Chef and owner Nathan Ryan has a dream to put Kitsap on the culinary map with his vision at his Silverdale restaurant, FAFO Kitchen. Since September 2024, he has been offering a Saturday Date Night “prix fixe” menu that features a tomahawk steak that he helps the diners carve at their table. It’s a night so popular that the restaurant is booked out 90 days. But Ryan’s sights are set much higher than dinner one night a week.
The first question is the obvious one, “FAFO” — does it mean what an urban language dictionary says it does?
Yeah! Friends said, “Why would you name your restaurant that?” Because I can; this is 100% my cooking, my attitude.
Chef and owner, that’s a tough role.
If I wasn’t the owner and I messed something up, I probably wouldn’t think twice about throwing it away. But now that it’s me doing all the bills, I’m like, “You can’t afford to throw it out!” With just four tables and two seatings, what makes it really tough is if we have a cancellation — that’s a quarter of our revenue for that seating gone, and I have an extra steak and scallops. (Chef sources his meat and seafood from highly respected Minder Meats in Bremerton)
Your space seats 10?
Yes, but we’ve done three corporate events for up to 20.
What brought you here to FAFO while you’re still working at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard?
I want to work with other chefs to put Kitsap on the culinary map. To show locals that they don’t have to spend their fine-dining money in Seattle. You can spend it right here in Kitsap, without the issues of time, traffic and parking.
You’ve been open since September, but just Saturdays?
Yes and no. Saturday Date Night offers a set menu of fresh vegetables, scallops, caviar and a 3.5-pound tomahawk steak that I help guests carve. And I teach them how to burn their crème brûlée. I love interacting with our guests, and they enjoy it. They post photos with me on their social media. It’s really quite unique.
Saturdays are booked for a solid 90 days. So since last month, we started doing pop-ups on Friday night because after 8 p.m. there’s nothing around here but bar food — fried mozzarella sticks and a PBR. We want to maintain that presence of being higher end but at the same time offer small plates of absolutely delicious food and high-end cocktails.
We’ve done smaller dish wagyu and caviar tastings on Friday that pair with my own brand of bubbles. Sunday nights, I would like to do a Mediterranean month or Italian month that’ll be seasonal. I believe that I found a niche with the Saturday Date Night, but I’m only going to see the same customers once or twice a year with that. I need to see them more often, for more than big steaks.
When do you anticipate adding these services?
We hope to be open every Friday night for “small plates” stating in March.
Where did your interest in food start?
It started at age 19 when I joined the Navy and began traveling all over the world. I really loved the eating and drinking aspect. That’s why I have Anthony Bourdain on the wall here (an art piece of Bourdain hangs in FAFO); we are a lot alike. My friends and I would go out and get lost and hang out with locals because they’ll show you where to find the best food spots.
You work at the shipyard 40 hours, you’re here Saturday night and you do special events; what do you do with your free time?
Ha! I am finishing my degree in restaurant hospitality and management. And once a week, I try to carve out enough time to watch football with a beer. I was going to offer brunch, but sometimes we don’t get out of here until 1 a.m. and for me to do a brunch, I’d need to be back here by 6 or 7 a.m. to start prepping.
What does your mother say about where you are?
She is beside herself! She’s so excited that I took this path. When I was growing up, she tried to get me into this, but I just wanted to eat and didn’t really care about the process. So, 40 years later, I found it.
Funny story about my mom. She makes this amazing pumpkin pie, and I couldn’t figure for years how to make it so good. So, one day we were talking about it, and she finally gave up the recipe. She said, “It’s the one on the canned pumpkin label.”
Who cooks at home?
It hasn’t been very frequent for me because when I want to try something new, I have to cook it here on the commercial-grade equipment. I can’t replicate the process at home. For example, I struggled for two months with focaccia bread. I couldn’t get it to rise because there’s hot and cold spots around the restaurant. You have to figure out those nuances here in the restaurant.
What do you do to relax?
I have nights like this (Chef Nate hosted us to an amazing housemade pappardelle with Bolognese), where I can really focus on dishes that I want to serve. Monday through Friday, it’s the shipyard, it’s school and it’s prepping for Saturday. But doing stuff like this, that’s what really gets me excited. This is a preview of what my next ideas are, like shells stuffed with ricotta and parmesan with a pomodoro sauce. Just small, exciting bites, not too overpowering, just something you get excited about. I want to be remembered for certain dishes.
If you could have a beer with any chef, who would it be?
Anthony Bourdain, of course. Also, Marco Pierre and Aarón Sánchez, to talk birria tacos.
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