Dining: Taking Flight

Inside the Four Seasons Hotel, Ethan Stowells newest restaurant Goldfinch Tavern benefits from what may be the greatest water view in downtown Seattle. Floor-to-ceiling windows make Elliott Bay, the Great Wheel and the Olympic Mountains appear so close that it seems as if they could roll off the water and join your table for dinner. The view is an up-close and personal experience.

The aesthetic matches. Textures that recall ship timbers make up much of the interior, with tones of blue, amber and charcoal. A massive rectangular bar, topped with quartzite and bound by coppery steel pipes, anchors the 183-seat dining room, which is now one big space. (In the previous layout, a lounge led to a traditional table seating area.) Request a leather banquette by the windows and you can admire everything, including thick felt dangling like planks to absorb the sound from your neighbors.

Stowell and executive chef Joe Ritchie, formerly of Stowells Mkt. restaurant, have developed a strong seafood program to match the maritime vibe. You could certainly stop in for the popular beef tartare ($15) or a shareable Goldfinch burger ($17), but I would rather set sail on an inspired seafood journey, starting with the hamachi crudo ($17), featuring fresh, tender dominoes of yellowtail dressed with oily Taggiasca olives, pickled red onion and dots of chevre. These dishes are reminiscent of Stowells overall commitment to seafood. In other words, you can find similar dishes at Anchovies & Olives and How to Cook a Wolf. But the Four Seasons service and, again, that view punch up the experience. When hes not at the restaurant, Ritchie nurtures a rooftop garden of 50 herbs at his home in West Seattle, a reminder of his early days with chef Jerry Traunfeld both at Poppy and The Herbfarm. I love the way he uses fresh dill or rosemary to brighten french fries.

Youll want to tuck into the feathery chunks of sweet Dungeness crab and the creamy, tarragon-tinged dressing of the beet salad ($15), an item Stowell promises to keep on the menu. Then theres the house-smoked salmon ($12), easily the best buy at Goldfinch Tavern. Ritchie uses the trimmings from whole, wild salmon to make a chunky salad with olive oil, lemon juice, pickled red onion, creme fraiche and a bevy of spring herbs. Piled onto four big slices of grilled baguette, it is sensational and filling.

Stowells intention for his 12th restaurant, named for Washingtons state bird, is to connect visitors to the Pacific Northwest via local natural products and memorable preparations. By years end, he plans to roll out a tasting menu with wine pairings, which he hopes will cement Goldfinch Tavern as one of downtowns best restaurants. Hes off to a great start.

GOLDFINCH TAVERN: 99 Union St., Seattle; 206.749.7070; goldfinchtavern.com