New Olympia eatery Cynara opens, offering Mediterranean- and Pacific Rim-inspired menu

Cynara, Iron Rabbit owner Christian Skillings’ new downtown restaurant, is named for the humble artichoke.

“I love artichokes,” said Skillings, who opened Cynara (pronounced “sih-NAR-uh”) last weekend. “They’re beautiful, whether you’re eating them or just looking at them in bloom.”

The Mediterranean- and Pacific Rim-inspired menu reflects that, opening with an appetizer of grilled artichoke hearts and featuring an artichoke-lemon pesto as a topping for grilled bread and pasta.

Also on the menu: lamb stew with harissa, New York steak with a sauce of red wine, pomegranate and pearl onions, and a vegetarian entree of cauliflower with hazelnuts, apricots and pomegranate balsamic.

“We’re still refining dishes,” he said. “This is a starting menu. There’s a couple of other items we’re looking to add, including clams and Dungeness crab bisque.”

He is aiming for a menu that’s more sophisticated and adventurous than that of its family-friendly West Olympia sibling, which has been serving grass-fed beef burgers, salads and more since 2005.

“The concept is to be parallel in quality and to explore different and more challenging flavors,” he said, adding that restaurants evolve over time to reflect the community’s needs and desires.

The coronavirus complicates that, of course, but Skillings learned what he needed to do at Iron Rabbit, which reopened May 14 and — like Cynara — offers takeout as well as dine-in and outdoor dining options.

“We’re learning how to manage our new situation, and we’re learning how to keep evolving with it,” he said. “Our guests are becoming more and more comfortable.”

Skillings recalls having a milkshake with his grandmother at the five and dime in the Yard Birds shopping center not far from Cynara, which is in the new mixed-use 500 Columbia building just south of the Olympia Farmers Market.

“I wanted to be downtown,” he said. “It’s the heart of our community, and it has been for so long. Great things are happening here.”

He’s been wanting to open a second restaurant since he launched Iron Rabbit, he said. That was the same year Vine Street Group bought the property that’s now the home of Cynara and the Harbor Heights senior apartments.

“It takes a little while,” said Skillings, who credits his wife, Oksana, with supporting him and his restaurants and helping him make design decisions.

“It’s a family endeavor,” he said.

Cynara Restaurant & Lounge

• What: Iron Rabbit owner Christian Skillings has opened a new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant downtown. Lunch and dinner are served indoors, outdoors and for takeout, with curbside pickup available.
• Where: 500 Columbia St. NW, Olympia
• Hours: Noon-8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
• More information: 360-764-7326, http://cynaraolympia.com

This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:45 AM.