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Chef Tom Douglas
Three of Seattle's most remarkable restaurants are owned and operated by Northwest Chef Tom Douglas and his wife and business partner, Jackie Cross. A Delaware native, Chef Tom Douglas started cooking at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware before heading west to Seattle in 1978. From house building to wine selling to railroad car repair, Tom tried his hand at several jobs before making the obvious and final career choice of the restaurant business. Never having attended a culinary school, Douglas's cooking knowledge has come mostly from dining out across America and Europe, using his "taste memory" to recreate and develop recipes in his own style. Starting with the acclaimed Cafe Sport in 1984, Douglas has helped to define the Northwest style, or "Pacific Rim Cuisine" as it is sometimes called. With the proximity of Asia, Alaska, California and Canada, this style of cuisine borrows from many cultures, using the best and freshest ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. In November of 1989, Douglas and Cross left the comfortable confines of Cafe Sport to start their own restaurant in the heart of downtown Seattle. Since that time, the Dahlia Lounge has developed into one of the Northwest's premiere restaurants, winning wide acclaim both regionally and internationally. The James Beard Association Award for Best Northwest Chef was awarded to Douglas in 1994. |
