The space formerly occupied by Entre Amis is not going to be vacant for long, as Chef Maximillian Petty is getting ready to launch Eden Hill. Eater Seattle first broke the story late last week when a liquor license was posted at the former French bistro. (thanks to readers who also sent us liquor license photos – we’ve been busy doing our research)
Petty is not new to the restaurant world or press – Zagat named him one of Austin’s top chefs in 2014 with their 30 Under 30 feature, Austin Man Magazine named him the Culinary Arts and Hospitality winner for 40 under 40, PRIME Living profiled him, and CultureTime featured an interview with him the same year. Things are moving very quickly – soon, we’ll have a new restaurant in the space at 2209 Queen Anne Ave N as he plans to open Eden Hill by the end of this month, or at the latest, September.
We got in touch with owner and chef Maximillian to find out more about the small plate menu he has in the works, what brings him to Queen Anne, and more on how Eden Hill fits into our neighborhood. He’s been busy moving cross-country to return to Seattle, but was kind enough to take a break and answer some questions.
All photos below are from his Instagram account, to visually whet your appetite as you learn more about our newest restaurateur:
How would you describe the concept of Eden Hill? Is there any specific inspiration for the flavors?
We are presenting Queen Anne with an avant garde small/share plates menu of about 13 items. Mostly new American cuisine but also branching out to what inspires me and my staff. Where I’ve lived, what I’ve eaten, the produce around me in the Pacific Northwest. Moving away from labeling such food as “foreign”, “domestic” or “regional” and transforming the experience to everyone involved to be about who we are “staff”. More personal and emotional.
We will be opening the doors each day like it was our backyard and everyone in Queen Anne were our neighbors, because they are, and inviting them over to eat, drink, share, and enjoy. Share plates focusing on the bounty around us, the art that inspires us and the science that intrigues us.
Will the menu rotate, and if so, how frequently?
The menu will be based around the produce available to me as fresh and local as possible. i.e the Queen Anne farmers market. (A favorite of mine). I will do a large overhaul of the menu every season to really represent what it’s providing. Weekly chalk board specials will be showcased for those that frequent and want more.
What brings you back to Seattle? Any particular reason you chose Queen Anne for your new restaurant? Thoughts on the neighborhood?
I am going to answer two in one. Because they tie in.
So I decided to return to Seattle because of family. I’ve been talking about moving back since I was 18 and I was recently at a place in my life where I could return. My family is spread out all over the Pacific Northwest.
Every time I have dreamed and looked at where I might want to reside some day, Queen Anne was consistently at the top of the list. The beauty, the people and the culture. So while deciding to move there, at the same time I realized that that exact list of attributes is what I am looking for when I open a restaurant some day. It was too perfect when I discovered the Eden Hill space. I had looked at that corner of Boston and Queen Anne a year ago and many times since then because I daily dream of a restaurant there.
Nothing ever came to fruition until this last June. I was walking around that exact neighborhood during a family visit, when I stumbled into the space. Drawn in by its beauty and location I went in to ask some questions (mostly about another space near by) when Benjamin [owner of Entre Amis] informed me that he was contemplating selling and after that it took a few months of planning and today I stand keys in hand. Still in disbelief. The space has been opened and closed by a large handful of owners and that was a big red flag to me. I hope to break that pattern and create a delectable institution for Queen Anne to be proud of.
Any specifics on when you expect to open? End of August is soon, did it help that Entre Amis had been there previously – meaning it was “move-in ready” – and are you making any changes?
We will be doing minor decor changes, but no major construction. Benjamin did such a beautiful job updating the space so it was very helpful. So now we are just waiting on a few inspections. End of August is aggressive and there is a good chance the opening will spill over into the first couple weeks in September.
With so many vacant storefronts on Queen Anne, it’s great to have a new restaurant opening so quickly in the old Portage spot. Entre Amis was here all too briefly, but it sounds like Eden Hill and Maximillian Petty are here to stay. Be sure to stop by and welcome Chef Maximillian to Queen Anne!