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If you’ve seen a production at Nordo, chances are you’ve noticed (and maybe even tasted) some of our legendary signature cocktails. Each one carefuly designed with taste, style, and even colors to compliment the food you’re eating and the show you’re watching on stage. But did you know there’s a story behind each one? Jaq has been our Bar Manager and cocktail crafter since 2017 and you might be surprised how much thought goes into every aspect of these delightfully delicious drinks. We’ve asked Jaq to give a little more detail behind the thought process on the 4 cocktails crafted exclusively for Down the Rabbit Hole.

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Jaq, Bar Manager for Nordo

Building a cocktail menu is like any creative endeavor, in that one starts with a thousand possibilities and then distills them down to their most poignant form. Naturally this can be overwhelming, but choosing a structure helps. For this menu, rather than riffing on a theme in the production at large, I gave each character a cocktail based around their unique attributes. In some cases this is aesthetic, a nod to the color palette of their costume. In others, it draws on the actor’s interpretation of their role, be that dry or aggressive or whimsical. Often it overlaps, allowing a rare opportunity to both indulge my theatrical design background and experiment with the minutiae of flavor profiles. In this lies the joy of designing for Café Nordo: no other bar marries the art of cocktailing with Art as we know it like we do here. -Jaq

PARTY CRASHER

A drink for Alice, the uninvited, the unwelcome, but ultimately the life of the party. It began as a spin on the Naked & Famous, a classic mezcal cocktail, but the recent Chartreuse shortage meant reworking it with different ingredients, namely Strega (an Italian digestif that translates to “Witch”), while keeping it the teal color of our Alice’s tulle sleeves.

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Better Than Croquet

To be honest, this started as a joke about rabbit food. I wanted to do a white Negroni with barrel aged gin from the aptly-named Rabbit Hole Distillery, but with celery bitters and a carrot garnish. It was a golden child drink that came together in a couple tries, and then our White Rabbit himself named it. To quote Bo, “the White Rabbit would absolutely think his cocktail is better than the entire sport.”

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Short Sharp Shock

The Queen of Hearts’ drink was inspired in part by the menu at New York’s Amor y Amargo, a cocktail bar that emphasizes sustainability by forgoing any perishable ingredients, hence no citrus juice. To add acidity, I used Bittermen’s Orange Cream Citrate to create a fruity riff on the French 76, with a spicy pepper kick as an homage to our pepper tart appetizer. Bonus: the lemon peel and raspberry garnish looks like a tiny guillotine blade and severed head.

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Folie a Deux

This one is a nod to a drink on our tea-centric menu from the first DTRH run, but adapted (perhaps optimistically) for a summertime palate. Named for a psychiatric term meaning “madness shared by two,” it’s the quintessential Hatter and Hare tea party cocktail. The oyster shell tincture is made in-house with Taylor Shellfish kumamotos as a reference to their Walrus and the Carpenter duet (Carroll’s poem set to original music by our beloved Annastasia Workman).

Down the Rabbit Hole is now playing in Nordo’s Knife Room in Pioneer Square. TICKETS >>

July 30th at Waterfall Park

Dear Friends of Nordo,

Many of you have been our loyal members, some since our inception in 2009. You’ve seen us transform from a devil-may-care upstart in the back of a chocolate factory, to a respected Seattle arts institution with two venues, to a company dedicated to surviving the gravest era theaters have faced in memory. We survived by relying on our creativity and grit…two of the most fundamental characteristics of Nordo.

I would say this year looks very different, but the truth is no two years at Nordo have ever looked the same. What is joyful and unique about Nordo is the perpetual pushing of boundaries. We know things could always be more beautiful, more transporting, more surprising, and we stay in relentless pursuit of wonder.

This year we are dedicated to re-imagining what Nordo can be. Sustainability in all of its meanings is our charge. We are looking to change our model to address the following questions:

1. How do we create a model that includes a sustainable quality of life for artists and staff? Nordo has always prided ourselves on paying better than most arts orgs of our size (and bigger.) However, we can no longer pretend that pay is reasonable in a city with costs rising as quickly as Seattle’s. We must find a way to pay our incredibly talented team enough to stay here, with us, as their needs and families grow.

1. What part can we play in rebuilding our city? How can we anchor Nordo with a year-round sustainable presence of the highest quality experience? For a city with a reputation for arts innovation there is no homegrown permanent immersive experience. Can Nordo be this, only more delicious?

1. How can we better sustain our community? How do we continue to expand our partnerships with local growers and makers to keep shrinking our footprint on the planet, and introduce our audiences to their gifts?

As usual, we’ve got big ideas. I mean really, really big ideas. Seeds are starting to be planted, but they need much more time in the ground before they sprout. This summer we hope you will help us make it rain.

On July 30 we will kick off a month of giving with our Waterfall Dinner, with opportunities to add our signature auction experiences to your ticket. We will also make our big announcements about what the future holds, launching a campaign to raise the first $70,000 towards the future of Nordo. The campaign will run through the end of the summer, with a huge blow-out BBQ on August 27 to celebrate the future. Fancy fundraiser first, boot stomping bash for supporters of all levels later.

-Erin

GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE WATERFALL DINNER & BID ON ITEMS HERE

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Artistic Director Erin Brindley Spills the T about the Adorable Peach.

The first question is always “Is that her real name?”

Really, what’s a real name? Don’t the ones we give ourselves count as real names these days?

But I know what they mean.

Did Opal’s mom and dad name her Opal Peachey?

Yes. Yes, they did.

And like her namesake she has sparkled from the moment her bike punk vibe entered our circus tent and across our radar as she, fresh out of Cornish, took the helm of Circus Contraption’s final show in the role of…Stage Manager.

Opal was organized, professional, and serious which belied her infectiously charming, deeply dimpled baby face.

She was, by far, the youngest among us but already powerful.

As Circus Contraption ended and Nordo was born, Terry, Nordo’s co-founder and resident playwright, was so captured by Opal’s gorgeous (and deeply peculiar) spirit that he wrote a role for her in our first post-circus project, an avante garde pop-up restaurant.

And he never stopped writing for her, as she transformed before our eyes from a tattooed punk in ladybug bike helmet, so nervous to talk to us her hands trembled, to a bonafide chanteuse moonlighting as a host at The Pink Door.

The characters Terry has written for Opal to play: a sous chef, a widow driven mad by grief, a jilted lover, a genetic engineer, a Zelda Fitzgerald type, the daughter of Nordo, the ex-wife of Nordo, a Russian spy, an old-west saloon owner, a dream scientist from the future, a ghost-bride-bellhop, the monster that personifies the Fear of Failure, and a little dolly who gets all her hair cut off.

While Opal was putting on a thousand different wigs and serving a hundred different cocktails at Nordo, she was cutting her teeth as a producer and writer in her own right.

She co-wrote, with producer, crooner, and raconteur Mark Siano, three shows that sold out The Triple Door including Bohemia which has plans for a European tour.

And she brought her most ambitious idea to us. A full-blown original musical in Nordo’s signature style, integrating food and drink into the performance, about the Widows of Champagne. It’s a thrillingly feminist story based on the history of the most celebratory of spirits. Opal cast herself not as the star, Veuve Cliquot, but as the “spirit of champagne”, a fizzy, funny, more than meets the eye special guest in Champagne Widow which debuted to sold out houses at Nordo in 2019.

There is, of course, always the behind the scenes. True to when we first met Opal, she has worked seriously and tirelessly beside us to grow Nordo from a weird pop-up to a Seattle institution. Serving wine, doing our social media, and her best behind the scenes role, “Adorable Member Concierge,” she seems to know everyone who has darkened our doorway more than once. Over the pandemic, she and our Sous Chef Christian created her little twin, a big, dimpled baby boy named Hero who just started to walk this week. And she is documenting this singular experience in her brilliant blog, The Artist Mama.

She has believed in the vision of Nordo even when we did not, never flagging in her relentless positivity. And somewhere along the way, she went from being my younger mentee to my colleague.

Isn’t time funny? She seemed so young when we met…her just out of college and me running a company. After working together for the better part of 15 years, the space between us has evaporated. We’ve grown and changed together. Heartbreaks, grief, life, death, birth, and reinvention. The lifespan of Nordo has been a lifetime.

After Bohemias and pandemics and childbirth and so much life, it’s time for Opal Peachey to come home to the Nordo stage. She will play two roles in Down the Rabbit Hole this summer, (two rabbits, as it happens,) doing that thing she does best and surprising us all as The White Rabbit, (June 16-27) and The March Hare (August 11-13).

We welcome back, with great fanfare, founding company member, Adorable Concierge, and Nordo’s Sweetest Gem, Opal Peachey.

GET YOUR TICKETS TO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE TODAY

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The clock is ticking. You know the one. It’s the little time bomb embedded in your cell phone, or if you’ve got some style, a mid-century modern sundial piece hanging above the flatscreen TV. Either way, as you open your door to greet the friendly Fed-Ex delivery person, the clock strikes and you are reminded that… 

Your Room Service Experience is arriving today! 

 You thank them for their services and kick the door shut, trembling with excitement. Don’t try and pry open the box with your fingernails, there is enough time to grab a pocket knife. For goodness sake, don’t get a paper cut.  

 The first thing you’ll see is an envelope marked “Open Immediately”. DO NOT disregard this. The game has already begun. But WHY NOW, you ask? 

 Let us demure…what comes to mind when you think of Room Service? Delicious food and drink, of course! And if you’re looking for the perfect date-night idea,  dessert in particular. You can be sure that your Room Service Experience contains both. This is not the stuff of a supermarket aisle. It has been handmade with love mere days before your friendly FedEx delivery person came a knocking.  

In fact, this dessert and drink combination has been concocted by our chef to pair with the mystery experience inside the box! It may even contain a piece of evidence! This type of sensual storytelling is what Nordo is best known for.  

And so you must, absolutely, open that envelope and read the instructions on how best to preserve your edible delicacies. They will keep for a few more hours (up to 48 in the refrigerator.) The game itself will last forever, with our mystery-boxes you can press stop, rewind, or play again  - that’s the beauty of cinematic Room Service.  

In conclusion, you’ve got plenty of time to throw on a fetching pair of fuzzy slippers and alert your nearest and dearest that Nordo has arrived.  

All of our Room Service box experiences come with mystery, intrigue, drinks, and a delicious dessert, but we know an imaginative dinner levels the whole evening up! With all game players, mystery lovers, and intrigue seekers at heart, we’ve got a fun menu planned for your "Curiouser & Curiouser: The Interrogation of Alice" tea party experience.

The Nordo kitchen is always committed to going completely over the top, and we want you to do the same, even if you’re a thousand miles away from our little workshop. The primary ingredients you need for this particular spin on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is a teapot, teacups, and a fun cookie cutter. 

Because, really, you could use canned soup and bologna sandwiches. 

But even better! Get yourself some soft white bread, (we like Japanese Milk Bread, or Shokupan.) Make a thin spread of our Mama Lil’s Pimento Cheese spread and a layer of thinly sliced cucumber, and then punch it out into your cookie cutter shape. (We used a butterfly!) You can eat the cut out ends while you’re fixing everything up…it’s the chef’s snack! You need sustenance if you are going to solve the future crimes of Alice!

We made a summery heirloom tomato and corn soup to serve in the teapot, but a wintery squash soup would be delicious with the sandwiches as well. They key is to blend it well, (we have a Vitamix in Nordo’s kitchen, but I use my little NutriBullet at home where counterspace is a premium,) and then put it through a fine mesh strainer. This is how you get what we call “the texture of luxury.” :-P

Mama Lil’s Pimento Cheese Spread

• 8 oz Room Temperature Cream Cheese

• 4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded (you’ve gotta shred it yourself, pre-shredded won’t be as smooth.

• 3 oz Mama Lil’s Peppers with oil (don’t be fussy about draining it, the oil is <chef’s kiss>)

Mix with a food processor until fluffy and smooth.

Heirloom Tomato, Corn, and Coconut Soup

• 2 T olive onion

• 1 yellow onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes cut into ½ inch pieces

• ½ lb fresh corn kernals (frozen will work in a wintery pinch)

• ¼ teaspoon hotsauce

• 1 T salt, more to taste

• ½ cup coconut milk

• 1 T sherry vinegar

Instructions

• Sweat the onions over medium low in olive oil

• Add garlic

• Cook until translucent

• Add salt, tomatoes & corn

• Simmer medium-low for 30 minutes or until tomatoes have completely broken down

• Add sherry vinegar

• Salt to taste

• Blend until very smooth

• Add coconut milk 

• Serve in a teapot!

Opening Night is a special brand of chaos. It looks different for every arts organization, but for Nordo it’s an undeniable feeling in the air – we’re going to have an audience. An audience that will intimately know every movement of a performer in our uniquely long space. We have to serve them, feed them, keep them entertained, and (hopefully) sufficiently buzzed from our impeccably poured wine or cocktail selections. We have to keep track of them to be sure we don’t start a new act while they’re getting some air or visiting the loo. We maintain organized chaos from dining room to green room; a kitchen staff, servers, performers, band members, and bartenders running trays, staying hydrated, doing costume changes, clearing silverware. And above all, somehow, we have to keep the integrity of the theatrical experience: All those secrets that keep things running smoothly and maintain the mystery of a seamless transition with some amazing, pulse-racing moment of art that we will all remember time and time again. The magic of theater. The magic of Nordo.

It’s been 495 days since we experienced our last Opening Night, Sara Porkalob’s The Angel in the House. It’s been 237 days since we hosted our last dinner re-opening event in the space, Bloody Delicious.

It is a strange feeling for us to be Re-Opening without an Opening Night. We are most known, after all, for immersive dinner theater experiences that guide you through an evening of storytelling and culinary complexity. We even found a way to bring an evening out at Nordo to your living room with our Room Service Experiences during the darkness that was this past year. What we have discovered, however, is that when we are provided the opportunity (or faced with restrictive guidelines) to focus on the menu, the food itself simply shines.

So what is there to be celebrated about a Re-Opening rather than an Opening Night? Well, we are able to highlight our musicians as major players in the ambience we aim for. We’re able to really curate a unique and local menu that has fewer boundaries than is usually introduced when creating a multi-course meal themed around a show.

But regardless of circumstance, without fail every single time, the most thrilling and important part about opening Nordo’s doors is having you with us.

Our communities have gone through so many ups and downs in the past two years alone, and there is more change yet to come – but we believe in that special feeling when we are able to swing open our big bay windows, seat you at your table, and smile as our space springs to life in all its’ glory with your presence. What we’ve missed most of all in the midst of these uncertain times has been our ability to host you, to share our space and experiences with you. And now, in a season where change is undeniable and transformation awaits us around every corner, we’re here to host you once again. It may be under different circumstances, we may need to wait a little while for our next been Opening Night experience, but there is no denying that this Re-Opening brings an entirely fresh feeling of excitement. The menu calls for fresh, local, seasonal offerings that remind us that change is the most natural part of our existence; while our private party rooms and Chessboard dining room make spaces where our celebratory dinner of transformation is not to be shared alone.

We’ll see you at the theater!

The Nordo Team