Chef Garrett Doherty: Not All Black and White

A clean, white chef's jacket is a staple in every chef and cook's wardrobe.  For many, the ritual of putting them on at the beginning of a shift is what puts them in the correct mindset for the evening to come.  Throughout the prep and the service and the clean up at the end of the night, one is apt to feel the starch go out of the sleeves and see the almost unnavoidable splotches on the cuffs, even when rolled up. For Chef Garrett Doherty that is not always the case.

It is not all black and white for Chef Doherty.  He looks just as comfortable in service at The Ruins in Seattle where he is executive chef as he does at a pop up dinner with his own venture, Kraken Congee. At The Ruins, you will see him in that pristine white jacket.  At Kraken, you are likely to catch him and his staff in t-shirts and comfy jeans.

It is all about the food for him and his regulars at Kraken Congee are there for what he knows and what he cooks and not necessarily for the look of the chef.  Or maybe they do care?  At Kraken Congee it is a family and somewhat communal atmosphere where Chef Doherty and his crew dress a lot like their guests.  At his day job at The Ruins, it looks like the guests enjoy a great meal and everything that comes from a fine dining meal.  At Kraken Congee, it looks like everyone's best friends took over the bar and the kitchen.  That kind of formal informal atmosphere equals a line out the door. Their guests are often people who want to enjoy the food with an entire room full of friends.

We realized that was the kind of spirit that we needed on the Board of Chefs.  We need those who show that there are number of different paths to great food and who are not afraid to go a different route.  We would like to welcome Chef Garrett Doherty to the Board of Chefs and thank him for offering his spirit to this endeavor.