Seattle, WA

Flying Fish
2234 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-8595

After a long day spent walking all over downtown Seattle and an afternoon spent stuffing our faces with dozens of fresh oysters at Elliott’s Oyster House, I wasn’t terribly hungry for a big dinner. I was looking around for a place where we could get a light dinner when I stumbled across the website for the Flying Fish. Their menu sporting “small plates” sounded like just the ticket. We called ahead and were told we wouldn’t need reservations and so we left the hotel and walked to the restaurant.

The Flying Fish is located in an area of Seattle known as “Belltown”, a trendy neighborhood filled with nightclubs, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. It was a lovely evening for a walk, which helped to invigorate our appetite.

The restaurant is painted in bright colors with interesting art and a view into the bustling kitchen. We were seated immediately at a cozy booth where we perused the menu while sipping a lovely glass of Cabernet Savignon from the Bonair Winery in the Yakima Valley. A winery I toured and reviewed nearly a year ago.

After much consideration we settled on two “small plates”, the Thai crab cakes and the calamari. In addition we chose a platter of sister-in-law mussels which came with a chili lime dipping sauce.

The calamari was perfectly prepared. It simply melted in our mouths and both the honey jalapeño mayonnaise and cilantro oil were excellent accompaniments. The Thai crab cakes came with a lemongrass mayonnaise and were delicious.

The real show stopper though, was the sister-in-law mussels. It was love at first bite. I’ve eaten many a bowl of mussels but none like these. These little babies had been steamed in a Thai ginger and lemongrass concoction and came with a chili lime dipping sauce that made me weak in the knees. It was that good. The waiter was kind enough to tell us what was in the dipping sauce and gave us an idea of what went into the steam. I shipped a few pounds of mussels back to Austin and when I got home I gave it a go. I was quite pleased with the results and if it’s not the exact same recipe it’s close enough!

If you’re local to Seattle, or visiting, don’t miss the Flying Fish. The service was excellent. The food was divine! If you’re not local, do try my recipe, you’ll love it!

Seattle, Belltown, restaurant, review, downtown, seafood, Thai, Asian, mussels, small plates

May 11th is Mother’s Day and I bet you’re already scrambling for things to do and places to go. Or maybe that’s just me. No, seriously, my father just told me that he’s whisking my mum away to the casinos. Nice of him to let me know, huh? Parents. Sheesh.

So, first off, let’s look at brunch venues. You know my favorites, right?

Salty’s Seafood Grill
at Alki or Redondo

Salty’s is a class act with a spectacular brunch offering. Their food is simply the best. Check out my review. Top that fabulous food off with a fabulous view and you will understand why Salty’s always ranks at the top of my brunch list. DO call for reservations and I suggest you call NOW! Salty’s is a popular restaurant and will fill up fast. I have to admit that my favorite of the two locations is Redondo. It’s just beautiful there and to me, it’s worth the drive. However, the Alki location is also great. Their Sunday brunch is just fantastic and well worth the moderate price they charge. Brunch will usually set you back about $35 per person. The staff is friendly and accommodating and if the weather is nice, sit out on the deck.

• Alki Beach – Seattle (206) 937-1600
• Redondo Beach – Des Moines/South Seattle (253) 946-0636
• Columbia River – Portland (503) 288-4444

The Salish Lodge

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, this is hands down my favorite place to go for special occasions.

The Salish is offering up two menus this year. Their brunch menu will start you off with a glass of Northwestern Sparkling Wine, Mimosa or a Kir Royal. There will be baskets brimming with croissants, danishes and muffins. You’ll find an Omelette Station, a Seafood Station, a Carving Station and of course, a Dessert Station.

The Grand Buffet will have more traditional breakfast fare with buttermilk pancakes, old fashioned steel-cut oats with caramelized Wenatchee apples, brown sugar, raisins and almonds, artisan preserves and farmstead breads. Or you might like an omelette, served up with jumbo shrimp & smoked salmon herbed potatoes, savory marinara sauce, or poached eggs with crispy crab cakes, diced peppers herb shoestring potatoes and sauce béarnaise. You’re sure to find something you love at the Salish! ($49)

Campagne

Treat your maman to a bonne fête des mères at Campagne. Mother’s Day brunch hours are 9 AM to 2 PM. Of course they’ll be serving French toast, but not just any French toast. Oh no, theirs has been soaked in a bourbon egg batter. In addition there will be house-made dungeness crab and leek quiche, house-made chicken and mushroom sausage served with sautéed potatoes, country-style pork and chicken liver pâté and pan-roasted beef onglet served with pommes frites. Yum!

Mother’s Day Tea at Meeker Mansion
Where: Puyallup, Washington, USA
When: May 11, 2008

The Mansion will serve a formal Victorian Tea in three seatings per day, at 12:30, 2:00, and 3:30 p.m. The cost is $12.00 per person (includes tour of Mansion). Prepaid reservations are required! Please make your reservations early as this very popular event fills fast. Call 253-848-1770 for reservations or more information. Keepsake Photos Available

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The Seattle Opera is offering a Mother’s Day Tea, as well. Take mom to see I Puritani and make it extra special by treating her to an afternoon Tea before the show. Enjoy freshly brewed tea, a selection of finger sandwiches and sweets, and exclusive pre-show access to the Norcliffe Room lounge at McCaw Hall. Take a break from the crowds and spend some quality time with Mom on her special day.

Tickets for the tea and the 2:00 p.m. performance of I Puritani are sold separately and are available through the Seattle Opera Ticket Office at 206.389.7676 or 800.426.1619.

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If you’re kid’s mama is a comic book geek, and yes, I do know several female comic book geeks then consider taking her to the Emerald City ComiCon. The Emerald City ComiCon is the largest comic book and pop culture convention in the Northwest. There will be comic artists, exhibitors, and dealers looking to sell comic books, toys, magazines, and collectible cards. There will also be game tournaments, a Costume Contest, and several panels scheduled.

Emerald City ComiCon
Where: Washington State Convention Center
When: Sat 10a-6p, Sun 10a-5p
$$$: $30 for 2-day pass, $20 Sat, $15 Sun

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If your mom is a gardener she’d probably enjoy the Federal Way Buds & Blooms Spring Garden Tour & Festival. Buds and Blooms will be celebrating Mother’s Day with workshops and tours. They will also showcase three top Federal Way gardens, an old-growth wetlands and wildlife

When: Sunday, May 11 2008 @ 10:00 PM PDT - 04:00PM
Where: Federal Way
$$$: $3-$5

Free Shuttle to all festival sites. Recommended parking at the Bonsai/rhododendron Gardens both days, and The Commons on Saturday only.

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If you’re up for a little trip. You might want to check out MaiFest in Leavenworth. Celebrate Mother’s Day in Bavaria! Enjoy entertainment all weekend. Experience the Grand March and Procession including townspeople and vistors in Trachten (Traditional Bavarian Garb), horses and carriages, Leavenworth’s Beirwagon, Bernese Mountain Dogs and more! Join MaiFest dignitaries and speical guests in a salute to and celebration of MaiFest in Leavenworth with great live entertainment and traditional German dancing including the Maipole Dance. Stroll through the Bavarian Village of Flowers, visit all of our great shops and restaurants and tap your toes to oompa music! Sponsored by the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

MaiFest
Where: Front Street, Leavenworth, WA 98826
When: May 9-11, 2008
Phone: (509) 548-5807

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Or head to Pacific Beach for the Sandcastle Competition. Sand sculptures on the beach. Professional and novice sculpt sand art. It could be a mermaid, it could be a hog on a Harley, it can be just about anything.

Pacific Beach SandCastle Competition
When: May 10th, 2008
Where: Address: Pacific Beach, Pacific Beach, WA 98571
$$$: Free

Seattle, Wa, Mother’s Day, Things to do, What’s Happening, Brunch, Sunday, Salish Lodge, Salty’s, Restaurants, Festivals, Sandcastle Competition, Pacific Beach, Tea, Opera, Meeker Mansion, Mai, Fest, MaiFest, Leavenworth, Campagne, Emerald City, ComiCon, Federal Way, Buds, Blooms, Seafood

Can you believe how early Easter is this year? I read somewhere that this is the earliest we’ve had Easter in 90 years and we won’t have easter this early again for more than 100 years. Isn’t that crazy? Is it just me or does it feel wrong to be celebrating Easter in March? I tend to think of Easter as an April holiday. Apparently there can be as much as a 35 day gap in the day Easter falls on each year.

Anyway, if you don’t feel like staring at a sink full of dishes this year, why not go our for Easter Brunch? Here are my picks for favorite places to go for brunch in Seattle:

Salty’s

There is a reason this restaurant has been voted as one of the Top 5 Easter Brunches in both Seattle and Portland. Salty’s is a class act with a spectacular brunch offering. Their food is simply the best. Check out my review. Top that fabulous food off with a fabulous view and you will understand why Salty’s always ranks at the top of my brunch list. DO call for reservations and I suggest you call NOW! Salty’s is a popular restaurant and will fill up fast.

Easter Brunch is served in Portland Sunday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; at Redondo Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Alki’s brunch is always served Saturday 9 to 1:30 p.m. (not just Easter) and Easter Sunday brunch is 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Alki also now takes large brunch parties on Sundays up to 200 people. Call us to make reservations at:

• Alki Beach – Seattle (206) 937-1600
• Redondo Beach – Des Moines/South Seattle (253) 946-0636
• Columbia River – Portland (503) 288-4444

If you’re going to do brunch in Seattle, I say go for a place with a view. There are so many wonderful restaurants in Seattle with incredible views. Here’s another:

Anthony’s Home Port

Sadly, I have not been to Anthony’s in years but rumor tells me that they still serve a great brunch with a great view. The Seattle PI describes Anthony’s as “Well-priced enough to be part of a regular Sunday routine, yet lovely enough to be a special-occasion destination.” Anthony’s has several locations, here is the Shilshole Bay information. Check their websitehttp://www.anthonys.com/about/Easter%20Specials.html
for information on their other locations.

Located at the entrance to the Hiram Chittenden Locks.
6135 Seaview Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 783-0780
Reservations are recommended.

Brunch
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Salish Lodge

This is hands down my favorite place to go for special occasions. The location is nothing short of spectacular and according to their website, “The waterfall is gushing, buds are appearing, and everyone at Salish is delighting in the warming weather. With an amazing view of the changing seasons, Salish Lodge & Spa provides the perfect setting for a springtime celebration.” Reservations are a must. The Grand Buffet features a Seafood Station, an Omelette Station, a Carving Station and a Dessert Station. The Dining Room Brunch will feature buttermilk pancakes and Poached Eggs Dungeness. Mmmm…doesn’t that sound divine?

Special Easter menus include:

* Grand Buffet Brunch in the Ballroom, served 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
* Brunch in the Dining Room, served 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

The Attic Bistro will offer both a la carte and special three-course menus from 11:00 am - 10:00 pm Easter Sunday, and a special room service brunch menu will be available for an even cozier dining option.

Campagne

I have yet to try this restaurant but the menu has me salivating. What’s not to love about a French breakfast with fresh fruit, baguettes, smoked salmon smothered in hollandaise and truffle omelettes? Mmmm… go and have some for me…pretty please? Take pictures so that I may live vicariously through you. If you get the opportunity have a pot of their hot chocolate, made at your table with Scharffenberger chocolate. It’s divine!

LA FÊTE DE PÂQUES - 23 MARS 2008

Delight in a relaxing French brunch at Campagne Restaurant with our fourth annual Fête de Pâques (Easter celebration). Easter brunch hours are 9 AM to 2 PM, dinner 5:30 to 10 PM.

Easter Brunch Menu

Petit Déjeuner
DEMI-BAGUETTE
Served with French style butter and confiture 3.
HOUSE-MADE GRANOLA
Served with fresh fruit and your choice of yoghurt, milk or half ’n half 8.
FRENCH FRENCH TOAST
Brioche fried in bourbon egg batter served with maple syrup 11.

~
Oeufs
QUICHE
House-made Dungeness crab and leek quiche served with butter lettuce salad 19.
OEUFS BROUILLÉS
Scrambled duck eggs and fines herbes served with
sautéed potatoes and house-made pork sausage 15.
HOUSE-SMOKED SALMON
With poached eggs, hollandaise, sautéed potatoes and baguette 17.
OEUFS AUX TRUFFES
Oregon black truffle omelette served with
sautéed potatoes and house-made pork sausage 25.

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Spécialités de la Maison
SAUCISSON CHAUD
House-made chicken and mushroom sausage served with sautéed potatoes 24.
BOEUF ’N OEUFS
Pan-roasted beef onglet served with pommes frites,
two fried eggs and smoky harissa rouille 26.
PÂTÉ DE CAMPAGNE
Country-style pork and chicken liver pâté with traditional garnishes 9.

Those are my picks for this year. If you make it out to any of these restaurants, I’d love to hear about your dining experience and link me to your pictures if you take them.

Easter, Brunch, Seattle, Washington, Wa, March, Salty’s, Salish, Campagne, Anthony’s Home Port, Breakfast, View, Seafood, Guide

28201 Redondo Beach Drive S.
Des Moines, WA 98198
Restaurant (253) 946-0636
Tacoma Direct Line (253) 272-0607
Fax (253) 946-5099
Directions
Restaurant Reservations Online

If I could only make one restaurant while in Seattle, Salty’s would be the one. There is something about being on the beach that make any day feel like a holiday. Most of the year Redondo is a quiet beach and being there feels peaceful. The water is gorgeous and there are seabirds flying overhead, the gentle sound of waves hitting the beach. Combine that with brunch and eating out on the deck and you’ve got a great combination.

Normally I’m not a fan of buffets. Who wants unlimited quantities of bad food? I don’t understand the American attraction to buffets. Why is it we feel like more is better? Give me quality over quantity any day of the week. I make an exception for Salty’s brunch. The food is top notch, the service is impeccable and you are never rushed. There are two rooms of food. One area has all the hot foods. If you don’t find anything there to make you happy they’ll make you waffles, fruit crepes or Eggs Benedict, to order! All this while sipping mimosas!

On the hot buffet you’ll find things like cheese blintzes, French toast, potatoes O’Brien, a roast beef carving station, hickory smoked bacon and kielbasa sausage. Oh, and don’t forget the clam chowder. Salty’s has the very best clam chowder. Near the soup tureen will be a bottle of sherry, splash a bit on top for extra goodness. If you’ve never had clam chowder with a splash of sherry on top you really must try it, it’s fantastic!

If you’re a seafood lover, however, the cold food station has got it going on! If you’re visiting Seattle and you’re not eating seafood, you should have your head examined. On the cold buffet you’ll find oysters on the half shell, mounds and mounds of Dungeness Crab, peel and eat shrimp, bagels and lox and several types of salads.

When you’ve exhausted all that and you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth you’ll find fresh fruits, a chocolate fountain, a full dessert table featuring cakes, pies, Crème Brulée, muffins and pastries and more!

I can’t remember how much the brunch cost but it seems like it’s around $35 a person. That may seem a bit steep but it’s well worth it.

If you’re watching your pennies though, go to Salty’s during Early Bird! Early Bird specials runs from 3pm - 6pm, Monday-Thursday and Sundays from 4:30pm - 6pm. This is one of the best values for top quality food that you’ll get. They have a complete meal for $19.95 that includes your entrée, soup or salad, coffee/tea/cola, bread and dessert. You get a choice of six entrées and three desserts. The Salty’s White Chocolate Mousse cake is fantastic.

Salty’s also offers an excellent lunch menu. You won’t pay any more for lunch at Salty’s than you would at a Macaroni Grill caliber restaurant and you’re eating local delicious seafood. Again, I cannot recommend the clam chowder enough!

Their dinner menu is nothing short of impressive. This is a place where many business executives take clients to impress them. I know this because it’s where my company took clients and it’s where many vendors took me. Prices range from around $12 to $50, depending on what you order.

Whichever option you choose just don’t miss this wonderful restaurant! Although I have been to the Salty’s at Alki and it is just as wonderful, I have a soft spot for Redondo having lived nearby and having been there so often.

Check out another Seattle favourite, Elliot’s Oyster House.

restaurants, Seattle, review, Salty’s, Redondo, Alki, brunch, lunch, dinner, early bird, seafood, Crème Brulée

Serious Pie

316 Virginia St., Seattle
Phone: 206-838-7388
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 4-10 p.m. Sundays.
No Reservations
All major credit cards accepted

Each day as I headed downtown I found myself passing the Serious Pie. I’d peer through the window at the beautiful pizza’s on the various tables and think to myself, “I have got to try that!” And so it came to pass that one day I just happened to have some free time and so I grabbed Chip and we headed across the street to check out the latest restaurant by entrepreneurs Tom Douglas, owner of the Dahlia Lounge and Lola’s.

With all the wonderful breads Tom produces at his bakery that go out to his various restaurants and other retail sites, it was just a matter of time before a pizza restaurant evolved. Tom is serious about wanting his “pies” to be simple with a serious eye toward good toppings.

The seating area has long, tall wooden table that give the restaurant a warm cozy feeling. Tumbled stone, wrought iron fixtures and a timber frame only add to that feeling. The staff was friendly and welcoming as they sat us behind the kitchen area giving us a great view where we could watch the pizzas being built and cut.

Here I am, waiting on my “pie”:

See that window on the left? It was full of gorgeous loaves of bread.

We decided to start with a salad. I don’t even remember exactly what was in the salad but I do remember that it was seriously yummy!

The pizza had home made sausage pancetta, onion and asiago cheese. The crust was thin and delicious with visible holes if you viewed it from the side (that’s a good thing!).

I’m sad to say that I was much too full to order dessert. That’s a shame because they had a lemon tiramisu. Intriguing! That will have to wait until next time, I suppose!

In the mood for seafood? Check out my review of Elliot’s Oyster House.

pizza, pie, serious, tom douglas, serious pie, restaurant, review, seattle

Elliott’s Oyster House
1201 Alaskan Way, Pier 56
Seattle, WA 98101
206-623-4340

Is it proper to call it a restaurant review if the only thing you ate was the oysters? Well, if you’re going to call yourself an Oyster House then it seems right somehow to make it all about the oysters.

I can’t tell you the number of times we sat outside of Elliott’s Oyster House, eating steamed clams from Steamer’s on Pier 56 while being completely clueless to the fact that we were sitting next to one of the best Oyster Houses on the planet. While we’re unlikely to stop going to Steamer’s on any given trip to Seattle, we’ll never again fail to stop in at Elliott’s Oyster House.

How little we knew when we stepped into Elliott’s for the first time. We had no idea, for example, that Fortune Magazine had rated it one of the top 5 Oyster bars in the United States. What greeted us on our first trip was an impressive oyster bar which it turns out is 21 feet long! 21 feet of gleaming silver with tiers of trays filled with oysters lovingly nestled in ice. Surrounding the oysters an array of trophies, most of them attributable to Master Oyster Shucker, David Leck.

David has won many competitions, some based on speed. Check this out:

Before going to Elliot’s I’d had oysters and I knew I liked them but I knew nothing about the different types of oysters and sadly, I’d never had a minionette sauce. What a stroke of luck it was for us to not only discover Elliott’s but to sit down at the oyster bar with David shucking oysters. Because we were interested in the varieties of oysters and how they compared, David took the time to educate us and allow us to try out the various oysters he had on hand. In fact he spoiled us rotten. He may have spoiled us for oysters anywhere else while he was at it. My favorites were the Kumakoto Oysters, a small deep-cupped variety with a pretty fluted edge. They were small but flavourful with a delicate, slightly sweet flavour.

Back in Austin, Tx, we’d only eaten oysters with horseradish, ketchup and hot sauce. Man do I feel like a heathen now. One of the things I noticed about the oysters David served us was just how fresh they were and how much liquor they had. The iciness of the champagne mignonette sauce made for a perfect accoutrement.

After we’d eaten our fill of oysters, David mentioned to us that they had a Happy Hour on Mondays from 3-6 and that the oysters were .50 cents apiece to start with and gradually increased in price. Well that sounded like too good of a deal to pass up so on Monday, our last day in town, we returned to gorge ourselves happily on raw oysters. We managed to eat 6 dozen!

With the taste still fresh in our mouths, we returned to Texas. A few days later, craving more oysters, we made our way to Quality Seafood, undoubtedly the best seafood store in Austin but sadly they just couldn’t compare to the wonderful oysters we had at Elliott’s. This is not meant as a slam agains Quality Seafood, they are excellent and we’re very lucky to have them in Austin! Ah well, back to horseradish, ketchup and hot sauce. Don’t worry Seattle, we’ll be back!

Eliott’s Oyster House, Elliott’s, Oysters, Kumamoto, David Leck, Oyster Bar, Seattle, Pier 56, Master Oyster Shucker, Quality Seafood, Austin, minionette, champagne