One World Spokane welcomes new chef

Visiting with Andrew Larson, the new chef at One World Spokane, is like taking a kitchen tour of some of the finest restaurants in the area. That may because he’s cooked in many of them. “There’s a saying among cooks in Spokane: I know someone in every kitchen in Spokane, or I know someone who knows someone,” Larson said. The chef brings a wealth of experience to the non-profit community kitchen, even though he admits he got a late start on his vocation. “I turned on the TV and ‘Great Chefs’ was on, I said to my girlfriend, ‘Honey, that’s what I want to do,’” He was 30 at the time. While he used to enjoy cooking as child, the first dinner he prepared for his family didn’t go over very well. His experimental use of food coloring and honest-to-goodness green eggs and ham were not a hit. Once Larson set his sights on becoming a chef, he enrolled in culinary school at Spokane Community College, a path he recommends for anyone serious about the profession. “If you want to learn to cook for your family take extension courses through the Community College,” he said. “Culinary school is for those who want to cook professionally.” The challenging coursework appealed to his creative nature and he soon put his skills to use at Patsy Clark’s. “It was old-school fine dining,” he says. “Unfortunately, Patsy Clark’s didn’t change with the times.” He spent several years cooking at Ankeny’s at the Ridpath. “I was there for the very last meal. I remember putting the meal out and thinking, ‘Wow! This is it!’” he said. “It was like the death of a friend.” The closing of a restaurant is especially difficult on the kitchen crew, who work so intimately together, they often become like family. “You learn how to develop tight relationships when you work in tight quarters,” says Larson. He was part of the opening crew for Downriver Grill and for Jimmy’Z, and always enjoys the hubbub of a busy kitchen. Prior to taking the position at One World, he tried his hand at corporate cooking. “I worked for Sodexo at Gonzaga for a time,” he says. “Great people, great benefits, but not a great fit.” He found working off a standardized menu stifling, but loves how One World is the complete opposite, where menus can change daily, even more than daily. Some food is donated, some food comes from the restaurant’s garden, which gives him a lot of opportunity to experiment with textures and flavors and really push his creativity. On a recent afternoon buckets of just-picked zucchini, peppers and lettuce sat near the prep table. Larson’s pasta salad is always a favorite and his Quinoa Waldorf salad is a fresh take on an old standby. Instead of a heavy mayonnaise-based dressing, Larson tosses the amino-acid rich quinoa and tart apples in light, red wine vinaigrette. A new deli display case means the restaurant can now serve many items to go. Deli salads are available for $5 per pound. Tasty vegan orange muffins tempt diners to indulge in dessert. While One World’s mission to offer healthy, sustainable cuisine to all people, regardless of socio-economic background remains unchanged, Larson has made some changes in the restaurant’s operation. “I streamlined the kitchen,” he says. “I’m more of a minimalist.” He also introduced standard small, medium and large plate sizes and included a list of suggested prices. To his surprise most people pay more than the suggested amount. As always, a free meal is available for those who cannot pay or volunteer in the kitchen or garden. “There’s no reason anyone should be excluded,” says Larson. “It’s beyond a crime— it’s a sin when people can’t eat healthy food.” Photos of Jimmy Carter, Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama adorn the cooking area while paintings by local artists are displayed in the dining room. Each Thursday Community Minded Enterprise holds a Farmer’s Market behind One World and offers fresh produce from CME garden. And on Friday nights local musicians provide live music. Despite cooking in some of the most upscale restaurants in town, Larson’s attitude about food is refreshingly down to earth and not at all snobbish. “I like bacon,” he says. “It’s a great food.” And while many of the most famous chefs are men, he confides, “Women have a better developed palate than men— they’ve got better taste.” As Larson glances around the open dining room, he reflects on his work at One World. “Every day, I’m creating anew. I love this!”