I had some work, but I’m not going from Maine to Seattle for a two day trip. How about five? We probably enjoyed the best weather anywhere in the U.S. (lows, low 60s, highs, upper 70s). The food was even better than I had hoped. Five restaurants in five nights, any one of them could be my 1st choice! Plus 3 more wonderful foodie places.
Flight out of Boston Wednesday. Had to get up at 4AM (1AM west coast time) for a 7:30 flight that left at 10. Took a cab to the Charter Hotel (a Hilton), ideally located (4 of 5 dinners an easy walk).
We hadn’t eaten. The hotel restaurant is ‘Patagon’ - Argentine. They do afternoon ‘snacks’, listed four choices of ‘Empanada - $15.’
That’s a disconnect; an empanada is small, it can’t be both real and $15. Turns out you get 3 empanadas with a side salad, I got lamb, Eileen got mushroom, actually a whole lot of good food for $15 each. That turns out to be a theme of this restaurant. I know Argentina, these empanadas are legit.
Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the hotel. The room we got was large and comfortable. They told us they only do full room service every three days, except on request. Despite several requests we only got the bed changed our last night. I paid for an upgrade to a corner room, 4th floor. From one side a parking garage 10 feet away looks right into the room; I closed the curtain as soon as I walked in. The other offers a straight view over an alley with permanent garbage and transient people. We had other issues; in brief, don’t stay there.
We had dinner at Le Pichet, a deeply classic French bistro. After the late empanadas, we weren’t that hungry. Eileen had a small salad and a superb split pea soup with blue cheese. My charcuterie platter was so good I ate over half of it. The chicken liver mousse was the standout. The wine list is short, inexpensive and carefully chosen, most offerings available by the half glass, full glass, carafe and bottle. I had a half glass of 2019 Domaine de l’Idylle Savoie white, Eileen had 2018 l’Ameillaud Cotes du Rhone. Too tired to take notes, but I’d order either again.
After the empanadas, I had walked to DiLaurenti. This is a really great Italian market adjoining Pike Place, with a fine wine store upstairs.
I bought and we drank:
2012 Cedergreen Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley –
Even if they can’t spell ‘cedar’, they know how to incorporate it into their wine. This was a mainstream beauty. The primary fruit aromas are blackberry and red currant. There is a touch of oak, along with the conifer component. The palate is really well balanced, the flavors barely secondary (Washington cabs can be long-lived, I was happy to find something with some bottle age), the texture just starting to soften. The finish was long, this is a winner, if I owned a case I’d open a bottle a year. Rated 92, 2 points of improvement likely over 10 years. $37 very well spent.
Breakfast Thursday in Patagon outdid even the empanadas. Eileen had the continental, with top quality local yoghurt and a good pastry. I had the Pike Place Plate, bacon, eggs, rosemary potatos, sourdough. The portion was vast and the quality even better.
We skipped lunch and had dinner with an old friend and customer, Mike Allen, owner of Elliott Bay Wines. He picked Betty for dinner, a great restaurant on Queen Anne Hill.
I was determined to eat light. As we got out of our Lyft, a couple passed us going to their car. The man asked if we were going to Betty. I said yes.
He pointed his finger at me and said “have the lasagna”.
Mike and Sue Allen said “have the lasagna”.
The waiter said “we’re known for lasagna and chicken… I’m supposed to say that, we’re actually known for lasagna.”
I had the lasagna. So will you unless you’re either stoopid or vegetarian. This is a fabulous restaurant. Eileen had amazing watermelon gazpacho, followed by a very good salad.
We had wines I imported, so no notes.
I am a wine geek. I knew we’d need some reds for our room. I had asked Mike to bring me three bottles of geeky reds that would be totally new to me. I asked, he delivered. No regrets. Back in the room, we opened:
2022 Ita Nouveau Zinfandel – I probably haven’t had a Nouveau in 20 years and never one that wasn’t Beaujolais. This was pale in color, slightly soft but had OK fruit, oddly more red than black. Short finish. I might try another Nouveau in another 20 years, but maybe not. Rated 83.
Friday for breakfast, I walked down to Le Panier, a world-class bakery opposite Pike Place Market. It’s only a couple of blocks, but San Francisco steep. Worth the climb back! Over 3 mornings, we had an assemblage of croissants, tartelettes and eclairs that would make Parisian bakeries envious. Some day I have to have their baguette.
Friday we were back at Patagon for lunch. I heroically stuffed myself with half of my club sandwich, which also provided my next two ample breakfasts. This place seriously feeds you, with seriously good food.
Dinner was at Shaker and Spear, a very hot, very cool relatively new place that more than merits the reputation.
The restaurant is beautiful. The wine list is extensive and reasonably priced, catering to both Geek and Mainstream (but do they really need 16 Mexican reds?). At the end of the day, it really is all about the food.
We split a local greens salad; besides the greens it featured Rainier cherries, feta and quinoa, truly excellent. Eileen had honey prosciutto toast on sourdough with brie and chili onion jam. Wonderful. My charred octopus was impeccable. This is a top level restaurant. I had a glass of 2021 Avennia Sauvignon Blanc, Eileen a glass of 2019 Stewart ‘Big Fire’ Pinot Noir.
The Avennia was classic, tasted more like a white Graves (minus the Semillon) than like California, rated 88.5.
The Stewart was surprisingly lively; a fresh, black-fruited Pinot. Rated 89.5.
Saturday we were down around Pioneer Square, art gallery hopping. Eileen hadn’t had breakfast so mid-afternoon we stopped at Ephesus Meze and Wine Bar and had gigantes, too early for wine. Two Excellent Choices (gigantes yes, wine no). The gigantes were earth-shattering.
Saturday night, Wild Ginger. This is a great restaurant that gets no respect from arrogant foodie snobs; it moved from a difficult, funky location below the Pike Place Market to down-tourist-town, it’s been around for too long, it has three locations, it’s waaay too popular.
Message to arrogant foodie snobs: This is a Great Restaurant.
I had the Fragrant Duck, a classic from their origins. Eileen had chicken Satay and Sichuan green beans (ordered without the heat). Great as the duck is (I’ve had it a dozen times), the green beans stole the show.
I’ve never been to Lotus of Siam, famous for their wine list focused on German wine. The wine list at Wild Ginger is wonderful, stating their passion for off-dry German Riesling, but with a generous selection of everything else and dozens of half-bottles. Prices on older German wines, especially JJ Prum, are great. 2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese for $103?
But we split a half bottle of:
2021 Elk Cove Pinot Noir – Medium garnet color, fresh, tender aromas feature red cherries, cranberry and iron-laden dirt. The flavors follow the aromas, the texture is light and opulent. Rated 92.
Back at the room, we opened the second of Mike Allen’s Geek selections:
2019 Eyrie Vineyard Trousseau – I love Eyrie, I knew David Lett (founder of both Eyrie and the Oregon wine industry). This was my first Trousseau, from anywhere. I don’t know if Jura is overrated, I don’t know Trousseau, but I know that this wine is very mediocre.
Pale color. Bland aromas with some vague red fruit. Soft light palate is boring. Eileen and I had a small glass each, we finished them. Rated 81.
Sunday dinner at Lola, another really fine restaurant. Eileen started with the olive and fig spread, amazingly good, followed by a Greek salad with barrel-aged feta, ditto. My chicken skewers with tzatziki and dill, very good.
The wine list is good, interesting and reasonably priced, but short on details. Eileen had a glass of 2021 Protocolo rose, pleasant, with cherry and watermelon flavors and some heft. Rated 86.5.
I had a glass of 2020 Hatzimichalis Assyrtiko. The list did not give Appellation. I asked if it was from Santorini, our stalwart waitress brought the bottle over. It was not. But it was good! It had vivid zing, very bright, slightly citric, nice herbal subtlety, but missing the salinity and intensity of great Assyrtico. Rated 90.
We had two other wines in half bottles, plus one more of Mike Allen’s Geek Selections, which more than redeemed the ones I didn’t much like:
NV Marc Hebrart NV Brut (375ml) - If there was a disgorgement date, I didn’t notice, but the bubbles were a little weak. That was more than compensated by wonderful aromas and flavors, featuring distinct red fruit, wild herbs, minerality and vinous density. Rated 90.5.
2022 l’Ecole 41 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley (375ml) - What a comfort it was to find this in half bottle. I’ve never had their upper level wines (a mistake I want to rectify). This was a beauty, zingy but savory. The rich pear and melon flavors were balanced by racy acidity. The precision was that of a more expensive wine. Rated 91.5.
2020 Gabernik 23 Zweigelt - Last of Mike’s Geek Selections, and it more than made up for the other two. It’s been decades since my last Zweigelt:
My, how you’ve grown!
This is almost pitch black in color. The aromas are heady (alcoholic) but filled with pitch black fruit, mostly blackberry. The palate is both light and lush. I’m guessing carbonic maceration here, but it carries it off brilliantly. This is gulpable, notable as much for texture as aromas and flavors. Drink as young as possible, although this was far from fading. Rated 91.5.
My Dishes of the Trip:
- Gigantes at Ephesus Meze and Wine Bar
- Lasagna at Betty
- Damn near everything else, with special mention to
Watermelon Gazpacho at Betty
Chicken liver mousse at Le Pichet
Local salad at Shaker & Spear
Green beans at Wild Ginger
Fragrant Duck at Wild Ginger
Olive and fig spread at Lola
Pistachio éclair from Le Panier
Breakfast at Patagon
Dan Kravitz