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Last week, I had the opportunity to show off our fair City to my aunt & uncle who were vacationing here from the Midwest. My uncle had visited on a number of occasions previously, and after several tours of the local brewpub scene had finally settled on the Elysian Brewing Company on E. Pike as his destination of choice. Now I’ve been known to toss back a pint at the Elysian, but only if I’ve already been to the Comet, Moe Bar and the Cha Cha and I’m too drunk to walk up to 15th Ave. You know, special occasions. Their beer is fine, generally mild and inoffensive, but their food quality fluctuates to an alarming degree (with way more miss than hit). I distinctly recall eating a bowl of “fancy” macaroni and cheese that tasted more like cardboard than anything out of a Kraft box.
My aunt had never been to Seattle before though, and like so many visitors before her she wanted to eat “great seafood!” Which leads me to my next digression – why doesn’t Seattle have more genuine, dedicated seafood restaurants? There’s only so many times you can eat at Ray’s Boathouse. And while I personally happen to like Flying Fish, I know many people who won’t step foot inside for innumerable reasons. Forget Anthony’s and Elliott’s (too touristy), and Oceanaire is an overpriced chain. Oh and fuck Salty’s. So… where the seafood at? This confounding issue is usually sidestepped when one realizes that any restaurant in town is likely to have something delicious and fishy on the menu. It’s kind of a given. Still, it feels like there’s an untapped market there.
Well so then, I decided the Coastal Kitchen on Capitol Hill would likely satisfy everybody. It’s that kind of place – something for everyone. Like the other CHOW neighborhood restaurants around town, the Coastal Kitchen serves up huge portions of comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everybody invariably has a favorite item on the menu and rarely deviates when ordering (I’m partial to Margo’s Grilled Cheese – white cheddar, Jarlsburg swiss, tomatoes and spinach grilled up between two massive slabs of sourdough bread). Which is actually kind of a shame, because one of the defining characteristics of the CHOW restaurants is a rotating quarterly “Festival” menu which highlights cuisine from different regions around the country and around the world. This is complete with a quarterly redesign of the artworks and other kitschy décor throughout the restaurant (including genuinely amusing, custom-made foreign language tapes that play over the loudspeaker in the bathroom). Additionally, you should know that the CHOW hash browns rule and the CHOW french fries drool.
Anyhow, the Coastal Kitchen primarily focuses on seafood, has a decent selection of beer on tap (and the spiciest Bloody Mary in town), and was currently featuring cuisine from the Mexican port city of Veracruz. This meant Carnita de Emilia for me… and the usual filet of salmon for every other person in my party: one grilled, one pan seared, one special (apparently garlic butter and brocolini is special). The carnitas were tasty enough – slow roasted adobo rubbed pork with cilantro infused rice, roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, poblano peppers and shredded red cabbage, all doused in lime and wrapped in grilled tortillas. I was satisfied with the food, and happy that everybody enjoyed themselves.
And what better way to top off the evening than drinks at Smith! But you knew that already. We drank a farewell toast to Summer, and I secretly smiled at the prospect of the coming Autumn…
About a month ago there was cause for great celebration in the house of icarus, so my partner and I decided to hit up one of our favorite places in Seattle — Lark. It would probably be difficult to substantiate, but I credit James Beard award-winning chef John Sundstrom for popularizing the small plate approach to cuisine that has taken off around here since Lark opened five years ago. He may very well have started the “no reservations” trend as well, but that’s perfectly fine with me since his adjunct cocktail oasis next door is a destination in itself. I’ll comment more on Licorous in a future post.
This particular evening was already on record as the hottest day of 2008, and the ridiculous heat definitely improved our seating odds as we were able to roll right up to a table without a wait. The lofty timbered ceiling and ethereal sheer curtains hung throughout the restaurant immediately cooled us off and we relaxed into hushed tones. We ordered around 7 plates and I paired with different glasses of wine throughout the evening (notably, both a Roussanne and a Veltliner that I hadn’t heard of before). Decided on a couple of cold salads to start with – one made of Local Roots Farm greens with beets and a sherry vinaigrette (yum) and a Maine lobster salad with avocado dressing. The lobster in particular was fresh and delicious. Then I was served pork rillettes with a peach mustard and the finest, thinly-cut slices of asian pear I’ve ever seen – they were virtually translucent. Combine on warm ficelle crostini and prepare to induce mouth orgasm.
We were thrilled to see the yellowtail carpaccio on the menu that evening, as this was one of our favorite dishes from a previous visit. Served with finely chopped green olives and preserved lemons, with beautiful slices of fennel shaved on top of the raw fish. It was maybe a touch oversalted for my palate (this is actually my number one gripe with food in this town), but it was a carpaccio after all and it was coarse ground sea salt, so the quality was there. Regardless, the total combination of seasoning on the yellowtail was genius – I will definitely order it again next time (and every time).
Next up was the biggest surprise of the evening: “Rosti potatoes with clabber cream”. I knew Sundstrom was famous for this dish, but I had no idea what to expect and I was genuinely taken aback when it arrived. Basically it’s hash browns with sour cream! But conceptually it’s the most whimsical thing I’ve seen in ages. Served in a tiny cast-iron skillet, the julienned strips of potato are arranged in a circular, interwoven pattern, with a dollop of cream right in the center – so it looks like a cute little bird’s nest with a tiny egg in the middle. Worth noting: even though we ordered off the list at the beginning of the meal in a particular way, the servers actually constructed and paired the courses very deliberately. So for example, the potatoes were the first thing I ordered, but they were served alongside our final course: the Painted Hills Culotte steak with “Billy’s” tomatoes and toasted garlic butter. The steak had an incredible richness, was perfectly prepared and wonderfully textural. Also worth noting: the service itself was impeccable.
We finished with an outstanding pot de crème. I mean, it rivaled the pot de crème at Boat Street Café, and that’s the best I’ve ever had. But this was unequivocal PERFECTION. It was another truly superlative dining experience, and there wasn’t a single dish that wasn’t flawless or genuinely innovative.
*Psst*… I’m going to tell you a secret. Monsoon on 19th Ave. E. has the best dim sum in Seattle, and quite possibly on all of the West Coast. Eric Banh is truly a master chef. Together with his sister Sophie, the two of the them craft some of the most innovative “french colonial” vietnamese cuisine I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
It’s probably not even fair to compare the dim sum at Monsoon with anything else. It’s really the platonic ideal of dim sum, far from the carts and the roar of the International District during weekend brunch. Go first thing on a Saturday or Sunday morning and order the assorted dim sum – daikon cakes, lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice, steamed bbq pork buns, shrimp dumplings and pork shu mai. You will be tempted to order more… but then you’d miss out on the rest of the menu which is equally stellar. Specifically, the masterful bowl of oxtail pho with wagyu brisket and flank steak. The broth is left to simmer for 16 hours prior to serving, which creates a ridiculously deep and soul satisfying flavor.
For the last few months of summer, they’ve also been serving $3 glasses of rosé over brunch which is simply madness considering the pedigree of their wine list. In fact, on a roughly quarterly schedule, the Banhs host a multi-course prix-fixe wine dinner. Earlier this Spring, I was thrilled to attend the “Rosé Roust!”, which featured some absolutely outstanding French rosés. In particular, I’ve been hunting for this domaine de chateau du puligny-montrachet 2007 bourgogne pinot noir rosé ever since it crossed my lips. That particular wine was paired with pan seared black cod & morning glory salad. I can still taste that fish melting in my mouth.
Which brings me to my favorite dish on the menu at Monsoon, and one of the greatest in the City: the caramelized louisiana catfish claypot with fresh coconut juice and green onions. Decided to drop by on a whim a couple of weeks ago, and was told the restaurant was completely booked for the night! There were a couple of tables open on the patio however, and it was a lovely evening so I was all over that. Tried the crispy imperial rolls with berkshire pork, shrimp and glass noodles for the first time. These were served with fresh lettuce leaves and basil to wrap and dip in the accompanying sweet sauce. I inevitably ordered the claypot catfish, with a side of jasmine rice to sop up all of the incredible sauce. You really cannot miss this fish — served straight out of the hot claypot, it is tender and sweet and sticky with a constant low level spicy burn. Was warned about the single hot pepper in my bowl, but ate it anyway. Didn’t quite see God, but there was a brief out-of-body moment. Finished with the famous spongy banana cake and crème fraîche. It was actually surprisingly substantial and not nearly as sweet as I had feared.
Go now. Go twice. Rumors continue to circulate around the sale of the building Monsoon has resided in for the past decade, with condos and retail space slated to open after demolition. (UPDATE: Hooray! Looks like the deal fell through!). Eric Banh has stated that he’d like to remain in Seattle, but with Monsoon East preparing to open soon in Bellevue, there’s no time like the present. You won’t regret it. Just don’t tell anyone else.
UPDATE: October 29
Wow, musical chefs continues at Smith. As of last week, looks like Palagi is out and Eliot Guthrie is in (Artemis, Campagne, Le Pichet, Lark). That’s some impressive chops. He’s reportedly bringing some new dishes to the menu, as well. Stay tuned!
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When I first moved to Seattle almost a decade ago, I lived in a studio in Queen Anne and the rest of my expat friends landed on Capitol Hill. We spent a lot of time at the Comet in those days. And we usually recovered the next morning over omelettes at Linda’s. Hair of the dog and the nicest people on earth. Plus there was always something good on the jukebox.
Fast forward to 2008 and Linda Derschang’s new(ish) venture Smith on 15th Ave. E. just turned ONE in June. To me it’s always seemed like the culmination of her vision, and I couldn’t feel more at home amidst the taxidermy and the noise, drinking and eating and celebrating with my friends. Or curing a hangover the following morning. Particularly helpful: the grilled gruyere and onion jam sandwich (with bacon), and requisite greens on the side. You’ll be shuffling in your Converse again before you know it.
Stopped by a couple of weeks ago for an acquaintance’s farewell party and… I just realized that earlier in the summer I went to another bon voyage party at Viceroy. I think that’s the charm of Linda’s joints — you want to say goodbye to the space as much as your friends. And there’s always something good on the jukebox. Guaranteed. Anyhow, Smith wasn’t as crowded as usual, probably because of the bizarre heatwave crushing Seattle that weekend. Shared a crispy oxtail terrine with parsley and orange, which was tasty, but very crispy – there was little indication that a ”terrine” had ever been involved. Also split the cornmeal crusted catfish with hamhock and lentils (much better, the fish was moist and the lentils were tender and flavorful). Finished with a butter lettuce salad with radishes and parmesan, which was refreshing for such a hot night.
I’ve been ridiculously obsessed with Grüner Veltliner this summer, and I was thrilled to score the last glass of the evening. I actually don’t recall the winemaker, though I do remember drinking Maker’s Mark for the rest of the night. There’s probably a correlation there. Additionally: after hearing that there had been some shakeup in the kitchen, I discovered that the original menu was designed by Gordon Wishard (of Harvest Vine and Licorous), but is currently being run by Tyler Palagi, late of Ferrara on Vashon Island (never went).
I love Smith. Try the poutine. It’s nontraditional, and lighter than anything you’d ever get in Quebec. Stay away from the Ham and Cheese Donuts. Just trust me on that.
