Smoke, Fire & Summer

We endure nine months of rain just to earn these magical sixty-degree evenings. Grilling isn't just about feeding people—it's the excuse to slow down, crack a local pinot or cold IPA, and let hickory smoke drift across the patio while the sun dips behind the Cascades.

I started out burning budget hot dogs years ago. Now, dialling in clean robust smoke and nailing a reverse sear is my favorite creative obsession outside the kitchen.

Staples of the Smokehouse

A rotation of time-tested favorites, seasoned with coarse salt, cracked pepper, and whatever fruitwood I pruned from the yard.

Steaks & Slow Ribs

Burgers & Spatchcock

Garden Char & Salmon

Thick-cut bone-in ribeyes kissed with cast iron, and St. Louis style ribs smoked low with applewood until the bark turns mahogany.

Crispy smashed patties on buttered brioche, plus whole chickens flattened and roasted over indirect coals for crispy skin and tender meat.

Blistered local sweet corn, sweet peppers tossed in olive oil, and wild Pacific salmon cooked over aromatic cedar planks.

Scenes from the Back Patio

Real cooks, real fires, zero filters. A few favorite captures from long evenings spent tending coals and feeding hungry people.

I'm writing down my go-to dry rub formulas, timber pairings, and internal temp cheat-sheets for the neighborhood. Leave your email and I'll send them over as each recipe gets perfected.