SEQUIM — Cedar Creek, a Sequim restaurant known for its upscale Italian cuisine, is going out with a stomp today, as its chefs turn their attentions to a slightly younger operation.

Cedar Creek opened its doors three years ago at 665 N. Fifth Ave., with chef Doug Seaver, formerly of Fins in Port Townsend, at the helm.

Last year, its baker, Roger Stukey, planted in Cedar Creek’s kitchen the seeds of the Bell Street Bakery, an offshoot business.

In February, the bread and pasta factory opened at 173 W. Bell St., selling focaccia, ciabatta, Sequim sourdough, cinnamon rolls, baguettes and other goods, many made with locally grown grain.

Seaver said he, Stukey and their business partners Emily Mills and Claudia Cardinale decided it was time to redirect their energies by shuttering Cedar Creek and building up the bakery.

He added that there are “a lot of personal reasons” for the decision. The recession has also hurt Cedar Creek, whose prices are on the upper end of the spectrum in Sequim.

Bakeries flourishing

Across the country, however, bakeries have weathered the economic meltdown relatively well.

In addition to Bell Street, two other locally owned bakeries, The Sauer Kraut and Pane D’Amore, opened to vigorous demand in Sequim this spring.

Seaver said he had to lay off “about a dozen” Cedar Creek employees, but several have found work in other local restaurants.

One of the waiters, Jason Thompson, is a one-man illustration of the north Peninsula’s economy: he’s a construction worker who watched jobs in that industry dry up; the fine dining establishment where he’s been working is about to close — but he still has a part-time job he enjoys: pasta maker at Bell Street Bakery.

He also sells Bell Street-made breads, croissants and muffins at farmers markets across Clallam County.

Thompson said he didn’t feel Cedar Creek was doing badly.

“It was just a matter of the owners wanting to focus on what’s going on here,” at the bakery where he makes ravioli, angel hair, tagliatelle and other organic pastas.

More items at bakery

Seaver added that Bell Street’s offerings will soon include sandwiches, soups and “more savory and sweet items,” made with ingredients from local sources.

Thompson, as he hung angel hair up to dry on Thursday afternoon, planned next to make wheat-bran pasta with grain from Nash’s Organic Produce in Dungeness.

“We’re going to clear out Nash’s [wheat] field,” Thompson said.

“We have goals and visions for the bakery,” Seaver added. “We’re going to expand the menu and be more aggressive with commercial accounts.”

Last public event

At Cedar Creek today, lunch and dinner will be served, and “our last public event will be the grape stomp,” at Olympic Cellars, Seaver said.

The stomp is part of the first Sons of Italy Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Olympic Cellars, 255410 U.S. Highway 101, just east of Port Angeles.

Seaver’s homemade meatballs, Caesar salad and tiramisu will be available for purchase while festival-goers learn and play bocce ball, partake in an oyster-shucking contest and trample barrels of red-wine grapes.

Seaver expressed gratitude to Cedar Creek’s patrons for their loyalty over the past three years.

“Everyone has been unfailingly generous in their support and encouragement,” he and his partners wrote in a statement.

They also thanked Paul Thompson, the owner of the building, “who aside from being a great landlord has always been our best patron.”

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Sequim-Dungeness Valley reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladaily news.com.