Part of what makes Heartwood so special is the fundamental pairing program in place here. Since the beginning, Chef Varin Keokitvon and Beverage Director Amanda Reed have worked closely together to develop dishes and drinks that riff off each other—it’s food with drink, not food and drink. With a program like this, Reed has had…

Chef Varin Keokitvon has a thing about giving back. He loves to teach and he’s been known to guest lecture in the Culinary Arts program at South Seattle College. But, it’s FareStart that has special meaning for him. He likes what FareStart stands for and its mission at the intersection of service to others and…

It’s the annual Negroni Week and bartenders across the United States are shaking up gin, campari, and vermouth—and giving back. The week long event, which runs June 4th to the 10th, uses cocktailing to raise money for a range of nonprofits. Since launching in 2013, Negroni Week has raised nearly $1.5 million dollars for charity….

The mighty geoduck (goey-duck or güēˌdək) is seriously a Pacific Northwest thing. In fact, the giant mollusk, with its very phallic syphon, is native only to the West Coast. Here, the clam’s shell may grow to nearly eight inches in length; its giant meaty neck has been known to grow in excess of three feet….

Heartwood Provision’s Chef Varin Keokitvon is always up for an adventure. Laotian by birth; a Seattleite by upbringing, his culinary prowess crosses cultures and he loves a good culinary challenge. For instance, when he heard about Spain’s Cocinando con Trufa —the international cooking contest for cooking with truffles—he had to enter   To be considered,…

Chef Varin Keokitvon is patiently awaiting a change in the global vanilla supply. For years, he has used vanilla with wild abandon. Then, in March of 2017, Cyclone Enawo hit Madagascar, home to most of the world’s vanilla production, and the price of vanilla beans skyrocketed. Gone were the days of tossing a few vanilla…