Summary

L'Oursin, a renowned Seattle restaurant known for its French cuisine and sustainable seafood, has successfully adapted to the pandemic by transforming into a market and wine shop, offering take-home meals, while maintaining its commitment to quality and local ingredients.

Abstract

L'Oursin, located in Seattle's Squire Park neighborhood, has pivoted from in-house dining to a market and wine shop model in response to the pandemic's impact on sit-down dining. Despite the shift, the restaurant has continued to thrive, offering a selection of wines, charcuterie, smoked fish, cheese, sauces, and fresh produce from local small farms. The owners, J. J. Proville and Zac Overman, have leveraged their decade of culinary experience to maintain the restaurant's reputation for excellence. L'Oursin's adaptability is evident in its take-out menu, which features gourmet versions of comfort food like burgers and fried chicken sandwiches. The establishment has plans to reopen for dine-in service while continuing to operate its market and wine shop.

Opinions

The transformation of L'Oursin into a market and wine shop has been well-received and considered a great success.
The restaurant's ambiance, despite its location in a new condo building, is commendable, with thoughtful decor that includes orb lighting and gold bistro chairs.
Chef J. J. Proville's culinary creations are described as magical, combining fresh local ingredients with traditional French techniques.
Mixologist Zac Overman's cocktails are seen as creative and innovative, incorporating unusual ingredients and a passion for European favorites.
Wine director Kathryn Olson's approach to wine selection is unique, focusing on storytelling and the terroir of biodynamic wines rather than just their bouquet.
The French cuisine at L'Oursin is perceived as unpretentious, emphasizing quality ingredients and local produce, aligning with the Pacific Northwest's culinary bounty.
The restaurant's take-out menu during the pandemic has been praised for its fast and casual comfort food options, which are both delicious and reasonably priced.

Seattle Restaurant Adapts to Changing Times

L’Oursin has a new market and wine shop.

Wine Shoppe in Europe by Henar Langa on Unsplash

Since the pandemic forced the closure of the restaurant for sit-down meals, L’Ourisin changed things up and has been operating as a market and wine shop, as well as offering, take-home meals.

It’s been a great success.

They are considering keeping the market open after they are back to providing customers with their best in-house dining experience.

In addition, the market offers an inspired selection of wines, charcuterie, smoked fish, cheese, and sauces, as well as local small farm vegetables, and fresh fish and meats.

While you never quite forget you’re on the retail level of a new condo building, this seafood café nearly pulls it off.

With its inspired natural wines‚ chef J. J. Proville’s modern interpretations of French-café classics, and enthusiastic, experienced staff, L’Oursin has been killing the game since opening day.

From the moment L’Oursin opened its doors in 2016, they took Seattle’s dining scene by storm.

JJ Proville and Zac Overman, are the two owners and also two long-time friends. They’ve worked together for close to a decade in restaurants in New York and in Seattle.

This restaurant remains focused on sustainable seafood, natural wine, and aperitif cocktails in Seattle’s Squire Park neighborhood.

Squire Park is part of Seattle’s Central Area and is among the most established neighborhoods in the city. The area has a rich history supported by its location near Capitol Hill and the International District neighborhoods.

L’Oursin is French for sea urchin which evokes a waterfront restaurant.

The location is a bit jarring, on the ground floor of a new complex in a neighborhood that is being developed. They’ve warmed it up inside with orb lighting, gold bistro chairs, and other touches that lend ambiance to the space.

The chef (JJ Proville) creates magic using a combination of fresh local food from the Pacific Northwest and traditional French cuisine. He focuses on simple quality ingredients prepared with a French influence.

The talented mixologist, Zac Overman is just as creative with beverages. His true passion is evident in the cocktails he brings to life. Unusual ingredients and a zest for putting a new spin on European favorites Zac’s dry aperitifs are created to stimulate the appetite and might include unusual ingredients such as chamomile, pickled seaweed, Asian pear, and urfa biber which is dried Turkish chili pepper. Try a cocktail like the Marguerite. It’s a delicious combination of tequila, grapefruit, lime, and sparkling rosé.

A unique selection of wines from France includes mainly biodynamic wines which reflect the soil they’ve been grown in.

Kathryn Olson, the wine director of Seattle’s L’Oursin, prefers to describe the selection of wines with stories about the areas they came from, rather than their bouquet.

Pairing natural wines with these lovely plates is Olson’s forte. As she guides you through these unique flavors you will find her excitement is catching. She loves to share her finds and isn’t at all stuffy about it.

French cuisine is seen by many as overdone, with too much of a focus on perfection and rules. That’s not the case here.

These two talented proprietors see the focus on quality ingredients and local farmers' markets in France as a tradition easily reflected by our local conditions. The abundant, fresh produce as well as the fresh seafood, local meats and dairy products found readily in the Pacific Northwest make it a perfect place for French cuisine.

L’Oursin has been creative with its take-out menu during the pandemic.

Instead of their French favorites, they decided to go with fast and casual comfort food.

Their Burgers and Fried Chicken Sandwiches are a gourmet version of fast-food favorites, simple and delicious in a way that the fast-food chains can’t produce. Also, they are fast and reasonably priced. The patio is open every day for your orders.

The market, takeaway, and delivery are open every day from noon to 8 pm.

“L’Oursin will be closed May 24-June 2. We will reopen on June 3, with dine-in Thursday-Sunday nights from 5–9 pm. Our market/wine shop will be open every day from 12–7 pm.”

1315 E Jefferson St, Seattle, WA 98122