Seattle Mag
Q&A with Chicago Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea
In the restaurant world the ever-humble chef Grant Achatz rubs elbows with Thomas Keller, Tony Bourdain, David Chang and Eric Ripert. Last week he was in town with his new book Life, On the Line and talking with 130 Seattle fans at Tom Douglas’ and Kim Ricketts’ soiree for him at The Palace Ballroom. The…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011
Each year, for the annual Best Restaurants issue, our critics go from luxe to low brow (and everywhe
There’s a special kind of magic that happens at the best restaurants, when everything comes together—charming service, scintillating company, great ambiance, flattering lighting (outstanding food is a must, of course)—and we walk out feeling as if dinner was worth every penny spent, even when we cringe a little the next day thinking about exactly how…
Best Seattle Dining Deals 2011
From the Korean Tofu House to La Medusa, 18 restaurants serving up affordable, and delightfully deli
$13Korean Tofu House University DistrictTrue value: Not only do you get exceptionally generous portions, but every meal comes with side dishes. You will not leave hungry.While most diehard kimchi-heads will claim that the only reliably good Korean restaurants are either to the north or south of Seattle, Korean Tofu House in the U District is…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Splurge-worthy Meals
From Kirkland's Cafe Juanita to Ballard's Le Gourmand, our list of local meals worth every penny.
$133Cafe JuanitaKirklandTRUE VALUE: A sure thing, from impeccable service to subtly sensational pastas.When you need a special occasion to occur without a hitch, Juanita is the place.The room is comfortable, the conversation friendly, and the servicealways knowing but with a lovely West Coast ease. And Holly Smith’s modern Italian-Northwest cuisine provides one wave of delicious…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: How to Get the Best Value When Ordering Wine
How to get the best value when ordering wine Chris Horn, wine director at Purple Wine Bar.
What’s typically the best value on a wine list?Wines from Portugal. Regardless of what kinds of wine you like (red or white) you’ll find it in Portugal at a fraction of the cost anywhere else. The Portuguese wines that are being brought to the United States are coming here because of quality and passion. There’s…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Happy Hour Bites
Behold: Seattle's happy hour bargain bites that taste like a million.
Get piggy with itThe grilled, house-made pork sausage at Matt Janke and Jill Buchanan’s new LECOSHO on the Harbor Steps downtown comes whole, resting on a bed of savory lentils. Halves of a creamy soft-boiled egg round out this tasty $7 plate. 3–6 p.m. daily; 10 p.m.–1 a.m. Sun.–Thu.; 11 p.m.–1 a.m. Fri.–Sat. Cheese-o-rificCalling the…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: How to Dine on a Budget in Seattle
Frequent diner Sara Dickerman offers expert advice on how to keep the check in check while eating at
I’ve eaten the fanciest meals of my life at lunchtime. I don’t do it often, but when I’ve traveled abroad or to New York City and wanted to try the nitrogen-poached meringues at a Michelin-starred restaurant, I’ve sought out lunchtime reservations. For a slightly more modest cost than dinner (such meals will never be cheap),…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Buffet Dining
Everyone loves to make fun of them— heard a good joke about sneeze guards lately?—but Salty’s wouldn’t be rolling out tons of Dungeness crab and Palisade’s parking lot wouldn’t be packed if their owners thought there wasn’t a market for the all-you-can-eat weekend buffet. The idea of the restaurant patron thinking he’s in the driver’s…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Free Food
Proof that there can be such a thing as a free lunch (or dinner) by sampling at establishments that
Everyone knows Costco is the mother of all free-food stores. If you visit the sample tables often enough and space your visits responsibly (so the lady in the hair net doesn’t call security), you can score a decent breakfast (waffles with 100 percent maple syrup and organic soymilk), some Mexican favorites (chimichangas and quesadillas), even…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Directory
Anchovies & OlivesCapitol Hill1550 15th Ave.206.838.8080ethanstowellrestaurants.com Art Restaurant & LoungePike Place MarketFour Seasons Hotel99 Union St.206.749.7070artrestaurantseattle.com Bakery NouveauWest Seattle4737 California Ave. SW206.923.0534bakerynouveau.com Bar Ferd’nandCapitol Hill1531 Melrose Ave.206.623.5882ferdinandthebar.com BettyQueen Anne1507 Queen Anne Ave. N206.352.3773eatatbetty.com Boom NoodleMultiple locations, including Bellevue504 Bellevue Square425.453.6094boomnoodle.com Café CampagnePike Place Market1600 Post Alley206.728.2233campagnerestaurant.com Cafe HappyKirkland102 Kirkland Ave.425.822.9696 Cafe JuanitaKirkland9702 NE 120th Place425.823.1505cafejuanita.com…
Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: Readers’ Choice Winners
Best new restaurant to open in 2010Copperleaf Restaurant at CedarBrook Lodge [ SeaTac ]18525 36th Ave. S206.901.9268 cedarbrooklodge.com/copperleaf_restaurant.php Best neighborhood restaurantBastille[ Ballard ]5307 Ballard Ave. NW206.453.5014bastilleseattle.com Best bakery Macrina Bakery[ Multiple locations, including SoDo ]1943 First Ave. S206.623.0919macrinabakery.com Best brunchSalty’s [ Multiple locations, including Alki ]1936 Harbor Ave. SW206.937.1600saltys.com Best independent coffee shopCaffè Fiore[ Multiple…
Best Washington State Wines of 2011: Directory & Methodology
A cheat sheet of our favorite Washington Wines.
STORIES FROM OUR BEST WASHINGTON STATE WINES 2011 FEATURE Personalities, Places and Trends Best Red Wines Best White Wines Specified city denotes site of tasting room WINE OF THE YEARDeLille Cellars 2006 Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $135Woodinville; 425.877.9472; delillecellars.com RED WINESMERLOT $20 AND UNDERWines of Substance 2008 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $20No tasting…