From Paris to Blaine
Resort chef’s zest for life translates to the kitchen
STORY BY ALEX KILLIAN | PHOTOS BY BAILEY BARNARD
The maze of hallways and corridors through the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Washington, ends at Pierside Kitchen and Packers Oyster Bar, with a sprawling view of Drayton Harbor and British Columbia in the distance. The smell of fresh seafood welcomes guests to the two restaurants. A friendly voice with a distinguished French accent carries out from one of the kitchens.
When Eric A. Truglas was a child, members of his family owned dairy, fish and other shops at a farmers market in his hometown of Paris, exposing him to the world of food at a young age. He grew up and attended the Culinary State School in Paris before he went on to get a degree in hotel and restaurant management. Now 49, Truglas is the culinary director at the Semiahmoo Resort.
In his work, Truglas focuses on the farm-to-table philosophy, showcasing local ingredients and creating dishes inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Truglas has worked in places all over the world, from London to the West Indies, and eventually landed in the United States, where he continues to expand his knowledge and grow as a chef.
When Truglas first came to the United States, he worked at the Meridian Hotel in Boston, where there is an annual clam chowder contest that every hotel and restaurant entered, he says. After coming up short the first year, Truglas and his team did their research, came back and claimed the win the second year. He’s done many versions of chowder, including alligator tail when he worked in Florida. Now, he uses fresh Washington fish for the signature seafood chowder at Packers, a dish he likes to top with Tabasco hot sauce, he says.
Each morning before work, Truglas drops off his two kids, 8-year-old Vinzent and 12-year-old Sophia, at school. Fresh seafood gets delivered to Blaine three days a week, so he often heads to the local dock to make sure everything is in order before making his way to the resort. Once there, it’s time to do a tour of his operation: he heads to Pierside first to check on breakfast, then the banquet kitchen, always greeting his staff to set an optimistic tone for the day. After that he attends multiple meetings and then retreats to his office until it’s time to repeat the process for lunch, and later, dinner.
“Some chefs manage directly from the office and people come to them,” Truglas says. “I like to manage from the operation; being available and walking through is the best way to manage a place.”
Andrew Cross is chef de cuisine at Packers and Pierside, and effectively, Truglas’ right hand man. Both chefs have similar management styles that focus on working closely with their staff, having a laidback mindset and supportive energy all while maintaining a productive atmosphere. Truglas is a demanding boss, but is very understanding and always willing to work alongside his staff, Cross says.
On Valentine’s Day in 2014, one of the dishwashers ended up being a no-show, and Truglas was the first person to jump in and start knocking out the dirty dishes, Cross says. Truglas’ humble attitude is one of the reasons Cross admires him, he says. Plus, Truglas’ heart is undeniably still in the food, even though his job isn’t centered on cooking anymore.
“The higher up you move, the further you get from cooking, and you’re using your nice pen instead of your knife,” he says. “You have to stay close to that because if not, you lose that happiness.”
Traveling is a hobby Truglas has enjoyed all his life that also saves him from getting worn out by his work, which is especially easy to do as a chef, he says. Whenever he needs to take a break from the hustle and bustle of his work, he’ll take some time off to travel.
“You should always travel when you can,” Truglas says. “Traveling will expand your mind. There’s nothing to lose except a few bucks, and it’s not really losing, it’s investing.”
Every year, Truglas makes a trip back to France with Vinzent and Sophia, who spend their summer vacations with their grandma in Southern France. Truglas returns to Blaine after a few days, but rejoins his family at the end of the season to spend a couple of weeks in his home country and reconnect with his roots.
“My mother lives in a small town south of Paris, so it’s very different [from here]. My daughter loves it over there. Every year it’s like she doesn’t want to come back,” Truglas says with a laugh. “I think it’s good for them to be exposed to that culture as well.”
One aspect of Truglas’ job that keeps him close to his passion for food is designing the dishes and menus with Cross. Their first considerations are always what is in season at the time, and once he and Cross have an idea for a dish, what ingredients they can use that are local. The fresh and local philosophy is exemplified in many of the dishes, using fresh fish from Lummi Island and local beer for the fish-and-chips beer batter.
Once the full dish has been conceptualized, they then price the items in the recipe to see how much it will cost to make, so they can figure out a selling price. After the process is completed for each dish and the menu is completed, each item is prepared so the kitchen and wait staff can ask questions and sample the dishes.
Truglas has been working at Semiahmoo for two years, but he still feels like it was just yesterday that he was first arriving in Blaine, which is a good sign, he says.
“You have to be passionate about being in the food business,” Truglas says. “It’s a lifestyle, and if you pace yourself, you’ll stay in it for a long time.”