Black Cypress

BY ADRIANA JANOVICH

THE BLACK CYPRESS
215 E. Main St.
(509) 334-5800
theblackcypress.com

We started with the souvlakia, splitting skewers complemented by tangy romaine slaw, tzatziki and pita bread.

We shared the next course, too — a roast half-chicken, skin on, bone in, and plated atop a bed of bread salad with roasted kale, herbed pan jus, and mashed potatoes that had been riced, then puréed for extra creaminess.

And we gushed about how good everything was — from the friendly and knowledgeable bartender to the well-appointed, cozy dining area and, of course, the dishes themselves.

We had been happy to snag two spots at the end of the bar. We didn’t have a reservation. All tables at the downtown Black Cypress were full. It was Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, or ESPN College GameDay, in Pullman. A few seats from my husband, John, and I were two Orange Bowl representatives in their signature, bright and highly recognizable blazers. One remarked how good our chicken looked, and we affirmed it was, indeed, delicious. Soon, he was ordering his own. And, within six months, we were moving to Pullman, about an hour-and-a-half’s drive south from Spokane.

Today, we’re fortunate to live a mile from the Black Cypress. It’s one of our favorite restaurants in the Moscow-Pullman region. For that pork souvlakia and roast chicken — as well as the carbonara with generous chunks of house bacon, perfectly balanced craft cocktails, casually elegant ambiance, and the overall warmth of the intimate eatery.

We’re not the only ones who appreciate the Black Cypress. Arguably Pullman’s finest dining establishment, the restaurant recently received national attention for its outstanding service. It won a nomination for one of the most prestigious honors in the culinary world: the James Beard Foundation award for outstanding hospitality.

The award recognizes a restaurant “that fosters a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff, that serves as a beacon for the community, and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to its broader community,” according to the foundation.

Semifinalists for the 2023 award were announced in January; finalists, in March. While the Black Cypress ultimately didn’t take home the top honor, it was one of five contenders in the entire country, along with Sepia in Chicago; Lula Drake in Columbia, South Carolina; Bottega in Birmingham, Alabama; and the Quarry in Monson, Maine, which won the award in early June.

Staff were caught off guard by the nomination. “It really awed me,” says bartender Hollis Higginson, who’s worked at the Black Cypress for three years. “It was a surprise.”

Co-bar manager Doug Hogan, the restaurant’s longest-serving employee, agrees, adding, “It’s nice to be recognized.”

When he’s not crafting cocktails, Hogan takes care to chat with guests at the bar, especially those who might be dining solo. Whether you visit the Black Cypress alone or as a couple or in a large group, he says, “I want you to be rejuvenated, to be restored. (Hospitality) really is about restoring people when they come in from the day to day, the daily grind.

“Come in,” he encourages, “and be restored.”

To that end, there are no TVs at the Black Cypress, not even in the bar area. Owner Nikiforos “Nick” Pitsilionis wants the atmosphere — dimly lighted, with exposed red brick and waves of burlap hanging from the ceiling — to promote conversation, connection, closeness. That goes for executives at Pullman’s Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and administrators at Washington State University to college students and their friends and professors as well as dignitaries.

Gov. Jay Inslee has dined here. Mike Leach, the late WSU football coach, was a regular. In fact, he recommended the Black Cypress for date night “if you really want to make a good impression.” He praised its “great appetizers.”

Besides the savory souvlakia, look for Cypriot cheese sandwiches with halloumi, mint, and seasonal jam; clams with kale, garlic, house bacon, chile flakes and white wine; and a trio of dips: tzatziki, skordalia and tirokafteri.

The food and the feel are both refined and rustic. When it comes to fine dining in general, Pitsilionis says, “I don’t like the exclusivity of the thing.” His aim is to be approachable and friendly, never elitist.

He’s inspired by the origin of the word “restaurant,” derived from the French “restaurer,” which is rooted in Latin and means “to restore.” He imparts that philosophy to all of his staff — along with a lesson from his heritage.

The Greek word for hospitality, “philoxenia,” translates to “love of strangers.” It’s a key part of his approach to service at the Black Cypress, where he hopes, “the focus is not just on the food but each other.”

Born in Greece, Pitsilionis came to America at a year old and grew up in his parents’ restaurant. They owned a Greek and Italian eatery in Kenai, Alaska. Pitsilionis started working there in seventh grade, spending summers in Greece with extended family.

Later, he worked at the famed French Laundry in California. That experience, as well as Thomas Keller’s “The French Laundry Cookbook,” influenced his philosophy on hospitality and cooking. So did Tom Colicchio’s “Think Like a Chef.”

In 2007, when friends opened Nectar restaurant and lounge in Moscow, Idaho, Pitsilionis went to work for them. He opened the Black Cypress two years later.

He was unable to attend the James Beard Foundation awards ceremony in Chicago in June. His wife gave birth to their third child mid-May. They also have a 2- and 4-year-old. He was needed at home.

But a half-dozen of his approximately 45 employees were able to make the trip. “They had a wonderful time,” Pitsilionis says, noting his crew members posed for photos with the chef and owner of the Quarry, Marilou “Lulu” Ranta, a former maid in her native Philippines known for her hard work. Her win was “heartening,” Pitsilionis says, adding he would “happily lose to (her) every single time.”

Many of his employees are students at WSU or the University of Idaho. Some start with limited or no experience.

“That’s what makes it fun,” Hogan says. “You get to teach them. And they become your friends. Every two or three years, they leave. But what they learn here, they can take with them, and it can serve them anywhere they go. Food is culture, and we’re part of the narrative.”

Black Cypress has been Hogan’s “home base” since 2011. He particularly appreciates its “collaborative” atmosphere. What really makes it special, he says, is “the people. Nicky has always said that we don’t want to pound the individuality out of anyone. We don’t want to be a corporate-responding machine. We want you to have your own quirkiness.”

Daily specials spotlight chefs’ creativity along with seasonal ingredients. But the relatively streamlined menu has largely remained the same since the restaurant opened in 2009. The roast chicken is a favorite.

“I love roast chicken and fried chicken and just appreciate chicken in general,” Pitsilionis says. “A chicken in every pot. ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul.’ Chicken and rice. It’s comforting and happy-making to people all over the world.”

Pitsilionis prefers medium-sized Yukon gold or yellow potatoes to which he adds cold butter and cream — and not much else. For this dish in particular, “Potatoes should taste like potatoes,” he says. “Chicken should taste like chicken.”

While the roast chicken is no longer served atop mashed potatoes, they can be ordered as a side — highly recommended for that aforementioned creaminess.

The carbonara is creamy, too. Made with De Cecco pasta, it features onion confit, garlic confit, a splash of cream and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Rounding out the three top-sellers is the Double R Ranch ribeye with béarnaise butter, a seasonal side and mashed potatoes.

Dishes are Italian- and Greek-inspired. And the kitchen is run in the French brigade-style. But portions are American-sized. That is, big enough for sharing like John and I did on College GameDay and still do on most of our visits.

Look for pomodoro pasta with basil and Parmigiano Reggiano, a grilled pork chop with cabbage slaw and mashed potatoes, grilled lamb chops with tzatziki, grilled portabella with truffled mashed potatoes, and a Caesar salad with romaine, Parmigiano Reggiano, house bacon, croutons and souvlakia.

Plating is practical and unfussy. “I didn’t want to do complicated dishes. I want to do food that transcends the seasons with comfort and whimsy,” says Pitsilionis, who stepped back from the kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You should be able to tell what you’re eating. Ingredients should be identifiable. Dishes should be plated so you can see what’s in them. They say you eat with your eyes first. But we’ll always sacrifice the eye for how (a dish) eats.”

The Black Cypress is busiest on WSU Family, football, commencement and Valentine’s weekends. Reservations are recommended. Since the James Beard nomination, service manager Grace Navarette notes, “We’ve had a lot of people from the west side (of the state) come over.”

Brad Lawrence says he’s “not surprised” by the nomination. He’s been a regular at the restaurant since it opened and places it among “the top three restaurants I’ve visited in my life.” (The other two are Churchill’s Steakhouse in Spokane and an eatery in Italy he visited in 1976. He can’t remember its name.)

Of the Black Cypress, he says, “It’s a real comfortable atmosphere. The food is phenomenal. The service is always spot on.”

Rob McPherson, another Pullman local who’s been coming here since it opened, is a fan of the clams, “anything with the (house) bacon in it,” and the “friendly” feel. “I like (establishments) without TVs so people talk with each other. I think we need to do more of that.

“I also like the layers of the place,” he says — from the hanging plants and string lights to the myriad mirrors on the walls, unpolished floors, chandeliers, Edison bulbs, and shelves full of pantry items.

De Cecco pasta. Quince preserves. Canned dolmas, tomatoes, fava and garbanzo beans, and eggplant. These and other imports are for sale through the restaurant’s “bodega.” Take home a taste of Greece.

But, first, consider dessert and coffee. The Black Cypress serves Chronic from Doma Coffee Roasting Company in Post Falls. Sweets include a brownie with chocolate sauce, ice cream, toasted marshmallow fluff and graham tuile; bread pudding with caramel sauce, pistachios and huckleberry ice cream; and goat cheese panna cotta with a seasonal twist, such as spruce-tip syrup or strawberry sauce.

It’s OK just to come in for a sweet treat or a cocktail. Sit at the bar. Introduce yourself to Higginson or Hogan.

“I like participating in people’s stories, and that’s what Black Cypress is. It’s a story,” Hogan says. “How we tell our stories is super important. That narrative is bigger than the place.”