(Press Release)
SPOKANE, WA—The award-winning No-Li Brewhouse that brings you Spokane-Style beers is taking their growth one step further by bringing on board new Executive Chef, Branden Moreau.
Moreau, born and raised in Spokane, comes from a long history of cooking. He went to culinary school at the Western Culinary Institute of Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, OR. During his studies at the Institute, he traveled to Las Vegas for his internship at famed-chef, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon at the Venetian.
Moreau then went on to work as the Sous Chef at Place Pigalle in Seattle, and has since worked at a handful of top local restaurants, including Wild Sage, Twigs, Sante, and as the Executive Chef at the Manito Taphouse.
No-Li brought Moreau on board to revamp their menu and increase customer satisfaction, with a heavy focus on a food and craft beer experience. As the craft beer scene in the greater Spokane area grows, No-Li continues to strive to be a leader, helping to spread the movement and satisfy the customers demand for a memorable dining experience. In addition, Moreau is putting a big focus on building great relationships and local connections with purveyors, guests and staff.
“Building relationships and local connections only broadens the options and capabilities for what my crew and I can accomplish. We’re supporting the local economy, and creating a supportive community for everyone involved in the dining experience – purveyors, staff, guests,” states Moreau.
The new from-scratch menu, coming out in late September, carries on No-Li’s theme of “No Boundaries.” Moreau will put a new spin on familiar dishes, utilize weekly fresh sheets that include suggested beer pairings, and feature “Spokane-Style” dishes that utilize ingredients sourced from the Pacific Northwest.
The new menu will feature eggs, flour and lentils from Washington, as well as freshly baked bread from local artisan bakeries.
Moreau plans to change the menu a handful of times each year, with a few subtle changes in between, and will bring back popular items; the goal being to keep the menu fresh and creative.
“This is the kind of food that I love to put my spin and interpretation on. Not only are the local products inspiring, the beer is as well. I have been experimenting with utilizing beer in several recipes. Using product that is brewed 10 steps from my kitchen… that’s Spokane Style, and that’s what I’m all about,” says Moreau.
Staff will be trained on the new menu, and will have beer suggestions to pair with menu items, creating a more satisfying experience for guests. In addition to the new menu, No-Li now hosts weekly beer events, including live music on Sundays and Wednesdays, Thursday guest tappings, Firkin Fridays (cask beer), and brewery tours on Fridays and Saturdays.
No-Li is hosting it’s first-ever in-house beer dinner on Wednesday, September 25th, to kick-off the new menu, as well as to celebrate Spokane craft beer leading up to the Inland Northwest Craft Beer Festival (9/27-9/28). The four-course menu will feature some of the dishes guests will see on the new menu. Each course is paired with a beer from No-Li, including their Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel-Aged Summer Wheat. See ticket site for the beer dinner menu. Tickets for the beer dinner are $40 each, and include tax and gratuity; they can be purchased at the pub or online at nolibeerdinner.eventbrite.com.
Chef Moreau encourages guests to follow him on Twitter (@ChefMoreau) for updates on what’s happening food-wise atNo-Li.
About No-Li Brewhouse
Formerly known as Northern Lights Brewing Company, the brewery was renamed in April 2012 after co-founder/master brewer, Mark Irvin, and craft beer industry veteran, John Bryant, both with deep roots in Spokane, WA, forged a partnership. In addition to the state of Washington, No-Li is distributed in select states, including Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., with plans to open up Hawaii, Texas and Ohio in late 2013. No-Li currently carries 22oz bottles and draft brands, and will add a 12-oz long-neck bottle 4-pack in November 2013.
Taking the craft beer world by storm in it’s freshman year, No-Li brought home nine international awards for it’s various beers, including a gold medal for Crystal Bitter ESB from the 2012 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.