For Chef Alex Barham, food is about more than what’s on the plate. As chef and co-owner of Lodgepole in Moscow, Idaho, he has spent the past decade building a restaurant that reflects his connection to the Pacific Northwest through local ingredients, seasonal cooking, and community.
Since opening Lodgepole with his wife Melissa in 2015, the couple has developed a distinctive style that blends Northwest ingredients, Pacific seafood and influences from the Mediterranean and Melissa’s Mexican heritage.
“Our food isn’t overtly Mexican,” Alex explained. “But a lot of the flavor profiles and dishes draw from that. It lets people experience different flavors in a way that feels approachable.”
This formula helped Lodgepole carve out their niche in the Palouse dining scene. While many restaurants focus primarily on local agriculture, Alex also includes seafood, a fascination that traces back to an earlier chapter of his career.
Today the menu reveals a cross-section of seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers and the greater Pacific Northwest. Braised beef rigatoni with house made pasta, locally sourced beef, and Cougar Gold cheddar. A market seafood entrée utilizes whole fish that are broken down in the kitchen. Wagyu carne asada provides a nod to Mexican flavors and is served with local vegetables. Oysters on the half shell are a prominent offering.
Raised in Clarkston, Washington, Alex discovered cooking as a teenager. A high school wrestler constantly managing weight, he became intrigued by cooking shows during the rise of the Food Network. His interest grew further thanks to his supportive family.
“My mom was always willing to help me try something new,” he recalled. “I’d want to make a cheesecake or some random dish, and she’d say, ‘Let’s go buy the ingredients.'”
When Alex enrolled at Washington State University, he considered studying business or finance. But after taking hospitality courses and spending time in restaurants, he realized the kitchen was where he belonged.
His culinary education accelerated at The Black Cypress in Pullman, where he worked during the restaurant’s opening. Alex gained firsthand experience in building a restaurant from the ground up while developing an appreciation for serious cooking. Melissa, who was studying education, also worked at the restaurant, and together they discovered that they made an effective team.
After graduation, the couple spent a year at Black Cypress before deciding to broaden their horizons. They moved to Seattle, where Alex landed a position at Anchovies & Olives, one of Chef Ethan Stowell’s seafood restaurants. The experience proved transformative.
“It opened up a whole new world for me,” Alex said.
At Anchovies & Olives, he worked multiple stations but gravitated toward the raw bar, where he learned to shuck oysters, prepare crudos, and break down a variety of fish. The exposure to seafood sparked a fascination that continues to influence Lodgepole’s menu today.
When the couple began considering where to launch their own restaurant, they explored communities throughout the West. Every search eventually led them back to Moscow, a town they had come to love for its tight-knit community and exceptional farmer’s market.
Before opening a restaurant, the Barhams became part of the community as vendors, selling pickles, pickled eggs, and fresh pasta. The experience established local connections and provided a grassroots introduction to their food. When the opportunity arose to move into the newly renovated building that would become Lodgepole, they were ready.
From the beginning, transparency became a guiding principle. Inspired by the open kitchens in Seattle, Alex designed Lodgepole around a kitchen that guests can see. The arrangement serves practical and philosophical purposes.
“It breaks down the barrier between the front and back of house,” he said. “Everyone is working together.”
The layout also reinforces the culture Alex has worked to cultivate. Unlike the high-stress, confrontational kitchens portrayed in popular media, Lodgepole emphasizes teamwork, accountability, and respect.
“There isn’t any yelling,” he said with a laugh. “We want people to enjoy coming to work.”
That philosophy extends to staffing. Lodgepole adopted a no-tipping structure to provide greater stability for employees. In an industry often challenged by turnover, the approach has helped the restaurant retain team members and foster a stronger workplace culture.
Alex’s partnership with Melissa remains central to the restaurant’s success. While he oversees the kitchen, she manages the front of house and broader guest experience. Together, they have navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship, marriage, and parenthood.
Their son, now approaching five years old, has grown up around the restaurant. Balancing family and business was not always easy, Alex admitted, but it has brought a deeper sense of purpose to both.
Looking back on the journey, he said that there is little he would change.
“It has taken a tremendous amount of work and effort,” he reflected. “But we’re a pretty happy little family.”
That perspective speaks to Alex’s broader definition of success. Restaurants, he acknowledged, are rarely the fastest route to financial wealth. Yet the rewards he values most cannot be measured on a balance sheet.
For Alex, success is found in the relationships built around a dining room table, the partnerships forged with farmers and producers, and the opportunity to create meaningful experiences for guests.
“We live a life that feels fulfilled,” he said. “There is a lot more to life than just the money.”
