If you are looking for a wonderful pairing next time your stomach starts to growl, check out The Mark Olympia. The space includes an Italian restaurant and a noncommission art gallery featuring rotating local artists. It’s as unique as downtown Olympia.
Rich Rideman, former owner of All City Tire Service, wanted a restaurant. Lisa Owen wanted an art gallery. They came together to create The Mark Olympia. It opened in 2001.
Supporting Local Artists in Olympia
“Being a gallery is just normal for me,” Lisa Owen, artist, chef and curator at The Mark Olympia explains. “And though I worked a large portion of my life in Italian restaurants, simple good food and cocktails have always made more sense to me.”
Lisa has been an artist her entire life. “I started life drawing at 8 years old my grandfather, sculptor John Henry Waddell, had me in life drawing class,” she says. “My father, Sean Wilder Owen, has been a filmmaker and photographer my whole life.”
As a teenager, Lisa started collecting other artists’ work. She says some of those works still hang in her event spaces. She has also been photographing portraits since she was a teen. She was one of the first female photographers to be published in Thrasher, a skateboarding magazine.
From a family of artists, Lisa made sure The Mark Olympia was a non-commission gallery. “My grandmother, also an artist, told me in no uncertain words not to take commission,” Lisa explains.
Exhibits change about every two months, so come in often and check out the new work! Some pieces are part of a permanent collection as well.
Authentic Italian Food in Olympia at The Mark
Before or after checking out the artwork, sit down for a bite at The Mark Olympia! Lisa has curated a unique menu you won’t find anywhere else: in particular, the Pizza alla Taglio.
“I went to Rome to find something nobody was doing locally,” Lisa explains about the specialty pizza. “My Roman friends all felt strongly about this style of Roman pizza, ‘Pizza Taglio,’ a historic street food. My Roman friends helped me to meet and apprentice with Rome’s most important artist for this medium.”
The pizza begins with whole grain local flour and a sourdough starter. No animal fat is used, so the pizza crust is vegan. It’s an experience you will have to try for yourself!
Pair your pizza with a salad and save room for dessert.
Another unique offering at The Mark Olympia is its cocktails. “We celebrate classic cocktails, joined with the balancing of health and decadence with a sense of humor,” explains Lisa. “The focus is on the customer’s vibe.” They also have a curated wine list, favoring wines that use grapes indigenous to the area of origin. Most of their wines are from Italy, so they complement the Pizza alla Taglio perfectly.
For those looking for the more American “pizza and beer” combo, they have you covered, with choices from Georgetown and Peroni.
They also have a selection of quirky mocktails that are just as fun as the loaded drinks! Find Italian sodas, American sodas and bottled water on the menu, too.
Looking for a unique event space? Contact Lisa! They have a Design an Event offering, where she works with your budget and vision to create an event of your dreams.
For more information, stop by for a bite or visit The Mark Olympia website.
The Mark Olympia Restaurant and Gallery
407/409 Columbia Street SW, Olympia
360.754.4414
