- Inside John's Grill
By The Bar
John's Grill : A Labor of Love
As Chef and owner of John's Grill, Mukilteo's finest steak and seafood restaurant, John Alden began working in restaurants in Marin County, California as a teenager. Following high school, John went on to earn his Hotel Restaurant Management degree and worked in many fine dining establishments in downtown San Francisco.
In the summer of 1989, John and his wife, Lisa, moved to Mukilteo to start a family. John was hired as Executive Sous Chef and opened Daniel's Broiler in Bellevue. John completed his tenure with Schwartz Brothers Restaurants at Daniel's Broiler, Leschi before leaving to do outside sales in the service industry.
After twelve years in sales, Alden knew it was time to fulfill his long time dream and open his own restaurant where he could share his love and passion for food with the Mukilteo and Everett Communities. As a 19-year resident of Mukilteo, John knew his hometown needed an upscale, classic steak and seafood restaurant.
On Labor Day 2005, John and Lisa, opened John's Grill on the corner of Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue in Mukilteo's Old Town. New York Steak heads the dinner menu with Cajun-spiced grilled prawns in a lemon beurre blanc sauce not too far below. But the menu doesn't stop there. It also offers pan-roasted garlic chicken and pork tenderloin medallion sauteed in vermouth, elephant garlic, capers and artichoke hearts a few selections down. John makes all his own stocks and salad dressings from scratch which, combined with his natural talent for cooking, makes his food so flavorful and satisfying.
By the way, the menu also gives diners a chance to ask for substitutions, special requests and the opportunity to split a main dish for $4.50. The wine list, like the menu, is an unpretentious offering with selections from California, Oregon and Washington with a bottle or two from Italy, Chile, New Zealand and France. The average bottle costs around $26. There's also a Full Bar and imported and domestic beer.
When you come to dine at John's Grill you will see John cooking up his delicious fare in the kitchen, Lisa tending bar and their two teenagers, Nina hostessing and Logan helping in the front and the back of the house. The interior is modern, comfy, sleek and very warm and inviting. Lisa's uncle, Val Lewton, painted all the large narrative oil paintings featured in the bar and dining room which give John's Grill's customer's an almost art gallery-like experience along with their memorable dinner.
