User:Canlis/restaurant
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Canlis Restaurant
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Before Peter Canlis opened his restaurant at the foot of the Aurora Bridge on the old Alaska Highway, Seattle was not the food lover's mecca that it is today. Visitors to the city were dubious about dining opportunities in what had so recently been a frontier town. While the city could boast a handful of hotel dining rooms offering the standard continental cuisine, there were no restaurants serving northwest regional cuisine, and in fact, there was no northwest style to speak of. The region was well known for its salmon and its apples, but varieties of apples grown here were chosen more for their ability to survive being shipped to the east coast than for their inherent flavor; and much of the salmon harvested in local waters was put up in cans.
All that began to change in 1950 when Canlis www.canlis.com was planted in the fertile soil beside Lake Union. Culled from the imagination of Peter Canlis and architect Roland Terry[[1]], the restaurant was unlike anything the city had seen before. Seattle historian Bill Speidel called it "A bold experiment." Cantilevered into an east-facing slope overlooking the lake and the rugged Cascade Mountains beyond, the new building cut a bold facade. But the perspective that really made Canlis unique was the restaurant's orientation toward the west. For while the building faced east, the spirit of the place faced the Pacific. The seeds of Canlis had been flown in from Hawaii where Peter Canlis already owned and operated the successful Canlis Broiler on Waikiki.
Just as east coast restaurants looked to Europe for inspiration, the first great restaurant of the Pacific northwest turned to Asia and the Pacific islands. This shift initiated a whole new way of cooking and dining, and Seattle wholeheartedly embraced it. Food from the Ring of Fire captured our imagination; and with exotic game fish grilling over an open broiler, tropical wood accents, and kimono-clad waitresses, Canlis brought the romance of the Pacific into the city. Drawing inspiration and many of the key ingredients for its signature dishes from the lands that touch the great ocean, Canlis pioneered Pacific Rim Cuisine.
More than that, Canlis became for Seattleites a kind of "Third Place," neither home nor work, but a meeting ground where milestones in both of those arenas could be celebrated and honored. For, in spite of all its exotic touches, Canlis never lost touch with its regional roots nor with the mainstream American diners who constitute its clientele. Perfectly grilled salmon and Midwestern steaks were always as much a part of the menu as grilled Mahi Mahi with passion fruit butter, and anyone could feel comfortable dining there. Canlis drew its first customers from the many loyal followers of the Hawaii restaurant who lived in Seattle and spent winter vacations on Oahu. But it wasn't long before all of Seattle claimed Canlis as its own and made it the first choice for special events. By the time Chris Canlis and his wife Alice assumed responsibility for the restaurant in 1977, Canlis was more than a restaurant; it was a vital Seattle landmark.
At the entrance of the restaurant is a Kura door from a seventeenth century Japanese treasure house. A treasure house, built to secure a family's most valuable belongings, was constructed more substantially than the light residential buildings that surrounded it. It had three doors, the inner most being the Kura door. The Kura door at Canlis is symbolic of this restaurant's philosophy and its role in the community. Here, in the city's most beautiful restaurant, treasured events are carefully safeguarded.
In the Penthouse, perched above the main dining room, rehearsal dinners, receptions, and retirement parties are celebrated against the sparkling cityscape that surrounds Lake Union. In the Executive Dining Room, positioned discretely behind the main dining room, more intimate gatherings are fostered by the residential feel captured by architect Roland Terry and enhanced by William Cutler during a remodel in 1996. During the remodel, a third private dining room was added to the building, the tiny Cachet, a romantic space with a view, a fainting couch, and just one table.
From the private marriage proposal between a young couple, to the formal reception of Deng Xiaoping at his only public dining experience in the United States, Canlis is where Seattle celebrates the passages of life. Many of the businesses that shaped Seattle's character have made the private dining rooms at Canlis their celebration headquarters. Families who have relied on those businesses for their livelihoods know they can trust the restaurant's professional staff to safeguard and enhance their special occasions, public or private.
Little known to the guests, who make Canlis their home away from home, the restaurant's commitment to caring extends well beyond the dining room. From hospital wings to symphonies, from restoration of homeless shelters to a mock Canlis dining room at a recovery center for stroke victims, recipients of Canlis' generosity are many and diverse. The owners strive to make their giving count, and fundraising events are always tailored to the cause for which the funds are raised. The first night that Cache was opened, proceeds went to a counseling center to mend broken relationships. An Oscar night event generated funds for young actors' guild, and Grandparent's Day is an annual opportunity for Canlis to open its doors to nursing home patients.
Perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of Canlis' commitment to caring have been the members of the Canlis crew. A culturally diverse group with more than ten different languages spoken between them, Canlis employees are notoriously long lived. At other restaurants, workers move from property to property almost as frequently as the customers do. But in five decades of continuous operation, this kitchen has had only two executive chefs. When Joe Ching, the original chef retired, he was replaced by Rocky Toguchi, who had already been with the company for a decade. Employees stay with the company because the restaurant is more than a place to work. The crew is an extended family, and each employee knows that the company cares.
Decades before it was required by law, Canlis provided full health care coverage for every employee; it also offers paid vacations, profit sharing and use of a vacation home on Whidbey Island. Employees enjoy two employee meals every day. Dinner at five o’clock is a family gathering of thirty or more workers; and a substantial late night snack caps off every shift. Daily gatherings at five twenty-five are held by the management team to forecast the course of the evening and motivate the staff; but to the untrained eye, these daily meetings feel as much like family gatherings as business meetings.
The sense of camaraderie felt among the staff translates to excellent service, attentive in every detail. Like the Kura door, the stone columns, or the mighty cedar beams that hold up the roof, every member of the Canlis crew safeguards the guests' treasures. Through their dedication and their gracious service, they create a trusted and familiar environment where Seattleites can celebrate the milestone moments of their lives. [1] [2]
