Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar 205 108th Avenue NE Civica Office Commons Building Bellevue, WA 98004

Erik Liedholm of Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar came from the Elliott Grand Hyatt – Seattle, where he was Director of Wine and Spirits. Prior to the Elliott, he was General Manager of the Pacific’s Edge restaurant at the Highlands Inn Park Hyatt in Carmel, California. The restaurant was named by Wine Spectator magazine as one of the Top Twenty Restaurants in the United States and, since 1991, has been the holder of the coveted Wine Spectator Grand Award for its outstanding wine list. Erik was also an integral component in organizing what is arguably the nation’s top food and wine event, The Masters of Food & Wine. This event has featured some of the world’s greatest food and wine personalities including Julia Child, Helen Turley of Marcassin wines, Gordon Ramsay from his three-star restaurant in London, Eric Ripert from Le Bernardin in New York and Jean-Bernard Delmas from Chateau Haut-Brion, to name a few.

Erik was previously in Seattle from 1999 – 2000, developing a wine program for Brasserie Margaux. He also managed and developed wine programs at two of Michigan’s four-star restaurants. A graduate and an Honorary Faculty member at Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business, he also attended L’École des Arts Culinaires et d’Hoteliers in Lyon France and was the youngest member to be inducted into the Chicago chapter of the Les Amis D’Escoffier. He is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, The Sommelier Society of America and is currently pursuing his Master Sommelier accreditation.

Organizer of the “Seattle Seven” in 2000, a study group of top area sommeliers, Erik Liedholm will be taking the Master Sommelier Diploma exam and competing for the Best Sommelier in America. Erik and his wife Dawn are back in the city that they love and he is honored to be a part of Seattle’s premier venue for the ultimate in hospitality. He also is becoming a winemaker in his own right, with plans to release under his own label later this year.