The Chef’s Table – John Lastoskie of Graze

The story of John and Rebecca “Becca” Lastoskie’s pilgrimage to Walla Walla reads more like the concept of a new reality television show than the tale of a young couple relocating to the picturesque Valley.

After selling their Sacramento home and putting all their belongings in storage, the two packed their infant son, Sam, and an “antisocial” shelter dog, into a Volkswagen van and hit the road for nearly two months. The challenge: Find a new place to call home.

After checking out Northwest towns from Billings to Bellingham – with plenty of “quality time” to debrief each other and debate each locale – Walla Walla was chosen as their final resting stop.

John, a former teacher, and Becca, a hair stylist, parked their temporary “home on wheels” and began unpacking their new life. Pursuing his lifelong dream of working with food, John launched Graze Catering in September 2006. Since that fateful autumn, Graze has catered nearly 350 events, serving more than 24,000 guests.

Ready for more adventure, John added a second arm to his catering business in November, opening GRAZE: ‘a place to eat.’ More than a sandwich shop but less fussy than a café, the compact Colville Street eatery serves reasonably priced sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch and dinner. Wine and beer are available at prices John calls “downright silly” (beers under $2.50, wines less than $6 a glass).

LIFESTYLES: You haven’t been open long, but I’m not getting that hectic “new business” vibe.

CHEF JOHN: Well, we’ve had some practice. Part of the idea for this came from doing the Walla Walla Farmers Market. We wanted to get our name out there so we started selling our panini sandwiches at the market. We went from selling 50 the first week to about 120 a month later. People really liked them and kept coming back for more.

LIFESTYLES: What’s your food background?

CHEF JOHN: I always cooked in college, mainly just because I was poor. Then I started cooking in a large student cafeteria, a brewpub and eventually at a great restaurant in Sacramento where I met Becca. It was a lot of fun. We didn’t go to movies, we didn’t go to plays or art shows – we went out to eat.

LIFESTYLES: But eventually you started teaching, right?

CHEF JOHN: I taught junior high and high school science for eight years. But I had my summers off, so I’d spend one summer working for the best catering company in Sacramento; another summer interning as a chef at the best restaurant. I mean, sometimes I was just picking parsley, but I was learning a lot.

LIFESTYLES: How do you describe your cooking style?

CHEF JOHN: It’s just real food. We use as much local stuff as we can and try to cook as in-season as we can. Everything should be wholesome and look honest on the plate.

LIFESTYLES: What is your favorite ingredient?

CHEF JOHN: Time.

LIFESTYLES: Like, the herb or the thing we all wish we had more of?

CHEF JOHN: Actual time (tapping on his watch). When we do turkey, we brine it for 24 hours. When we do prime rib, we salt and tie it for three days. Everything we do has days in front of it, whereas a lot of people just pull something out of the fridge and throw it on the grill. Our pastrami takes, on average, about 22 days.

LIFESTYLES: Wow. So what do you do for fun (when you’re not brining)?

CHEF JOHN: Well, I have two kids now, so … I try to do as little as possible on a day off. Let me rephrase that: If a day off ever comes up, I will try and do as little as possible.

LIFESTYLES: Favorite part of the day?

CHEF JOHN: The second we drive away from the kitchen to cater an event. It’s actually the calmest time. The only thing to do is drive there, and if you’ve forgotten something you know you’re just going to have to figure it out later. I’m so peaceful and calm the second we shut the barn door and head to the event.

LIFESTYLES: Like the quiet before the storm?

CHEF JOHN: More like the eye of the hurricane (laughs).

LIFESTYLES: Are you enjoying this addition to your business?

CHEF JOHN: Definitely. I mean, it’s an education, but somehow this is what we always thought we’d be doing.

LIFESTYLES: Living the dream?

CHEF JOHN: Living the dream! Sometimes I’m washing dishes at four in the morning, but I’m definitely living the dream.