Kal Gellein and Gail Williams are two people who value hard work and good food. The proud new owners of Kallaloo, a Caribbean Creole restaurant in Columbia City, are a prime example of what happens with a strong desire and a lot of hard work. But how did two longtime bankers change careers and take the plunge at making their lifelong dream a reality?
Start with cheesecake
Gellein is a tall unassuming middle aged gentleman with a laid back vibe. A Seattle native, he grew up amongst restaurants. His grandparents and uncle had eateries in the city and he always loved going to them.
"For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted a restaurant", he confided.
"I always enjoyed restaurant people and the life that is associated with owning an eating establishment. Of course, I love eating and I am intrigued by how things are put together in the kitchen."
But it took 15-plus years working in the corporate banking world before he gave voice to that dream. Along the way, he honed his cooking chops by specializing in cheesecakes that coworkers swooned over. Meanwhile his wife, Williams, was also hard at work in her own banking career.
When she saw her husband's success with those cheesecakes, she suggested that he start a cheesecake business, but Gellein knew he'd quickly lose interest. Still, he was tired of chasing the brass ring of corporate life. In 1995 he left that career and shortly thereafter, he completed a degree in Seattle Central Community College's Culinary Arts program. After gigs at the Sorrento Hotel, Hunt Club and Simpatico and five years as a private chef, Gellein felt like he was ready to make the plunge into the restaurant world. He consulted his wife.
Williams, who describes herself as "made in Tobago and born in Trinidad'" is a strikingly beautiful woman with an air of gracious warmth about her. Greeting you at the front door of Kallalo, she immediately makes you feel at home.
"I was in banking for 23 years and finally in 2003 I retired. I really loved banking and I loved my job. But the politics of corporate life really got to me. Maybe I am just too soft. Frankly, when I retired I didn't want to have anything to do with anything called "work." I just wanted to garden, take care of our house and spend time with our youngest son, Chris."
But life has a way of presenting opportunities, sometimes when we least expect them. In 2005 Williams had a friend who was selling a restaurant. Williams saw this as a sign that maybe they should go forward on the dream. Still, the couple spent lots of time communicating to make sure it was what both of them really wanted to do.
Do the research
As Gallein and Williams talked and talked about making their dream a reality and hunted for restaurant space, they decided to do some field research to refine their dream.
" Essentially, once we decided to go forth with the restaurant, we started going out to eat - a lot," Williams said with a laugh. "And going out became a whole new experience for us. We went with eyes wide open. We analyzed everything we saw- the food, the service, the cleanliness, the smells - everything. It really became our research and we were happy to do it," she said, while Gellein gently shook his head and smiled.
Gellein said, "We really wanted to understand how other people in other restaurants were doing things, so we studied restaurants. We observed servers, noted how the food was plated, watched how the place was run."
Williams chimed in, excited. "All that analysis became a stepping stone in our business plan. But for us the food was key because good food would bring in repeat customers. Next we really looked at service. We wanted Kallaloo to be the kind of place that was not only a good place to work but also an asset to the neighborhood. We didn't want it to be all about us, but we definitely wanted an identity. Seattle had very few Caribbean restaurants at the time, and since that was where Gail was from we decided to pursue that cuisine."
Find solutions
Gellein and Williams are longtime Central area residents and initially focused on that neighborhood for a space. Every day Gellein would scour the ads but nothing worked out. When a space finally opened up in September 2005 in Columbia City, the couple leaped at the opportunity. They closed on the space in October of that year.
"From the beginning we felt like the landlords (LRIsabella LLC) were rooting for us, " said Gallein. "They were very supportive and wanted a restaurant here." But what the couple now had was a huge cavernous space, a shell, really.
Gellein said, "It was like we were deer caught in headlights. Now what do we do? I couldn't believe it was actually happening and we knew there was no turning back." But Gellein/Williams had a million problems to solve before they could truly open up for business.
"We had to figure out how to utilize the space: where was the best place for the kitchen and how should it be designed?" said Gellein, ticking off the tasks as he recalled the process. " What should be the flow of the restaurant? What sort of menu should we have? What kind of equipment should we buy?"
In every restarant there is a delicate balance between the space that generates revenue and the restaurant itself, a constant concern for the couple. Design solutions came in the helpful expertise of architects Bill Vandeventer and Tim Carlander. Construction began in earnest in late January 2006 and Kallaloo opened late March, despite dire predictions that it wouldn't open in time.
Make it authentic
Along with the design challenge, the couple wanted to give diners an authentic Caribbean experience. Since Williams was raised in the Caribbean islands, they wanted the restaurant to be as authentic as possible.
For example, the bar is designed like the rum shops found in the region, with shutters and fretwork typical of plantations. A large photo mural of an actual beach scene from Guadeloupe serves as a backdrop to the many authentic liquors. The walls of the restaurant are lined with artwork the couple collected over the years from their visits to Trinidad including a 1962 Trinidad travel poster. Williams spent hours selecting the background music, choosing music from genres such as calypso, socca, reggae and zouk.
Having menu items from the Caribbean was a primary goal for the owners.
Gellein explains that they feature rums found in the islands and soft drinks such as Ting (a grapefruit soda), ginger beer (somewhat like ginger ale) and Chubbies (sodas in squat, little containers found in the islands).
Hawaiian spices
"We get our spices from Trinidad and Tobago," says Gellein. "Dasheen, which is the Caribbean leaf of the taro plant, is flown in from Hawaii. Menu items are listed by what they are actually called in the islands. But our servers can help customers figure out what the dish might be similar to. For example we have cou-cou, which is basically polenta with okra and often served with fish, and christophene which is chayote, a light green squash."
The menu features a wide array of dishes pleasing to carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. Diners can find seafood, chicken, beef, pork and even goat on the menu, with 10 side dishes to choose from, all focusing on authentic flavors and ingredients.
Desserts are also varied with customers sighing over Gellein's cheesecake, the rum soaked bread pudding and other specialty desserts with a Caribbean flair. Many large groups come in and have fun sampling everything on the menu. Still, Gellein believes that Caribbean food is not that well known in the northwest.
More than hot 'n' spicy
"Some people think the cuisine is all about hot, spicy food, but that's not the case. It's more about the flavor and less about the heat. Some dishes are sweet and savory. Other dishes might have any combination of peppers, onions, lime juice or curry. It depends on the dish, but we strive to give the customer an authentic food experience."
Even the name of the restaurant is authentic. Gellein explains.
"Trinidad is an extremely diverse population so lots of people on the island are mixed racially and culturally. In fact, the expression used there is 'like a kallalo,' meaning mixed. We see our restaurant as being a lightning rod for diversity of all different backgrounds, a place where all feel welcome and all are comfortable."
Kallaloo is at 3820 S. Ferdinand St. and is open for lunch Monday- Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner is served from 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 5-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. For more information: 760-7766 or www.kallalooseattle.com.[[In-content Ad]]
