Seattle offers a variety of great places to wine and dine that fly right under the radar. Seattleites enjoy their casual elegance when it comes to fine dining and they certainly do not shout it from the rooftops when a place is simply fantastic. As a Seattle enthusiast myself, I decided to take a trip to uncover, and in some cases rediscover, the hidden treasures of the Seattle food scene.
TOUR DE SEATTLE – Savor Seattle Food Tour offers a unique experience to provide the opportunity to meet with chefs from a range of long standing staple restaurants in Seattle to newly opened restaurants ready for review. There are a series of tours to choose from with Savor Seattle that will interest a multitude of palates. For those chocolate lovers, there is a tour dedicated to all things chocolate.
I chose the Gourmet Food Tour in Downtown Seattle. Armed with my comfortable shoes, hat and appetite, I was ready for this walking tour. The wonderfully entertaining tour guide was both knowledgeable and energetic. A quaint group of about 15 people walked from restaurant to restaurant to be greeted personally by each chef and presented with a specially prepared dish upon arrival. When making your reservation online, they ask if you have any allergies or special food requirements. Each restaurant is notified of the special requirements for the group and the tastings are prepared accordingly. We went to eight locations in about three hours. The food and wine pairings were sublime. Savor Seattle has scores of partner restaurants, so each tour has its on unique flare. The highlights to my tour were the following:
- Mayflower Park Hotel – Anadulca's Crispy Duck Cake. The presentation was impeccable. The dish was light and flavorful on a bed of cucumber raita yogurt sauce. It was paired with a zesty and crisp Sangria. The in-house chef shared with us that the fruit and wine were in a marinade for an abnormal duration of 48 hours. Everything about this dish and pairing was high on creativity and made a positive taste statement. It was just down right good! The sangria recipe is available on the restaurant's website.
- Il Bistro's Clam Risotto - This creamy, melt in your mouth dish had no dairy or butter additive. The chicken and wine stock with organic chives made this dish a crowd favorite with a bold Washington Sangiovese 2008 Columbia Valley pairing.
- Serious Pie - A pizza place that is seriously good! Everything is made to order with freshly picked ingredients home grown by the owner's farm. The olive oil used created such a moist contrast to the crispness of the crust. The fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes were heavenly. Another treat was seeing the wood burning ovens as you walk in.
THE GREAT QUAD – First & Union near the famous Public Market has four attractions on each corner that goes in the "must indulge" category. Any or all four of these spots are sure to titillate even the most obscure of tastes.
- Seattle's Art Restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel - Even on a budget, everyone can enjoy world-class cuisine. The Art Restaurant & Lounge has an excellent happy hour menu that includes three delicious mini-burgers for $6 and a cheese bar which features, on average, 30 different cheeses from around the world, all you can eat for $12. The view of the Puget Sound is breathtaking on a sunny day. The aesthetics is modern in design and creates a sensual atmosphere arguably constructed to ignite good conversation.
- The Pike Pub and Brewing Company - For a lover of fine beer and a sports enthusiast, The Pike Pub gives you both in a large space. In addition to brewing their own beer in-house, there is a large variety of beers from around the globe. The hummus on the menu is also a great pairing. Flat screen panels and a game always on, makes for a worthy stop for any beer connoisseur.
- Japonessa Sushi Cocina Restaurant - This newly opened restaurant is a creative fusion of Japanese and Latin cuisine. Black and white décor made for an impressive entry and a casually elegant dining experience. The Casanova Roll incorporated well seasoned snow crab filled with notably fresh ingredients. The innovative Green Tea Tiramisu dish is so delicious it alone is worth the visit!
- Seattle Art Museum (SAM) - The highly anticipated Picasso exhibition will be featured here from October 8, 2010 – January 17, 2011. Over 150 works will be shown in Seattle as the first US location on its tour. Before or after you have a great meal, visit the world-renowned SAM to round out your visit to The Great Quad.
VEGAN COUTURE (that even a carnivore would love) – Hillside Quickie provides all organic, non-meat, non-dairy cuisine. It is a sleeper spot that is slowly rising in popularity. They are most known for their sandwiches and burgers. A personal favorite of mine is the Crazy Jamaican (tofu) burger. It is prepared on the grill and seasoned to perfection with traditional Jamaican jerk sauce. A carnivore will never miss the meat. Since my college days, Hillside Quickie has expanded into a franchise, with various locations around Seattle. This is a guilt-free way of enjoying one of America's favorite pass time, digging into a great burger!
On your next foodie vacation, Seattle will not disappoint. It is often the restaurants that are not on billboards that end up giving you the best dining experience. On my most recent trip to the Emerald City, I can attest to that most certainly being the case. Bon appetite!
Resources to help you plan:
Seattle Art Museum – Picasso Exhibition forthcoming
Japonessa Sushi Cocina Restaurant
Art Restaurant and Lounge, Four Season Hotel
