Restaurant News: Remembering Morgan Batali, Edmonds chef

Morgan Batali, Chef at Kelnero and Vinbero in Edmonds, recently passed away unexpectedly at the age of 31. Kali Kelnero wanted to share these remarks with My Edmonds News readers:

“I used to joke with Morgan that he was the best thing I ever picked up at PCC. Kris and I met him when he applied for a job at Kelnero. We weren’t hiring at the time, but we kept hearing wonderful things about him from our restaurant and Edmonds community members. 

“Eventually a position opened, and we happened to wander into PCC and saw him working in the deli. I dropped a business card on the counter with some flimsy excuse along the lines of, ‘We heard a follow up about that matter we discussed.’ 

“Morgan, being an exceptionally clever person, didn’t skip a beat. He grabbed the card and said, ‘Thank you! I will follow up shortly.’ And he did because he knew exactly what I was talking about! We poached him directly from PCC, and it was one of the greatest decisions we made. (Sorry PCC!)

“Morgan served as Executive Chef at both Kelnero and Vinbero. He was a respected and adored member of the team, and his culinary talent was obvious and remarkable. Under his leadership, Vinbero received accolades in people’s choice awards for Best Lunch in Edmonds by My Edmonds News, and Best Lunch, Best Sandwich, and Best Salad in the Pacific Northwest by The Seattle Times for three straight years. He received endless praise for his Supper Club dinners where he developed several unique dishes to put together an eight-course meal worthy of any fine dining menu.

“In addition to his technical skill, Morgan was such an excellent cultural fit in our businesses that there was much between us that never needed to be said but rather stemmed organically from aligned values. We believed in creating a workspace that feels safe and fosters creativity and excellence, while keeping one eye on social and environmental sustainability. 

“Morgan often brought our attention to creators that were making something interesting and delicious, and they were doing it with heart and compassion to make the world a better place. He loved our kids and beamed when we brought them into the restaurants or when I sent him endless photos of their antics.

“At Vinbero’s birthday party last summer, Morgan was in charge of cracking a full wheel of parmesan, an annual tradition we’ve carried on from The Cheesemonger’s Table. He was surprisingly nervous, so I asked if he’d like me to just stand with him and he was very grateful. I helped him flip the 80-pound wheel and he cracked it open like a pro. 

“Similarly, he always offered to just be with me during the hardest parts of my job, even when it wasn’t his responsibility on paper. He used to carry his business cards, not because he ever used them, but because he knew I never had mine, and he wanted me to at least have something to hand out. 

“I recently turned 40 and he asked me to have a birthday party so that he could be the chef and handle all the food for me. He was an exceptionally kind person, and I know that I’m not the only one he used to look out for like this. Our businesses have some very large shoes to fill with Morgan’s absence. And our lives will never be the same but are better for having known him.” 

The My Edmonds News family sends condolences to the family as well as to his colleagues.  May his memory be a blessing. 

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Restaurant Week

Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW) is back from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8 with several local restaurants.  SRW is a two-week promotion when participating restaurants, caterers and food vendors offer special curated menus that showcase chef’s picks, most popular items, new specials or exemplary dishes – at $20, $35, $50, and $65 – priced to meet most budgets. 

It’s an excellent opportunity to explore restaurants you’ve always wanted to try. Here are the restaurants that are participating in Edmonds and Lynnwood:  

Baekjeong KBBQ  Brunch ($20), Dinner ($35)

Bar Dojo  Dinner ($65)  

Charcoal Dinner ($65)  

Fire & the Feast  Dinner ($50)

Kazoku  Dinner ($65)

Market Seafood Eatery  Dinner ($35), Lunch ($35)

Salt and Iron  Dinner ($65)

Scott’s Bar & Grill  Dinner ($35)

Wild Wasabi Japanese Cuisine  Dinner ($50), Lunch ($20)

Wild Wasabi Signature   Dinner ($65), Lunch ($35)

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She loves to cook from scratch using produce from the gardens she created with her husband. She attended culinary school and worked for restaurants, caterers and culinary schools. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. Deborah loves experimenting and developing new recipes. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including moderation.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.