StefanWeitz

One of the best meals I’ve had in Seattle in a while. Servie was a little slow for my liking, but the views were great and I especially appreciate how the owner works the line 6 days a week. I had the lamb – to die for. Wife had the Halibut – excellent. CHerry pie for dessert was the bomb.

I really want to love this place and I will come back to hopefully up the rating. This was my first time and I may have just picked the trifecta of ‘eh’ dishes. The good:

• great waiter (the bartender – I sat in the lounge). Knew his stuff, authentic, and attentive.
• great cheeses – from the grape reduction sauce to the delicately toasted bread to the absolutely amazing cheeses – do NOT miss this option
• super cocktails – I think I’ve found my new favorite drink – the Billy Goat. Sapphire, muddled with lemon and lime, finished with tonic. Super.
• great atmosphere – I felt very comfortable

The not-so-good:

• I had the Cuke soup for a starter (after the cheese). Great temp and texture, but the flavor was just lacking. It just wasn’t substantial – I tasted a hint of peppers on the finish, but it wasn’t enough to lift it out fo the ‘wow – that’s a lot of pureed cucumbers’.
• the Hanger Steak. I should have known better – I’m not a huge fan of hanger steak to begin with. I’m spoiled on super cuts of beef, so a piece of meat that, albeit, has great beef flavor, that is stringy/tough for $26 just doesn’t do it for me. Little prep – just simply grilled to a stage right before med-rare. Accompanying veggies and potatoes were good.

Wine was reasonable by the glass and had a decent selection.

Overall, it was OK tonight. I will go back, tho – the commitment to sustainable and local foods, the care in prep, the excellent bar and service, and the atmosphere mean I will try it again.

Two stars means “ok”, not bad, but not great. I’d give it 2.5 stars if I could. Certainly serviceable food, but nothing I’d go back for.

We both had Mojitos – not bad, but also not very strong.

We then had a Hummus plate, which had a great tasting garlic hummus, but the rest looked like a quick serve restaurant.

I had the pork with blackberry sauce. Fine, a little fatty, and the sauce was good but it didn’t coat the meat so you really didn’t get a ton of flavor with it. The mashed potatoes and veggies were just a little tired.

Wife had the salmon which she said was fine, but not very flavorful.

The wine was good and the sommalier was nice enough – a little pricey for glasses ($10.50 each) – but not out of line. Wine pairings were interesting and the pours were generous.

Overall, great location, beautiful atmosphere, and good service. The food was just nothing I’d go back for, but it certainly wasn’t bad and the prices were not out of line. We’ll probably go back in a few months to try it again – we like the location and the venue.