It's been five years since Chef Adam Hoffman opened his doors at Adam's Northwest Bistro and Brewery, and he's inviting the community to celebrate.
To commemorate the occasion, Hoffman is hosting a birthday bash done Adam's-style. The event takes place 4-9 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at Adam's Northwest Bistro and Brewery in downtown Monroe, and reservations are required. The festivities include a roasted pig special, raffles, prizes, hospitality and fun. The theme of the party is gratitude, as Hoffman strives to thank everyone who has helped his restaurant succeed.
Hoffman opened Adam's in March 2011, realizing a dream that was 20 years in the making. His vision, as a culinarian and restaurateur, has been to discover, define and exemplify Northwest cuisine and provide the best possible dining experience to his customers.
"I think we have a niche,GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "I think we're one-of-a-kind in Monroe.GÇ¥
Nearly everything at Adam's is freshly-made from scratch, from the salad dressings to the soups to the sauces to the craft ale.
"The only thing I don't make is ice cream ' because I don't have an ice cream maker,GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
The meat is sourced locally and butchered in house, and hamburgers are ground and turned into patties on site. In addition to establishing relationships with local meat and produce farmers, Hoffman patronizes other local businesses; Sky River Bakery owner Andrew Abt has been baking Adam's dinner rolls since the day they opened.
Everything on the menu is seasonal, organic and local, to the best of Hoffman's ability.
"I believe in truth-in-menu,GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "I believe the customer should know that they're getting wholesome stuff.GÇ¥
Dishes are made as they're ordered ' nothing is frozen or premixed ' which gives Hoffman and his chefs a higher degree of flexibility when catering to the needs of the customer. Menu items can be made to accommodate dietary restrictions; Hoffman keeps gluten-free beer on hand, so dishes like beer-battered fish and chips and onion rings can be customized.
One of the best things about Monroe, Hoffman said, is the tight-knit community has allowed him to truly embrace a locally sourced farm-to-table concept. A recent relationship with one local farmer has resulted in menu-enhancing microgreens of several different varieties. The infant greens are harvested straight from the very pot they grow in, adding a spicy and flavorful presence to Hoffman's dishes.
You're not going to see a commercial delivery truck pull up in front of the bistro, Hoffman said.
"You're going to see a dude with dirty hands and a basket of mushrooms, and he just came out of the forest,GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
Hoffman's inspiration as a chef is rooted in family. As a young boy, he would spend time cooking with his Hungarian grandmother. He recalls helping her make brownies, mixing the rich batter and preparing walnuts using a chopping apparatus; its blade was unexposed and therefore safe for him to use. The brownies at the bistro are modeled after his grandmother's recipe, and bistro diners might notice a dusting of paprika on their dinner plates in her honor.
His father was another key influence.
Hoffman's father, Warren, was a prestigious general and vascular surgeon who enthusiastically embraced all of life's finer things. Known for his extraordinary zest for life, Warren Hoffman ran marathons, skied, played tennis and golfed. Growing up, Hoffman's parents exposed him to a vibrant cultural mecca that included opera, museums, theater, dance and fine dining. His father spared no expense and always encouraged them to try new things, Hoffman said.
He remembers eating things like sushi and sea urchin at a very young age.
"At six years old you're like "That's gross, I want Domino's Pizza. I want McDonald's,' GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "But then as I got older, I really appreciated that stuff.GÇ¥
Hoffman grew up in southern California. As a high school student he struggled with finding a career path, so after graduating in 1988 he began attending college in Arizona without any definite ideas about what he wanted to do. He hoped to play baseball but was stymied by injury, so he decided to return home and attend community college. In the process of taking business and marketing classes, he realized the idea of becoming an entrepreneur appealed to him.
A typical sales job, however, did not. He knew he loved cooking but wasn't sure how to turn that into a career, until one day a friend suggested he look into culinary school. He discovered the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, so he and his fathered traveled north for a visit.
As soon as he stepped inside, he knew he was home. The atmosphere charmed him instantly; he loved the white coats, the chef's hats, the checkered trousers and the fact that students carried pens and thermometers. It was like being a child and walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, Hoffman said.
"I saw a bunch of people that looked just like me,GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "We took a tour and I said, "Dad, yeah, I can do this.' GÇ¥
He flourished at the academy, getting the best grades he'd ever received. He knew immediately that he wanted to own a restaurant someday, and announced the intention to one of his instructors.
"I remember him kind of laughing, like, "You have no idea what you're getting into,' GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
His parents were supportive. His father had always encouraged him to work hard and to find something he loved to do, because then it wouldn't seem like work. Most of all, recalled Hoffman, his father just wanted him to be happy.
"He was a big influence,GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "Whatever I wanted to do, he supported it.GÇ¥
Hoffman graduated from culinary school in 1991. After completing an apprenticeship in Las Vegas, he worked there for roughly another year before moving to Washington. He cooked at restaurants in Seattle and Kirkland before settling in with Chef Thierry Rautureau, the owner of several high-end Seattle restaurants that included Rover's, an upscale eatery in Madison Park that merged French and Northwest cuisines.
Hoffman spent 12 years at Rover's with the famed "Chef in the Hat,GÇ¥ soaking everything in like a sponge. Rautureau taught him to be innovative, how to think outside the box and how to provide the best possible customer experience, Hoffman said. On a professional level, he said, Rautureau was the best thing that ever happened to him.
But he never lost sight of wanting to own his own restaurant, and after 12 years with Rautureau, he felt the time was right.
Initially, it was fishing that brought him to Monroe. He began to frequent a fly fishing store on Main Street and ended up falling in love with the area. He was introduced to Sailfish Grill owner Tim Kovach, who told him he was ready to retire. The transition from Sailfish to Adam's had begun.
"I picked Monroe because I felt a connection,GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
Hoffman was overwhelmed by the instantaneous outpouring of support from the community, and it has never really stopped. In 2013 he kicked off Twin Rivers Brewing, an adjacent craft brewery, and the community showed up in droves to help. Twin Rivers was fashioned to provide a more casual dining atmosphere, to complement the more formal main bistro dining area.
Both are family-friendly, Hoffman said.
"I want people to come in as strangers and leave as friends,GÇ¥ he said. "That's why I have the communal table in the taproom and a bar in the dining room.GÇ¥
In the last five years Adam's has hosted numerous charitable events, and has helped the Monroe Police Department raise money for Special Olympics. Hoffman sits on the Monroe Chamber of Commerce board of directors, hosts the weekly Monroe Rotary luncheon and provided a beer garden during last summer's Farm to Table Farmers Market.
Like his father, who passed away in 2004, Hoffman is known for his kindness and generosity. He's helped to feed the homeless, even providing a job to one homeless man who had been living in nearby woods. When Galaxy Theater was installing its new beer and wine feature, Hoffman helped with the setup. When they ran out of beer during the opening of Star Wars, he came to the rescue with a keg.
Hoffman loves the connectivity of the community, along with Monroe's idyllic beauty.
"It's the Mayberry that I've always wanted,GÇ¥ Hoffman said. "I have just been treated so well, and I can't thank you all enough for that.GÇ¥
His staff has been phenomenal, Hoffman said, always willing to embrace his vision and often volunteering their time to help with an event. He and his chefs work collaboratively to discover new menu items, during a process that includes trial, error, sampling and finesse.
"The beauty of it is a lot of my menu is designed on discussions that happen in my kitchen, with senior-level people that I trust,GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
In addition to thanking the Monroe community as a whole, his staff, chefs and mentors, Hoffman wants to thank his wife and kids. They have supported him endlessly, he said, and endured his 100-hour work weeks.
"That's the biggest thank you that I need to put out there, is to my family. My son, Riley, my daughter, Madison, my wife, Lori,GÇ¥ Hoffman said.
For more information about Adam's Northwest Bistro & Brewery, visit www.facebook.com/Adams-Northwest-Bistro-and-Brewery-211143622231118/?fref=ts. To make a reservation for the 5-year anniversary party, call 360-794-4056.Photo by Chris Hendrickson
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