In early May, on a cold winter’s night that should have been more spring-like, after a rather disappointing cheese-focused event where the cubes were small and the wine pours even smaller, we took our chances without a reservation and were lucky enough to get into Restaurant Zoe, one of our long-standing favorite restos in Belltown.

The Dungeness Crab Salad with Brioche Crouton, Green Asparagus, and Ramp Pistou (not to mention the green olives that weren’t mentioned on the menu, but definitely added intrigue to this already intriguing salad) lifted our spirits and excited our palates with the promise of spring weather to come (which has still been slow to reach our region, even though Memorial Day has now passed).

This early taste of spring on a cold, cruel evening more than qualifies Restaurant Zoe’s Dungeness Crab Salad as our Dish of the Day.

If one picture is worth 1,000 words, then this photo of Cactus’s excellent Spiced Caesar with Grilled Chicken Salad with cojita croutons, black beans, roasted corn, and lots of beautifully grilled chicken takes the cake.

We snapped it one Saturday at lunch at the glorious West Seattle branch of the Cactus trio of restos, overlooking Alki Beach. Margaritas were strong and refreshing, just what we needed that cool spring day.

A couple of weeks ago, before a movie at the Harvard Exit on Capitol Hill, we stopped in for dinner at Olivar, the popular Spanish-French bistro located in the historic Loveless Building right across the street from the theater.

Every dish from the Baby Lettuces with Butternut Squash and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds to the Sea Scallops with Roasted Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Currants, and Fresno Chile Oil was outstanding, but it was one of the ever-changing daily specials–the Mussels with Salsa Verde–that really won my heart. Tarragon was the herb du jour/del día featured in a light broth that might have been thickened with tangy crème fraîche rather than weighted down with heavy cream.

Coincidentally, a few days later, a press release showed up in my in box, touting three-course, $25 “Taxpayer Special” dinners offered at Olivar three nights a week.

“Everyone can use a little help these days,” says chef/owner, Philippe Thomelin.

Amen.

The prix-fixe menu will run through April on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. (As of April 1, Olivar will be closed on Mondays.) The $25 “Taxpayer Special” will also be available during Sunday brunch hours.

Here’s a sample menu:

Baby Lettuce with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage Vinaigrette & Pumpkin Seeds

or

Nettle Soup with Wild Rice, Hazelnut & Cranberry

or

Serrano Ham Tarte Fine with Caramelized Onion & Aged Mahon

—

Pimiento Relleno a lo Pobre (Stuffed Anaheim pepper with braised pork, potato & fried egg)

or

Grilled Squid with Housemade Harissa & Crusted Vegetable Galette

or

Roasted Quail Stuffed with Mushroom, Sage & Polenta

—

Chocolate & Almond Pithiviers

or

Rhubarb & Apple Crumble with Vanilla English Custard

Years ago, during the five years I served as food editor at Seattle Homes & Lifestyles magazine, I wrote an article entitled, “Seattle’s Top-10 Restaurant Dishes.” Among my top picks was the yummy Mussels Pigalle served at Place Pigalle in the Pike Place Market.

Here’s what I had to say back then:

“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.”

And here’s what I say now:

“I’m glad to report that when Lluvia and Seth Walker bought Place Pigalle from Bill Frank several years ago, they kept the Mussels Pigalle, along with other signature dishes such as Calamari Dijonnaise and the Chocolate Pot de Crème on their menu, while adding new favorites. Here’s a recent photo of the mussels served in all their glory.

And still, I’m happy to report, among Seattle’s Top-10 dishes.

A post-holiday meal in early January at Cafe Juanita turned up many outstanding dishes. But I was most taken by one intriguing appetizer: Alaskan King Crab with Poco Carretto Green Apple Sorbetto and Crab Butter Powder. Cafe Juanita chef/owner and fellow Seattle Dame, Holly Smith, served the dish at the James Beard Foundation Gala Awards dinner last May, and it’s been a popular item on Cafe Juanita’s menu ever since.

(An aside. Poco Carretto Gelato is Smith’s latest brainchild. The authentic Italian dessert made its debut in June 2008 at the Fremont Farmers Market. Sorbets and gelatos that bear the Poco Carretto name, which translates as “little cart” in Italian, contain only the finest local, organic ingredients.)

Anyway, I’m afraid this romantic, venerable, dimly lit restaurant in Kirkland isn’t the best place to try to take plate shots. And since the picture above doesn’t begin to do justice to the ephemeral dish, I hope to make amends with my words.

Imagine, if you will, a cool scoop of sweet/tart apple sherbet draped with several salty/sweet fingers of king crab. Next comes a generous sprinkle of crab butter powder, the essence of crab. Dive–all-at-once, ice-cream-sundae-like–into the dish’s creamy/soft texture and buttery/briny taste to experience true Pacific Northwest cuisine!

These thoughts from chef Holly (as reprinted from jbfnotes, the James Beard Foundation member newsletter) , “This combination is tried and true. My twist is to make a green-apple sorbetto with as much acidity as I can leave in the apples, and then give it a drizzle of fruity Ligurian olive oil, Maldon salt, and top this with fresh chilled Alaskan king crab and crab butter powder.”

Every now and then, I just crave a real, perfectly crafted French omelet. And Cafe Campagne’s Omelet Choisy, a French-style rolled omelet flavored with herbs and filled with escarole and chèvre, always fills the bill. Here it is photographed in all its plumped-with-escarole-and-goat-cheese and studded-with-herb goodness.

It’s normally served with housemade chicken-and-pork sausage and roasted potatoes. But I prefer a simple green salad, dressing on the side myself. Along with a pairing of pink grapefruit juice, Omelet Choisy more than qualifies as my Dish of the Day.

Happy to report that Julie Andrés, chef/owner, and Julia Bandy, sommelier, are doing a wonderful job at La Medusa in Seattle’s booming Columbia City neighborhood. Julie A.’s menu offers heartfelt and delectable seasonal food; Julia B.’s wine list is well thought out and reasonably priced.

Earlier this fall, we enjoyed an appetizer of Grilled Sardines (big ones!) perfectly cooked and seasoned with nothing more than chopped garlic, good sea salt, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. They paired perfectly with Julia B.’s suggested wine: a bottle of 2005 Chiarandà Chardonnay from Sicily.

Here is the dynamic duo doing its dance on the plate. Which more than qualifies La Medusa’s Grilled Sardines as our Dish of the Day.

Purple Café and Wine Bar, with locations in downtown Seattle (my stomping ground), Kirkland, and Woodinville, does a great job with its cheese plate. I order several cheeses with all the accouterments and a flight of wine and am good to go.

Here’s the gorgeous platter which I enjoyed with the Local White Flight: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. What a way to “fly!”

The platter includes Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese (the cheese with the thin line of ash in the middle); a blue cheese from Cashel Cheese, a farmstead cheese maker in Ireland; Mimolette, the hard, dark-orange cheese with the grainy brown rind that looks like a cantaloupe at first glance; and Tronchon, a semi-soft cheese that’s mild and pleasing. Mixed olives, Marcona almonds, quince paste, and apples, plus heavy iron baskets full of crispy crackers, rounded out our cheese-y happy hour.

Il Bistro is one of the Pike Place Market’s most reliable restaurants, with its romantic arched dining room and dark, intimate bar. Spencer and I like to go there on impulse, when the mood seems right, and quite often we enjoy the Seafood di Mare. . .Seafood Pasta along with a bottle of Peter Dow’s Cavatappi Nebbiolo.

A few weeks ago I enjoyed what I knew would have to become one of my picks for Dish of the Day when I enjoyed the Wild King Salmon with Beets and Chanterelles at Matt’s in the Market. Not only did executive chef Chester Gerl’s dish rise above the ordinary, but it reached new heights when paired with a bottle of Brick House Vineyards 2007 “Les Dijonnais” Pinot Noir. The buttery beets, with their earthy flavor, created a provocative counterpoint with the berry elements in the silky wine made from Dijon clones.

This dish is what tasting terroir is all about!