Chef O’Farrell gets some shopping done (Images: Julie Linn)
By Julie Linn — UW News Lab/Special to CHS
Remnants of the old Canterbury trace the ceiling with deep brown wooden beams, and a hand-me-down suit of armor stands guard by the pool table. Until your eyes adjust, it looks like the same old dive. But then you notice the plush red top to the pool table. The Canterbury has been elevated. Chef Brendan O’Farrell’s culinary expertise has also helped elevate the old dive bar into what he considers a world class gastropub.
“Well, I’ve lived parts of my life in England and Ireland, where pubs came from,” O’Farrell said, “and this would just be a top of the line pub in those places.”
O’Farrell, an off-and-on Capitol Hill resident since 1954, became acquainted with The Canterbury’s new owners after visiting the overhauled bar a few times. He commends its aesthetics, that it caters to all generations (even dogs), its progress toward quality food, and what he considers a fabulous service crew. However, he recognized a need in the kitchen and said he offered his help.
When co-owners James Snyder and Michael Meckling took over the Canterbury, they wanted to clean up not only the building but the food as well.
“I think change is good,” Snyder said. “We’re a bar, so we want to continue to be a bar that serves really good food, and that’s why we brought on people like Brendan.”
Snyder has confidence in O’Farrell’s ability to produce what the chef calls “elevated British Isles” food.
“Quite honestly, there’s a bunch of bad pub food, everywhere,” O’Farrell said. “And there’s some great pub food. But the differences are in the quality of the ingredients, so almost everything we do is local [to the Northwest].”
Still, there’s you don’t often hear about great Irish kitchens.
“Well, because the Irish and the English were not known for their food,” O’Farrell said with a no-duh laugh. “Have you ever seen the gourmet guide to British cuisine? There’s a reason. The raw ingredients in the British Isles are phenomenal. Absolutely magic. The Irish raw ingredients are unbelievably good, but they seem to boil everything to death.”
His emphasis on quality ingredients is combined with extensive international culinary experience gained from being a guest chef in 14 countries and co-owning eight restaurants in Seattle, England and the south of France. He draws heavily on a knowledge of authentic British and Irish cuisine, and French and Cantonese techniques.
“I don’t want to do anything I don’t do well,” O’Farrell said. “I don’t like anything half-assed. If I’m going to cook, I want to cook well.”
O’Farrell’s leadership experience both from owning restaurants abroad and as head chef at a youth camp here in Washington allows him to see all the cogs and wheels of running a successful kitchen.
“I think he’s a really big believer in building people, and so am I,” Snyder said, “so I think we’ve aligned on that. He really cares about the product. … He’s a fun guy to be around. I think he approaches it the same way as I do, where it’s food and beverage, not life and death.”
Proof of O’Farrell’s focus on people is working alongside him in the kitchen at The Canterbury. Maria Jenkins, a new resident of Capitol Hill, worked with him at the Catholic Youth Organization summer camps in the Snoqualmie Valley. She speaks of O’Farrell with a great deal of respect, but also with an endearing humor toward him.
When asked about the most valuable thing she learned working with O’Farrell, she laughed and recited the words of a laminated sign hung in the kitchen:
“Prior proper planning prevents piss poor performance.”
Sitting at the bar, you might rub shoulders with some patrons of the old Canterbury. One in particular misses the old, dirty dive bar, especially the feeling that he could walk in and kick up his feet like in his own living room. However, he thinks the new Canterbury is nice and appreciates that pieces of the old one remain.
Though you might not be kicking your feet up at the new Canterbury, both O’Farrell and Snyder are working on reshaping its identity into a neighborhood bar that is inviting to everyone, and, according to O’Farrell, “all their animals — but no pet leopards.”
“I like the Canterbury,” O’Farrell said. “I don’t need the job. … I thought I could help, so I am — they pay me. But it’s a labor of love; it’s not for the money.”
Too bad their happy hour food is so horrendously bad, I wouldn’t even consider eating their dinner food. The only good thing about this bar is they are never packed, so you’re always guaranteed to get a seat when all the good bars are filled.
Is this a paid advertisement? “world class gastropub”
At least Yelp wiped out all the old reviews with the change in ownership. 2.5 stars, OUCH.
This guy manages to insult two nations in a single sentence – way to go…
As a long time patron of the old version, I enjoyed maybe an evening with the friendly staff. The drinks were strong, and beer reasonably priced, and it was nice to know you would likely run into a friend there. I know, it was a dump but that also made it not uptight, and approachable for many. I have to say the “new” Canterbury is terrible. Its only affordable at happy hour, the beer selection is decent but no deals on pitchers, and even the happy hour drinks are too expensive. The food is overpriced and pretentious, and not even that good. The staff are too cool acting, seem like they couldn’t care less that you are there, almost that its a drag for them to assist you. What do I know, maybe this is what people want in Seattle now.
I’m still pissed about this place. As a long time regular the redesign was absolute shit. I have no idea why they kept the Canterbury name. Too expensive, too fake fancy. And the waitstaff is terrible (ok, the old staff was really rude too, but in different way). If they just changed the name that’d stop so many people from complaining about how it used to be… then we could just ignore it in peace.
Well, those a holes at Capitol Hill Housing are to thank……or not.
“a-holes”? Really? Capitol Hill Housing is an excellent nonprofit which is providing much-needed affordable housing to a certain demographic of our neighborhood. They should be praised, not called crude names.
Some of the waitstaff could be gruff if you didn’t get in line to order, but I was a regular and their attitude toward me ranged from polite to exceptionally sweet and friendly. The disappearance of the old Canterbury was a huge loss–the only place on the upper Hill where no one went to be seen, no one cared about your supposed status, and no age group really dominated.
[…] Meet The Canterbury’s chef, Brendan O’Farrell: “Have you ever seen the gourmet guide to British cuisine? There’s a reason. The raw ingredients in the British Isles are phenomenal. Absolutely magic. The Irish raw ingredients are unbelievably good, but they seem to boil everything to death.” […]
Hey Canterbury, please start by sticking your menu in the window. The one time I’ve been in there was nothing on the menu I was excited to order. I imagine the menu has changed since then, but I’d have to come in to check. Make it easier?