10 Best Restaurants 2009
Poppy
622 Broadway E, Capitol Hill, 206-324-1108; poppyseattle.com
THE VISION
“I wasn’t intentionally trying to go the absolute opposite of the Herbfarm, but I did have in mind very clean, modern, Scandinavian design. The idea was to make the food the focus. I just wanted to make food that was more approachable, less fussy. I was tired of all the petals and garnishes. That’s why I was so excited when I went to India and discovered thali —all these different small plates on a tray, very fresh and healthy, each about flavor. It was a matter of about an hour between having the idea and starting to work on it. Diners love this idea of not committing to one dish. And it’s small plates, a lot of them, but designed to go together. Looking back I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned the word India—a lot of people still come in expecting Indian food.” — Jerry Traunfeld, chef and owner, Poppy
THE VERDICT
With its brick walls and concrete floors, unupholstered blond wood and wall of people-watching windows, Poppy at the north end of Broadway looks a lot like an urban cafeteria. So why do folks flock here as a destination? Because owner and chef Jerry Traunfeld once ran the region’s most venerated culinary destination; that bastion of nine-course, straight-from-the-garden meals, the Herbfarm. And he is, at the moment, the best chef in Seattle.
He’s fastidious, for starters. Every detail is in place—the staff efficient and appealing, the postage-stamp herb garden in back finely manicured, the hand-drying machine in the restrooms startlingly high-tech. Even desserts are not afterthoughts: Traunfeld hired pastry pro Dana Cree to produce an array of herbal and floral panna cottas and tarts and sorbets that are consistently the best in town.
But it’s all just the right showcase for Traunfeld’s culinary skill set. Diners order thali —an Indian method of eating in which 10 small plates arrive together on a tray—or Traunfeld’s lighter American accommodation, “Smalli,” with just six plates. (Nimbly, he added more of these along with larger starters when thalis proved initially intimidating.) The dishes reflect Traunfeld’s obsession with seasonality and his facility with herbs, so a midsummer thali might contain a cool cucumber gazpacho, bright with lemon basil, along with a dish of English peas with fresh fennel and an inspired combination of leek strands with taggiasca olives and savory.
A maestro of flavor layering, Traunfeld completes Wagyu steak with sweet onions and farro; a sockeye filet with sea beans and bacon and a creamy pinot noir sauce (a supple dazzler that Herbfarm devotees will recognize). Then he’ll add a gratin, something pickled perhaps, a slab of naan (his one Indian convention). It’s a lot of food, but Traunfeld’s touch is light and healthful.
Every little dish contains its own universe of flavor—but is designed to enhance every other dish on the tray. Thus Traunfeld has revolutionized the traditional small-plate model, composing combinations like, well, the chef, rather than leaving that important business to the diner.
Published: October 2009
Serious pie is amazing! We try to treat ourselves every month.
Fairly new to the Seattle area, and this list was great. I am excited to knock out all 1-10!
We are from Wisconsin. While visiting our son in Seattle this summer, we celebrated my wife’s birthday at the Boat Street Cafe. A nice ambience. A varied menu. Fabulous food. The service was excellent.
I love this list! We’ve enjoyed a few of the Top 10 before, and look forward to going to the rest. Good to see Seattle classics on here like Canlis and Rovers, as well as some of the newer places like Spring Hill.
I agree with Jefferson…great list. Classics deserve to stay on the list if they continue to innovate and impress! Can’t wait for the parentals to come to town…going to Boat Street and Crush for sure!
I went through the whole list wrote them down and I want to try them all. Your reviews were great. My birthday is in feb and we are going to try one of these fabulous sounding restaurants. Thankyou Sherry in south king county.
Hey,
how are you?
i’m coming into seattle and was wandering if a pro like this blog could help me out in terms of…
1. best breakfast – i’m coming in on thurs, so cant do the corson building- so depressed
2. best lunch/dinner place to eat good seattle grub fare.
thanks so much!!! anything else i must eat etc like donuts just let me know too – yum yum.. i’m so jealous you have it all at your fingertips!
michelle
you should update for the best restaurant in 2009, don’t you think ?
Serious Pie is pretty damned good, but it says a lot about Seattle that one of it’s best restaurants is a pizza joint.
If Rovers can nail it’s consistency problem down, it would probably be a strong candidate for top spot in WA, maybe even contend for a michelin star.
For serious foodies, hop a ferry to Bainbridge (half an hour, great for visiting relatives) and walk to “The Harbourside Pub.” Looks like a fun, happy Pub joint with lots of micro-beers. What it really is that’s different is locally grown foods, highly creative seasonal choices of organic and grass-fed beef. The foodies will be happy and so will the whole family (no kids). There’s even a sunny deck. The owners have made this possible by working directly with local farmers—you can really taste the difference in the food. Best list for 2011?
Great list! will try some of those.
Serious Pie is seriously UN-amazing. None of Tom Douglas’s restaurants are at all impressive compared to chef owned restaurants in Seattle including most that are on this top ten list. Tom knows how to market himself and make money. Cooking great food with authenticity and sustainability? He doesn’t have it. Serious Pie is a step up from Pagliachi, but not anything I would write home about. I miss Brasa’s fig pizza…. that is worth writing home about.
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“Welcome to our site onslko.org!!! Friends today the world is facing uncounted problems in life, and happiness is the need of everyone. So visit here and full fill your life with happiness. Here is one solution of your all problems. Kindly visit www.onslko.org (The place of Miracles)”
Hi, this is a good post, indeed a great job. You must have finished good research for the work.
Today, however, the most important cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in all departments, and even if you have visited recently, you can be sure that the next time you go, there will be more new restaurants and attractions in what could visit.
nice article enjoyed reading.
ok I am going to Seattle next week to visit a friend and I think we are definitely going to try some of the restaurants!!!!
I’m not much into reading, but somehow I got to read many articles in your webpage.
Its fantastic how interesting it is for me to visit you very often.
I think you reviews were great and good. I already bookmarked this website and shared with my friends on facebook.
Hi,
These are all great. Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?
Hi,
Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?
The photos made me go in the kitchen and grab something to eat.
Great… Excellent list of restaurant… thanks for sharing this…
Thank our extravagance of edible resources, entrepreneurial enterprise, and culinary exuberance.
Wow man, it is interesting.
I feel hungry