L U N A T A L K with Eva Moon

A Remembrance

May 10, 2009 on 8:55 am | | In Food, General Musing

Il Capretto D’oro (The Golden Goat) was a tiny, quiet northern Italian restaurant tucked into an unpretentious strip mall in Woodinville. We didn’t go often - perhaps two or three times a year - but it came to be “our” place for a special night out. It wasn’t because of the food, though the food was always excellent. It was because of owner and chef, Jeff Boswell. Jeff and Simina Bus, his lovely and most competent Romanian hostess seemed to run the place entirely on their own. And yet, neither of them ever seemed rushed.

Jeff Boswell was a man who loved wine. The real treat of a meal at the Goat was having Jeff come over and sit down at your table and talk about wine. He would get this happy, dreamy look on his face as he scanned the extensive and exclusively Italian wine list as if each one was an old friend and just seeing the name brought back some sweet memory. He pondered your food order, asked about your tastes, gauged your experience and finally recommended a bottle or two. He never hurried - a steady, quiet, deliberate man who got everything done in good time. He made us want to slow down a bit and appreciate each moment too. And he never once guided us wrong.

This rememberance is belated. Jeff died suddenly and unexpectedly last December. We only found out when we tried to make a reservation yesterday. It took a bit of sleuthing to discover the sad news behind the disconnected phone. My condolences to Jeff’s family, Simina and anyone who perks up at the sound of a cork being pulled from a dark green bottle. I hope the Seattle Times will forgive me the use of their picture. It’s the only one I could find.

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