|
Dining in Seattle's Top Restaurants
An upscale Mexican
restaurant in Fremont has fiesty margaritas.
With water at
its sides and unique flavors of the Pacific Northwest plentiful, it's
easy to eat well in Seattle.
The king of the food chain here is salmon. It's everywhere, from the
posh restaurants to the pubs. Most of the salmon is from streams or
farms and very few (if any) come from adjacent Pugent Sound. That's
good, because a sudden demise in the whale population has raised major
concerns about the health of marine life in the Sound. Order away; just
ask the origin of the catch.
Don't be skittish of touristy Pike Place; there are several good places
to get salmon and seafood,, including the rustic spots across from the
marketplace. Just south of Pike Place is one of the tastiest salmon
sandwiches to be found. It's at the large and casual Pike Pub &
Brewery (1st Ave. at Union). Other menu items are reportedly tasty,
as well.
Back at the market, The Athenian is a classic old restaurant
with wooden booths and a faithful gathering of locals, old-timers, newcomers
and tourists. Part of "Sleepless in Seattle" was filmed here.
Away from the tourists are the fish boats of Ballard. This small
community, founded by Scandinavian fishermen and loggers more than 100
years ago, has fresh fish and prices much lower than downtown. It's
also the home of our Best Sunday Brunch (see below):
For fish of all kinds, the Flying Fish in Belltown is regarded
as the city's finest fish restaurant. It certainly is popular; getting
a table requires at least a half-hour wait, even on Mondays. It's a
favorite for many of the city's pro athletes The Flying Fish is just
one of many cool little restaurants in Belltown – the Belltown
Brewery, Belltown Pizza and the creative Ohana Japanese Polynesian
Grill with its small but potentially lively bar. A popular Mexican
place is Mama's (2nd Ave). It's down-and-dirty and cheap.
 While
we're on the subject of mixing food with drink, the best restaurant/bar
is Peso's (see below) and while in the neighborhood, Rahgi
Thai is popular among the Queen Anne crowd. The late-night eatery
for bar crawlers is 13 Coins (125 Boren Ave.), though it's a
bit more upscale than one would might and the high-backed booths add
an extra challenge to post-bar mingling. So, too, does the staff, who
apparently think people who go in there at 3 in the morning are actually
looking for something to eat.
Serafina, an Italian restaurant in East Lake, is the perfect
place to take a date. It's in cozy, rustic building with a flower-lined
patio that serves country Italian food at reasonable prices. Bandelon
is a highly-regarded tapas restaurant in the same area.
More neighborhood dining can be found in the artistic-turning-somewhat-yuppie
community of Fremont north side of Lake Union. El Camino is an
upscale Mexican restaurant that makes a Cadillac margarita with a lively
kick. Bouchee is a tasty crepe cafe. There are several pubs and
bars in the area, covered in our pubs
and clubs section.
After an afternoon of running, rollerblading or just exploring Green
Lake, find an outdoor seat at BluWater (above photo) for a good
brunch or lunch. Omelets, salads and our favorite, "Joe's special"
of scrambled eggs, beef and spinach are on the menu, served by attractive
and friendly waitresses. If you feel like seafood, Duke's Chowder
House has a large, inviting deck. If it's dinner time, The Green
Lake Bar & Grille has the best Happy Hour food deals.
The Best of Seattle – Restaurants
& Dining
Best Restaurant/Bar: Peso's in Queen Anne. The food is okay
and there's nothing special about the margaritas, so it must be the
crowd.
Best Sunday Brunch: Ray's Boathouse in Ballard.
Best Chowder: Iver's Salmon House. Located on the water, it
has great chowder overlooking the local boat docks.
Best Pizza: North Lake Pizza & Tavern (just down from Iver's),
serves thick pizza piled Space Needle-high with ingredients.
Best Sushi: Wasabi Bistro in Belltown. It serves huge pieces
of sushi in a fun atmosphere.
Best Thai: Thai Tom, U District. A little dive place that's
well worth the long wait.
Best Happy Hour Deal: McCormick & Schmick's. Several
dishes for $1.99. It occurs twice a day, the latter from 9:30-11 p.m.
There are two locations, near Pioneer Square on 1st Ave., but better
yet, Harborside at Lake Union. The bar there can get somewhat lively
when the workers from the tour boats stop in for drinks.
Best Breakfast: The Blue Star Cafe & Pub (Stone Way North
& 45th across the river near Fremont). Big omelets, eggs galore
and bloody marys. It's always crowded, so if you're aching, belly up
to the bar.
Best Coffee Shop: Flowers in the U District (42nd Street). The
name changes frequently but the crowd stays the same. A great place
to gather, hang and read PubClub's city guide, which was printed out
for just such an occasion.
 Continue
on the Party Bus to Vancouver, B.C.
|