[Seattle] Farewell & Welcome: Closings, Transformations, Openings (Part 2)

[tsquare]

Wann opened on 2nd in Belltown between Virginia and Lenora (old Alexandria's, Falling Water space.)

Small plates, Japanese style. The room is lovely - very traditional teahouse with a modern spin or two. Exceedingly earnest service. We samples 4 plates and a cocktail - chicken nabon (?) - fried chunks with eggy tartar sauce, shortribs - excellent, prawn fritters (fried shrimp with aurora sauce), and pork sausage (a little too hot dog like). Lots of interesting stuff on the menu, including a different alcholic beverage - sankuro?, a clear spirit they serve as a sampler or mixed into cocktails.

[tsquare]

Oh yes, Cafe Mazaran opened in Madrona - very french bistro like with a short, very traditional menu. Across from St Clouds. Only open Thurs-Sun. 20 seats. Beautiful beet salad layered with goat cheese. Shoestring like operation, but the comments of the diners were all good.

Edited September 8, 2006 by tsquare (log)

[Peter Johnson]

Query why a french bistro with a very traditional menu would open three blocks from Cremant?

Oh yes, Cafe Mazaran opened in Madrona - very french bistro like with a short, very traditional menu. Across from St Clouds. Only open Thurs-Sun. 20 seats. Beautiful beet salad layered with goat cheese. Shoestring like operation, but the comments of the diners were all good.

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[tighe]

Bigger query...how many traditional French Bistros does Seattle actually need?!?

Query why a french bistro with a very traditional menu would open three blocks from Cremant? 

Oh yes, Cafe Mazaran opened in Madrona - very french bistro like with a short, very traditional menu. Across from St Clouds. Only open Thurs-Sun. 20 seats. Beautiful beet salad layered with goat cheese. Shoestring like operation, but the comments of the diners were all good.

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[dandelion]

From an email, an annoucement about a sister company to Beecher's Cheese and Pasta & Co located on Mercer Island:

Bennett's Pure Food Bistro, an all-natural Northwest bistro and deli featuring the Northwest's finest fresh and seasonal ingredients. Most of the ingredients used at Bennett's are deeply rooted in the Cascadia region ... you won’t find artificial preservatives, colors or sweeteners. There are no flavor enhancers, hydrogenated oils or processed foods ... We buy from producers who share our commitment to whole foods and handmade fare.

www.bennettsbistro.com

[LEdlund]

Bigger query...how many traditional French Bistros does Seattle actually need?!?

One per neighborhood would be nice. Or at least one in my neighborhood.........

[rmockler]

Bigger query...how many traditional French Bistros does Seattle actually need?!?

One per neighborhood would be nice. Or at least one in my neighborhood.........

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North Beacon Hill still has the dreaded Neighborhood French Bistro Deficit syndrome, as well, though I think here it would only attract the worst (i.e., the "best") people and could hurt our fabulous and more neighborhood-appropriate Mexican "bistro".

[le rouge gorge]

Has anyone heard of Six Tables, in Kirkland? It appears to have, literally, six tables, and only one seating each night. There's a very traditional prix fixe menu (chateaubriand, rack of lamb) in the window, but with no "prix". The owner is Cameron Kee. It's close to my sister and brother-in-law's house, so it might make a special gift for them, if the food is nice and the cost not astronomical. Anyone know about it?

Chris

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it's a chain, and not a very good one. i'm wary of an upscale restaurant that doesn't even spell Seattle correctly in their website link. you can read more on their main site Six Tables. Mr. Kee and an associate was at Rover's last fall to check out the Seattle dining scene and see if it was "worthy" of a Six Tables.

Well, sixtables is mediocre...trying hard, but nothing extraordinary. We bought along one of our own bottles of wine (a 2000 Bordeaux, which was a stellar year and is approaching drinkability) and that was one of the highlights. Started out with a seared scallop with a bit of brown butter drizzled around it...very nice, but it needed something more to make a more elegant presentation. Oh, yes, we were greeted with a glass of champagne, but no little amuse bouche to accompany it. Next was a very nice lobster bisque, but again, it needed something to boost the presentation. Then they brought a nice salad of fairly finely chopped greens that looked like romaine and butter lettuce along with a couple of spears of trimmed asparagus and topped with a very tasty creamy dressing. Next was a lemon-lime sorbet that was sublime. For entrees we were given a choice of rack of lamb, chateau briand, venison chop or halibut. RKP had the venison with green peppercorn sauce and I had the chateau briand with bearnaise. Both were done well, being nicely seared on the outside, pink, but not raw in the middle. These were served with identical veg., a couple of 1/2" thick slices of fried potato and something else that I can't remember. Next came a cheese course which consisted of a couple of slices each of brie and stilton (Wallace's favorite, you'll recall) with 1/2 port wine poached pear and some champagne grapes. Dessert was a trio of tiny cream puffs with perfect, plump blueberries scattered about. The chef is VERY young and a grad. of the New England Culinary Institute; I figure he was in the middle to lower half of his class, in that he is competent in the basics, but certainly has no flair for creative presentation. He's not quite ready to be out on his own yet. For $85/p plus the $25 corkage fee, it's a bit high for what you get. Oh, yes, a word about decor/ambience...sure enough, six tables with a small table in the center topped with a flower display and on which the maitre d' kept some tables' bottles of wine (others had their wine on their tables) and a succession of plates for the various courses. Linens weren't linens, just some sort of not too elegant synthetic. Glassware were antiques for the most part and nice as was the china, cutlery was high end new stainless. There was soft piano music in the background that was not at all intrusive. Temperature was a bit chilly, glad I had on long sleeves. As I said, trying hard, but lacking finesse. Even though the sixtables concept is by license and there is a formula experience, with a more creative chef and owner, it could bring another fine dining spot to the eastside. And there you have it.

[snooky]

The PI says Maria Hines's Tilth opened Sept 1

Any early reviews?

[tsquare]

Serious Pie is open around the corner from Dahlia. The pie is good – nicely charred, lightly topped, excellent ingredients. Also, salads, appetizers, and desserts including cannoli, beer and wine. Open 11-11. Tom and Eric were helping cook and finish the pies. Slightly below grade space of heavy beams, little slate wall tiles, wood tables, cushy stools (with backs), and iron details shares space with the bakery ovens. Yes, the bread is back!!!

[elswinger]

The PI says Maria Hines's Tilth opened Sept 1

Any early reviews?

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http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=93115

[mamster]

Serious Pie is open around the corner from Dahlia. The pie is good – nicely charred, lightly topped, excellent ingredients.

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I was there for lunch, too. I had the clam, pancetta, and lemon thyme pie, which was very salty (how could it be otherwise?) but very good. I'd go back, although boy is it not cheap: that pizza with tax and tip was $20, and I ate the whole thing. Next time I'll probably try the basic tomato and mozzarella.

[tsquare]

Serious Pie is open around the corner from Dahlia. The pie is good – nicely charred, lightly topped, excellent ingredients.

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I was there for lunch, too. I had the clam, pancetta, and lemon thyme pie, which was very salty (how could it be otherwise?) but very good. I'd go back, although boy is it not cheap: that pizza with tax and tip was $20, and I ate the whole thing. Next time I'll probably try the basic tomato and mozzarella.

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I tried the foraged mushrooms with truffled cheese and was glad Tom sprinkled some salt on top. But my lips say there was plenty of salt overall. I think sharing a pizza and a side for two would be the way to go. Same menu all day, so lunch is no bargain, but I won't need dinner.

[mamster]

I forgot to mention the most important thing about Serious Pie, which is that according to my check, my waiter's name was Chimpy.

[LEdlund]

my waiter's name was Chimpy.

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[tsquare]

I forgot to mention the most important thing about Serious Pie, which is that according to my check, my waiter's name was Chimpy.

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I heard Tom call him that. And say "that's just not right."

[tsquare]

Scheduled for a November opening:

"Qube offers Asian French cuisine using carefully selected fresh, local ingredients executed with classical French techniques. With a moderately priced menu, exciting beverage selections and interesting, modern interior, Qube adds an exciting new twist to “east meets west” for the Pacific Northwest restaurant scene. Qube is located at 1901 2nd Avenue. (206) 770-5888"

Second Ave is going to be a lot of fun.

[Misa]

Amante is opening in the cursed spot on Capitol Hill... where the Red Line used to be.

Has anybody ever eaten at an Amante? Are they any good? Worth the price?

[dlight]

Anybody have info. on Station Bistro on Leary in Ballard? I think they're open, but can't seem to track down any info. Looks like a nicely done remodel of a long-abandoned gas station.

[Eden]

Ravioli station? I tried them once and was not blown away the garlicky spinach raviolis were good but everything else I tasted was just OK. Bill said the salmon? ravioli were also very good.

[vinelady]

Ravioli station?  I tried them once and was not blown away  the garlicky spinach raviolis were good but everything else I tasted was just OK.  Bill said the salmon? ravioli were also very good.

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Nope this is a new place, west of 15th on Leary. I have been past it...I will try to duck in tonight.

Edited October 16, 2006 by vinelady (log)

[dlight]

Ravioli station?  I tried them once and was not blown away  the garlicky spinach raviolis were good but everything else I tasted was just OK.  Bill said the salmon? ravioli were also very good.

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Nope this is a new place, west of 15th on Leary. I have been past it...I will try to duck in tonight.

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Thanks, vinelady. Take one for the team. Please report back if you're able to check it out -- it looks like an interesting little place.

[vinelady]

The Station Bistro. 4901 Learny Way in Ballard

Atmosphere: The tables are an interesting choice since they are painted with blackboard paint. I didn’t sit at one so someone else is going to have to say how that feels. I worry about getting the fingers on the blackboard feeling in the middle of dinner.

Drinks: A small but good wine selection. The same goes for the liquor selection.

The Food: There are five dishes that are constantly changing. The soup, cheese plate (5 different chesses), a Pate, daily seafood, and a braised meat dish. The fixed items that caught my attention were the Steak Tartar and the Russian Steak Dumpling. I am definitely going back with a friend that is more of a meat eater than me.

I had the daily fish dish. It was Rockfish with a hazelnut crust. It was delicious and very simple dish. It was served with roasted butternut squash and green bean. The only low point to the entire was the green beans. I am not sure that they were trying to do with them. They were not roasted, steam or sautéed. They were just kind of wilted. They still tasted good but the appearance definitely made me do a double take.

[sallysimpleton]

Does anyone know anything about the new Baguette Box Fremont? A friend and I noticed a permit yesterday next door to Peet's at 626 N 34th St ("Baguette Box Fremont" under Description of Work section).

[cxt]

Does anyone know anything about the new Baguette Box Fremont? A friend and I noticed a permit yesterday next door to Peet's at 626 N 34th St ("Baguette Box Fremont" under Description of Work section).

Please, say it's true! I live a few blocks from Peets in Fremont and I would be so happy to have a Baguette Box there! But I'm out of town and I can't quite tell from Google Earth what is at this address. Is it replacing that little home furnishings store just west of Peet's? Or elbowing aside a few bike racks at PCC?

Chris