Orbiting Jupiter

There’s a familiar face behind the deli counter at the ROCKET MARKET on the South Hill these days: Chef Shilo Pierce, formerly of Luna, is now making quiches, soups, salads, sandwiches and more in the back of the market. The new JUPITER BISTRO is the final stage of the market’s expansion that began a couple of years ago. Now, in addition to shopping for organic produce, frozen goods and an incredible selection of wines and beers, customers can grab a meal and hang out in the glassed-in café space.

“Everything starts from the shelves,” Pierce says, waving a hand toward the nearby displays of colorful vegetables and fruits. “I’m just playing with it.”

Inside the display case, you’ll find a dazzling array of salads — one with arugula, two bleu cheeses, apples and toasted pecans; another with red cabbage and kale; yet another combining butternut squash with red onions and bowtie pasta. Two or three types of quiche and a variety of panini sandwiches join familiar mainstays like mac-and-cheese and lasagna (all made from scratch).

It’s a challenge coming up with items that will hold well in a deli case, he says, “But I have every ingredient in the store at my disposal.”

And he approaches combining those ingredients with a chef’s eye and palate. For instance, he serves the white cheddar and pesto panini sandwich with a couple of lemon wedges on the side, and they’re not just there for decoration: “Squeeze a little bit of that [lemon juice] on the cut edge,” he says. “That’s the way to have that sandwich.” Indeed, the lemon’s acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds a fresh sparkle that pulls all the flavors together.

After leaving Luna, Pierce left the restaurant world behind; he started his own residential remodeling company. Things were going very well — until jittery homeowners began curtailing their remodeling activities. When a big job fell through this fall, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do next. And that’s when Rocket Market owner Alan Shepherd called.

Pierce has jumped into another side of the food biz as well: Mushroom Resource, a wholesale supplier of wild-gathered Northwest mushrooms. Pierce took over the business this year from Kelly Chadwick, and he sells to the area chefs who used to be his colleagues and competitors.
His life now is far different than that of an executive chef, but Pierce says he’s enjoying the lower-key side of the food business. He walks to work and cooks in the tiny kitchen during the day. Then, when his workday is done, he gets to spend time with his family. Plus he has direct contact with the customers: When you choose your food from the display, chances are good you’ll be talking directly with the chef.

“Walk up to the counter and ring the bell,” he says. “Don’t be shy. I’ll be in back, cooking.”

— ANN M. COLFORD

Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave., is open daily 6 am-11 pm. Visit rocketmarket.com or call 343-2253.