Snoqualmie chef breathes new life into Issaquah’s Gilman Village
February 3, 2010
By Chantelle Lusebrink
NEW — 10:55 a.m. Feb. 3, 2010
Sean Quinn, sits in the empty Issaquah restaurant he and his wife Barb Pexa are renovating to open as the Flat Iron Grill. (Photo by Greg Farrar)
Scrubbing and cleaning, painting and decorating — that’s the tough part for Snoqualmie resident and chef Sean Quinn.
“She’s doing the painting,” he said about his wife and co-owner Barb Pexa. “That’s her job and we’re getting there.”
By far, Quinn said he prefers being elbow deep in ingredients and manning the grill to create delectable dishes — it’s what he’s been doing for the past 26 years.
Today, the couple has a vision to bring adventurous twists to Northwest cuisine as they breathe new life into Issaquah’s Gilman Village.
Together, they will open Flat Iron Grill, at 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd., Feb. 8.
“I really like Latin food and Southern food,” Quinn said. “We’ll definitely use a lot of Northwest food and local stuff — produce, seafood and meats that we’ll work into the menu.
“It will really tie into the Northwest steak and seafood with a little twist.”
Working regionally for the past 26 years, Quinn comes with all of the knowledge necessary to make his business a success, including a client and employee base, Pexa said.
“There are a lot of people excited to have him return to the Eastside,” she said. “In fact, one of our service people has been with Sean for more than 12 years. They come to him to come back to work.”
But Quinn’s venture into the culinary world was nearly accidental, the result of an injury on the soccer field, he said.
“I played soccer. That was my life at Western (Washington University) until I blew my knee out,” he said. “In Bellingham, I started washing dishes at a Sea Galley and I haven’t been able to find my way out yet.”
In 1993, he returned to school, this time at South Seattle Community College as a student in their culinary program.
After graduation, he rose through the ranks at The Keg to become an executive chef, after which he began a career at Daniel’s Broiler in Bellevue as its executive chef. In 2000, he made the move to Seattle’s El Gaucho team.
Quinn has successfully helped create and open four restaurants in the greater Tacoma area.
“You go to culinary school to learn how or why things go together,” he said. “But actually learning about restaurant operation, you have to go to work. That is the only way you get the restaurant business.”
The couple said they chose the former Iris Grill location in Gilman Village because of its location — downtown Issaquah, which allures residents from Bellevue and Snoqualmie.
“Here, the household income is still pretty good and there is still a small-town feel,” Quinn said. “We want to give something new, different and fresh and that’s locally owned, a nice alternative to the chains.”
However, he still wants his restaurant to have the flavors and dining experience he is used to giving.
“In an economy like this, people are looking for value. You can’t serve them El Gaucho priced meats, though,” he said. “We took off the white table cloths to give them that. We would rather see people in here two times a week than just once a month.”
They also have an affinity for the charm of vintage construction and the warmth of a small town-feel.
“We bought a 1910 farmhouse with wrap-around decks and have rebuilt it from the drywall out,” Pexa said of their downtown Snoqualmie home, which they’ve lived in for 10 years.
In phase two of their restaurant plan, Quinn said, he will turn the bakery area into a lunch counter.
“I want to clean it up in here” by spring or summer, he said. “I’d like to do about six soups and a nice selection of salads with a variety of panini sandwiches.”
“We’re big soup fans,” Pexa said. “There just aren’t enough places to get a nice hearty soup.”
While they still have a way to go before opening — the kitchen equipment needs dusting, windows need to be washed and the dining area needs finishing touches — the couple does have a limited Web site up with previews of the types of food and drinks Quinn prepares.
“We want the residents of Issaquah and Snoqualmie to know we are happy to be here and be in business here,” Pexa said. “We are happy to support our local businesses so they stick around and we hope people will do that for us, too.”
Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241 or clusebrink@isspress.com.
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way to go Sean hope your restaurant goes well and succeeds. Thanks for looking out for me at Maxwell’s. psst i want some of that wine you have there lol.