Feast on This

BY JEFF FRAGA

PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE

PROPER FISH

There’s no place like this place, so this must be the place

Stand on the corner of Winslow Way and Madison on a summer day and you can almost see them marching toward you. Drawn in by what many call the Seattle area’s best fish & chips, the anticipation grows.

"Look! There it is!"

The sign reads simply, “proper fish,” and on a beautiful Bainbridge afternoon, people are happy to wait for up to an hour to sample the perfectly fried Alaska cod filets.

Before it was Proper Fish, it was a wildly popular Seattle food truck called Nosh, founded by London native Harvey Wolff, who had visions that went beyond the mobile eatery. His search for a suitable restaurant space brought him to Bainbridge Island. Soon Proper Fish was born—in a permanent location off Winslow Way—and the awards followed, including four consecutive Best of Bainbridge awards.

And, while Proper Fish has changed owners – it’s now co-owned by Heriberto Quintero and Ana Silva – they still use the original recipe from the Nosh truck. “We use Alaskan line-caught cod from the Bering Sea, dipped in local beer batter and served on a pseudo-London newspaper with house-made tartar sauce and a side of mushy peas, “said Quintero. “Each filet weighs in at a hefty 10 to 12 ounces and is carefully hand-battered in a secret blend of seasonings, ensuring a crispy golden coating that locks in the succulent flavors,” added Silva.

As Englishman Wolff might say, “Cod save the king!”

Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro:

It’s service that sets it apart

On the leafy corner of Ericksen Avenue and Winslow Way, a restaurant aspires to greatness. And by combining a top menu and dining experience with an emphasis on impeccable service, Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro intends to achieve it.

Making it happen are Nick Van Den Bosch, front of house manager and wine director; Erika Johannsen, director of operations and bar manager; and chef de cuisine Gulsidel Valazquez Ayala.

“Our front of house ownership team brings service experience from James Beard award-winning locations, Michelin star restaurants, some of San Francisco’s favorite cocktail spots and everything in between,” said Johannsen. “We’d like folks to know that we are a team of three equals in ownership, who love this business.”

In the kitchen, Valazquez Ayala has created a menu that combines contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine with Spanish flair. The restaurant also serves a full brunch menu, from waffles to a luscious burger.

As might be expected in a restaurant that got its start as a wine tasting venue, the bistro offers a wide range of tastings, as well as wine for sale by the bottle or case.

Van Den Bosch argues that as a restaurant, the bistro’s food is important, but service is what sets it apart.

Johannsen summed up the restaurant’s philosophy. “We believe fine dining is not solely defined by white linens and a curated atmosphere,” she said. “It’s built on the knowledge and education of our staff, the execution of thoughtful service and a reverence for everything we send out on a plate.”

Madison DINER

Keep it simple and do the basics: That’s the not-so-secret sauce

You might do a double take when you see the Madison Diner for the first times, an authentic 1940s diner, right in the heart of downtown Bainbridge Island.

And, while it still has that unmistakable diner vibe, its customer service gestalt is right out of the 21st century. “Philosophically, we don’t have customers, we have guests,” said David Shaw, who owns and operates Madison Diner with his wife, Lucia. “And we don’t have employees, we have team members. It’s a mindset for us. I want my team thinking of guests—not customers—when someone comes into our establishment.”

Then there’s the food, which can best be described as diner meets farm-to-table. “We make our own breakfast sausages and chorizo,” said Shaw, “plus sauces, pickles, biscuits, Hollandaise sauce and much more.” Shaw also partners with Bainbridge Island’s Vireo Farms, which he said supplies the diner with a substantial portion of its fresh produce. “Our goal is to provide quality and locally sourced home-cooked meals that appeal to a variety of tastes while remaining true to American diner classics.”

And unlike the ersatz offerings of themed chains, the diner is in fact, a diner. It was built in 1948 and located on a street corner in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Years later, falling into disrepair, the diner was disassembled in pieces, numbered, and shipped across the country to Bainbridge Island, where it was restored on its current site.