Executive Chef Kelley Cook

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Basalt at Windrow Lodge, Ellensburg, WA&#13

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Kelley generally liked meals. Her no-nonsense mom labored and would go away a&#13
casserole cookbook and elements on a desk with a observe indicating, “When I&#13
get home…” She cooked from an early age, whilst she never labored in&#13
a cafe or rapid food items location.&#13

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As a graphic artist doing the job in a creating on Elliott Avenue in Seattle, she&#13
came to the realization that she seriously did not get pleasure from it. She wished to go&#13
to culinary school. For the duration of her investigation, she resolved it was Paris for her!&#13
When she contacted the corporation to find out a lot more, she discovered there&#13
was an excellent culinary university a few miles from her house, South Seattle&#13
Community Higher education, and that persons were being driving two several hours each and every way just to&#13
attend. Although upset about Paris, she felt it created perception to check out it&#13
out. She cherished each and every minute of the two-year software, 1992-1994.&#13

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Immediately after graduating, she labored at Paolo’s, an Italian restaurant in Kent. “It&#13
was a great prospect in which every thing was manufactured-to-get. I put in a&#13
minimal around a yr there in different roles.”&#13

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When there, she experienced the option to be section of the vocational “Traveling to&#13
Chef” program in the Highline, Federal Way, and Kent school districts,&#13
where she labored specifically with the little ones. “I did that various instances. The&#13
method was funded by President Clinton’s Criminal offense Invoice. I labored with&#13
little ones who had to get into some sort of vocational schooling, a ‘get young children off&#13
the street’ factor. I sense like it did aid the greater part of the kids in the&#13
application. Some known as for occupation references afterwards.” She was there right until 1997.&#13

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Kelley and partner Mitch moved to Ellensburg in 1997 and purchased a bakery&#13
which they ran for seven years. In 2004, they opened Dakota Café.&#13
About 4 several years back, they made the decision to promote it two several years in the past somebody acquired&#13
it, then backed out due to the pandemic. She and Mitch nevertheless run&#13
Dakota, open up for breakfast and lunch. “It’s been quite rough through the&#13
pandemic mainly because you can not make a dwelling at 50% potential. We did just take out,&#13
but felt our foodstuff failed to translate, it didn’t appear great as choose out. We did&#13
an yearly St. Patrick’s dinner and in 2020 we had all the food stuff ready to go&#13
and then everything shut down. We known as all our reservations and offered 60&#13
choose-out dinners that Mitch and I produced ourselves.”&#13

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Mitch observed that Hotel Windrow was hunting for a chef and employees and identified as&#13
co-operator Steve Townsend. So along with managing Dakota Café with their&#13
GM, Mitch is bar supervisor and a server at Basalt. Kelley came on as&#13
govt chef. “I arrived in seeking to bring the notion of quality&#13
ingredients for approachable meals. Absolutely nothing too fancy. You generally have ‘safe&#13
eaters’ and have to have to make confident they’re comfortable. We do seasonal as significantly&#13
as doable. In summer season, you can find almost nothing greater than elements from the&#13
area spot. In wintertime, it’s kale and potatoes. You need to carry other&#13
items in. I’ve long gone to Yakima and brought back again 140 lbs . of peppers to be&#13
pickled and utilized all calendar year.”&#13

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Immediately after pandemic ups and downs, Basalt reopened on May well 20, 2022, with a new&#13
menu.&#13

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Might 2022&#13

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