Good food and local wines flow everyday at Russell’s Restaurant & Bar, a place with deep ties to a hub of wineries in nearby Woodinville
Barely a mile beyond the dense winery districts of Woodinville is an oasis in the midst of fast food chains and freeway interchanges. For years, locals have been pouring in to Russell’s Restaurant and Bar in the eastside community of Bothell to recharge over splendid food served in a relaxed, laid-back setting. A place to stay and linger over wine.
“Wine is a food group,” declares owner and head chef Russell Lowell, a true believer in the beauty of food and wine as a combination. “Once you’ve had a glass of wine with a meal, you realize what you’re missing when it’s not included. The trend I’m seeing is that people will have a glass or two of wine with a plate of food and skip dessert. It’s just part of dinner.”
Chef Lowell’s connection with the wine community runs deep. At the Woodinville Warehouse District’s Third Thursday Wine Walks, he can be found at Patterson Cellars grilling lamb to be eaten with crostini and kalamata aioli. “You have to serve exceptional food at these events because people will stick around longer if they are enjoying good food paired with the wines.”
Being a chef demands a huge amount of time and commitment, and Lowell has traveled the world cooking for a diverse clientele, among them many celebrities. His wine stories are almost as legendary as some of the famous people he has cooked for.
For instance, the first winemaker he met in Washington State was David Lake, the Master of Wine at Columbia Winery (Lake passed away in 2009). When Chef Lowell was catering a dinner for Nelson Mandela—who had spent 20 years in prison—he wanted to use Lake’s wine ‘Millenium’ which had been in the bottle for 20 years. There was none to be found, so he phoned Lake, who in turn gave him every bottle he had in his personal cellar.
“We’re lucky to have these artists right here,” Lowell says. “They give their all to produce wonderful wines. The minute they make any money, they pour it back into their business to improve what they’re doing.”
He’s known many Woodinville winemakers from the very early days. For eight years, he provided the food for the concerts held at Chateau Ste. Michelle, and has known their culinary director John Sarich for 30 years. “Back then, no one was cooking raw protein, such as meats and fish, at events—it was all done in hot boxes. I was the first to serve freshly-cooked proteins at these catered events.”
Lowell has known Greg Lill of DeLille Cellars for “forever and a day” and has been supportive of wineries like DiStefano, Facelli and JM Cellars that hit Woodinville years ago.
With ties so close to the local wineries, an average of two winemaker dinners per month are held at Russell’s and sometimes as many as four in a single month. “We’ll keep going as long as we have something really good to share,” Lowell says.
Last year, the restaurant launched its successful Wine & Dine event—a Friday afternoon winery tour followed by dinner at Russell’s. For a nominal fee, Butler Wine Tours will pick guests up in a roomy, leather-interior Mercedes Sprint van and take them wine tasting at several nearby wineries. Upon returning to the restaurant for dinner, any corkage fees are waived for wines purchased during the tour. “I’ve been amazed at what a great time people have on these tours,” says Stuart Butler, owner of Butler Transportation & Wine Tours. “By the time guests get back to the restaurant, they’re friends. I’ve seen different groups end up having dinner together.”
Washington wines make up about half of Russell’s wine list. “I love Washington wines, but I have a few hold-out faves I have to have on my list, like Duckhorn from Napa,” Lowe says. A few Oregon Pinot Noirs are available, as well as several New Zealand wines and a smattering of California, French and Italian wines. Chosen for their ‘pair-ability’ with his food, prices range from $35 and up.
The restaurant and upstairs event Loft are housed inside an immaculately restored 1928 dairy barn, which exudes a warm and inviting wine-country atmosphere. Casual wood tables, a fireplace and roomy black leather chairs lend a friendly ambiance to the dining room.
A snack and glass of wine in the bar may be all you need, but a leisurely meal and a bottle of wine is tempting. An incredible filet mignon is priced at much less than you’ll find for the same beef at a high-end steak house. Pan-seared sea scallops in beurre blanc have become a classic Russell’s dish. Menu items also include pasta with sautéed prawns, a market fresh fish and a seared duck breast with roasted shallot glacé.
Serving the neighborhood and Woodinville wine visitors with breakfast, lunch and dinner, Russell’s has become the defacto late night hangout for winemakers and people in the wine industry. At the end of the day, you never know who you might find at Russell’s, just socializing or sharing a glass of wine. And if you’re lucky, you might just get Russell Lowell to tell a story.
Written by Connie Adams
Wine & Dine Tour Reservations
Butler Transportation
& Wine Tours
www.butlerseattle.com
Ph: 206-679-3158
Russell’s Dining & Bar
3305 Monte Villa Pkwy
Bothell, WA 98021
www.rdlcatering.com
Ph: 425-486-4072