A Theater of Culinary Delights
Café Nordo is back with its biggest concoction to date.
By Seattle Mag April 18, 2012
This article originally appeared in the May 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.
If the walls of the century-old Washington Hall in Seattle’s Central District could talk, they would recall legendary happenings, including performances by Billie Holiday and Jimi Hendrix. But the former community dance hall may not have seen anything quite like Café Nordo, an event featuring an elusive chef (or team of chefs; it’s a secret) who surfaces in Seattle sporadically to produce memorable nights of original theater integrated with a carefully themed menu of locally sourced and adventurously prepared food and libations.
Café Nordo’s latest concoction, Cabinet of Curiosities, is the largest-scale experiment yet. Instead of remaining seated at tables while the drama unfolds, patrons climb staircases and navigate narrow hallways to follow five different courses and wine pairings at seatings in different rooms, each transformed into an “exhibition” that explores a chapter of food history.
Expect immersive visual displays from local artists Anne Blackburn and Mandy Greer, and entertaining performances from the usual Nordo suspects (including Seattle actors Opal Peachey and Mark Siano), and brace yourself for a funny and sensational sensory overload.
5/4–6/17. $70–$80 (includes five courses and a wine flight). Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave.; cafenordo.com. Tip: tickets for Nordo shows tend to sell out fast. Subscribe to the company’s newsletter for fair warning on upcoming shows.