palace kitchen

It occurred to me last weekend that I have been somewhat remiss in my duties!  I’ve been blogging about food in Seattle for how long now, and not a single entry for a Tom Douglas joint?  I quickly set about fixing this glaring oversight, gathered the crew and headed for Palace Kitchen to refresh my memory.  If you’re just joining us, Tom Douglas is generally considered the premier Restaurateur in Seattle, with five distinct places to his name.  He is often credited with being the first to garner national attention for our regional cuisine and for putting us on the culinary map.  He’s also ridiculously humble, given the breadth of his accomplishments (including the James Beard award for Best Northwest Chef in 1994).

Located on 5^th Ave. and Lenora underneath the monorail, Palace Kitchen is not quite my favorite in the Tom Douglas empire, but it is irrefutably one of the most vibrant and swanky destinations in town.  The energy is always buzzing, the bar is always packed, and with reservations for only 6+ guests, you will often have to wait for a table amidst the throngs of beautiful Belltown residents.  Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure I’ve never managed to actually get a seat at the bar, it’s always that crowded.  Sparkling, candlelit chandeliers hang from the vaulted ceiling and an enormous gold-framed mural depicting an epic “Palace Feast” adds to the opulence.  The space is dark and airy and a little overwhelming.

The frenetic pace is often reflected in the wait service, which at best seems exhausted, and at worst, nonexistent.  Settle in for a long haul, especially if it’s late late (Palace Kitchen is one of the few places in Seattle that actually stays open until 1AM).  Don’t get perturbed if they forget the bread service, they’ll get around to it eventually (and you will be happy when they do – the bread comes from Douglas’ Dahlia Bakery and is some of my favorite in town; soft and flavorful, with a bowl of delightful, buttery arbequina olive oil for dipping).  The appetizers are hearty and inventive, and a perennial favorite is the palace olive poppers, deep fried and served with a thick, herb sour cream.  Unfortunately during this particular visit, they arrived disconcertingly cold.

No matter – we had also ordered an enormous grilled Oregon sardine, served whole with a garlicky salsa verde that quickly turned our attention away from the olives.  The sardine was flayed down the center, but we still had to debone the fish before partaking.  It was smoky and tender and really great.  We were seated in a booth back by the enormous open kitchen and could smell the food being fired on the enormous apple wood burning grill that is the centerpiece of the Palace Kitchen.  This grill is responsible for another iconic Douglas dish, the palace burger royale.  Juicy and served “with nearly traditional accompaniments”, it was one of the first tastes of (Oregon country) beef that I remember after my pescetarian days came to an end.  And while I think it has since been dethroned by the burger at Spring Hill (upstart Mark Fuller was formerly the head chef at Douglas’ Dahlia Lounge), who wants to drive to West Seattle for a burger?

Ha.

Next to the royale, the other equally well-known dish at Palace Kitchen would be the “plin” – a very tiny, almost miniscule, Piedmontese style ravioli.  Stuffed with a roast pork and chard filling and topped with a mountain of shaved parmesan cheese, the plin are delicate and rich and will literally melt in your mouth.  They are also on the saltier side of things, like so many other dishes in the apparently sodium deficient Northwest.  I’ve found it better to order the plin as an appetizer, and avoid it as a main course.

But back to the evening at hand.  No burgers this time out, no hypertension.  Instead: pan fried pork loin schnitzel, served with pickled red hot and green bell peppers and spicy grain mustard.  The lean, boneless cutlet was wonderfully crispy and the slivered peppers provided bright color and a nice briny tang.  Douglas is famous for his New American, high concept comfort food, and this schnitzel was a pretty good indicator of his prowess.  Others ordered seasonal Alaskan halibut and wood grilled chicken wings, and we all shared plates and enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

To cap the evening, it is almost criminal to neglect the famous Dahlia triple coconut cream pie.  Topped with shaved curls of white chocolate and toasted coconut, this dessert is pretty much Tom Douglas’ hallmark dish and can be had at most if not all of his restaurants (or purchased at the Dahlia Bakery).  And for good reason.  I know I’ve mentioned that I’m not terribly into dessert, but this pie is SO GOOD, I hardly know what to say.  The crust is flaky, the cream is whipped and not-too-sweet.  It’s both light and decadent.  We all split a piece, were sated and eventually parted company on what felt like the first warm night in ages.  It was the perfect way to herald the arrival of Spring.