CHEF LINEUP:
SEATTLE CHEFS PAY HOMAGE TO AMERICA’S FAVORITE SANDWICH. LIL WOODY’S CELEBRATES 9th ANNUAL BURGER MONTH FEBRUARY 7-MARCH 6, 2023
“ET's Big Boy Deluxe Combo”
Ingredients: Double ¼ lb. Royal Ranch Grass Fed Beef Patties, American Cheese, Lettuce, Blue Cheese Iceberg Salad, Red Eye Cocktail Sauce, Kewpie Mayo, Sesame Seed Bun
Chef Eric Tanaka (affectionately known as “ET) is partner and Executive Chef of Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen. Eric’s restaurant career started in 1988 at Michael’s Restaurant in Santa Monica, California and later he moved to New York to open a new restaurant.
His cooking career went on to include stints in Italy and New York’s famed Gotham Bar and Grill. It was not until Eric traveled west and fell in love with Seattle in 1993, that he met his culinary partner, chef Tom Douglas. Tanaka took a line-cook position at Tom Douglas’ first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, where he quickly rose to the Executive Chef position. In 1997, Tom promoted Eric to executive chef of Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen, as well as business partner of the restaurant group. Since then, Eric has helped open twelve additional Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen restaurants.
Eric has been recognized for his talent by the restaurant industry over the years, including numerous James Beard award nominations. Learn more about Eric at TD and Co
Says Eric: “My burger for Burger Month represents my first burger crush. When I was a kid, if I was not naughty, we would go to Bob's Big Boy. I would always order the combo with a blue cheese side salad. When you mash it all up this is what you get, a double stacked burger with a blue cheese salad!”
Burger 4 Burger: Teen Feed
“Unc’s Fried Chicken Sandwich”
Ingredients: Fried Chicken with Black Eyed Pea Hummus, Bacon Aioli, Grilled Onions, Tomato, Butter Lettuce, Herbed Foccacia by Grand Central Bakery
Chef Kristi Brown spooned her way through the culinary industry for the past 28 years. From the beginning, her vision was to focus on the art and experience of food through culinary activism. A purpose powered by her mantra, “Everybody’s Gotta Eat!” Chef Kristi builds community through the cultivation of fresh food and fine cooking.
Chef Kristi opened That Brown Girl Catering (TBGC!) in 1996. After 10 years of operation, Chef Kristi sought to journey into different culinary avenues and closed TBGC’s doors in 2009. In 2012, Chef Kristi re-imagined her business as That Brown Girl Cooks!, a food, culture, and community organization.
Chef Kristi added to her legacy with the opening of COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar in December of 2020 and has garnered much acclaim including Condè Nast Traveler 12 best new restaurants in the world and New York Times “The 50 places in America we're most excited about right now." Learn more about Kristi at Communion Restaurant and Bar.
Says Kristi: “The heart and soul of this dish is the fried chicken, marinated in our house Sez' blend and fried to perfection. It is named after Uncle Mad Dog: the undisputed king of all deep-fried foods. The sandwich represents my style of cooking with the tried and true That Brown Girl Cooks flavors that people know from us. It is communion on a plate.”
Burger 4 Burger: D.A.D.S (Divine Alternatives for Dads Services)
“Paju Jr”
Ingredients: 1/4lb Royal Ranch Beef Patty, American Cheese, Kalbi Sauce, Kimchi Cucumber Coleslaw, Gochujang Aioli, Lil Woody’s Bun
Chef Bill Soo Jeong was born in the countryside of South Korea and grew up in an environment where love and respect for food and healthy produce were pillars of family education. Throughout his childhood, Bill would spend many hours in the kitchen helping his mother prepare the nightly family dinner. This formative experience helped instill the foundation that led him to make a career of cooking.
Bill honed his cooking craft working for some of the best chefs on both coasts of the United States. His kitchen experience includes many Michelin star restaurants such as Fifth Floor, Jungsik NYC, and Gunter Seeger.
At Paju, Chef Bill uses training and experience to showcase his skills while providing a creative take on the food he grew up eating. Learn more about Bill at Paju
Says Bill: “During the 2020 pandemic, we pivoted from in-restaurant dining to creating a Japanese sandwich pop-up for takeout. We needed to come up with food that could withstand traveling. We created many sandwich recipes, but the one that included kimchi coleslaw on our pork loin sandwich was a favorite. Our Paju Jr. burger for Lil Woody’s Burger Month is a play on that sandwich. The kimchi coleslaw counterbalances the richness and gives it texture. It is even more delicious with the umami built into it.”
Burger 4 Burger: Habitat for Humanity
“Ear Piggy Piggy”
Ingredients: Royal Ranch Grass Fed Beef and Pork Fat Patty, Crispy Fried Pig Ear, Mama Lil’s Peppers, Dill Pickles, Spicy Mustard, Fry Sauce, Lil Woody’s Bun
Longtime Seattle resident, Chef Evan Leichtling started cooking at the age of 17, and spent over 10 years in some of the best kitchens of Seattle.
Evan moved to Europe in 2014 to work at the legendary Akelarre at San Sebastian and then to Paris in 2015. He became chef of Dune in the 11th arrondissement of Paris and completed a residency at Chardon in the south of France and has helped at celebrated Parisian kitchens.
Evan returned to Seattle in early 2019, with his partner, Meghna Prakash, who lived in Paris for 10 years nursing a growing passion for low intervention wine. They kicked off a series of pop-ups in the summer of 2019, Fowl and Offal, introducing Seattle diners to underutilized proteins and working with local farmers. Off Alley opened in August 2020. They focus on whole animal cooking, balanced with hyper local produce and sustainably sourced seafood. Learn more about Evan at Off Alley.
Says Evan: “Everyone loves fried onion rings on burgers, but since we have an offal focus at Off Alley, it only made sense for us to use fried pig ears. I love salty fried things with bright acidic foods with a little heat so Mama Lil’s peppers and pickles just seem to make sense. When I eat a burger, I want something fatty, salty, crunchy, and acidic, which is represented by the bacon fat, fried pig ears, and pickles.”
Burger 4 Burger: YouthCare South Seattle Youth Center
Try all four!
Diners who purchase each burger can receive a limited-edition, Lil Woody’s Trucker hat at the end of the event. Stamp cards are available at any location.
