About Us
Why "Plants Forever"?
We believe small day-to-day choices can have a dramatic impact on the world around us- by choosing a vegan lifestyle you not only advocate for ethical treatment of animals, but also create fundamental changes necessary to our food systems, & explore a path of lesser resistance for our continued survival on this planet. We choose to share this belief by making great-tasting, vegetable-focused food to share with our community in hopes to not just sustain our guests, but also to challenge, encourage, & inspire!
We call this ethos- plants forever.
Rocky Hunter
1. Why the name gladys?:
Gladys was my grandmother's name, the idea was to invoke the spirit of "grandma-style hospitality" with the name before you even got through the door
2. Describe Your Home Kitchen:
I would call it small, but clean & efficient
3. Favorite knife in your collection:
Middleton Made 10" Gyuto
4. First Job:
I bussed & cleaned the dining room at a retirement home when I was 15
5. Your Favorite Cookbook:
If pressed to pick just one; To the Bone by chef Paul Liebrant if allowed a second, Happy in the Kitchen by Micheal Richard
6. Your Favorite Herb to Cook With:
Tarragon or dill, both are lesser represented in the herb game but often lead to interesting flavors in applications you wouldn't normally find them
7. Your Cooking Inspiration:
Nature, interacting, & sharing experiences with others
8. Your Speciality Dish:
Still figured this out...
9. Favorite Dish To Eat:
Anything spicy, fresh, with texture & personality
10. Weirdest Thing You Ever Ate:
Lavender & szechuan fermented tofu
11. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Cashew snickerdoodle
12. Favorite Drink:
Hot bhatki chai w/ oat milk (60/40 ratio)
13. First food that made you love cooking:
Ironically, a Philly cheese steak
14. Who Would You Most Like To Cook For:
Anyone who appreciates the hard work & forethought that goes into a great meal, who is open to trusting the chef through several courses of food & doesn’t treat the affair with too much pomp & circumstance
15. Who Would You Least Like To Cook For:
Diners who've made up their mind about vegetable fare before the meal has even begun.
16. Favorite Things To Do When Not Cooking:
Reading cookbooks, being on my bike or skateboard, being outside, gardening, hanging with my partner & family
17. Your Latest Project:
Working through the summer harvest of my gardens at home, putting four walls around gladys
18. Favorite City and Why:
Seattle has always treated me well, broody weather, beautiful scenery, & tons of amazing food & farm produce
19. Your Greatest Indulgence:
Many, many.... many seitan wings, tater tots, vegan ranch, & barq's root beer to wash them down
20. Your All Time Best Culinary Tip:
Work clean. If you can approach every facet of cooking with the aim of working as cleanly as possible, you will build the foundation that all great cookery is built on.
Dave Grant
1. What was your grandmother’s name & nick-name?
Mary Kathleen, but everyone called her Moo!
2. Describe your home kitchen:
Fairly spacious but with a lack of space haha. I do have a pretty nice area set up for prep though!
3. Favorite knife in your collection:
My Kato AS Nashiji Gyuto
4. First Job:
I was a 17 year old Subway sandwich artist with a foot high mohawk: a memoir
5. Your Favorite Cookbook:
I have a lot of current ones that I love, but “Vegan With a Vengeance” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz will always hold a special place in my heart
6. Your Awards:
Best hand mixer of meatloaf awarded by my grandmother (Moo Moo) when I was 7. Oh, also 2nd best vegan restaurant in the country from Trip Advisor, & a few Westword awards for best vegan/vegetarian restaurant, & veggie burger all while I was either chef de cuisine or culinary director for City, O’ City & Watercourse Foods, but these were all made possible with an amazing team
7. Your Cooking Inspiration:
I would say my greatest inspiration is my desire to always be better than yesterday. This transcends not only into my cooking, but my own life. Learn from your mistakes, step up, & be better than you were yesterday.
8. Your Speciality Dish:
“Chicken & waffles” bourbon brined fried cauliflower “chicken”, savory waffle, chive creme fraiche, bourbon maple syrup, carrot bacon. Forever a staple on the City, O’ City menu.
9. Favorite Dish To Eat:
The vegetarian platter from the Ethiopian Restaurant.
10. Weirdest Thing You Ever Ate: savory black garlic cheesecake
11. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
cookie dough!
12. Favorite Drink:
Black coffee (iced or hot), or sparkling water
13. Favorite Wine:
Sparkling water please!
14. Who Would You Most Like To Cook For:
Adventurous eaters & anyone who appreciates the art of cooking.
15. Who Would You Least Like To Cook For:
Anyone who says they don't eat vegetables. LAME.
16. Favorite Things To Do When Not Cooking:
Playing in a death metal band! “ough!”
17. Your Latest Project:
GLADYS 2021!!!!!!!
18. Favorite City and Why:
US: Seattle or Oakland/SF mainly for the food, ocean, nature, friends
Europe: Copenhagen or Prague for the food, music, friends and beautiful architecture!
19. Your Greatest Indulgence:
Cheesecake
20. Your All Time Best Culinary Tip:
Work clean, make lists & stay organized. Also taste, taste, & keep tasting!
The do's & don'ts of gladys
Do always be on time, 15 minute arrival before scheduled clock-in is on time.
Don’t ever pass off ownership of mistakes, take responsibility & find solutions.
Do always label all prep work with item name, date, & initials.
Do always initial prep tasks you’re taking on when working from a common preplist.
Don’t ever allow your bench to be cluttered with mise.
Do always gather all needed ingredients before starting a task, clean as you go.
Do always cut the tape, using a little as possible to write a legible, concise, label.
Don’t ever tear tape, make sloppy labels, or leave labels on prep going to the dish pit.
Do always grab items to put away when leaving the dish pit, don’t leave empty handed.
Don’t ever skimp on portions due to low stock, 86 if necessary, but we never skimp.
Do always sweep, wipe, clean, & sanitize throughout the workday.
Don’t ever leave drinks or food haphazardly around your workspace.
Don’t ever remove trash can liners w/o replacing them immediately with a new one.
Do always mind surface contact & change cutting boards when working with allergens.
Do always work service in a clean apron, shirt, & pants- you cook the way you look.
Do always remember the kitchen is open; watch your mouth & mind your presence.
Don’t ever assume the gender pronouns of guests, co-workers, or purveyors.
Do always cook & prep efficiently & manage your work day with a sense of urgency.
Don’t ever coast & allow others to pick up the slack when you have upcoming days off.
Do always finish your workday strong, complete all hanging tasks & plan for tomorrow.
Don’t ever call them rags; rags are soiled & dirty. In a clean kitchen, they are towels.
Do always mind how many towels you are using in a shift- generally, 5 are enough.
Do always date & initial the source when copying down written recipes from a cook.
Do always recycle; foil, plastic containers, & boxes
Don’t ever try to recycle any waxed produce boxes- they’re trash.
Do always take a break, eat healthy food, drink lots of water, go outside, & stretch.
Do always taste your food, often; also have others taste your food, esp the chef.
Don’t ever use disposable tasting spoons, get a set that can be washed & re-used.
Do always wrap the cords on appliances & put them back where you found them.
Don’t ever leave the variable speed dial on the vitamix on, always zero it out after using.
Don’t ever lie, slack, steal or do other things that one generally wouldn’t be proud of.
Do always work hard, push the standard, & be proud of our team’s accomplishments.
DO ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST.