Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/188061
Behind the bar at Westward, Beverage Consultant Maggie Savarino and restaurant GM David Weeks set sail for new liquid adventures. David Weeks, General Manager, Westward W Huxley named after proprietor Josh Henderson's young son ◗ 2 oz. Knob Creek bourbon ◗ ½ oz. Ramazzo Amaro ◗ 2 dashes pumpernickel bitters ith no shortage of shoreline in Seattle, Josh Henderson, owner of the newly debuted Westward restaurant (and previously from foodie haven, Skillet), brought a dream restaurant to a magnificent stretch of beach along South Lake Union. Equipped with its own 60-foot dock for boaters who want a meal, groceries to go, fresh oysters from the Little Gull or a perfect quaff, Westward's waterfront exterior is user-friendly and inviting. Take it from us, as this interview was conducted from our comfy Adirondack chairs, looking straight across the water at downtown Seattle. With its Northwest Industrial–style building comprised of reclaimed wood and iron poles, inside, the modern design is a homage to boating and sailing (the lighting fixtures are made from recycled sails). Behind the bar, Seattle's creative firm Electric Coffin constructed a conceptual narrative of a large ship, doll-house style, mirrored after the components of the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic. General Manager David Weeks comes from a colorful background of "crummy bars" to working for 14 years in his restaurant empire of Tom Douglas, one of Seattle's most celebrated chefs. At Westward, Weeks works with a talented team to keep everything running: "I worked with Chef Zoi Antonitsas and helped open Madison Park Conservatory," says Westward's Beverage Consultant and cocktail book author Maggie Savarino. "To me, gathering the right team for this restaurant felt like the Blues Brothers: getting the band back. We're so deep in trusted talent of Seattle veterans who have come together to open Westward." —Meridith May october 2013 / the tasting panel / 103 TP1013_066-107.indd 103 9/23/13 10:37 PM