SEATTLE — Arleana's celebrated its opening day this month, after three years of planning and delays due to the pandemic.
It's the sister restaurant to Columbia City's Island Soul, and honors owner Theo Martin's mother.
"It means so much to me because it's my mother's name," he said. "My sisters don't like to hear it but I always like to say I'm the chosen child. I was a foster child and my parents picked me from a (medical) chart. So for me, my mom meant more than anything in the world."
Opening a restaurant in Kirkland also felt meaningful because it's where Martin attended elementary and middle school and first met his adoptive parents. He was moved by his mother's commitment to serving both his family and their community through food.
"After church was over, everyone came to Mom's house to eat, and she had the feed-the-homeless program. So she always was feeding the community and was feeding the church," he said. "Food was the love language in the family, yes it was."
Chef James Gibney, who spent several years living in the Caribbean, designed the menu with Arleana's spirit in mind. It features French-Caribbean soul food using fresh ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.
"I've got two little dogs and I'm like a dog - I just want to please people and make people happy. And that's what I love about cooking," Gibney said. "My biggest kick is people's faces after they eat out food."
The menu includes a Pacific Northwest tartare dish with steelhead trout, a Caribbean curry with mussels, and short rib with polenta.
On Sundays, they feature a brunch menu with jerk pork with plantains, French toast with jerk bacon, grits with prawns, and Bloody Mary Washington oysters.
For dessert, check out their croissant beignets - a twist on the traditional beignet made with croissant dough and served warm and fresh out of the kitchen.
"I've only worked here for a short time but I already feel like I'm part of the Martin family," Gibney said.
Martin hopes the atmosphere and menu make his customers feel like they're part of the family, too.
"It's my mom's home, it's my mom's kitchen, it's my mom's restaurant, and my mom invites them every day," he said.
Arleana's is open for dinner Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays for brunch and lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They are located at 312 Central Way #103 Kirkland, WA 98033.
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