Solstice Restaurant Group Welcomes New General Managers

Solstice Restaurant Group Welcomes New General Managers

Shawn Lee to Oversee Both 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar; Ellie Chin to Helm STIR / Martini + Raw Bar

BELLEVUE, Wash.—(October 6, 2009)—Solstice Restaurant Group announces that Shawn Lee and Ellie Chin have been hired as general managers at 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar and STIR / Martini + Raw Bar, respectively. Each offering remarkable industry expertise, Lee and Chin will be responsible for staff training, human resources, and overseeing daily operations at the Bellevue Place properties.

Shawn Lee brings more than 20 years of experience to 0/8 & Twisted Cork. A Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management led to positions as a banquet manager, a multi-unit restaurant manager, and General Manager and Director of Operations for a local restaurant group. While a food and beverage director for Sheraton and Hilton Hotels, he was named Manager of the Year multiple times. Lee has also owned a sushi distribution company and a full-service catering company.

Despite his breadth of experience, Lee’s philosophy remains simple and eloquent: “Food is a universal language, and it’s what bonds people together.”

The vivacious Ellie Chin is a household name on the local restaurant scene. Best known as a restaurateur, having launched Ovio Bistro and O2 in West Seattle and Market Street Bistro in Ballard, Chin began her gastronomic career at Canlis and also worked in some of Seattle’s most respected restaurants, including El Gaucho and Wild Ginger. Interest in catering and banquet services led her to management positions at Woodland Park Zoo, the Westin Hotel, and the Washington State Convention Center, presiding over events with staffs of 200 and guest lists numbering in the thousands.

“We are thrilled to have found two people with the depth of restaurant expertise and breadth of management experience that both Shawn and Ellie have. We are proud to welcome such qualified General Managers into our Solstice Restaurant Group family,” owner Matt Bomberger said.

0/8 Seafood Grill—and its spirited lounge, Twisted Cork Wine Bar—is located in Bellevue Place just off of N.E. Eighth and Bellevue Way. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, 0/8’s menu features local, Northwest products and flavors in unique, Asian-accented, seafood-focused dishes. The extensive wine program received the “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator (2007, 2008, 2009) and the “Award of Ultimate Distinction” from Wine Enthusiast (2008). The nearly 400-label wine list offers 87 wines by-the-taste or glass, including 22 champagne and sparkling selections.

0/8 Seafood Grill and Twisted Cork Wine Bar are open Sunday through Tuesday 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. More information and menus at www.08seafoodgrill.com. For reservations, call (425) 637-0808.

Opened August 2009, STIR Martini + Raw Bar focuses on precise mixology paired with simple and contemporary raw preparations of poke, sushi, ceviche, tartare and oysters and an all-day menu of NW and Asian influenced seafood. The restaurant offers an intimate, indoor urban lodge-feel with modern elements. Open daily from 11a.m. to 1 a.m., STIR is located at 10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 125 Bellevue, Wash. in the Bellevue Place Wintergarden, just off the grand staircase of the Bellevue Hyatt. More information and menus at www.stirmartinibar.com. For reservations, call (425) 646-7847. Follow us on Twitter @StirBellevue.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757