setsunai noodle bar - lopez island, washington.

i feel like i’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for years now…but this place has such a special, special place in mine and so many others’ hearts! setsunai is a huge bright spot in peoples’ trips to lopez - and as someone who now lives here, i know full well that this place is an institution and incredibly important to the people who live on the island.

when we still lived in seattle and would go visit lopez every now and then, we’d dash from the ferry straight to the noodle bar for that delicious meal we’d been dreaming of since the last time we’d eaten there 😉 . now that we live on lopez full-time (i’m still wrapping my mind around this), i feel lucky to have a window into the amount of thought and care that goes into the food at setsunai.

josh is a true artíst with his cooking & presentation, the vibe & feeling of his restaurant space, and the whole philosophy behind setsunai noodle bar.

every element of each dish has been freshly handcrafted or thoughtfully prepared daily. as far as quality control, no stone is left unturned when josh is at the helm of the whole production. i had the chance to work at the noodle bar for a while when we first moved here, and i can confidently & proudly say that an incredible amount of love goes into the amazing dishes that come out of this humble kitchen. i now work with josh on photography (seen here!) & marketing for social media, etc. you can read more about his story and how the noodle bar came to be on the new website.

from the nourishing broths built from scratch, to house-smoked meats, to handmade ramen and udon noodles, freshly pickled vegetables, perfect jammy eggs, pickled shiitake mushrooms, handmade gyoza with freshly made meat & vegetable mixtures, house-made sauces and oils…i could go on and on with just how special each noodle bowl actually is, go into detail about every tiny element that you see in your bowl, and how much intention went into each bit. it is truly “more than just a bowl of noodles.”

and, to boot, most of the ingredients are sourced as locally as possible - they may come from a farm down the road, another neighboring island or from skagit county, which is a hop, skip and a ferry ride over to the mainland.

when i was working there, i was both stunned and so charmed the first time that i’d witnessed an actual farmer who grew the actual food on their actual land walk right up to the door of the noodle bar, have a lovely conversation with josh while hand delivering an armful of fresh produce, then sit down to enjoy a noodle bowl and a beer. i could cry! ♥️ this was not something i’d observed when living in seattle 😆 . and it is simply…the way it should be! we should know exactly where our food is coming from, know and care about the people who grew or raised it.

the level of self-sufficiency and community support here on lopez is unparalleled. when you exist on an island, everyone has to support and elevate one another to make this little economy go ‘round.

evidently, i could write a whole thesis about how outstanding and extra special this little place is. but i will [try to] let these photos speak for themselves. running a restaurant is NO easy feat (in fact, it looks to be one of the hardest challenges ever, ever), especially on an island, considering all the logistics, limited space, time, resources, and people available to help run the place.

but josh seriously keeps on trucking and wading through all the hard times of the past few years, dreaming up with new flavors & creations along the way. his consistency in studying, practicing, and to strive to honor cuisines from cultures outside of his own is an important component of his work. with the little free-time that this man has (aside from having 5 kids and an amazing partner with 3 kids of her own), he spends it researching authentic methods of japanese cooking, journaling about food, learning to speak & write japanese from a tutor, identifying opportunities to support our local communities around the islands, and much more. this is apparent because he always has something new & interesting up his sleeve to chat about when you pay setsunai a visit. setsunai is such a passion project for him, and it truly shines through with each and every bite of his food.

i speak for so many folks when i say thank youuuuu, josh ratza, for all that you do! it is insane and amazing at the same time, and i am happy & lucky to call you a friend!

qp

brussels sprout, sausage & walnut rigatoni.

this is a fairly simple pasta dish that is bulked up with lots of green goodness by way of the mighty little brussels sprout. a savory sausaugey & cheesy pasta always sounds quite delicious to me, but can also be so so heavy and feel like a total gut bomb!

the brussels sprouts plus the walnuts serve as a sort of soffritto here (which is usually carrot, celery & onion), the base ingredients and flavors of this dish. the brussels bring an earthy, light & bright component while the walnuts add a nice soft crunch in the overall texture.

while the bulk of this dish is green brussels-heavy, they truly melt away and become disguised by the savory sausage. pete and i are (embarrassingly?) big fans of a straight up jimmy dean hot sausage log. it’s so versatile! we use the jimmy log and dress it up in so many ways - pastas, breakfast sandwiches, tacos, potato-ey dishes, etc. it’s just been an all-around easy to utilize pork product in our household. thank ya, jimbo.

the best part of this experience is that the brussels, sausage & walnut crumbles sneak down into the rigatoni tubes for a nice little tasty treasure trove in every bite. this combo would also be great with a different fat noodle like paccheri, or even pappardelle!

Brussels Sprout, Sausage and Walnut Rigatoni

Serves 3-4

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. rigatoni

• 1 lb. brussels sprouts (10-12 medium sized brussels), finely chopped

• 2 cups walnuts, well chopped

• 6 oz. ground sausage (Italian style or breakfast style, etc)

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped

• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated

• juice of half a lemon

• 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese or parmigiano reggiano, plus extra

• crushed red chili flakes

• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions-

Prepare all ingredients by chopping the shallot, garlic, Brussels sprouts, walnuts and grating the parmesan.

In a large skillet or heavy bottomed Dutch oven, cook the sausage on medium heat until browned, using a wooden spoon to break down into small crumbles. Don’t remove any excess oil as it will help to coat the brussels.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dry rigatoni and cook as long as instructed on the package, leaving the noodles slightly al dente. (When the noodles are done, be sure to reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the noodles, or simply use a large slotted spoon to lift the noodles from the water and into the skillet with the cooked brussels, sausage & walnut mixture. You will use the remaining pasta water as needed to make everything saucy.)

While the pasta is cooking, add the chopped shallot and garlic to the sausage skillet, tossing to incorporate. Add the finely chopped Brussels sprouts and season with a generous pinch of salt, tossing and cooking everything until softened, 3-5 minutes.

Squeeze in the juice of half or a whole lemon to deglaze the skillet, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of fond that have stuck to the pan. A couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar or a dry white wine would be another nice option for deglazing the pan if you don’t prefer a lemony flavor.

Add the chopped walnuts, mixing everything to incorporate all ingredients and soften the walnuts, 2-3 minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red chili flake, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, tossing to coat.

Once the pasta is cooked and lifted into the skillet or Dutch oven, alternate between adding a splash of the pasta cooking liquid and a handful of grated parmesan, stirring well between additions to create a saucy emulsion. The rigatoni should be catching the crumbled sausage mixture inside each noodle tube :) Taste for salt and add as desired.

Once the pasta seems well coated, glossy and no longer clinging to itself, serve into a bowl, grating more fresh parmesan cheese over top, freshly ground black pepper and red chili flakes.

Enjoy immediately!

qp