Opposites may attract but its the way that Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek are alike that make them such a formidable team.
No detail is too small. Every product is researched and meticulously sourced from the best producers. Theyll spend hours to get it just right rather than settle for a quick thatll do. They understand the science of food and drink as well as that more ephemeral notion of palate.
They laugh at each others jokes, know each others strengths, and have lived, eaten, drank and worked happily together for almost four years.
Its hard to separate them professionally because their talents intermingle but, simply put, shes the genius behind the Bittered Sling line of bitters (that has just been picked up by Crate and Barrel and Whole Foods) and hes the cooking passion behind Kale and Nori Culinary Arts.
At a recent Bittered Sling Bistro at Legacy Liquor Store, the ways they are alike were woven together with the ways they are different in a dinner that travelled down many adventurous sideroads.
While he worked quietly and steadily in the open kitchen at the back of the Olympic Village store, she mixed cocktails and then explained why they had been chosen to complement Chovanceks menu to the almost 40 patrons.
Her knowledge about cocktails is encyclopedic. She cant mention one part of a drinks name without telling a story about its roots. For instance, heres her background information on her Howitzer 105 cocktail to go with Chovanceks raw Pacific oysters (with elderberry capers and balsamfir mignonette) and duck live parfait (with wild alder cone-hazelnut gremolata and quince marmalade.)
A spin on the classic French 75, aka 75 cocktail, aka Soixante-quinze (that is also named after a gun), this one saw a lot of action during the First and Second World Wars. The French 75 was popularized at Harrys New York Bar in Paris, around 1915. The classic French 75 does not include cognac, however the bar team at Arnauds in New Orleans would argue that principle cognac is French, gin is not, Champagne is French, what gives? That ones called the French 125.
Asked about the exceptionally tender braised pork shoulder that he served with a Cherry Heering glaze and wild mushroom polenta, Chovancek makes spending hours on one dish seem perfectly easy. Chefs make braising to be complicated but you open up the foil, poke it with your finger and if it doesnt feel like a babys bottom, its not ready.
At most Bittered Sling Bistros, they have a guest bartender who, using the products from that evenings host, creates the cocktails. The long-table diners then rate the pairings and, at the end of the season, a winning bartender is declared.
Bittered Sling Bistros are every two weeks; tickets are $60 each. For a schedule go to BitteredSling.com or LegacyLiquorStore.com.
