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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2015)
Readers’ choice awards BEST CATERING Baked Alaska Astoria, Oregon Runner-up: Bridgewater Bistro, Astoria Honorable Mention: Astoria Coffeehouse & Bistro wilderness lodge. The next day, their pilot dropped them off with When they stumbled upon their mountain bikes for a 20- Astoria in the spring of 2000, mile journey home. The Holens Chris and Jennifer Holen were grew accustomed to adventure newly wed, en route from Ari- and to seizing opportunity. zona to Alaska to run an itinerant Scuttling down from the Col- catering service from their VW umn, they learned that the Astoria van and trailer, chasing music Café next to Gimre’s Shoes was festivals between Homer and for sale. In 10 minutes they had a Fairbanks. That sunny day they deal, and in the fall they opened found themselves atop the Asto- a restaurant. A few months later, ria Column. the eatery moved to Baked Alas- “Wow. This is amazing,” ka’s current location on the water they agreed. “Let’s see what at the foot of 12th Street. rent’s like here.” “We’ve just grown into this Who knew that a year later community. I didn’t realize their restaurant Baked Alaska what an impact Astoria would would establish itself among the have on us,” says Jennifer. Peo- quintessential dining venues that ple often thank them for all they distinguish Astoria? do, but, she says, “We couldn’t The couple met in Denali be successful like this anywhere National Park, where they were else.” working for competing tour From their early catering ad- OLQHV2QWKHLU¿UVWGDWHDEXVK ventures behind that Volkswagen SODQH ÀHZ WKHP WR D UHPRWH van, the Holens honed their skills By JON BRODERICK LQ $VWRULD ¿UVW DW $VWRULD:DU- renton Chamber of Commerce After Hours events and then, while they owned the Schooner restaurant at the Hotel Elliott (an- other opportunity they seized), at Liberty Theater events. 7KHLU ³FXVWRPHU¿UVW´ FDWHU- ing philosophy is inspired by the WHUUL¿F VHUYLFH D FDWHUHU SURYLG- ed for their wedding in Sedona, Arizona. “We had a very clear picture of what we wanted, and they were so accommodating,” UHPHPEHUV -HQQLIHU ³2XU ¿UVW question for our own custom- ers now is ‘How can we help you achieve your vision for the event?’” Now, three or four times a week, the new Baked Alaska catering truck delivers happy cu- linary experiences to baby show- ers, graduation parties, wed- dings, anniversaries, memorial services, Chamber After Hours events, and Goonies anniversary reunions. “Food brings people togeth- er,” Jennifer says. Baked Alaska offers custom catering ser- vices; find the restaurant’s catering inquiry form online at www.bakedak.com or call 503-325-7414 for more information. BEST SERVER Jean-Marc Bourgouin 42nd Street Cafe, Seaview, Washington Runner-up: Teona Dawson, T. Paul’s Supper Club, Astoria Honorable Mention: Zackery O’Connor, Fort George Brewery, Astoria By JON BRODERICK Bering Sea on a factory trawler. Ultimately, he landed a job as Nothing quite garnishes a barista at the Anchorage Muse- ¿QH GLQLQJ H[SHULHQFH OLNH D um Restaurant. In the summer charming waiter with a French he worked between Anchorage accent. A diner hears accordion and Fairbanks as a server on the somewhere, suddenly craves Alaska Railroad passenger train. a cigarette, and imagines that “My real training in ‘haute waiter’s earlier life working in cuisine’ started when Van Hale a Parisian brasserie. Jean-Marc hired me to work at the Marx Bourgouin, of Seaview’s 42nd Brothers Café, one of Anchor- Street Cafe, though, isn’t your DJH¶V ¿UVW ¿QH GLQLQJ UHVWDX- typical French waiter. rants,” Jean-Marc explains in He began his accomplished pleasantly accented English. serving career in Alaska. During “We had an incredible menu and his earlier life he didn’t wait tables wine list. He trained me. I really at Les Deux Magots. He sorted loved it.” PDLOLQD)UHQFKSRVWRI¿FH At the Marx Brothers Café, But in 1983, romance and he met his wife, Kathleen Mc- adventure lured him to Anchor- Cormack, a French-trained chef. age, where he worked as a la- It was on a wine tasting trip to the borer, a bank courier, a Penny Willamette Valley 15 years ago Saver circulation manager. Then that they stumbled upon Astoria. he spent two years working the “We were just looking at houses, Photo by Jon Broderick Jean-Marc Bourgouin, a waiter at 42nd Street Cafe in Seaview, Washington, has won Best Server in the Coast Weekend Readers’ Choice Awards every year since 2009. and we found one that we liked, and we said, ‘Shall we do it?’ and we bought the house.” A year later, in 2003, they were back. Kathleen works now at Fort George and Jean-Marc drives — as he has for 12 years, he says — “those scenic 20 miles between Alderbrook and 6HDYLHZ¿YHGD\VDZHHN´ 42nd Street Cafe & Bistro is located at 4201 Pacific Way in Seaview, Washing- ton. For more information, call 360-642- 2323 or visit 42ndstcafe.com BEST THEATER Columbian Theater Astoria, Oregon Runner-up: Liberty Theater, Astoria Honorable Mention: Coaster Theatre, Cannon Beach quirky and community-centered as the Columbian (where you “My background was in can enjoy a movie at 7 p.m. any theater costume design and con- night for $4 and get the kids in struction. I don’t pretend to be at half-price). Jeanine’s favorite DQ H[SHUW LQ ¿OP VR GRQ¶W WU\ audience might be the school to stump me,” says Columbian children who arrive at the end Theater owner Jeanine Fair- of each school year for a private child. VKRZLQJRIDNLGV¶IDYRULWH¿OP She’ll stump you, though, When the inevitable time and you’ll end up clicking arrived a year and a half ago to through YouTube for trailers to switch the theater from 35 mm favorite movies you ought to ¿OPWRRWKHUZLVHSURKLELWLYHO\ have seen by now, like “Down expensive digital projection, by Law,” “Factory Girl” or “All the theater’s Kickstarter cam- About Eve.” You thought “Cad- paign raised nearly $60,000 dyshack” was funny? Jeanine and, so, the Columbian will invites you to watch “Captain continue showing movies and Ron.” KRVWLQJ5DW¿VK:UDQJOHUFRQ- Few towns enjoy a theater as certs, Blind Pilot CD release By JON BRODERICK Photo by Jon Broderick Baked Alaska owners, Chef Christopher Holen, left, and his wife, Jennifer Holen, stand with their daughter, Ana Holen, outside their restaurant on the Astoria riverfront. Photo by Jon Broderick In 2013, the Astoria’s Columbian Theater replaced its old 35 mm film projector, in operation since at least 1979, with a new digital projector and sound system after raising more than $60,000 through inde- pendent fundraising site Kickstarter, ben- efit events and concerts, and donations. parties, “Dragalution!” galas and FisherPoet gatherings. The Columbian Theater is located at 1114 Marine Drive. Movies show at 7 p.m. night- ly; general admission is $4 and children 12 and under are admitted at $2. January 29, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 23
