Food & Culture
Seattle Artist Dozfy’s Art à la Carte
Spontaneous scribbler Dozfy leaves surprise gifts of art for restaurant staffs in Seattle and parts beyond
By Rebecca Ratterman March 17, 2017
This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Seattle Magazine.
Plenty of people doodle on restaurant menus, but artist Patrick Nguyen—who moved here from Atlanta in 2015—has raised it to an art form. “I would doodle on receipts. My friends would fight over the drawings,” says Nguyen, who goes by the professional name Dozfy (pronounced “dahz-fee”; instagram.com/dozfy). “A friend in the restaurant business mentioned that it would be better to just do it on menus.… I give it back to the restaurant kitchen staff as a token of my appreciation.”
Recently, Dozfy, who studied art at the University of Texas at Austin, has artfully scribbled 10-minute masterpieces on menus at Red Mill Burgers, Toulouse Petit, The Whiskey Bar, Sitka & Spruce and more than a dozen other spots. He favors images of wildlife and nature, though if a dish inspires him to draw Darth Vader or a windmill, he will.
Some compare him to the stunt artist Banksy, but Dozfy doesn’t crave anonymity and likes to present his work to food workers in person. “I have all sorts of reactions, but most of them are good. After all this time, the initial reaction when I ask for a menu and final expression when I finish are always fun. Also priceless.”
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