Coupeville restaurant offers local ‘new American cuisine’

At Goldie’s and The Roost in Coupeville, the cure to the winter blues takes the form of East Coast style pizza and the chirping sound of people mingling with one another.

In June, a small flock of experienced chefs and restaurateurs gave new life to the building that for 13 years housed Ciao, an Italian market and restaurant known for its social events and wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.

General Manager Lauren Rittenour explained the name of the restaurant was inspired by the avian names of two Coupeville businesses, The Oystercatcher and the Little Red Hen Bakery, owned respectively by Sophia Jones and Tyler Hansen.

“Goldie’s” — which is the name for the family-friendly area — is short for goldfinch; “The Roost” — which is the upstairs 21+ area — is where all the birds come together, Rittenour said.

Upon learning that Mark Laska was selling Ciao earlier this year, Jones and Hansen joined forces with Sedrick Livingston, a chef who worked in various critically acclaimed restaurants in Seattle.

While pizza and pasta have remained on the menu at 701 North Main Street after Ciao’s farewell, Goldie’s and The Roost have added its own East Coast and Pacific Northwest twist to these Italian classics — with a heavy sprinkle of creativity and locally sourced ingredients.

Livingston, who is “a glutton for punishment,” comes up with three new specials every Thursday morning, and he has yet to run out of ideas. It’s all about finding flavors that make him feel good, he said, which often simply takes trusting the “holes” in his palate and reading lots of culinary books.

At the age of 18, he moved from New Jersey to Seattle, where he worked at Delancey, an award-winning wood fired pizza restaurant, Dino’s Tomato Pie, an East Coast style pizzeria that was named one of the best in the nation last year, and The London Plane, owned by famous restaurateur Matt Dillon.

Though his culinary school experience lasted only a few months, Livingston became a seasoned cook and pizza wizard by working his way from the dishwashing station to the stoves and the oven.

Livingston recommends the White Pie, a sourdough pizza with mozzarella, pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, fried shallots, garlic and ricotta he makes in-house. Rittenour described it as “epic cheesy bread.”

The Woodfired Corn is another popular pick, and it’s made with basil Reggiano sabayon, Calabrian chili and herbs.

Hansen, who has about 25 years of cooking experience and helps the kitchen staff, said his favorite dish is the Pasta Ai Funghi, which consists of semolina and spelt flour campanelle topped with lobster mushrooms, chantrelles and Parmigiano.

Livingston described the menu as “new American cuisine,” which is a blend of different culinary traditions with a focus on fresh and farm-to-table components. Much of the seasonal menu is in fact added based on what the restaurant can get from local farmers and the Pacific Northwest.

Most of the produce comes from local farms, like Foggy Hill Farm in Langley, Rittenour said. The wheat is sourced from Ebey Road Farm, located in the heart of Ebey’s Prairie, and is used to make the pizza dough and the pasta at Little Red Hen.

“So it’s grown, harvested, milled, turned into pizza dough and pasta — all within two miles of the restaurant,” she said.

The bar manager, Lucas Haynes, comes up with the cocktails, which change seasonally as well.

Haynes has been working on an oatmeal-cinnamon infused Whiskey drink that Rittenour said tastes like an adult version of cinnamon toasts and evokes childhood memories.

Much like its predecessor, Goldie’s aims to be more than just a restaurant serving flavorful and healthy foods. With long tables, a bar space and regular events, the restaurant prides itself of being a space for community building in a town that goes to sleep early, especially during the colder months.

In addition to running the Oystercatcher with her partner Ben Jones, Sophia Jones has worked at various restaurants in the Puget Sound region. At Goldie’s and The Roost, she takes care of the wine list and paperwork.

She said the main floor features shareable tables where customers of all ages can sit and catch up with friends, neighbors or meet new people instead of being absorbed in their screens.

The 21+ bar and lounge is located upstairs, and features a couch and smaller, mismatching tables for guests open to converse with a nearby table or couples seeking to spend a date without extra company.

While having the same menu as the main floor, the lounge offers guests an “elevated casual dining” experience, which is refined but allows for casual conversations with servers, Rittenour and Livingston said.

To further break the ice, Goldie’s and The Roost hosts regular events, including trivia nights at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of every month, with prizes every round for first, second and third place. Happy Hour takes place 3-5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays every week.

With Halloween lurking around the corner, the restaurant has planned a Spooky Party for Oct. 31. From 6-10 p.m., the soiree will feature a costume contest, a tarot reader, music, cocktails, appetizers, pizza and goody bags, according to Rittenour. Tickets cost $105 and are available at goldiesandtheroost.com/home-1.

“It’s a lot of vibrant energy around here,” Livingston said. “We’re young and fun.”

Goldie’s is open from noon to 9 p.m. and The Roost is open 5 to closing, Thursday through Monday.