SeAAttle

A search of this forum revealed very little about Marrakesh since 2003. Has anyone been recently? We have eaten at Marrakesh in DC several times, most recently in early December. The event is always fun with a group, but the food has become fairly average. Can anyone compare the two places?

Cascadi is open Christmas eve. We have reservations.

XO Bistro web site Did you go to the opening? Axel told us that the prices will be a somewhat downscale from Maximilien, so they could hold at near current levels. Will look forward to any reviews, although we will certainly try XO soon (depending on the smoking situation).

I got to thinking about the cost of the wine and wondered how we missed the outrageous price. I think they list 3oz and 6 oz servings, in that order. Probably saw the 3 oz price and the waiter brought the larger volume. He did not ask our preference. Buyer beware. BTW, the place was packed - on a Tuesday night.

We returned to Earth & Ocean tonight for the first time since Sundstrom left. Overall, a disappointing experience. We arrived to find they had no record of our reservation. We had requested a specific table to avoid the smoke from the bar but they had just seated another couple there. The host was apologetic and offered us a table next to the wait station and very near the bar. We declined. She checked and said that we could have one of the back booths in 5-10 minutes. We waited at the dining room bar and although nobody offered a glass of wine or anything, we were seated in about 10 min. The host handled the problem with considerable skill. That turned out to be the highlight of the evening. We ordered drinks and waited. Water eventually came. Finally, drinks also. The 25/25 was not particularly appealing so Ms. SeAAttle ordered the salmon and I had the duck confit. The table next to us was seated 10-15 minutes after us but they received their food before ours, even though we had the same waiter. The salmon was below average. Duck confit was ok but the spaetzle was dry, hard and crispy. Perhaps crunchy is a better description. Good but not outstanding wine by the glass was outrageously expensive -$14. I confirmed with the waiter that he had not overcharged us. Smoke from the bar was a consistent problem. We were big fans of E&O during the Sundstrom era but will not return until things change substantially. Oh, well...plenty of much better restaurants in Seattle.

Here is an example of how 25/25 can go either way. We included Cascadia in our first 25/25 experience in 2001(?). It was a complete disaster. The snooty waiter sighed noticeably when we ordered two 25/25 dinners, the food was very average and clearly not their best effort, and we left disappointed. We did not return until I had a business dinner there several weeks ago. I enjoyed it so we decided to try again. Last night, Ms SeAAttle ordered the 25/25 (red snapper). I had the smoked salmon appetizer and the lamb. Both excellent. We also had a delightful waiter who made the whole experience very enjoyable. On our way out, we made reservations for the holidays, requesting the same table and waiter. BTW, given the discussion above, I should state that we were celebrating a professional success and had cocktails and 2 glasses of wine each (a bit too much alcohol as I discovered this morning). Oh, yes - bottled water.

We frequented E&O when Sundstrom was chef but have not been there since he left. Looking forward to trying their $25 for dinner. Smoke from the bar can be a problem so we learned which tables to request. When will Seattle restaurants go smoke free?

The owners of Maximillien are opening this new restaurant. XO Bistro, I think. According to Axel, it will be slightly downscale of Maximillien, at least in terms of cost. edit: Sorry, should have read the article first. Reported this a couple of weeks ago here.

We spoke with a 727 employee we know rather well and he says the closing/conversion to a Ruth's Chris is still in the rumor category. I noticed several of the regular waitstaff were still there so I would expect the service to be fine. It was a bit troubling that only 4 tables had diners at 7pm, however. Please let us know your experience.

Ask for Rainer. He has always provided great service for us. He is also the sommelier. The last time we dined at Union was Rainer's night off and the service was not up to the usual standard.

One of the owners of Maximillien told us last night that they are opening a second restaurant in the former Cassis location. If I remember correctly, the name will be XO Bistro. His description sounded like a somewhat downscale version of Maximillien (entrees at $15). Target date for opening is November 1.

We went to Rover's in late July, for the first time. It was fantastic! Unfortunately, I am not good at remembering specifically what I had, but I chose the 5 (or was it 7?) course presentation. They seemed quite willing to let us pick and choose from the fixed course. Also, I liked the fact that they have an extensive selection of half bottle wines - good for two people. The service was excellent - pleasant, attentive, not overbearing. Will be interested to hear about your experience.

We had our first dining experience at Mistral last week with two guests from out of town. Excellent food, as we expected. I must say, however, that the experience was marred by a rather annoying, intrusive waiter who seemed to think that he was the reason we were there. While I do not mind descriptions of the menu items and possible wine pairings, his were way over the top. He seemed obsessed with his personal knowledge of wine and proclaimed it rather loudly, which must have annoyed other guests. I noticed the same when he served other diners. Three in the party ordered the same menu while the fourth selected one with fewer entrees. The waiter proceeded to lobby for all having the same, as the service would then be even. Several refusals, including a rather firm final one, were required to get him to accept the 3 and 1 arrangement. One member of the group is well versed in wine selection and chose a particular bottle. The waiter arrived with the bottle but not the year listed. When this was pointed out, he left and came back to say that they were out of the year listed. Frankly, I suspect he knew this in the beginning but tried to pass it off, hoping we would not notice. Very poor form. The final straw: At the conclusion of the service, the waiter arrived at the table with a bottle of sherry(?) and TWO small glasses, offering a gratis after dinner drink "for the gentlemen". (We were two men and two women). We just stared at him for a few moments and firmly said, "No thank you!". Our expectations for Mistral were high, but I must admit that this experience left us unlikely to return.

I am sorry to hear about 727. We dined there several times a year and always enjoyed it. I did wonder about the price level and its compatibility with a hotel-associated restaurant. For reasons that I will not go into, my assistant called today to ask about the "rumor". Apparently, the person on the phone was quite surprised and asked how she knew about the impending change. Scheduled to happen November 1.

Quite a range - $75 to $175 per person. We shall see on Friday evening!

Taste of India is owned and operated by the same family. I agree that Cedars is good but tries to do too much. Have not been to either for quite some time.

We go to La Carta almost once a week. They are always busy and the food is consistently very good. Their version of mole is a bit too sweet for my tastes but one cannot be too picky in Seattle. If I recall correctly, the only items on the menu over $10 are the top shelf tequilas. The photographs on the walls are terrific.

Thanks. That is much less than Rovers, at least compared to our one experience - much less. But it was worth it!

We are planning a special dinner with friends from out of town. Have never been to Mistral but are considering it for this event. Could anyone compare it to Rovers (we had a wonderful experience there a few weeks ago)? Also, are the two restaurants comparable in price? Thanks

I second the comments about Waterfront. For guests from out of town, it would be perfect. Recently had a similar experience at Rays. The food was fine but service was terrible. After one experience, I would avoid the Fish Club. No views, corporate hotel food, despite the hype about the chef, and grossly overpriced.

Yes, we saw Lohengrin! First time at McCaw Hall. Based on another recommendation, we tried Perche No. The food was fine, not great, but fine. The owners work very hard at customer service and obviously have a loyal following. Also, 100% non-smoking, a very big plus for us. Our last time at Kaspars was quite disappointing so it is off our list. Will try some of the others suggested here for our next opera event.

Any suggestions for restaurants that are within reasonable walking distance of McCaw Hall? We prefer to park, walk to a restaurant and then to the Hall. Thanks

We will dine at Lark for the first time next week. Are any of these items on the regular menu? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Will look forward to your report on how the Buca di Beppo in San Diego compares with ours here in Seattle. Seriously, I will be interested in any other recommendations. We are looking for something on par with Rovers, Mistral, etc. here in Seattle.

Are you the same lalala from the Seattle area who often posts on FT? If so, it is ironic that we are both looking for restaurants in San Diego. Thanks to all for the recommendations. We certainly need to check Region and a couple of others. The discussion about SD having "no great restaurants" is somewhat reminiscent of comments on the PNW board about Seattle. I do not agree about Seattle, but it will be interesting to see how our October event turns out. Thanks again. Any additional suggestions and comments would be appreciated.