In this episode of Repertoire, I’m in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, where oyster shells clink and the tide meets the bar, sitting down with Renée Erickson—James Beard Award–winning chef, restaurateur, author, and the creative force behind The Walrus and the Carpenter and her celebrated restaurant group, Sea Creatures.

Renée’s food has always carried a quiet confidence—briny, romantic, and rooted in grace. Her restaurants feel like art installations you can eat inside of, shaped by her painter’s background and eye for beauty in texture, color, and imperfection. We talk about how that foundation in art informs her approach to cooking, design, and storytelling through space and plate alike.

We dive into:

• The creative intersection between visual art and cuisine, and how her degree in painting still guides every concept she builds.
• Learning to see food differently after studying abroad in Rome, and how Italy’s reverence for seasonality reshaped her worldview.
• Building a restaurant empire from a 25-year-old’s leap of faith, without investors, blueprints, or a roadmap.
• The evolution of Seattle’s restaurant culture—its challenges, costs, and resilience amid change.
• Her process for creating dishes that start with vegetables, texture, and mood rather than recipes.
• The delicate balance between entrepreneurship and artistry, and why she still cooks for herself at home after long days in the kitchen.
• What it means to lead with intention, mentor young cooks, and protect creativity in a business that rarely lets you come up for air.

Renée and I explore what it takes to sustain beauty, community, and craft in one of America’s most thoughtful food cities—and why the work of chefs like her must endure.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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