Gastrolust

Seattle Restaurant Week has returned to town, this year adding even more restaurants to bring the total to over 160 participants. This week and next, Sunday through Thursday (April 7-11 and 14-18), diners can indulge in a three-course menu (appetizer, entree, and dessert) for just $28.

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Lately I’ve been wondering: What is the best bite from the ocean? What seafood do I find most seductive? There are plenty of great choices. I love sea urchin and oysters, and when Ethan Stowell puts them together, you get the best combination of seafood I’ve ever eaten. I’m crazy about clams (especially razor clams), [...]

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At first glance, that platter of sushi that Hajime Sato serves you at Mashiko in West Seattle looks like any other. But take a closer look. And listen to the man as he explains what you’re eating. While you won’t find bluefin tuna or unagi (eel) here, you will find fish that’s a little different, [...]

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Thirteen years ago I planned a trip to Reykjavik, signing up for a tour that would have me on an Icelandic horse to tölt my way across the interior of the country. I had just toured Ireland’s Ring of Kerry on horseback, and was hot on this new way to be a tourist. Complying with [...]

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Pearl is what most any grungy or grunge-loving Seattleite would imagine an Eastside restaurant to be: a swanky, people-watching place that smacks of a nightclub. The bar scene can be boisterous, full of beautiful Bellevueites, but this happens to be a restaurant that puts out some pretty good food. While there are many options for [...]

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As if the Melrose Building didn’t already have enough quality eating options, Taylor Shellfish Farms is celebrating the grand opening of its Capitol Hill store today. The store’s actually been open all month (daily 10 to 7), and it’s a fabulous place to shop for shellfish. Here you’ll find local geoduck, Manila clams, Mediterranean mussels, [...]

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Ask about a good deal on oysters, and you’ll likely get directed to Elliott’s Oyster House on the downtown waterfront. Each weekday, Elliott’s offers a progressive oyster happy hour from 3pm to 6pm. At 3pm, chef’s choice of oysters runs fifty cents apiece, with the price increasing twenty-five cents every half hour. Sneak in just [...]

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South Lake Union is the scene of Chef Christine Keff’s relocated Flying Fish restaurant. I went in for a tasting menu experience, expecting a series of small bites, but was blown away by a big, welcoming platter of crabs. Keff explained that she loves to serve such platters (which can also be sizzling Gulf shrimp [...]

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Wednesday, I got a sneak peek at Blueacre Seafood, Kevin Davis’ new restaurant in the Oceanaire space where he once worked. My dining companion and I dug the chance to sit in one of the marlin skin-like booths close to the opened-up kitchen, taking in some of the sights, smells, and sounds of the action. [...]

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Here are five quick bites, culminating with news about a national champion. Ivar’s is a Seattle institution. No doubt about that. And that institution was in the news this year, with stories about its underwater billboards. For me, the story is whether its food warrants a stop or not. This past year, I had chances [...]

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