The 30 Seattle Restaurant Experiences You Must Have Before You Die
Call it our Where-to-Eat Bucket List: Dining moments so special, so iconic, so emblematic of the culinary extravaganza we call Seattle…you must experience them at least once in your life.
By Kathryn RobinsonWith contribution from Kristin Cordova
Sample Salsa at La Carta de Oaxaca
Authentic mole negro and albondigas and entomatadas on stylish Ballard Ave render La Carta de Oaxaca one of the really unlikely finds in this town. Bring a crowd of folks you like a lot (you’ll be standing in line with them), then send someone up to the salsa bar to fetch pots of each of that day’s five fresh choices for an informal sampling. With La Carta’s lighter-than-air housemade tortilla chips as conveyances, try ’em all, including an admirable tomatillo salsa verde and one red version whose bright fire will light up your taste buds like a pinball machine. La Carta de Oaxaca, 5431 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-782-8722; lacartadeoaxaca.com
Put Yourself in Scott Carsberg’s Hands at Lampreia
Scott Carsberg is one of Seattle’s great natural resources. The West Seattle kid with the humble origins apprenticed with the great chefs of Europe, then returned to dazzle his hometown. He’s a master of pure ingredients, distilled flavors, and minimalist preparations; and what dinner in the spare dining room at Lampreia may lack in warmth of decor or service Carsberg makes up for with intense, exhilarating plates, presented in museum-quality compositions. His five-course Apple Tasting menu nails his unique vision in a distinctly Northwest way. Dungeness crab tucked into transparent slices of sweet Honeycrisp. Apples stuffed with foie gras, stuffed into dumplings, fashioned into cake. It’s fun, smart, and sumptuous. Lampreia, 2400 First Ave, Belltown, 206-443-3301; lampreiarestaurant.com
Awaken Your Chakra to Vegetables at Sutra
No Seattle foodie’s education is complete without the four vegetarian—sometimes vegan—courses at Sutra, where prix-fixe dinners are elegantly presented in one or two seatings a night. Yes, we said vegan. And if you didn’t just stop reading you should know that chef Colin Patterson, a masterful chef of deep hospitality and serenity who sounds a gentle gong at the start of every meal, makes dishes like fig and heirloom tomato lasagna with roasted golden beets and creamed spinach taste vivid and satisfying…and, dare we say, meaty. Sutra, 1605 N 45th St, Wallingford, 206-547-1348; sutraseattle.com
Bánh Xèo Cây Me at Tamarind Tree
Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food have all enjoyed their moments in the Seattle sun, but Vietnamese cuisine has seized the spotlight. It’s all over town and up and down the sophistication spectrum, from the banh mi joints of Jackson Street to suburban pho takeouts and, now, swanky upmarket destinations. Best of ’em all is the beaut that launched the resurgence, Tamarind Tree—the Geode of Little Saigon—where a sloped and rutted urban-nightmare parking lot leads to a sleek orange room packed with folks enjoying crispy-crunchy salad rolls and lemongrass chicken and 18 pages’ worth of more. Look closely and you’ll see about half the diners carefully swaddling bits of seafood-studded mung bean–rice batter crepes in the greens and basil and mint and cilantro that make this cuisine so fresh and bracing. Tamarind Tree, 1036 S Jackson St Ste A, International District, 206-860-1404; tamarindtreerestaurant.com
Sunny-Day Cocktails on the Pink Door Deck
In the newsworthy event of a break in the overcast, Seattleites know to drop everything and head for the sun-dappled rooftop off the flea-market-chic Pink Door. Oh, you can nibble—on legendary clam linguine perhaps—but it’s a cocktail you’ll want when soaking up the sea breeze, watching the ferries ply and the seagulls dance and the sun descend. A certified civic treasure. The Pink Door, 1919 Post Alley, Pike Place Market, 206-443-3241; thepinkdoor.net
Stand in Line at Salumi
The family of New York superstar chef Mario Batali owns the thin-slice salumeria in Pioneer Square—but that’s not why the lineup starts well before doors open at 11am. It’s packed because the porchetta and meatball and finocchiona (salami with fennel) sandwiches are flawless exemplars of the cured meat sandwich the way it’s done in Italy. That’s why fans keep coming in spite of the dearth of seats and the ridiculous waits—worse late in the week, worst in nice weather. True aficionados know that rainy Tuesdays and Wednesdays in winter bring the shortest lines, and that if they pull grim enough expressions someone will break out the free salami. They also know—just like the folks who willingly queue up at Pecos Pit BBQ, Skillet, and Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream —it’s weirdly satisfying to delay gratification amid a horde of likeminded hungry. Molly Moon’s homemade Ice Cream, 1622½ N 45th St, Wallingford, 206-547-5105. 917 E Pine St, Capitol Hill, 206-708-7947; mollymoonicecream.com. Pecos Pit BBQ, 2260 First Ave S, SoDo, 206-623-0629; pecospitbbq.com. Salumi, 309 Third Ave S, Pioneer Square, 206-621-8772; salumicuredmeats.com. Skillet, visit skilletstreetfood.com for locations
Published: October 2009
exquisite read! thank you so much! I hope to delight in the best of bests restaurant hopping =)
Angelina
I would add cassoulet at Cafe Campagne to the list.
I am so pleased to see Sutra on here. There are many, MANY veg*ns here in our fine city and Sutra is a gift to us (and the rest of you) from the gods. You’ve stated here that the food is “sometimes” vegan, but the fact is that the menu is 99.9% vegan — they used some cheese in the beginning when they first opened but are not using any now. Currently they only deviate from vegan to offer cream for coffee (obviously, optional) and occasionally use honey in a dish (it will be listed and a replacement dish offered upon request). They also happen to care about things like local farmers, sustainability, etc. Not every city has a classically French-trained veg chef cooking 4 course, high-end food for its citizens at such a reasonable price. This place truly is a gem and it belongs on this list.
Oops! Lampreia is gone, sad but true! You can put yourself in Scott Carsberg’s hands at Bisato when it opens soon. Same location at Lampreia. He’s trying for a more reasonably priced wine/tapas type of place this time around.
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Kaname Izakaya is very nice, homey and fantastic family-owned Japanese restaurant. Happy Hour is great deal, you don’t want to miss that, 5-6:30PM everyday (they close Monday). Things you MUST try are Takoyaki (Octopus ball), Seared Tuna, Tori no Karaage, Kaname Steak …
Don’t miss out this lovely place, plus the waitresses are cute :-)
http://rxmedicaretax.com/ rxmedicaretax.com Make your King-Kong twice larger
There’s two I’d add to the list:
1. Canlis – I think everyone in Seattle should try it once.
2. Toulouse Petit – somewhat new, but amazing!
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I’ve tried most of the others – pretty good choices. :)
I’m surprised Paseo with their amazing Cuban pork sandwiches are not on here. Musashi’s on 45th and Wallingford is so much better than Kaname Izakaya.