Charles Koh
The sealife-focused restaurant is the fourth in Saison Hospitality’s portfolio which includes Saison, Angler SF and Angler L.A.
Fortress Development today announced that Chef Joshua Skenes, whose awards span a broad scope from 3-Michelin stars, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef,” to Elite Traveler Magazine’s “15 Most Influential Chefs of the Next Decade,” will bring his sealife-focused restaurant, Angler, to the two-tower luxury Avenue Bellevue development in the heart of downtown Bellevue, Washington in late 2021.
Known for his unique methodology, innovations in fire cooking, and relentless pursuit of the very best products in existence, Skenes is the first and only American chef to garner 3-Michelin stars cooking entirely over open fire, earning the accolade at his first restaurant, Saison (www.saisonsf.com), which he opened in 2009. Anger SF(www.anglerrestaurants.com) opened along the Embarcadero in San Francisco in August 2018 and was named Best New Restaurant in America by the editors of Esquire and is nominated for “Arrival of the Year” by The World Restaurant Awards. Angler L.A. is scheduled to open in Los Angeles this spring.
“Having grown up fishing, hunting, gathering and cooking over a campfire in the woods, I was exposed at an early age to that irreplaceable taste of nature at its source,” says Skenes. “We work very hard to bring that sensory experience to Angler by working with only the best and most pristine product available locally and preparing it in a way that brings out the purest flavors. With the abundance of some of the best natural food resources in the country, the Pacific Northwest offers the ideal environment for a restaurant menu dictated by the best of what nature provides on any given day.”
“When I assembled my team to develop this project, I only wanted the best of the best. Chef Joshua’s exceptional food and commitment to sourcing only the best of what the ocean, lakes, rivers and lands of the surrounding area can provide is a perfect complement to the unique living experience at Avenue Bellevue,” said Andy Lakha, Principal and CEO of Fortress Development. “This will be the first restaurant in the Pacific Northwest from a Michelin 3-Star chef; we are very fortunate to have his involvement. I can’t wait for our community to experience Chef Joshua’s exceptional talent.”
The 332 homes at Avenue Bellevue, including 98 “Estate Homes,” will be thoughtfully and artistically designed by a team of visionaries from across the globe that aim to elevate the standard of luxury in Bellevue. The homes provide exceptional value to its buyers. Residents will also enjoy cutting edge technology, including a special app that brings all services and ambiance right at their fingertips and cell phones.
In addition to the 332 luxury residences, Avenue Bellevue will boast 85,000 square feet of high-street retail food and nightlife – as well as the Pacific Northwest’s first-ever InterContinental® Hotel (www.intercontinental.com), with 252 hotel rooms, full-service spa and fitness center, meeting space and other luxury amenities.. This is the first endeavor of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.
Avenue Bellevue will be located in the heart of downtown Bellevue on the northwest corner of Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street. The project is designed in partnership with Seattle-based Weber Thompson (www.weberthompson.com), Collins Woerman Architects (web site)and Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) (www.hba.com), the largest hospitality design firm in the world.
Residential sales will start in early 2019, with construction to commence in mid-2019. Registration for more information can be found at www.liveatavenue.com. A private, by-appointment-only sales center for residences will open in Bellevue in March 2019. For more information about Avenue Bellevue updates, please emailinfo@liveatavenue.com.
About Fortress Development
Fortress Development is a commercial real estate developer and privately held investment company based in Bellevue, Washington. Founded by Andy Lakha, a Bellevue resident who has been in commercial real estate for more than two decades, Fortress’ diverse team brings more than a century of combined experience and a commitment to quality, and to creating homes and communities that matter. For more information, visitwww.fortressdevelopment.com.
About Saison Hospitality
Saison Hospitality LLC was established in 2016 and is a joint venture between renowned, Michelin 3-star ChefJoshua Skenes, serial entrepreneur Gary Gauba and hospitality entrepreneur Jag Kapoor. It was formed to build upon the unique innovations and methodology Chef Skenes has developed over the past decade and to provide a platform for growth and opportunity. Saison Hospitality includes Saison, which Chef Skenes opened in 2009 and has garnered multiple accolades, such as inclusion as one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and receiving 3 Michelin stars. Angler, a sealife-focused restaurant located along San Francisco’s famed Embarcadero, opened in September 2018 and was named Best Restaurant in America by Esquire magazine and has been nominated for Arrival of the Year by The World Restaurant Awards. A second Angler is scheduled to open in Los Angeles in late Spring 2019, as well as a third in Bellevue, Washington in late 2021. Additional projects include Skenes Ranch, located along the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, and other culinary and business ventures.
