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CHEFS RACHEL YANG, ZOI ANTONITSAS, AARON WILLIS AND JASON STRATTON PUT A BUN ON IT FOR FEBRUARY CULINARY COLLABORATION
Seattle, WA — 4 Burgers. 4 Chefs. 4 Weeks. Li’l Woody’s kicks off its popular Burger Month {#SeattleBurgerMonth} on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. Through February, all Li’l Woody’s locations will be featuring a weekly burger from 4 acclaimed chefs who offer their culinary spin on the beloved sandwich. These one-of-a-kind concoctions are not to be missed and are worthy of trying each version. Diners can pick up a stamp card from any location, fill it out with the purchase of all 4 burgers, and receive a limited-edition hat.
The Chef Lineup:
January 31- February 6 | Rachel Yang {Revel, Joule, Trove, Revelry}
Rachel Yang was born in Korea and honed her skills working in some of New York City’s top restaurants where she met her husband, Seif Chirchi. They moved to Seattle in 2006 and opened their first restaurant, Joule, in 2007. In 2010 they opened Revel, followed by Trove in 2014, and Revelry in Portland, Oregon in 2016. Yang won a tough, televised competition in Kitchen Stadium against Iron Chef Jose Garces on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and has been a James Beard Foundation finalist for “Best Chef: Northwest” for her nontraditional twist on Korean cuisine. Learn more about Rachel and her restaurants at http://www.relayrestaurantgroup.com
Yang’s Burger: Relay Burger
Pickled Korean Peppers and Onions, Caramelized Bacon Kimchi Mayo, Butter Lettuce, 1/3lb Painted Hills grass fed beef
Says Yang: “It was lots of fun doing this burger. We have done many burgers at our restaurants. Mostly seasoning the meat with sweet and savory seasonings. But we wanted to do a straight up, more American style burger, with an unseasoned beef patty but adding umami-rich bacon caramelized kimchi marmalade, along with bright and sharp Korean chili and onion pickle.”
February 7- February 13 | Zoi Antonitsas {Jarr & Co}
Zoi Antonitsas was named a Best New Chef by Food and Wine Magazine in 2015 when she helmed the kitchen at Chef Josh Henderson’s water-inspired restaurant, Westward. In late 2015, she joined Capitol Hill Greek restaurant Omega Ouzeri and in the summer of 2017, she will partner with Bryan Jarr (Jarr Barr) on the new Jarr & Co, a cannery and restaurant/bar that will specialize in preserved seafood located in the historic Pike Place Market. Learn more about Jarr & Co at http://www.jarrandco.com
Antonitsas Burger: Ras El Hanout Fried Oyster Roll
Tzatziki, Butter Lettuce, Mint, Sliced Tomato, Pickled Red Onions, Fried Pacific Oysters, Seeded Oyster Roll. A side of Zoi’s Sailor Salt seasoned fries are recommended and available for purchase.
Says Antonitsas: “Fried oysters are my fave…so i had to do a fried oyster “burger”!!
This sandwich is a combination of flavors that evoke the Mediterranean. Ras el hangout is a Moroccan curry with floral notes and complex flavors. i paired this with fresh mint, lettuce and tomato, as well as creamy tzatziki sauce and bright pickled onions. For me food is all about flavor, texture, contrast & beauty. I wanted to do something besides beef, so we are using beautiful local Pacific oysters, and I made a seed mix for the bun that has sesame & nigella seeds that also has tons of flavor. For me a burger can really be any type of meat and garnish between a bun. I like burgers that are fresh and complex. It’s all about the perfect bite. A burger really should have it all and I hope this one does.”
February 14- February 20 | Aaron Willis {Ciudad and Bar Ciudad}
Aaron Willis has a lust for travel and brings his passion for the global flavors of the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia to Ciudad Grill. He worked in San Diego, where he also graduated from the San Diego Culinary Institute; opened a restaurant and lived in Bali, Indonesia; spent extensive time in Berlin, Germany and touring Western Europe. Along the way, Aaron became certified as a sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and earned Level 2 certification from the International Sommeliers Guild. In 2012, Aaron became executive chef at Delicatus in Pioneer Square and later helped open The Kitchen by Delicatus. He left in in 2015 to start his own company- The Generous Chef, where he executed pop-up dinners, catered events and provided restaurant consulting. Learn more about Ciudad and Bar Ciudad at: http://www.ciudadseattle.com
Willis’ Burger: Merguez Sausage Burger
Ingredients: Roasted Garlic Chimichurri Aioli, Piperade of Sun dried tomatoes and Piquillo peppers, Arugula, Ciudad in-house spiced Lamb sausage link, 1/3lb Painted Hills grass fed beef.
Says Willis: “My burger is inspired by the desire to combine two great things into one awesome treat. Merguez sausage was a natural choice to match with Li’l Woody’s burgers. The spicy and smoky merguez is complimented by plenty of roasted garlic in the aioli and a hint of sweet from the onion and pepper piperade. The Merguez Sausage Burger is a combination of typically Latin flavors with Ciudad Grill written all over it. That’s definitely why I would devour this burger.”
February 21- February 27 | Jason Stratton {mbar}
A Seattle native, Jason Stratton began his career at the early age of 16 at Seattle’s classic Le Gourmand restaurant. From 2002-2007, Jason worked for Chef/Owner Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita. In 2009, he joined Spinasse and in 2010 he was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s 10 Best New Chefs. In June 2011, Stratton opened Artusi next door to Spinasse and later Aragona, a James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2014. In 2015, Jason assumed the role of general manager and executive chef for mamnoon, and in 2016, Jason opened mbar, the 14th floor, rooftop restaurant and bar in Seattle’s burgeoning South Lake Union neighborhood. Learn more about mbar at: http://www.mbarseattle.com
Stratton’s Burger: Big Freedia
Fried Cauliflower, Pistachio, Calabrian Chile relish, Feta Cheese, Tahini Mayo, Mint, Cilantro and Dill mixed greens, Baharat-Spiced, 1/3lb Painted Hills grass fed Beef
Says Stratton: “My burger is called the Big Freedia in honor of the reigning Queen of Bounce based out of New Orleans. I love a burger that is packed full of bold flavor and lots of texture—dreaming up something as vibrant as Big Freedia’s music, I delved into some common flavoring elements in the mamnoon restaurant wheelhouse: a baharat spiced beef burger evokes shawarma and street foods. We make a spicy relish of fried cauliflower, golden raisins, calabrian chilies, pomegranate molasses and round out the flavors with a generous amount of picked herbs (dill, cilantro, mint and parsley) for richness and a smear of tahini mayonnaise.”
ABOUT LI’L WOODYS
The Burger Month specials are available at all Li’l Woody’s locations. Capitol Hill at 1211 Pine Street, open Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-3am and Sunday 11am-10pm; Ballard at 2040 NW Market Street, open Mon -Sat 11am-11pm and Sunday 11am-10pm and South Lake Union at 1091 Thomas Street, Suite C, open Mon-Friday 11am-8pm. www.facebook.com/lilwoodysseattle. For more information on Li’l Woody’s Burger Month, visit www.lilwoodys.com/seattleburgermonth/ #SeattleBurgerMonth.