Bake's Place
"....it's hard to go wrong" Article written by Arny Bailey Back to Cover
Jazz and Blues clubs, ___________
almost by definition, are located in some out of the way warehouse basement accessed along a dark alley lined with spent bottles and the faint sounds of sirens echoing off the adjacent brick buildings. In this case, Bake's Place may only be considered ‘out of the way’ if you’re not an East-sider.
Located in the foothills of Issaquah, Washington in the quiet residential community of Providence Point, Bakes Place comes off more like someone’s living room than the back street Jazz or Blues club that defined the stereotype….and that’s just what _____
owners Craig and Laura Baker were shooting for.
With top named Jazz acts, a fare rivaling the most swanky 5 star restaurant, an extensive array of quality wines and a very comfortable décor, it’s hard to go wrong.
I first had the opportunity of dining and listening a couple years ago with my wife, Jackie (mentioning her name here for points only since I only have the one wife). We arrived and were immediately treated more like family than customers. It took me a little by surprise as a nice young lady took our coats and didn’t give us a claim check number. I remember ___
The musicians love the living room feel.
thinking, “How will they know which coat is mine at the end of the evening? I sure hope she works here. Oh well, that’s an old coat anyway and there’s really nothing in there to be concerned about.” My wife and I were then escorted to table and visited with for a short time. Craig later came up and chatted with us for awhile like an old friend. Finding out this was our first visit, he let us know how the rest of the evening would go, and went on his way to visit with the other guests. This was definitely not like our usual Friday night restaurant excursion. It was more like being invited over to a friends’ home for a dinner party and entertainment….sans the Amway presentation of course.
I must admit, the personal attention and “living room” feel did take a little getting used to. However, once we settled in for the evening, the relaxed environment really helped us to feel at home and it was obvious it had the same effect on the musicians. It was as if they were playing to a room full of friends with lots of interaction and stories along the way.
Voted by Downbeat Magazine as one of the top 100 Jazz Clubs in the Nation Bake's Place’s humble beginnings can be traced back to the 3,000 S.F. basement of Craig’s Bed and Breakfast near Fall City, Washington. Here, he met wife to be, Laura, as a caterer for his weekend events. As the response to his dinner shows grew, so did the annoyance of a neighbor and he was quickly on the hunt for a more acceptable location.
Recently celebrating 5 years in Providence Pointe, they just completed a remodel removing the center fireplace, which was definitely an improvement. In addition to adding 14 more seats, it opened everything up and put the stage at the end of the space instead of at the side. There’s really not a bad seat in the house and with only 72 seats, you’ll definitely feel a part of the performance.
“The primary focus is the music,” says Craig. “Although we offer exquisite cuisine and wine, they are secondary to the music. We want you to shut down and open your soul to music.”
Bake's Place serves 3 separate functions and income sources. First and foremost are the weekend jazz dinner shows where patrons can pre-select from 5 items on the menu through the web site. Meals are prepared by Executive Chef Louis Bontempo who’s artful preparations are the perfect compliment to Bake's Place ambience. Second, they cater to private events such as wedding receptions, private and corporate parties. Lastly, they cater to community events which include light breakfasts (pastries and coffee), Friday lunch chef special and every Wednesday dinner special. Although these are primarily focused on the Providence Point community (1,500 residents), they are open to the public.
The sound system is state of the art and includes Mackie mains and mixer and an array of quality rack effect units. On stage is a Yamaha 6’ grand piano that is tuned weekly, high quality mics, monitors and stage lighting.
“I have a rotation of Seattle musicians but all other musical acts contact me __
directly,“ says Craig. “Currently we are running “The Songbird Series, where we take nationally recognized female vocalists and pair them with local musicians .”
With seating for 72, you'll feel a part of the
performance.
Acts are comprised of the who’s who in Jazz both locally and nationally. If you’re like me and don’t know who’s who, then just go to their web site and pick out a date that works as all the acts will be great. If you’re still too nervous, just call Craig or Laura and let them make a recommendation based on your individual tastes. Personally, I just picked a random date that worked for me and I wasn’t disappointed. Regardless of when you go or who you see, be prepared to make at least two new friends in Craig and Laura.
Arny Bailey
MEET THE WRITER - ARNY BAILEY
President of In Form, Inc. Media Design and Chief Editor of Weekend Musician is a licensed architect practicing in the Pacific Northwest and weekend musician currently fronting ABOUT FACE, a classic rock cover band and The Grand Delusion a Tribute to the music of Styx and Journey.
