January 4-29, 2009 (Sunday - Thursday)

Nalani Dias - Chef

Since March 2007, Chef Nalani Dias of Cellar 46 has forged her love of wine and food into this respected, rare gem on Mercer Island, Wash. Picture a quaint neighborhood place where one can stop in on your way to the symphony or on your way home from yoga and you'll find Dias dreaming up wine-focused menu items with her culinary cohorts.

Inspired by a family of great cooks, and being part of the action, Dias gained a true respect for cooking and entertaining early in life, recognizing that food is a powerful thing that brings people to the table.

"The kitchen was where everyone gathered so that's where I wanted to be, huddled around the stoves cooking up Korean food because that's when the best stories came out," she recalled, noting the kitchen is the only place she doesn't shy away from the prospect of failure.

Before coming to Cellar 46, Dias came from the catering world. In her culinary life, she draws great satisfaction in living her passion; having access to great food and wine is a perk and "unclogging a restaurant disposal at 2 a.m. is a trade off," she jokes.

New recipe ideas come from absolutely everywhere; Dias is always on the lookout for new favorite foods. Five ingredients that her hands are always on include aged balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, fresh lemon and cheese. Her biggest pet peeve in the kitchen is, "that last 1/16 of an inch of anything left in the bottom of a jar or bottle; don't put that back in the fridge or on a shelf; what am I supposed to do with that?!"

Dias is happiest spending time with her friends and loved ones. With a love for travel, she keeps a bag packed with an active passport ready "just in case." As an avid reader, she usually has three or four books going simultaneously. She's in the process of learning to speak Italian and play the guitar, although she confesses the guitar has been more of a Cellar 46 wall ornament for months.

Cellar 46 was voted "Best New Wine Bar to Try Washington Wines Before You Buy" by Seattle Magazine.