Chef Lineup:
There’s no need to put on your waders to land some of the region’s best seafood sandwiches. We give the nod to the fruits of the sea for our August burger collaboration.
“Taylor Shellfish Smoked Oyster Dip Burger”
Ingredients: Taylor Shellfish Smoked Oyster Dip. Tim’s Cascade Potato Chips, Dill Pickle, Tillamook Smoked Cheddar, Hills Bacon, 1/4 lb. Painted Hill Grass Fed Beef, Mayo on a Lil Woody’s bun.
It all began in Totten Inlet with the tiny Olympia Oyster in 1890 by oyster farmer, Justin Taylor. Since then, every generation of the Taylor family has grown up with a passion for shellfish and for the close-knit communities and rugged landscapes of Western Washington. Today the company is led by Bill and Paul Taylor and their brother-in-law Jeff Pearson who have grown their company past the tidelands bringing our product from tide to table.
Jeff Pearson, President Taylor Shellfish, has this to say: “This burger started with our delicious, Smoked Oyster Dip with Ekone oysters that is served with potato chips at our oyster bar locations. We thought merging the smoky, briny oyster flavors in the creamy base of the dip with Lil Woody’s grass-fed beef burger would make the perfect surf n’ turf combination. The potato chips add great crunch and texture."
“What the Halibut Burger”
Ingredients: Panko Crusted Halibut, Charred Yellow Corn Aioli, Sliced Tomato, Pickled Onion, Dandelion Greens on a Lil Woody’s Bun
Hillel Echo-Hawk is an Indigenous chef (Pawnee and Athabaskan), caterer and speaker born and raised in the interior of Alaska around the Athabaskan village of Mentasta. After receiving her degree in Culinary Arts from Seattle Central College, Hillel has been working as a cook in some of Seattle’s most innovative and popular restaurants for several years. Hillel has a passion for local, ethically sourced and sustainable foods, all through an Indigenous lens and perspective.
“Says Hillel: “I grew up in Alaska and we ate halibut all the time- I love it. I’ve eaten many halibut sandwiches, but this one is unique, especially with the pickled onions. I wanted to create a sandwich that was light, but still filling. The ingredients are Indigenous short of the aioli and bread. The dandelion greens are bitter, like arugula, but not spicy. They have been used for thousands of years as a medicine, though most people treat them like a weed and destroy them. The whole plant is edible including the root. The charred yellow corn aioli will add a sweet counterpoint to the bitter dandelion greens. I really hope people enjoy it.”
“Lil Local Burger”
Ingredients: Rockfish, Pork and Shrimp Patty with Sweet Mayo, Chili Garlic Oil, Cabbage Slaw with Sesame Vinaigrette on a Lil Woody’s bun
Chef Victor Steinbrueck is homegrown Seattle. He comes from a celebrated lineage of Seattleites, like his grandfather of the same name, best known for his efforts to preserve Seattle's Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. Victor was chef for Blue Ribbon Catering, Vietnamese restaurant Tamarin Tree in the International District, and private chef for a Seattle Seahawk’s player. Victor started Local Tide as pop-up and ran it for three years. In 2020, he opened a brick-and-mortar Local Tide in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.
Says Victor: “The Lil Local Burger is a cross between our shrimp toast with its origin in dim sum that my grandmother made for special occasions and our rockfish sandwich, which is like a Vietnamese bahn mi. The pork adds fat to the fish and the shrimp. The Lil Local Burger is very true to what we do, just formed into a patty and served between two buns.”
“Lil Woody’s Fillet-O-Fish”
Ingredients: Beer-Battered Alaskan Pollock, pickle-ly tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, American cheese on a Lil Woody’s bun
Born in Hawaii, Brian Miyamoto received a degree in Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. He assisted in the opening of the first restaurant in Hawaii for Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as Executive Sous Chef from 2010-2012. Feeling ready to leave the islands, Brian went in search of a mainland destination. With a love for nature and the mountains, Seattle became his new home. He landed the chef de cuisine position at Restaurant Zoe, followed by executive chef positions at Redhook Brewlab and Champagne Diner. He took over the kitchens at Lil Woody’s in 2021.
Says Brian: “We wanted to add a fish sandwich to the Lil Woody’s repertoire and McDonald’s was our inspiration. The Alaskan pollock is coated in a tempura beer batter made with seasoned flour and egg whites only; it makes the batter stay really crispy. As a chef, I thought a lot about making the texture pleasing and keeping the fish crunchy. We also make our own tartar sauce using our special pickle/onion mix as a base mixed with herbs and mayo. The sandwich is definitely chef-driven with the thought that went into it, but it’s grimy too; in a good way!”
