Pair in Seattle

[Kyle_Larson]

Hey all. My girlfriend and I had one of the most memorable dining experiences in the past year at a new bistro called Pair(5501 30th Ave NE, 526-7655). We called ahead in an attempt to make reservations and were warned there may be a bit of wait. We sat at their tiny bar and waited about ten minutes, a nice pint of beer and good conversation over the candle lit counter made the time fly by and suddenly, we were seated.

Perusing the menu three items jumped out at me: Fondue with apples and pear, potato au gratin, and salmon toast. My girlfriend snatched up the beef brisket. Note: The mission of Pair is to pair good food and good wine, I had ruined my palate with barley and hops, so I was out of the pairing game. My girlfriend ordered a Sicilian Rosso to accompany her brisket.

Our server was excellent. A perfect balance of attention without smothering you with Applebees type service. She smiled and never left us questioning any decision. In little time our meal was ready.

The fondue was definately the star of the show. Made with a few types of blue cheese, the sugars in the fruit and saltiness of the cheese were harmonious in contradiction in our mouths. We finished the plate in about ten minutes and had a psych out contest over who got the last piece. My salmon toast were perfect, the salmon tender and not too gamy or smoky. The potatoes filled me up and were a good dish to go with my beer. The girlfriend enjoyed the brisket with each bite.

One highlight about Pair is that once we got our bill it was way beyond reasonable. $44 for 4 excellent plates of food, a glass of wine and a pint of beer. Such a pleasant suprise for the wallet.

We left Pair with a smile on our face and a look over the shoulder, wondering if tomorrow night would be too soon to return. I highly recommend this place, whether you be dining with a date or family, everyone will walk away content.

[tighe]

Thanks for the tip. Apparently Nancy Leson also liked it.

[lalala]

Tried to get in on Thursday night, called ahead as I live two blocks away, told it was a 30 minute wait and was promptly hung up on. Will probably try it as I am

wanting it to succeed, but a bit put off by the proprietess.

Went to La Piazza, not bad, not great.

lalala

[Kyle_Larson]

lalala,

you won't be let down.

[little ms foodie]

Hubby and I checked out Pair on Fri. I thought it was on capital hill but we are very happy to know that it is in wedgewood, very close to us. Just 2 doors down from the Queen Mary teahouse.

No reservations taken, we had a 40 min wait at a little after 7pm. Got seats at the bar and each had a glass of wine and shared the heated olives in orange zest and corriander seeds as well as the guygere (sp), I love these little cheese puffs! The restaurant only serves beer and wine, no liquor liscense.

Seated about 45 mins later. We shared all our plates. Started with chacoutrie which had a salami, serano and land jaegger. yum! Then went for the lamb with tapanade (could have been done a bit less IMO), the special risotto with mushrooms and crispy leeks. Cheese dish after had a blue, a goat and another firm mild sheeps milk. all were very good. 1 bottle of Sangiovese with dinner.

Dessert, we shared a decadent chocolate pot du creme with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans. I had a muscat and my DH had a port.

Everything we quite nice. The interior is charming, french farm house style. Candlelight but not white linen. Service was good from start to finish. We gorged and the total was $140ish.

Will absolutely be back to try the mac n cheese and salmon toasts amongst other things.

(sorry for the bad spelling!)

[BradS]

Thought I would add to the undeservedly slight quantity of literature on this topic. I live more or less in the Pair neighborhood, have attempted to go there four times, and have actually made it in twice (we were twice deterred by the wait). Before I praise the food, let me complain. I really hate the policy of taking reservations only for parties of six, which I presume is still in effect. The two times we left, the place was half empty, with big tables committed to others later in the night. That's fine, but why couldn't we have signed up for a small table the following night? I know lots of places to do this, but I just don't get it.

Anyway, the other two times I went later and sat down right away (I don't think either was a weekend). 1 trip was solo, 1 was with spouse, and service was always great. Very nice European feel to the place. Besides the dishes others have mentioned, such as the gougeres and the brisket and the mac and cheese, my favorites have included the lamb in merlot reduction and, especially, the potatoes and eggplant with harissa sauce. These were amazing! They're basically wedges of perfectly seasoned potatoes and eggplant with a flavor of (I think) cumin. The potatoes are great---sort of like the absolutely perfect wedge fries with the ideal combination of roasty crispiness and softness---but the eggplants, which are cut in a very similar shape to the potatoes, are especially amazing, and it's also fun to compare and contrast them with the potatoes. The spicy bright orangish/red dipping sauce is great too. And it's only $5 or $6! Do try this if you go.

If I get time, and can avoid lines, I aspire to eventually make my way down the whole menu. Lots of reasonably priced wine options too.

BradS

[Bruce Burger]

I assume this reservation policy (the same as Lark's) is intended to keep their tables occupied while eliminating the need to manage a lot of reservations. They make an exception for large parties because they know that large parties, who tend to run up profitable bar bills, won't come without the certainty of a table and because it's hard to set up a large table in a smallish restaurant without advance notice.

Personally I hate this policy. They are putting their needs ahead of mine. I put up with it at Lark because the food and service are fabulous, and by avoiding peak hours I've not yet had a long wait.

Bruce

[jrt]

Is it still the case that Pair has no liquor?