Surrell is a testament to terroir
IMAGES BY LOGAN HICKLE
“We want to be a restaurant known for how we make you feel, and be generous and gracious.” —Chef Aaron Tekulve
While the farm-to-table movement has chefs and guests alike singing the praises of sourcing from small and local farms, something is still missing. Wine lists at restaurants still seem to skew global rather than local.
Enter chef Aaron Tekulve, a true advocate for Washington wine, who not only puts his money where his mouth is, but banks on Seattle’s only wine list that features bottles solely from Washington producers at his restaurant, Surrell. He calls it his “love letter to Washington wine.”
After spending most of his 20s touring as a drummer with a rock band, Tekulve gave up life on the road for a chef ’s apron and culinary school. Gigs in the Seattle-area kitchens of acclaimed Café Juanita, Lark and Canlis followed, as well as an appearance on Food Network’s television show Chopped. There was also a stint at Coi, a Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco. Despite the impressive resumé, Tekulve credits his biggest culinary influence to a phenomenal experience in Japan at a 12-seat sushi bar, which inspired his choice to build a small restaurant rather than something with more than 40 seats.
Tekulve created the Surrell brand in 2016, and started doing pop-up dinners around Seattle. He was invited to collaborate on wine dinners and create menus to accompany wines from local producers including Two Vintners, Darby Winery and Cairdeas Winery. It was during this period that Tekulve recognized the lack of representation of Washington wines in the local dining landscape. Consequently, he drafted a business plan for a wine bar dedicated to Washington wine.
On the day of his wedding rehearsal dinner, he signed the lease for a location that Surrell could settle into. After years of running the business as a pop-up restaurant, he finally got the keys to a century-old, converted house in Madison Valley in November 2019. “There’s a warmth from a home that you rarely get in a commercial space,” says Tekulve.
He refreshed the old structure and, despite its two floors, curated a space with an intimate feel. He opted for luxe blue velvet chairs and dark wood in lieu of traditional white tablecloths, giving the main dining room a sense of comfort rather than stuffy formality. A chef ’s counter integrated into the kitchen was intended to offer a front row seat to the performance taking place each night. Then, with a grand opening date set and doors ready to open in mid-March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rushed in and turned the business on its head.
What could have been a complete disaster instead resulted in one of Seattle’s most charming outdoor dining destinations, as Tekulve’s family helped him modify the back patio of the restaurant to create an open-air dining oasis. That transformation kept the business moving forward. Though the indoor dining room is now open, the fenced-in garden hideaway swathed with party lights remains popular from May through October.
As time passed, Surrell evolved from a wine bar to a full-service restaurant that offers tasting menus.
“We want to be a restaurant known for how we make you feel, and be generous and gracious,” Tekulve explains.
Nevertheless, a focus on locally sourced ingredients from smaller producers—including wine—remains. But when it comes to wine, the chef says he makes more emotional choices based on memories, rather than relying on the science behind food and wine pairing.
“[The dishes] give us the opportunity to tell stories about our amazing wine regions in Washington,” he says. “Recently I have been really digging our morel and porcini mushroom dish paired with the 2021 Kobayashi Syrah.
Naturally, wine informs Tekulve’s Pacific Northwest preparations, making them more remarkable, seasonal and original. Wines crafted with grapes from Yakima Valley’s acclaimed Boushey Vineyards are often featured. For example, a winter’s menu included perfectly cooked braised Spanish octopus, tender to the bite, served with an enchanting Boushey Vineyard Cabernet Franc from boutique producer Damsel Cellars. A midsummer menu saw the octopus preparation transformed with additions of roasted tomatoes, bacon and fish sauce caramel. In this case, the dish was coupled with Kevin White Winery’s Boushey Vineyard Pionnier, a spicy red wine blend highlighting Mourvèdre and Syrah. Each umami filled bite of food complemented the complexity of the wine.
To enhance the guest experience, Tekulve often employs modernist techniques, such as using liquid nitrogen while preparing desserts. Doing so creates intrigue among diners as a cloud of foggy vapor emerges not only from the kitchen, but also from each dish delivered tableside. The result is an inventive treat, often involving a savory element like herbs or chèvre, with a contrast of creamy and crunchy elements. Those savory notes confound traditional wine pairing philosophies, enabling a dry red wine to pair harmoniously with the dessert course.
While people are drawn to Surrell’s food and hospitality, the chef remarks that he sees more people starting to become greater fans of Washington wine. Such support is crucial to the industry. Mari Womack, the owner and winemaker of Damsel Cellars, agrees.
“Having my wine and other amazing Washington wines being served with a menu that is so thoughtfully prepared and presented has, I’m sure, pushed many guests to seek out those wineries,” Womack says. “I can think of some very supportive wine club members of Damsel that I met at a Surrell wine dinner.”
Though things didn’t go exactly to plan, the love affair with Washington wine continues to flourish.
Surrell
2319 E Madison St
Seattle, WA 98112
Surrellseattle.com
