Spent a week in Seattle. Sure, I was doing work, but I was mostly eating. Since I'm landlocked, and Seattle is not, I went seafood heavy. Why not? I like fish, and I forgot my Omega-3 supplements.
SeaStar - Chef John Howie's new seafood restaurant in the Union Square is only 3 weeks old and is sister to the Sea Star in Bellevue, WA. He's an expert at cedar plank cooking, so it's no wonder that the house specialty is the Cedar Plank Salmon. Smoky, with a flavorful dry rub, it's a winner, but didn't especially wow me, perhaps because of raised expectations. The broccoli, though, also had the subtle smokiness that I was NOT expecting, and I really took to the flavor. Appetizers included two different ceviches, Japanese Hamachi and Halibut. Not bad, the halibut is the better choice. The Calamari Poppers are squid stuffed with spicy tuna. Awesome. The spicy tuna really has a kick to it, so watch it. Salmon Poke - raw salmon diced with herbs and spices. Really great. Came with taro chips.
Steelhead Diner - Two words. Black Cod. Get it. It's Asian-inspired, what with the ginger, soy, and bok choy. It's the closest thing I've ever had to Chilean Sea Bass which is truly my all-time favorite fish. Now it's a tie between that and Black Cod. With my food karma on full steam, I ended up with a full order to go, and I traveled with it all the way home so that I could share it with the hubby. I just wanted him to understand what it is that we're missing by not living by the ocean. Oh, and careful with the beet tartare salad. It could be phenomenal, but they mix it with capers, which is a pretty weird combination. I had to really work to try to like it, and when you have to work that hard, it kinda takes away from it.
Anthony's - Don't bother. It's so average, it's disgusting. I ordered the best thing on the menu - steamed dungeoness crab. Can't go wrong with something you just need to steam. Everyone else's seafood looked a little sickly. No thank you.
Nijo Sushi - Pretty good, but it isn't better than the sushi I've had in Orange County. Chefs are younger and cuter, though. Nuff said.
Matt's at Pike's - A real gem. Had to sit at the bar since it was Friday night and it was packed. We saw the actor who plays the detective on CSI in the corner waiting for some folks, so my bold friend walked right up to him, said hello, and asked for a picture. He was polite and said it would be okay, even though he didn't usually make that a habit. My brief brush with fame. At this point, I was at my caloric limit, which is saying something because my caloric limit is much higher than it really should be. So we got two apps and shared an entree. Beets on top of mixed greens on top of sheep's milk cheese. Really a great dish. Pork belly - not as good as David Chang's in NYC. That stuff is legendary and I have yet to find anything close. Short Ribs with hominy grits - now we're talking. Moist, tender, falling apart. Yes, sir. Loved this place!
Jade Garden - Reportedly the best dim sum in Seattle. I believe it. Really good flavor, fairly quick service, and it's not as surly as when you're in a bigger city.
Other places that I missed but intend on visiting next time - Monsoon for some modern Vietnamese, and Flying Fish for some excellent fish tacos, so I've been told...
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