Chef Dave Miller Talks Kitchen Lessons, Breakfast for Dinner & More

The chef of Seattle's beloved brunch spot Portage Bay Cafe is back in the FareStart kitchen

By Jaclyn Norton February 19, 2015

davemiller

This post is sponsored.

Sponsored by FareStart

Years ago, chef Dave Miller had lunch at a San Francisco restaurant where the mission was to help people in need and give them a second chance at life by teaching them skills in the restaurant industry. “Every person I spoke to had this glow about them, like they had just found something they really believed in,” Miller says. “I knew right then that if I had the chance to make a difference and give back to people less fortunate than me in this industry I would.”

Miller, who heads up Portage Bay Cafe’s three locations, has done just that. He’s joined forces with FareStart — a job training and placement program using the kitchen as a gateway to transform the lives of homeless and disadvantaged teens and adults. After weeks honing skills of the trade, the program commences with Guest Chef Night, an evening where students are put on the line alongside Seattle’s most esteemed chefs to cook for a packed house at FareStart’s downtown restaurant. On Thursday, March 5, Guest Chef Night is back in the hands of chef Miller, and he and his crew are dishing up breakfast for dinner.


The bustling FareStart dining room; photo by Hannah Letinich

We caught up with Miller to learn more about his history in the kitchen, a few of his choice ingredients he loves to cook with and what’s on his menu when he hosts his own breakfast-for-dinner night at home. Appease your curiosity and take a better look at the menu and make your reservations for the March 5 Guest Chef Night. 

Are you from Seattle originally?
I was born in Klickitat Co. in southern Washington. My father was in the Air Force so we moved around quite a lot until I was 10. That’s when we moved to Las Vegas where my dad retired from the military. I moved to Seattle in 1988 and started working at Ray’s Boathouse.

How did you start cooking?
I come from a restaurant family. My father owned and operated a couple of places and that’s where I got my start; in the dish pit at the tender age of 12. In my family it was either work in restaurants or join the service, so I became a chef.

What’s the best advice you ever received?
To calm down, pay attention and enjoy what you do. The industry is hard enough.

Best dish to cook for a date?
I really enjoy making simple pan dishes like scampi or sautés, that way it’s easy clean up.

What’s the key to surviving in the kitchen?
Honestly I think it’s patience, which is just not something you can teach someone. It just comes with experience and time.

If you were to pick a favorite type of regional cuisine, what would it be?
As a young man I apprenticed in French cuisine as a saucier, and was hooked on the simple flavors of regional dishes. As I have gotten older I have leaned toward Mexican dishes especially Oaxacan, and Vera Cruz regions.

Name three loved and most-used ingredients in your repertoire
Vinegar, any type of chilies and of course onions.

How is the production different in FareStart’s kitchen than in Portage Bay’s kitchens?
On Guest Chef Night, I try to make the production of the food just as I would in my restaurant. We try to prep as much of the food with the students as possible. It’s very important to me to make the students feel they are going from prep to service on all courses, and give them a experience of real restaurant production.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from Guest Chef Night?
Every individual can make a difference in other people’s lives. I feel very fortunate that I am able to give back to the industry and my community in a way that makes a direct impact on others.

Name your three favorite places to brunch in Seattle right now.
I like Grub on Queen Anne, Joule in Fremont and Brass Tacks in Georgetown is always great.

Say you’re having breakfast for dinner at home tonight. What are you cooking?
I love the simplicity of a breakfast sandwich. Grilled sour rye, pepper bacon, sharp cheese and a couple of over-easy eggs with a little marmalade never disappoints.

How is brunch different in Seattle than anywhere else?
In Seattle, it’s a institution to get up on the weekends and drink coffee while waiting in line for a table. Across the city, almost every breakfast or brunch spot has a long wait.

Breakfast is traditionally a meal that’s heavy on carbs and thick sauces. How do you implement healthful eating into this meal?
We try to offer a lot of lighter options like our berry bar, and salads instead of potatoes for a side. Also dishes like a vegetable frittata topped with arugula and a balsamic reduction.

Favorite way to spice up a dish?
Simple, fresh ingredients with big flavors.

What’s one celebrity with whom you would love to have dinner?
I think Christopher Walken would be a awesome dinner guest. He’s one of my favorite actors and a very cool dude.

What advice do you have for budding chefs?
Hone your skills, communicate with your staff and make sure to listen.

Biggest life lesson learned in the kitchen?
Don’t take “no” for a answer. Prove to yourself and to others that you can achieve your goals.

 

Follow Us