A new restaurant at Washington State University Pullman’s Palouse Ridge Golf Club, The Table, opened on April 15 to golfers and anyone else in search of high-quality, fresh, local, and seasonal food on the Palouse.
Owner, operator, and executive chef Michael Zuniga’s culinary career began with a culinary arts degree from LaCordon Bleu, a renowned global network of culinary and hospitality schools, founded in Paris in 1895. His internship was at Zesta Cucina in Yakima, where he was hired after his internship ended. Zuniga’s long love of Italian food helped him quickly develop an expertise in cooking it. He then became a sous chef and soon after an executive chef at the Yakima Convention Center, where he cooked for groups ranging from professional sports team, such as the Seahawks and Mariners, to attendees of the presidential inauguration.
When Zuniga saw the opportunity to open a restaurant at the golf club, he jumped on it. “It’s everything I wanted,” he said, adding that owning and operating a restaurant while continuing his passion for catering has always been a dream of his.
Zuniga responded to WSU’s request for proposals, and the selection team was struck by his “fresh attitude with a lot of enthusiasm,” said Tracy Helmsworth, the WSU real estate services director who led the search team.
Zuniga is excited to build relationships with local vendors. He’s also looking forward to being at the restaurant every day, interacting with the staff and customers. “It’s going to be an intimate relationship with my customers and clients,” he said.
The Table will include a restaurant, a food and beverage cart, and catering services. There will be a range of cuisines, with a focus on local and seasonal items. Zuniga will serve American and Italian food. And he’ll serve hot dogs, a golf staple and one of his specialties.
Zuniga wants The Table to be a place for everyone. “I want to bring it to the point where not only your everyday golfer but also just your everyday person wants to come have lunch here,” he said. “I cannot wait to get the doors open.”
