When Dustin Ronspies first opened Artwork of the Desk within the tiny Fremont area that now holds Kamonegi, he pioneered a daring, modern fashion of restaurant. Right now, the concept a chef can design a restaurant’s service round their very own preferences is commonplace, even cliché. However when Ronspies first launched his “Supper Membership” meals in 2007, his $55, five-course menus led the best way into the close to way forward for eating: prioritizing one of the best substances and the chef’s instincts on the best approach to serve them. Whereas he added to that providing, expanded the menu (now six programs, $142), and moved to a much bigger area, he by no means stopped rethinking the chances of a restaurant and the way it can work.
In a Friday morning e-mail to prospects, Ronspies introduced that he and spouse Shannon Van Horn will shut Artwork of the Desk by the tip of the 12 months. The ultimate common meals might be November 22, with celebratory “Final Supper” occasions on November 30 and December 1.
“Wow, what a visit it has been,” writes Ronspies. Artwork of the Desk was one of many first “Unrestaurants” in Seattle—eating locations that eschewed the overall conventions of hospitality. AOTT opened with six tables, butter-yellow partitions, and Ronspies giving sermonettes in regards to the virtues of consuming communally from the kitchen door as he introduced out course after course from his seasonal menu.
After a decade, already historical in restaurant years, it moved to its present location, only a block from the outdated one, the place Ronspies and Van Horn gave AOTT the room to develop up. Which it did, and with poise, even capturing a place on our latest listing of one of the best big day eating places on the town. Holding a restaurant open for 17 years is extremely tough, and Artwork of the Desk did one higher, nonetheless incomes reward for consistency and perfection till the tip.
Ronspies is stepping off from the highest, as he made clear in his e-mail. “Sadly, we won’t be searching for the subsequent spot, or the brand new scorching idea.” However one may argue he’s already onto the brand new scorching idea: ““Shannon and I and the children are prepared to maneuver on, to discover a new residence, to concentrate on household and self care.”