Ouzel Kitchen centers food, community and connection

LEAVENWORTH — For Paul Sozio, who recently opened Leavenworth’s newest restaurant Ouzel Kitchen, some of the best connections are made over a shared meal.

“Food is the great equalizer. We all have to eat,” said Sozio. “And stories, in my family, are either told over a meal or happened over a meal. Food brings us together.”

That ethos is at the heart of Ouzel Kitchen, which opened Sept. 12. The restaurant sits in the same building as beargrass, Leavenworth’s new climbing gym.

Ouzel Kitchen’s menu is globally influenced and locally crafted. It draws inspiration from Latin America, the Mediterranean and the Levant, while putting emphasis on locally grown ingredients. The menu is intentionally broad, said Sozio, giving the kitchen room to experiment and change with the seasons.

“We're always going to serve food that we're proud of, but we're also going to do things our way a little bit, and with a lot of intentionality behind each menu item,” said Sozio.

Ouzel Kitchen is located on the east end of town at 122 Zelt Strasse, away from the bustling downtown core. Sozio hopes that the quieter location will serve as a frequent gathering spot for locals, balancing quality food and drinks at a reasonable price point.

“I want it to be something where anyone can come in and they're not breaking the bank to go eat out,” said Sozio, noting Ouzel’s $6 craft draft beer.

For Sozio, Ouzel Kitchen is not only designed for the local community, but also shaped by it. Sozio began his culinary journey just two years ago, after walking away from a dissatisfying career in the corporate world.

“I took a step back to see what was missing,” said Sozio. “Everything came back to people and connections…Everything about people and connection comes back to food.”

He started as a chef in training for Mana Restaurant in Leavenworth, which specializes in multi-course culinary experiences, and later for Lucas Szmania, owner of Szmania’s Catering and Archive Bistro in Wenatchee. His intention, he said, was to learn as much as he could, as quickly as he could.

“Instead of going to culinary school for a couple years, I learned on the job under some of the best talent in the valley, and I'm really grateful to all of those people,” said Sozio.

Last summer, Sozio tested the waters with his own business venture, Refugio, where he sold empanadas at the Leavenworth Farmers Market. His success at the market laid the foundation for Ouzel Kitchen, where the empanadas remain a specialty.

“Those are really a labor of love. You can stand out those windows and watch us roll the dough and fill them and hand fold them,” said Sozio. “That's something that will always be sentimental to me.”

Though Ouzel is a casual, counter-service restaurant, elements of Sozio’s fine dining background still shine through. Ingredients are sourced locally where available, such as a variety of peppers from Mystic Acres Farm. Beyond the menu, hospitality is a main tenet of the restaurant’s priorities.

“That's an aspiration. I would say, is to have some of the best hospitality despite being a counter service,” said Sozio.

The restaurant's name is a nod to the American dipper, or ouzel (pronounced OO-zuhl). The ouzel is North America’s only aquatic songbird, making its home along swift-moving streams in the Pacific Northwest. Sozio said he sees the bird as a reflection of the restaurant's personality: quirky, independent, and unafraid to do its own thing.

“We take our food and beverage really seriously. We don't take ourselves too seriously,” said Sozio.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media