others simply charming (the relaxed lifestyle, the lack of a stoplight in Pacific City).
But the most pleasant and unexpected surprise, they both said, has been the locals’ trust. Although these Napa Valley refugees are new to the coast, they’ve quickly made their reputation for local ingredients, artfully prepared by Jennifer, and paired with the perfect wine by Geoff, a certified sommelier.
Recently, some regulars brought their friends to the 30-seat restaurant, and refused to look at the menu. They asked the chef to take over, and she responded by creating small plates of almost everything, from the Herb-Crusted Halibut to the Cabernet Braised Lamb Shank.
Geoff has had the same kind of experience.
“I’ll come over to take a drink order, and they’ll say ‘We need just a few more minutes with the menu, and then we’ll let you bring us what we’re going to drink.’ I’ve never had anybody trust me so much, outside of my house. It’s a lot of fun,” Geoff said.
“We’ve already seen a great amount of support from people who love it here. They love it here, we make them feel special — they have their favorite items and everybody knows their name. We feel like they’re our friends, not just our customers,” Jennifer said. “And the people are feeling the same way, excited about what we’re doing here.”
What are they doing at the Delicate Palate Bistro? This couple offers memorable entrees, appetizers and salads, complemented by fine wines, attentive service and martinis, served in an atmosphere that is inviting and comfortable. The menu begins with all-Dungeness crab cakes — no filler allowed — and sesame-seared ahi tuna over wonton crackers and Asian slaw, and fresh, innovative salads like roasted beet (with mandarin oranges and goat cheese fritters) and Fuji apple and Gorgonzola (with tender baby greens, candied walnuts and a champagne vinaigrette).
Jennifer’s main plates show her love of culinary invention. Among the recent favorites has been a seafood risotto.
“For that dish, I use Spanish saffron threads for a really beautiful bright yellow presentation. I mix in some fresh Dungeness crab meat and scallops, and then some jumbo prawns, and I garnish it with some baby spinach, uncooked. That really enhances the flavor — the crispness of the spinach with the creamy risotto and all that seafood,” Jennifer said. “I’m getting a lot of good responses on that.”
Her King Chinook salmon is served atop a Mediterranean ragout of Kalamata olives, tomatoes and artichokes, with a little pesto, and next to fresh-dug, roasted fingerling potatoes. She braises lamb shank in cabernet and veal stock, then serves the tender meat with a risotto of riced potatoes, applewood smoked bacon and Parmesan cheese.
“I love getting back there, experimenting and creating everything from the flavors to satisfy your palate, to the way the food looks. I really enjoy presentation and trying to make it a full experience all the way around,” Jennifer said.
She acquired her passion for food through 15 years in the Napa Valley culinary scene, working with chefs like Jude Wilmoth at Cook Restaurant, in St. Helena, and Bob Hurley of Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar, in Yountville. Geoff also found his vocation in the wine country, studying viticulture and enology at University of California, Davis, before he became the national sales representative for a group of Napa Valley wineries. That job took him to some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country, where he sampled the best in regional and international cuisine.
Meanwhile, Geoff’s father (Geoff Williams Sr.) was renovating the old garage at the Pacific City Inn to create the Delicate Palate Bistro, which opened in 2004. Geoff Jr. achieved his certification as a sommelier, an expert in the pairing of food and wine, just before he and Jennifer took over in August 2006. The sommelier training, he said, gave him the confidence he needed to take his wine knowledge tableside.
“It’s great to come out to the guests, see what they’ve ordered, and try to put something on the table that will go with what they’re having,” Geoff Jr. said. “For me, it’s a great opportunity to introduce someone to a nice diverse bottle of wine that they would probably never pull off the shelf it they saw it. But I explain the vineyard sites, how the wine is produced, and just open people’s minds.”
The Delicate Palate wine list, which ranges between 100 and 150 bottles, emphasizes Oregon classics like pinot noir and pinot gris, cabernets and sparkling wines from Washington, and selected vintages from around the world. Customers can also choose from six beers on tap and a full bar, with a custom martini menu deftly mixed by bartender (and local surfing character) Sean Matthews.
Charming hospitality by experienced server Jim Showman completes what Geoff Jr. calls “a complete dining experience.”
The Delicate Palate experience continues on the back deck, which overlooks the runway at the Pacific City State Airport and leads to a grassy yard with a fire pit. During the warmer months, leashed pets are allowed in the outdoor patio; children are welcome indoors and out, anytime (no leashes required).
The menu has its upscale moments, but this couple wants to make everyone feel at home. Jennifer makes a grown up mac-n-cheese (with pancetta and five kinds of queso) and coconut shrimp “lollipops,” and covers her tablecloths with white paper that encourages masterpieces by artists of all ages. It’s OK to come for a night on the town, with steak and crab-stuffed potatoes, or a Spruce Goose martini on the “Flight Deck,” or anything in between.
“There really is something for everyone,” Jennifer said. “We’re trying to make it a friendly, comfortable place for people to come and enjoy themselves.”
The Delicate Palate Bistro in the Pacific City Inn serves dinner from 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 35280 Brooten Road in Pacific City, two short blocks south of the blinking light. For reservations, call 503-965-6464 or toll free 866-567-3466, or log on to www.delicatepalate.com.
TideTables is an advertiser-sponsored feature of the Oregon Coast Today. To include your restaurant in an upcoming edition, call Charles Helbig, 503-842-0404 or Dave Price, 541-921-2306. |
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