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Seattle’s Top Restaurant Dishes

I suppose normal people fantasize about Brad Pitt or J.Lo, expensive race cars or sleek yachts. Food writers fantasize about the best dishes they’ve ever tasted.

Seattle enjoys more than its fair share of fantasy dishes. The creations I’ve singled out encompass the appetizers, main courses, and salads I really relish; those I relive in my mind’s eye and my olfactory glands; those I spend my own money to consume.

Seattle’s best dishes are an eclectic, often eccentric lot. I classify some as the brilliant and singular creations of their chefs, such as Tom Douglas’ Cold-Smoked Salmon with Corn Bread Pudding and Shiitake Relish (served at Etta’s Seafood) or Thierry Rautureau’s Scrambled Egg with Lime Crème Fraïche and White Sturgeon Caviar (Rover’s).

I always appreciate a chef who plays with his or her food, so other “bests” include whimsical, yet successful dishes such as Palace Kitchen’s Caesar Salad (which sports one fist-sized, perfectly gilded crouton atop a raft of generously dressed whole romaine lettuce leaves) and Restaurant Zoë’s Fresh Ricotta Raviolo with Seasonal Garnishes (a luscious pillow of house-made pasta plumped with fresh ricotta cheese and sauced with heirloom tomatoes and basil in the summer or butternut squash, brown butter, and amaretti cookie crumbs in the winter).

 Finally, there are the recipes that have become Seattle classics, as well as those that best represent a particular class, such as Seattle’s best fried chicken, seafood soup, and shellfish tower. In addition to the handful of dishes I’ve recommended above, you’ll find other faves described below. I encourage you to make a reservation and see for yourself what the fuss is all about. Maybe, just maybe, your fantasies will take on a new and fresh life all their own.

Chatham Strait Black Cod in Sake Kasu

Ray's Café and Ray's Boathouse
6049 Seaview Avenue Northwest
(206) 789-3770

You might find it odd that the signature dish at Ray’s Boathouse, one of Seattle’s most venerable seafood restaurants, isn’t the ubiquitous Northwest salmon but Black Cod in Sake Kasu. The dish—grilled black cod marinated in sake lees (the fragrant, doughy sediment left over after rice is fermented to make sake)—made its debut on Ray’s menu in the mid-1980s, inspired by the celebrated Japanese chef Shiro Kashiba, who was then at Nikko and is now chef/owner of Shiro’s Sushi in Belltown. This cod treatment is a delicacy in Japan, where savvy cooks long ago learned that marinating black cod (also referred to as sablefish) in sake lees enhances the fish’s natural richness, and, when grilled, brings out a caramely sweetness. But it wasn’t until Ray’s and other local restaurants introduced it that the salty-sweet cod became a prototypical Seattle dish. Today, Chef Peter Birk serves about 400 pounds per week, and reports the backlash would be deafening if ever he ever tried to take it off the menu.

Curried Mussels

Brasa
2107 Third Avenue
(206) 728-4220

I think you could cook old tennis shoes in coconut-curry sauce and I'd eat them, I’m such a sucker for the spicy, sweet, exotic flavors of that luxuriant ambrosia. Luckily, it’s not old soles, but Mediterranean mussels that Chef Tamara Murphy cooks up in her Moroccan/Portuguese/Argentinian-inspired curry at Brasa. Murphy simmers her Curried Mussels in a cataplana (a Portuguese copper cooking vessel) over live coals. The bivalves bathe in a heady blend of housemade piri-piri (red chiles, vinegar, toasted curry powder, and salt), chopped aromatics, coconut milk, and bananas (!) until they pop open and release their briny-good juices. A bevy of delectable aromas wafts through the dining room the moment the clam-shaped cataplana is opened; too soon, only a forlorn bowl of shells remains. But all is not lost. A tray of Portuguese egg bread (freshly baked in Brasa’s wood-burning oven) hovers within reach, perfect for sopping up every last drop of that enticing coconut-curry sauce.

Dungeness Crab Salad

Etta's Seafood
2020 Western Avenue
(206) 443-6000

Dungeness crab is one of those near-perfect foods, which has always made me wonder why it is often served atop a hearty salad and doused with thick, overly sweet dressing made of mayonnaise and chili sauce. Chef Tom Douglas must agree, for his version at Etta's Seafood is almost pristine in its simplicity, a Zenlike ode to crab that respects the taste and texture of the shellfish. According to the recipe in Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen, Dungeness Crab Salad is made from Bibb lettuce, asparagus, avocado, ruby grapefruit sections, and fresh cooked crabmeat. At the restaurant, I've had it augmented with watercress, baby tomatoes, and sliced artichoke hearts. Soothing Lime Vinaigrette made of fresh lime juice, lime zest, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, honey, olive and peanut oils lightly coats the greens. For contrast, a semolina flat bread cracker is served alongside, but I prefer to pair it with rustic white bread and unsalted butter, which better mirrors the soft textures of the salad.

Fried Chicken

icon Grill
1933 Fifth Avenue
(206) 441-6330

Everyone who fantasizes about Southern fried chicken has heard that the pickings are good at Ezell’s, the Kingfish Café, and the Alki Homestead (even though, technically, the latter’s chicken is pan fried, not deep fried). But real connoisseurs crow about Chef Nick Musser’s version at the icon Grill. On the plate, three perfectly browned, crispy pieces of chicken—half a bird—arrive steaming hot, along with buttermilk mashed potatoes and home-style cream gravy. The slightly salty chicken is tender and not the least bit chewy, while the crust manages to be simultaneously light, yet crunchy. To achieve such perfection, Musser brines the bird overnight in a water-and-salt solution and mixes his flour with “cryptic seasoning blend” (New Mexico chile powder, cumin, curry, cinnamon, coriander, and 10 secret herbs and spices) plus a hint of cornstarch “for extra crispness.” The chicken pieces are dipped in buttermilk before dusting in spiced flour, then fried in canola oil for 15 minutes. Musser reports about 100 orders of icon’s  “consistent big seller” go flappin’ out the door each week. 

Grand Shellfish Platter

The Oceanaire Seafood Room
1700 Seventh Avenue
(206) 267-BASS

Oftentimes, after several nights of restaurant hopping in the name of “research,” my palate is fatigued and my body craves something clean, fresh and simple. That's when I make a reservation at the ever-stylish Oceanaire Seafood Room and order Chef Eric Donnelly’s astonishing Grand Shellfish Platter. Although listed as an appetizer and actually intended for up to four people to share, I order the smaller platter and (somehow!) manage to consume almost the whole thing by myself. That’s saying a lot, since atop an impressive dome of crushed ice are carefully arranged a boatload of raw clams and oysters on the half shell, steamed mussels, jumbo shrimp, and a tangle of Dungeness and King crab claws. Garnished with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs, the shellfish is served with a quartet of dipping sauces: kicky Fresh Horseradish Cocktail, Asian-leaning Citrus Soy, Classic Mignonette (red wine, shallot and black pepper sauce) and Mustard-Lime. The Grand Shellfish Platter ranks among Oceanaire’s best-selling items, a true gift from the sea.

Lamb Burgers

Café Campagne
86 Pine Street
(206) 728-2233

For a town renowned for its high-quality seafood, Seattle enjoys a credible number of outstanding red-meat dishes. I'm always wowed by the Cabrales-Crusted Beef Tenderloin at Andaluca or anything on Canlis' menu that involves Washington-grown, Kobe-style Wasyugyu beef. Chef Kerry Sear of Cascadia has grown almost as famous for his Tenderloin Mini-Burgers as for his multicourse tasting menus, while Ovio Bistro's Braised Beef Short Ribs are nothing short of ambrosial. But for sheer unadulterated pleasure, my vote goes to Café Campagne's Lamb Burger with balsamic onions, roasted red peppers, aïoli (garlic mayonnaise), and pommes frites. Like any good burger, it takes two hands to handle this whopper. Once you pick it up, it’s difficult to put down, like a really tasty, tender sausage (no casing to contend with!) with a spicy bite. The sweet-tart onions and charred peppers add a Mediterranean flair that just can’t be replicated by mere tomatoes or a pickle. Just beware the creamy aïoli sauce dribbling down your chin.

Miss Olga's Oatmeal Deal

5 Spot
1502 Queen Anne Avenue North
(206) 285-SPOT

I am not much of a breakfast eater. I prefer to save the bulk of my calories for the more interesting (at least to my palate) evening meal. But every now and then, perhaps due to subliminal childhood memories or my body's innate need for fiber, I get the craving for a big bowl o' oats. That's when I jump in the car and motor over to Queen Anne's humble, if ever-popular 5 Spot ("It's 5 spot, not 5 star," as the T-shirts attest) for Miss Olga's Oatmeal Deal. Now I don't know Olga, but I can only thank her for slow-simmering old-fashioned oats (none of that instant stuff!) with milk, plump dark raisins, and tart bits of Granny Smith apple until the mixture becomes a silky, luxurious mass of steamy cereal and fruit (sort of like an Americanized version of muesli, the Swiss health-food cereal). A lavish dusting of chopped pecans and a spoonful of brown sugar complete the dish, which comes in a homey earthenware crock and includes your choice of toast.

Poulet Rôti à Votre Commande, Ragoût de Lentilles et Chanterelles

Le Pichet
1933 First Avenue
(206) 256-1499

Jim Drohman, chef and co-owner of Le Pichet, wants Seattleites to realize that you can very easily (and pleasurably!) spend an hour or longer eating dinner. This fact becomes critical at Drohman’s restaurant when you order the Roasted-to-Order Chicken. The plump bird arrives steaming hot with a burnished, buttery skin (that crunches!) and the most succulent breast and juicy dark meat you’ve ever experienced. Which is fine, except that to experience such lusciousness, you must allow an hour of prep time and order it for two. No phoning ahead; Drohman insists that you enjoy an aperitif and appetizers while he “does the chicken the way it has to be done.” He begins by selecting a good-quality, 3 1/2-pound, Washington-grown, chemical-free chicken. Sprinkle with sea salt, baste with butter, roast the bird in a 500-degree oven for exactly 55 minutes, break apart and serve. Drohman’s side dishes change with the season, but creamy lentils studded with country ham, carrot cubes, and copious quantities of chanterelles suited me just fine.  Ooh-la-la!

Steamed Mussels Pigalle

Place Pigalle
Pike Place Market
(206) 624-1756

The idea for steamed mussels dressed with bacon-rich balsamic vinaigrette was inspired almost 25 years ago, long before balsamic vinegar became a household staple and mussels became a commonly ordered item in Seattle. I figured this unusual dish was discovered by Place Pigalle owner Bill Frank while wandering the backroads of France. WRONG! Back in 1982, Frank and then-chef Connie Miller Cheifetz were trying to incorporate the philosophy of the restaurant (which Frank describes as “unusual preparations of good raw products without being off the wall”) into a new appetizer. Frank also appreciates dishes that combine meat or animal components with seafood, which is where the rather offbeat (albeit brilliant) idea of pairing bacon and mussels was born. In today’s version, plump mussels are placed lip to lip like upright soldiers in a pristine porcelain ramekin, then topped with a thick balsamic vinaigrette laden with chunks of celery, shallots, and chewy lardons (bacon bits). Don’t be embarrassed to sop up the vinaigrette; luckily, Frank supplies tangy sourdough rolls, strategically suited for dipping.

Article adapted and reprinted from Seattle Homes & Lifestyles magazine. For more of Braiden's articles and recipes, please go to seattlehomesmag.com.