Orfeo to Open in Belltown August 1

Steelhead Diner and Blueacre Seafood owners Kevin and Terresa Davis have announced an August 1 opening date for their third restaurant, Orfeo, which will be located in Belltown.

Orfeo will be a departure from the couple's two seafood-centric restaurants. They describe it as "a contemporary, Northwest-centric wood-fired kitchen with a full bar and international wine list by Sommelier Bruce Sturgeon." As chef, Kevin will use "land-based, seasonally-driven foods" and "artisan cooking techniques" with the use of a custom-designed Woodstone Josper charcoal-burning grill and a traditional wood burning oven.

Here's Kevin's take on the food:

Basically this is the kitchen, and the restaurant, that I always dreamed of owning. I grew up cooking and eating Cajun food but I really wanted to cook the classics: French and Italian. Kind of like a blues musician who wants to sing opera. Throughout my career, my favorite stops have all featured wood burning ovens: Mark Miletello's Max's Place in Miami; Nice Pizzeria in France; Bacall's Restaurant in Adelaide, Australia; and finally Catahoula and Tra Vigne in the Napa Valley.

For the last fifteen years I have developed a strong reputation as a seafood chef, but this is a cuisine where the focus is on the food sourcing rather than the cooking technique. At Blueacre and Steelhead, we find the best products available and try to preserve that natural perfection with minimal culinary intrusion.

Orfeo will reverse this, with the attention on the cooking technique. Our kitchen will be land based, seasonally driven, and feature true artisan cooking equipment that will allow Orfeo a unique voice. We have a custom Woodstone Josper: a charcoal burning oven with a natural convection that circulates smoke around the food cooking inside of it. Spanish by design, these ovens burn 60% less fuel than a regular wood burning grill and are popping up everywhere in European kitchens. We will also have a strong focus on our traditional wood burning oven which will be turning out pizzas, and roasted meats and vegetables.

Orfeo is my vision of the classics, with a little blues on the side.

The decor is described as "elegant" with "washed chocolate brown and burgundy leather with white accents" and "eclectic artwork."

It's a purposeful departure from current trends, says Terresa: "We wanted to create something dramatic and elegant, slightly different from the more industrial design that is dominating restaurants right now. Above all, we want this restaurant to be a comfortable place for our guests and their families, whomever they might be."

And the opening menu, though the owners say it's subject to change:

Orfeo Opening Menu

Orfeo's main dining room will seat 150, and a private, glass-encased dining room will seat up to 40 guests. It will open at 2107 3rd Avenue.