Terrance Brennan
Photo: courtesy of Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar
Chef Terrance Brennan makes his Left Coast debut with Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar, a hip, light-filled Bellevue, WA, sibling of his fromage-focused NYC eatery, offering riffs on French brasserie classics made with Pacific Northwest ingredients and spotlighting artisanal cheeses from around the world; oenophiles gravitate to the wine bar, whose impressive list includes 80 by-the-glass choices alone, while heartier appetites head for the tony dining room with its white tablecloths and urban views (11111 NE Eighth St., Bellevue, WA; 425-372-2200).
Next door, an Italian enoteca counterpart, Artisanal Table, offers mounds of housemade pastas and Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a 900-degree oven, all based on Northwest ingredients like Dungeness crab and wild mushrooms and washed down with Italian vinos or microbrews; centered around an open kitchen and ‘food bar’ displaying antipasti and salumi, it boasts a lively, easygoing mood – abetted by particularly comfortable seating (425-372-2255).