Page 109 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2022

pacific octopus, sous vide until tender and plated on a bed of fluffy making conversation while preparing amazing sushi, he admired how
mashed potatoes seasoned with olive oil and smoked paprika. Spain is personable he was, and quick with his hands, while being accurate
famous for seafood, so you might also enjoy Elements’ prawns diablo and precise and with an acute attention to detail. Definitely all the
or the garlic saffron prawns. makings of a really great bartender. So he offered him a job. Having
gone as far as he could in Sushi (without making it his life’s work),
Also on the menu, papas del toro is braised oxtail with fried potatoes, Satre was happy for the change and took to bartending right away,
Rogue Creamery white cheddar, frisée, and white truffle oil. You can loving the craft of true mixology. “I find often the simplest things
add two poached eggs and it’s over the top delicious. The perfectly tend to be the most beautiful and I try to embody that in my work,”
seasoned Spanish Ribs are super tender pork spare ribs served with an (both at the sushi bar and at the cocktail bar) “especially when the
apricot cardamom glaze. They pack a sweet, spicy heat that keeps you ingredients are of high quality.” Elements is a perfect match for him.
going back for the next bite. With Dennett’s high standards, always choosing quality over quantity,
Satre appreciates the opportunity to serve some top shelf spirits that
Nightly specials stay true to Spanish flavors. You might find a half rack you won’t necessarily find at your run of the mill bar or restaurant.
of lamb or a bonito salad, (think Nicoise but made with Spanish tuna
and Spanish olives.) A variety of inventive flatbreads have Spanish top- A huge fan of the classics, Satre loves to stick with the OG recipes.
pings like Serrano ham, mission figs, or lamb sausage. “Made properly they are delicious, especially when you consider that
when cocktails were first created, they didn’t necessarily have the
The quality of ingredients doesn’t stop in the kitchen. The carefully variety of mixers to mask the taste of the alcohol that we have today.”
curated wine list is heavy in Spanish varietals, both local and imported.
Even the drink menu starts off with Elements Sangria, then slides into While chatting about liquors from scotch to tequila, the knowledge-
a list of classic cocktails made with utmost precision and care by head able barkeep regales with stories about the origin of certain drinks.
bartender Blake Satre. The most famous of martinis, the Vesper is made with gin, vodka, and
lillet blanc, with a lemon twist. When stirred in perfect proportion it
Satre came into bartending after almost a decade in the food service is amazing. According to Satre, when James Bond ordered his martini
industry. Working his way through the kitchen, he spent eight years “shaken not stirred,” it was actually meant as a slight. “Having just lost
as a sushi chef, both locally and in Santa Cruz, California. It was in Vesper, the love of his life, a forlorn 007 didn’t care about what he
there another restauranteur saw the potential in Satre. Watching Satre once did. Why even bother having a proper martini when you’ve lost

163 E Main St (541) 708-6963

Ashland, OR 97520 AmistadInfo@icloud.com

fall 2022 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 107