Example of deals on the wild ginger list?
I have been but didn’t get to order wine. Would love to hear about it!
I took a few friends to one of my favorite places, Nell’s at Greenlake. We started with an off the menu special order app of Chimney Smoked Lobster. Always special. We all did the tasting menu, I ordered a Champagne off the list, and brought in a 2000 Fichet Meursault Chevalieres and a 2007 Dujac Combottes. Corkage was $25/ bottle.
You can see the list on line:
I get the impression they are having a hard time selling wine. They told me the owners are doing these special events and opening up some of the wines on the to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. It sounds like a great deal.
https://www.wildginger.net/news/2019/7/15/wild-gingers-30th-anniversary-dinner
Some Allemand wines for one.
I had high expectations for Canlis, but was incredibly disappointed when we went a few years ago. We went all in with the tasting menu and paired wines. The wines were great, but the food was shockingly bad. Maybe my expectations were just elevated based on the reputation (and cost) of the place, but we will likely never go back. The toughest duck I’ve ever had, an under cooked barley dish that was so hard it was legitimately not edible, a “salad” that just made us scratch our heads, etc. Really disappointing.
It’s a bit of a drive outside of Seattle, but my wife and I had a fantastic dinner at Salish Lodge about a month ago. Beautiful location and friendly staff. Limited wine list with a pretty steep markup from what I remember, and I can’t recall what the corkage was (we brought a 1994 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Bonnes Mares - wonderful). The meal itself was excellent.
Identical to my experience.
Salish used to have a pretty deep list with Coche, Lafon and others at killer prices. Unfortunately those days are gone.
Surprised by Canlis feedback. I’d share it with them, the family is top notch and would want to know what went wrong and how to get another shot at you as lifelong customers.
Never had a bad meal there, couple dishes weren’t my favorite, but service and wine/bar list are excellent too, best in WA.
I would also urge those who had bad experiences to communicate that to the restaurant. We went to Canlis about a month ago – this was my first time in over ten or more years. My candid feedback is that the food was very very good – one of the dishes, a rice with dungeness crab, was excellent. The others were quite good. My experience with Seattle is that it is hard to get to the really top of world class cooking – which is fine, as they still do a great job and there are such good fresh ingredients. (The one exception was Willows Inn on Lummi Island – very unique and fantastic meal). But Canlis – the service is really some of the best I have experienced anywhere. The overall experience was really quite special. We brought some wines – the corkage is very reasonable. We shared the wines with the staff – and then got a nice tour of the restaurant and the wine cellar. I do think the PNW does a superb job with service generally (all of the stories about Nordstrom, etc), and Canlis lives up to that reputation. Does it match the amazing food I had at Alinea back in 2005 or 6, or Bouley back in the early 1990s – no. But it was really well done, and the overall experience was fantastic. We had nothing close to poorly cooked food – which it sounds like some of you had. I would definitely communicate that to them.
If Canlis is about anything, it is about service. This is a long-standing family owned restaurant, and their goal is to make everyone’s experience an ideal one. I have only dined there 3-4 times, but every one has been exceptional. If it isn’t special for you, they WANT you to give them feedback and they will make it right. There are a few other places in town that can sometimes match their commitment to service, but no one will ever beat it. Willows Inn, Cafe Juanita, and Nell’s might equal Canlis’ service on a given night, but Canlis is special, and a well deserved Seattle icon. IMO
Dropping off our Sophomore son at UW and had a fantastic meal at 8 Row in Green Lake last night. Fantastic! Spot on! We started with Heirloom Tomato fried tomatillos, walnut pistou + cherry valley fromage blanc and Grilled Calamari cucumber, compressed melon, arugula + buttermilk and poppy seed vinaigrette followed by Local Lettuces shaved vegetables, mixed herbs, sleeping beauty cheese + champagne vinaigrette. Veggies were incredibly fresh and someone in the kitchen has deft touch with herbs and dressing. Our mains were Sweet Corn Cavatelli corn cob broth, tomato confit, pecorino + watercress, Honey Glazed Half Smoked Chicken esquites, aleppo pepper + lime with “street corn hash” and Hangar Steak olive oil crushed potatoes, blue cheese yogurt + cucumber salsa verde. All 3 mains were great (the chicken was the best chicken dish I’ve had in a very long time) and dessert was equally impressive, I had Apple pie and sweet cream ice cream and my son had the fudge brownie sundae. Certainly not nuvo cuisine but really well executed classic desserts, I’m still thinking about the apple pie. The wine list is small but super cool with names like Egly-Ouriet, Schiopetto, Joguet, Foradori, Occhipinti and Faury and they have a pretty cool selection of beers and ciders too. Highly recommended!
I live 10 minutes from there, Darren, and haven’t even heard of 8 Row. I’ll check it out! Thanks for the nicely detailed recap.
Le Pichet (get the chicken)
Nell’s
Cafe Juanita
Cheers,
Doug
Le Pichet, dont forget frites and everyone I know orders the eggs with ham religously.
Eden Hill, in Queen Anne.
Tarzan y Jane. We went the first week it opened, and I understand it had changed concept. That said, the food was excellent. I am curious to hear from others who have been.
Walking around downtown yesterday, had lunch at Wild Ginger with friends. Had duck, 7 flavor beef, egg rolls and my all time favorite Hanoi tuna. Brought a 1989 Beaucastel and then off the wine list a Long Depaquit 2010 Les Clos, killer for $129, and a 2008 Knoll Gruner.
Walked down to Ben Paris at State Hotel for an after lunch espresso while buddies had Espresso Martini’s and an Espresso with Chartreuse. Will be back for a meal, good service and ambiance.
Absolutely. The oeufs plats are the only thing I’ve ever had there – it’s so good!
Traveling to Seattle on Sunday morning from Atlanta for a conference and planning on stopping in the SoDo area for a few tastings at the following places:
Sleight of Hand, Latta, Rotie, Waters, and Kerloo.
Thoughts? Any to add or subtract?
Those are all good. I would also go to full pull which is in the same complex.
Thanks, Ron!