We started brunch on Mother’s Day weekend two years ago. Since then, we have enjoyed serving hungry diners an evolving menu inspired with full flavors and regional influences. One of the people so instrumental to its success is our AM Sous Chef, Angela Ortez-Davis.
Originally from Los Angeles, Angela moved to Seattle back in 2004 to get her undergraduate degree at Seattle University in Political Science and Latin American Studies. According to her, culinary school was a way to avoid graduate school.
We couldn’t be more delighted to have this intelligent, kind, and resourceful chef as a part of our team!
When asked about her influences, she was quick to acknowledge her roots: “A great deal of my upbringing influences me today. My mom is chef from Mexico who taught me about art and food. My dad is a mechanical engineer from El Salvador who taught me about history and work ethic. Both of them are activists who instilled social justice values in my siblings and me. I’m also influenced by where I grew up. I love Los Angeles! Living in such a diverse and multifaceted place always kept me hungry for more. There’s always something new to try, some new way to live that I hadn’t considered. I feel like that same restlessness keeps me motivated.”
A few of her newest menu additions include:
Housemade Granola, (pro tip: get it to-go) made with steel cut oats, coconut flakes, pepitas, dried cranberries, chia seeds, butter, honey, brown sugar, and nutmeg. She accompanies this with house made yogurt. Morning brain power people!
Greens, Egg & Ham, (Jen’s personal favorite thing on the menu) made with lentil, spinach, sunny-side egg, lardon, bacon fat vinaigrette, citrus-herb crema.
When Angela isn’t working, she’s likely cooking for her husband, playing pinball, or eating out with friends.
We were curious what her favorite menu items are right now and here’s the inside scoop…
“For dinner, I love the beef cheeks with masa gnocchi. That texture reminds me of a beef tamal , but feels fresh and new at the same time! Swoon.
On the brunch side, our Scotch Egg is pretty special. I think it’s a true example of how collaborative our kitchen is. The dish kept evolving and I love where it is right now. Rather than a traditional caraway profile, we have house made green chorizo in our Scotch Egg. It’s served on a thick slice of brioche, toad-in-the-hole style. Then it’s topped with rotating pickled vegetables, pickled mustard seeds and a delicious sorghum demiglace. A lot of love goes into that dish and it’s so much more than the sum of its parts.”
What changes can we expect to see next on the menu? She’s looking forward to the summertime bounty of corn and peppers, not to mention preserving them for our pantry.
I think it’s safe to say a few of us are excited about that too!
Thanks to all of you for making our brunch so worthwhile for us to cook and take care of you on weekend mornings!
Author: Jen Doak
Images: Will Foster