Holly Smith
Owner and Chef
Café Juanita
Kirkland, Washington
When Holly Smith, owner and chef of Cafe Juanita located in Kirkland, Washington, was first contacted by email about this feature, she responded from the other Washington, as in D.C., where she had just prepared a banquet at a political fund-raiser attended by Hillary Clinton. Though exhausted from the work surrounding the evening, she took the time to acknowledge the attention and promised to write in more detail the next morning before heading off to prepare yet another meal for yet another event. This next one would be set in a private residence and attended by many political personalities, including her own state senator, Maria Cantwell. Holly had been invited by the president of the Women Chefs and Restauranteurs, a friend and admirer of her work, who was one of the primary organizers of both events.
Driven by her desire to have creative control of her own restaurant, after working for others in the Seattle region for several years, plus a strong passion for the foods of Northern Italy, Holly jumped at the opportunity to purchase Cafe Juanita in the fall of 1999. She opened for business the following April, after a remodel of the previously owned eatery, which now reflected the same simple elegance that she projects in her approach to cooking. While the name does not exactly communicate Northern Italian fare, it does make sense, once the view of Juanita Creek’s lush greenery is seen from one of the restaurant’s comfortable window-side tables.
In fact, when I visited Cafe Juanita to sample the cuisine, one of my dinner companions, an architect and first-time visitor, felt compelled to comment on the interior design as being obviously well thought out from his professional perspective. He explained that the simple, somewhat minimalist ambience trumped the gussied-up thematic approach found in many restaurant interiors. A continuous bench-seat wraps the room as a unifying element beneath the exterior window walls on three sides of the main space. While on the one hand, diners are interrelated by this bench bordering the room, they also experience intimacy and privacy by the attention given to acoustics, accomplished with a simple, yet well-detailed ceiling tile system that achieves just the right level of sound control. Clad in a sophisticated and sumptuous green color, the large L-shaped room is stylish and comfortably functional in an unassuming way that subtly leads all focus to each tablesetting and, more specifically, to each dish being presented. Later, the chef confirmed these observations as she and my friend discussed her design goals in drawing-board jargon like two collaborating engineers.
Additionally, almost everything this talented chef creates for that spotlighted plate supports organic farming. During the winter months, she obtains the bulk of her fresh produce from a local wholesaler specializing in bringing in organics from other parts of the country, as well as some specialty items ordered directly through a relationship that she has cultivated with a farm in California. As a member of the Northwest food community, she demonstrates her commitment to sustainable agriculture by relying heavily on local growers who drive her menu plan with their available production. In fact, during the peak growing months, the entire restaurant staff has a hand in tending to an extensive garden that is on the premises, plus a second larger plot of ground about a mile from the restaurant.
Holly’s trademark rests with the special care that she takes to cook with the harvest of the current season, using the finest local produce and artisan products available from Italy as well as the Pacific Northwest. The menu at Café Juanita changes frequently, but always includes an eclectic mix of meats and seafood, illustrating her commitment to fresh and bold dishes. The restaurant and cooking style reflects her upbringing, education and the various experiences she has encountered on the path that has led to her own kitchen by a creek in the Pacific Northwest.
Holly Smith grew up in Monkton, Maryland, where she received her inspiration for cooking from her mother, who she claims is still the best cook she knows. She graduated from Baltimore International Culinary College, after completing her internship in Ireland with Master Chef Peter Timmons. This experience gave her a firm foundation in technique and classical cuisine. Her formal career started with a two-year stint as a line cook at a historic country inn near Baltimore. The move to Seattle was prompted by her husband Michael’s enrollment in graduate school there. Her first exposure to the world of Pacific Northwest cuisine could not have been more central to the region’s heart and soul, at Place Pigalle in the famous Pike Place Market, a locale that epitomizes the Northwest style. After a brief cooking term there, she accepted a position with a well-known pillar of the Northwest food community, Tom Douglas, at his Dahlia Lounge, of Sleepless in Seattle fame. She was the Dahlia sous chef for nearly four years.
Then, as Holly began the mental preparation, planning and development of her own restaurant business plan, her friend Chef Tamara Murphy asked if she would be a part of the opening of Tamara’s now notable Brasa restaurant. Holly was the sous chef and chef de cuisine at Brasa for its first year, a position that served as the final dress rehearsal for taking the leap to chef/owner. She left Brasa when the opportunity to acquire Café Juanita presented itself.
In addition to nurturing the farm industry, Café Juanita is also committed to offering great wines. The award-winning wine list has a primary focus on Northern Italian producers, rounded-out by an outstanding array of Northwest wines. The friendly, casual staff is also very well versed in wine selection. Our server did not hesitate to suggest vintages that matched the meal and desired price level in a direct and helpful manner that would have impressed the most knowledgeable connoisseur, without intimidating an inexperienced novice.
Ms. Smith has a firm appreciation for the challenges of owning and operating a one-woman restaurant. "I am passionate about cooking, like all chefs, but unlike restaurant chefs who are paid predominately for their cooking prowess, I am also the owner! To that end, I tend the organic gardens, handle employee-training, function as bookkeeper, and even wash dishes if needed. While sometimes I think I’ll never sleep again, it is what really gives me the spark to be the best that I can be and it’s definitely the edge that our regular guests, and those trying us for the first time, learn to expect from the Café Juanita experience.
A commitment to utilizing superb and often unique ingredients, an experienced understanding of the culinary culture surrounding the Pacific Northwest, and the flawless execution of classic Italian dishes, appears to be a winning combination that is propelling Holly, a rising star, who is gaining national notoriety. However, despite traveling in prestigious circles "inside the beltway", Holly vehemently denies any aspirations to becoming White House Chef in 2008. On being questioned further as to whether, if Mrs. Clinton asked, would she accept, the down-to-earth and spirited chef responded with only a mischievous twinkle of a laugh!
In keeping with her seasonal approach to menu planning, Holly has provided Melissa’s with a special four-course dinner that celebrates the early spring harvests of April. Starting with one of the chef’s personal favorites, a very tasty English pea soup that she guarantees is head-turning good; plus two veggie side-dishes that combine perfectly with the spring lamb entrée, and culminating with a traditional Italian dessert delicacy that is smothered in a decadent strawberry sauce that will bring sunshine to any amount of April showers.
