Speakers & Guests
McCracken & Tough
Brian McCracken, Chef
Dana Tough, Chef
Seattle, WA
The Chef Ownership team of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough has successfully launched four properties and has been recognized for their culinary achievements with honors including being named in the nation’s Top Five Chefs (by Gayot), as Rising Star Chefs (by Star Chefs) and with the 2011 Innovation Award from the Seattle Weekly. As evidenced by the duo’s two nominations as People’s Best New Chefs by the editors of Food & Wine magazine these two are watched closely by foodies who follow their culinary undertakings with a fervent loyalty. Within a year of opening their restaurant Spur in Belltown the Chef Owners propelled this gastropub onto Food & Wine magazine’s coveted Go List of “the most outstanding, must-visit restaurants in the world” plus onto Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List of the world’s best restaurants. Most recently listed as one of the top gastropubs in the US by Food & Wine Magazine.The duo’s Prohibition-era inspired cocktail bar, Tavern Law (Capitol Hill), has been praised as one of the world’s best cocktail bars and covered in Details magazine, the New York Times, Food & Wine magazine, Forbes, Gourmet magazine, GQ magazine, the Wall street Journal and the Robb Report. The Coterie Room is a private party and event venue in Belltown. It opened in 2011 and instantly made it onto the city’s list of the Ten Best Restaurants as determined by Providence Cicero, the restaurant critic of the Seattle Times. Its brunch was applauded in Sunset magazine, its ham cracklins as one of the best dishes of the year in the Seattle Weekly, and its opening as one of the top five of the year according to Seattle Met.One year ago, co-chefs and good friends Brian McCracken and Dana Tough opened the doors and fired up the wood stove at The Old Sage Smoked Meats & Malts. This 21 and up spot at 1410 12th Avenue celebrates humble meats and vegetables, paired with all varieties of malted beverages for sipping.