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A conversation with Mike Rico co-owner of Branzino in Seattle’s Belltown Neighborhood.

How did you get into the restaurant industry?

Some people are born into it, some achieve it, and others have it thrust upon them. I was born into it; my grandparents had a restaurant in San Francisco before I was born. It was considered a noble profession in my family and I was encouraged to work in restaurants. I started when I was 15 as a busboy at the Elks Club.

How long have you been working in the Belltown neighborhood?

Since 1994, I helped open a wine bar where Ohana is now located with Richard Kinssies the wine writer from the Seattle PI and Bob Brannon a television personality from KOMO. It was an all-star cast.

Would you say it was little before its time?

It was. It’s always a little interesting to me why there aren’t more wine bars and why Seattle doesn’t do better with them. We have such a rich wine community here. I think for longevity concepts have to be grounded in the kitchen.

You spent some time at the famed Il Terrazzo Carmine?

I had dinner there yesterday; Carmine passed in December, boy what a high bar he set for us all. A mentor for so many my age. He’s missed, the restaurant is going strong, the food is as consistent and high quality as it’s ever been.

What was your first restaurant job in Seattle?

Columbia Tower Club, It was 1992 I just came back from New York. It was fabulous back then, dinners for 400, Julia Child, Robert Mondavi, big winemaker dinners. Hank Stockman was the wine director and Leinetti had just taken the world by surprise, Washington wines were just beginning to establish themselves. It was a different era back then, the era of the three martini lunch, people would just drink through the mean hour then we would bring the dinner menus in.

Branzino is now 4 years old?

June 6th 2008 is when we opened, she’s a Gemini.

Does that mean you have another one in the works?

No comment. (Laughs)

How has Branzino evolved since you opened?

Boy you don’t know what you have when you open; you have menu, personnel and a space but it takes time to really develop your identity. People working together, developing a cliental that you’ve listened too and giving them what they’re looking for. So we have much more of an identity now then four years ago.

We’re politely interrupted by three elderly ladies, one of which is holding a birthday card. They stopped by to wish Mike a belated Happy Birthday. It’s a really sweet scene with hugs and explanations, one of the ladies says “it’s a little late, you weren’t around”. It won’t be the last time we’re interrupted by well wishers.

How has the industry evolved since the great recession?

Happy hour has definitely taken on a life of its own; you have to create activity in your restaurant by attracting people with a quality product at a discounted price. Hopefully this activity draws in others; we have a wonderful address within a pedestrian friendly neighborhood and that curb appeal is really important to our restaurant. Happy hour is great way to get started; we never used the word 10 years ago in this neighborhood. I saw specifically wines by the glass become more important, people were less likely to have a full dinner; it’s more small plates and cocktails instead of three course meals and bottles of wine. People are scaling down for business dinners and just being a little more cautious overall. I don’t think anyone wants to wear a red dress to a funeral, so even if you do have money they conformed to what became the social norm.

I know you’re a big Yankee fan, what’s your take on the recent Ichiro trade?

The Mariner organization and Ichiro made it easy upon each other; it was a very gentlemanly thing to do, they have a lot of respect for each other. Ichiro freed up money for them to do things with by essentially asking to be traded. I’m certainly excited for him to be a Yankee, they were looking for an outfielder for about three weeks and the trading doors have always been open since the inception of the Mariners. Jay Buhner was a Yankee, we all know about the Montero and Pinera trade at the beginning of the season, big time trades between these organizations. I think on all accounts everyone had their needs met. Ichiro is 38 years old, he had three months left on his contract he needs to surround himself with some talented players and make a run. This is his greatest opportunity for him to get a ring, and it’s also an opportunity for him to make a difference down the stretch. He’s looking for three more years, he wants to get to three thousand hits, and someone is going to have to offer him a three year deal which will bring him to forty one years old that’s definitely the sunset of his career in baseball. Shuffle board however you have new life. What do they call that when you’re searching for coins on a beach? You’re at the dawn of your career as a metal detector.

We both laugh for a minute and then he’s back on the floor greeting everyone like a long lost friend.

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Posted on June 11, 2012