DERU Market: A Kitchen Romance Breeds Culinary Bliss in Kirkland

TUCKED AWAY in an unassuming warehouse in the Norkirk neighborhood lies , something of a best-kept secret in Kirkland.

No, it is not an Indian spice boutique, nor a Middle Eastern grocery store. “Deru” (pronounced deh-ROO) is a Germanic root word for integrity and DERU Market is an honest-to-goodness artisan deli-type-catering-cafe-ish sort of place. Maybe we should just say it is a first-class restaurant kitchen minus the restaurant.

DERU Market serves take-out lunch and dinners that it defines as local, artisan, organic and hand-crafted. Being out of the downtown area and not along an arterial, it's not yet widely known. But word is getting out; on weekends there can be a line at the door.

The business is owned by chefs Jamie Casady and Jordon Cooper, who met and, yes, fell in love, at the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York.

“It was like boot camp for cooks,” recalls Casady, claiming it was especially tough to be a woman in a school where the male to female ratio was about 90/10.

Cooper has worked in the food industry since he was 13 and always knew it was his passion. Casady discovered her calling through other means. She was doing tsunami relief work in Thailand when she met a woman who had lost every single person in her family. The woman’s sole comfort was cooking breakfast for the camp of survivors.

“So, I started to get up every morning and cook with her,” says Casady, and a career seed was planted.

After graduation, with “chef” titles neatly secured, the couple planned to do some travelling. Casady is originally from the Kirkland area and a stop at home turned into something more when all of the right doors opened. In July 2011, Casady and Cooper opened DERU Market, financed, designed and personally built by them.

Though the name might suggest shelves of goods to peruse with basket in hand, the customer section of the business is not much more than a deli case stocked with tantalizing baked goods like fresh rhubarb scones and gourmet sandwiches. But, a peek through the adjoining door to the kitchen reveals both sights and smells to tempt even the most iron-willed carb-free dieter.

A wood-fired oven glows near the front, ready for an apple and arugula or maybe a rosemary cream, asparagus and prosciutto pizza. The choices will probably be different when you place your order -- the menu changes daily depending on what comes in fresh from DERU’s local purveyors.

“We’ve had customers come back asking for ‘the best sandwich they ever had’ when they came in last Wednesday. And I’m thinking last Wednesday was a whole week ago and I don’t remember what we served,” Casady says with a laugh.

A DAILY MENU takes a bit of getting used to, but judging by the response so far, customers are on board with it. Though I went in with doubts about the location and complete absence of indoor seating, the quiche quickly pushed those thoughts away.

Warm from the oven with a buttery croissant-like crust, the quiche was perfectly baked to faintly quivering status. House-made creme fraiche takes this egg pie to decadent heights, while little bursts of goat cheese give it tang, balancing the sweet chunks of ham. Though I rarely order quiche, I will be going back for more of DERU’s version very soon.

While catering and take-away orders comprise most of DERU Market’s business, the kitchen also offers cooking classes for parties and corporate team-building events. Additionally, the well-equipped space is rented to small producers like Big Spoon Jam, which you might have seen at Kirkland Wednesday Market. No Junk Inc. uses the kitchen to prepare fresh, nutritious lunches for school-aged children.

“Food is more than art,” says Casady in a surprisingly different viewpoint from many chefs. “It’s nutrition and sustainability, too.”

While organically produced food is a natural choice for Casady, Cooper agreed for a different reason. He is dedicated to serving the best tasting food. Both points of view are knitted together in small scale organic farms, explains Casady.

On their days off (“Haha, what are are days off!” Casady asks rolling her eyes), the couple loves to get outdoors. Cooper is an avid backpacker and enjoys the beautiful Northwest mountains, a contrast to his native Michigan landscape. They also like to eat, particularly at chef-owned restaurants like The Walrus and the Carpenter, Spur Gastropub and Revel.

DERU Market is operating a table at this year, offering snacks like root chips and specialty drinks. Casady views the market as a great way to interact with community members and get to know local farmers. Dealing directly with the growers and the customers is an ideal way to build trust.

After all, integrity is at the very root of DERU.

----------

DERU Market is open for take-away orders Wed-Fri, 11 am - 8 pm; Sat, 11 am - 6 pm. They are located at 723 9th Ave., in a warehouse at the end of a residential street. Call 425-298-0268 to place your order, or email at info@derumarket.com.