Chef David Nichols and Jonathan Fleming to Open Rider

New restaurant from Executive Chef David Nichols and General Manager Jonathan Fleming will bring the bounty of the sea and the transformative power of wood fire to the heart of downtown. 

Washington native Chef David Nichols and Seattle industry veteran Jonathan Fleming have teamed up to develop, launch and manage Rider, a new full-service restaurant and bar located at the intersection of 7th and Pine Streets in the heart of downtown Seattle. When it opens on November 1, 2017, Rider will celebrate two of the region’s most defining characteristics: the forest and the ocean. Seattle was built on a foundation of logging and fishing and at Rider, under the direction of Nichols and Fleming, the bounty of the sea will meet the transformative power of an open woodfired grill.

Nichols and Fleming will draw on their rich experience at world renowned restaurants, deep relationships in the local community, and heartfelt connection to the region’s soul to create a culinary experience that could only happen in Seattle. A graduate of the University of Washington, Fleming most recently served as general manager for Chef Matt Dillon at Seattle’s Ciudad and Bar Ciudad. He got his start in the industry managing beloved local landmark Ivar’s Acres of Clams before overseeing front of house operations for Chef Michael Mina at RN74 Seattle, Trace at Seattle’s W Hotel, and Dillon’s now shuttered Bar Sajor in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. With encyclopedic knowledge of the Seattle restaurant scene and deep, enduring local connections, Fleming is well positioned to create something remarkable at Rider.

A Washington native, Nichols grew up on his family farm in Cashmere, moved to New York City to attend The French Culinary Institute, and has worked extensively alongside Chef Marc Murphy at Landmarc Tribeca; as sous chef at the New York style fish shack, Ditch Plains; and at Landmarc at the Time Warner Center where he served as Executive Chef of both that 300-seat restaurant and Murphy’s catering company, Benchmarc Events. Nichols was promoted to Executive Chef of the greater Benchmarc restaurant group, a role that saw him managing Murphy’s entire portfolio and serving as opening chef of Kingside restaurant in the Viceroy Hotel, a Benchmarc and Gerber Group joint venture. Nichols was recruited by the Gerber Group to open Irvington in the W Hotel in Union Square and concept Mr. Purple in the indigo Hotel in the Lower East Side. This succession of hits saw Nichols named one of the top 15 Chefs to Watch by Restaurant Hospitality in 2015 but the siren song of Seattle was irresistible that that year he moved to Seattle to take the reins as Executive Chef at Queen Anne Hall. Now, at Rider, he is seizing the chance to leverage his diverse experience and marry it to a passion for local products.

At Rider, guests will savor the freshest seafood straight from the water courtesy of relationships with sustainable local fishermen. Guests of the 3,000 sq. ft. restaurant will also enjoy dry aged meats sourced from farms across the state, artisan cheeses provided by local dairies, and seasonal Pacific Northwest vegetables from local farmers and sustainable foragers. Bountiful seafood towers will bring the Seattle fish market experience right to diners’ tables and Pacific Northwest chowders will abate the Seattle chill. Artful yet approachable starters like crudo, smoked trout fritter, and beef tartare will tempt the palate. Guests can select fish only hours from the sea to be perfectly prepared on a large wood-fired grill.

Rider will be located within the much-anticipated Hotel Theodore. Debuting this fall, Hotel Thedoore will be the latest from Provenance Hotels, a hotel owner and operator with a passion for partnering with talented chefs and restauranteurs. No stranger to facilitating projects by top culinary talent, Provenance Hotels also owns and operates Seattle’s Hotel Max which is home to James Beard Award-winner Jason Wilson’s acclaimed Miller’s Guild. In Oregon, the company partnered with Portland’s Chef Vitaly Paley, another James Beard Award-winner and an Iron Chef America champion, on Imperial at Hotel Lucia, named Best in the West by Sunset magazine in 2016, and Headwaters at the Heathman Hotel. Most recently, Provenance Hotels collaborated with Chef Nina Compton, runner up and fan favorite from BRAVO’s Top Chef: New Orleans to open Compere Lapin at the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery. That restaurant was not only named the best in New Orleans by the hometown Times-Picayune but also earned Compton recognition as one of Food & Wine magazine’s 2017 Best New Chefs.

Located at 619 Pine Street in downtown Seattle, Rider will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with happy hour from 3:00pm – 6:00pm, and late-night specials from 10:00pm – Midnight. Weekend brunch hours are 8:00am – 3:00pm.  

The restaurant, which seats 90, will feature an open kitchen and woodfire grill, a large patio that seats 12, a chef’s counter that seats 10, and private dining options that accommodates intimate groups and up to 60 guests for larger meetings and special events.

www.riderseattle.com @riderseattle

About Hotel Theodore: When it opens in November 2017 in the heart of downtown Seattle’s retail core – just six blocks from Pike Place Market and half a block from the Washington State Convention Center – the 151-room Hotel Theodore will be a refined, upscale urban boutique hotel inspired by Seattle’s long tradition of makers, builders, and doers. Hotel Theodore can be found online at www.hoteltheodore.com.

About Provenance Hotels: Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Portland, Ore., Provenance Hotels specializes in financing, developing and operating award-winning independent hotels with distinct and deeply integrated art stories. The portfolio includes Hotel deLuxe, Hotel Lucia, Sentinel, the Heathman Hotel and Dossier in Portland, Ore., Hotel Max in Seattle, Wash., Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Wash., the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery in New Orleans, LA., and Hotel Preston in Nashville, Tenn. Provenance Hotels will open Hotel Theodore in Seattle in fall 2017 and the Woodlark in Portland in spring 2018. The company can be found online at www.provenancehotels.com

 

Written by Charles Koh

Founded EatSeattle, and has continued to use his expertise as editor-in-chief to guide the website’s growth over the last five years. Koh’s experience focuses on digital marketing and social media, and has been a part of several companies, some of which he created, specializing in both areas over the course of his career. Koh was previously with Google and Zagat where he helped expand and grow communities worldwide.

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