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By EILEEN GARVIN
News staff writer
August
23,
2006
The total impact of the so-called “Google Effect” is yet to be
determined in The Dalles, but it’s already made its mark down
the road in Mosier. The new owners of the former WildFlower Café
said they have the Google search engine to thank for leading
them to Oregon this spring.
After several years and a couple of restaurant successes in
Baltimore, Md., Chef Barry Rumsey and his wife and partner Debra
Mazzoleni were looking for a change.
“We had both been in Baltimore a long time. I was getting a bit
antsy to move on,” said Rumsey. “I said to Debra, ‘We don’t have
to live in Baltimore. Where do you want to live?’”
The two got online, pulled up the Google search engine, and
typed in “Ten Best Places to Live.” Portland popped up on that
list. They liked the look of the City of Roses, but a brief
visit there didn’t yield what the two were looking for — the
right combination of work and family advantages.
“We couldn’t get a marriage of the right neighborhood for the
restaurant and good schools,” said Rumsey. (The two have three
children between them: Sarah, 20; Celine, 12; and Pearson, 6.)
Back home in Baltimore, still searching for options, Debra saw a
posting on Craig’s List for a restaurant for sale in Mosier —
the WildFlower Café.
“I flew out the next day,” said Rumsey.
Within three days, Rumsey had made an offer on the WildFlower
Café and put in a bid on a house in Hood River. Mazzoleni flew
out for a look around soon after. “She loved it,” said Rumsey.
“We said, ‘That’s it. We are going to move.”
Now the two are poised to take over the much-loved café in
Mosier, which Suzi Conklin and Mark Cherniack ran for five
years. WildFlower Café closed its doors on July 30.
The new restaurant will be called Wild Ginger, and Rumsey and
Mazzoleni aim to open in September.
*****
Rumsey and Mazzoleni come to the Gorge with a history of success
in the restaurant business. Originally from London, Rumsey, 56,
was an executive chef for the Marriott Corporation for 16 years.
Hailing from New York, Mazzoleni, 47, was a professional
photographer for a decade.
The two collaborated on their first restaurant in 1999, opening
The Kitchen, a small stall eatery in Baltimore. Their next
enterprise — Bicycle — followed in 2000. The neighborhood bistro
won the hearts of locals and the praise of The Baltimore Sun,
Baltimore magazine, and other regional publications.
Word quickly spread about Baltimore’s new best place to eat.
“The next thing you know, we are in The Washington Post, The New
York Times, and everyone is coming from (Washington) D.C.,” said
Mazzoleni. The couple sold Bicycle last spring.
The partners said Wild Ginger is designed to be a place for
locals. They hope the food, service and atmosphere will draw
customers from around the Gorge, but do not want Wild Ginger to
be only a tourist destination.
“What we want to be is a neighborhood restaurant for Mosier and
a destination restaurant for Hood River and The Dalles,” said
Mazzoleni. “Our goal is to be a comfort food restaurant for
Mosier. I think the whole Gorge will be our community.”
The Gorge has seen the arrival of several new restaurants in the
past couple of years: Viento, Celilo Restaurant & Bar, Dixie’s,
Sushi Okalani and Three Rivers Grill among them. But Rumsey and
Mazzoleni aren’t deterred by the competition.
“You can’t worry about who your competition is,” said Mazzoleni.
“If we put out a good quality product, we will survive,” said
Rumsey.
*****
Though he has decades behind him in the culinary field, Rumsey
demurs when asked to explain his cooking style. “I never know
how to describe my food,” he said.
Mazzoleni said the Wild Ginger’s menu will be “American
contemporary with a multicultural influence” and a strong
emphasis on Rumsey’s specialty — seafood.
Rumsey offers the “Beggar’s Purse” as an example of a signature
dish: diver sea scallops, baby spinach and goat cheese wrapped
up in a phyllo dough pouch with a saffron sauce. But Rumsey is
quick to add that the menu will also include hamburgers, pizza
and hot sandwiches.
“We aren’t going to be a fancy restaurant,” he said.
Plates will range in price from $6 to $19. Rumsey said he plans
to buy local ingredients whenever possible.
Rumsey and Mazzoleni hope to complete a planned renovation
quickly so as to open in early September. In addition to minor
changes like paint and lighting fixtures, the pair intends to
knock down the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room
for a more open feel. They have also planned a small bar area.
Wild Ginger will sell local beer and wine and signature
cocktails. The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Brunch and dinner will be
available on the weekends.
Like so many people who’ve moved to the area, the couple has
been captivated by the scenery in Hood River and the surrounding
area. “I feel like a kid in a candy store,” said Rumsey. Both
are avid cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts. They are excited that
their children will get to enjoy all that the Gorge has to
offer.
And while moving the family 3,000 miles and starting a new
business might seem like a daunting prospect for some people,
for Mazzoleni and Rumsey, it is all part of the adventure.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” said Rumsey.
*****
Wild Ginger can be reached at: 541-478-0199, or go to
www.gingerwild.com. |
