Recommendations - Ocean Shores and Seattle

[loki]

I'm going to spend some time with my sister in Ocean Shores for a few days, then in Seattle for a few more.

Any restaurant recommendations? I am especially interested in seafood. We will be with my nephew as well who is a picky eater, but loves crab, fish, and other seafood.

I on the other hand love to explore the depths of exotic cuisines, trying things like tripe, bitter melon, Uni, herring roe on kelp, etc. But for this journey, This type of exploration will not be possible - unless more mundane things are also on the menu.

I'm fairly familiar with Seattle, and know about Elliott's Oyster House, Matt's at the Market, and Rays Boathouse.

Also, although my nephew is sort of picky, he is actually quite interested in trying things and so more unique places are OK, just as long as he can get something to his liking. We are trying to stretch his pallate - He now eats and enjoys onions (It was actually the blossum at Outback! and friends making fun of his picking them off his pizza that changed him).

We will also have access to a kitchen - at least in Ocean Shores so places to get seafood to cook - especially Dungeness Crabs, oysters, mussels, razor clams, and scallops would be great too.

Lastly - I see razor clam season is over till the Fall - Can you get them now anywhere? Will they be frozen at restaurants? I want to let my sister try them.

Later. Thanks.

Steve in Utah.

[loki]

I should also mention that when in the Seattle area we will actually be in Edmonds, on the water. It's not as though any place in Seattle is out of bounds, it's just that any thing north is in our bounds too!

[girl chow]

For seafood in Ocean Shores, your best bet is to just buy fresh from the people who sell near/on the beach (just look for signs.. homemade "Crab $5" and signs like that).

There is a really great guy who sells crabs over by the jetty (just ask for directions at the IGA, it's not far from there). His stuff is always fresh, but he's only there on weekends in the early morning (sold out by 11 a.m.) Or, get on the highway and follow the signs from Aberdeen to Westport. Once there, follow the signs for fresh crab and other treasures.

If you want to go someplace interesting for oysters, you could pop by

Brady's Oysters

(Note: I like to watch their web cam from time to time)

Sorry to report this, but there are few (if any?) quality restaurants in that entire area (if anyone knows otherwise, please post here). A few places you *could* try (but with caution): Alec's By the Sea (ok for breakfast) or Flipper's fish stand.

Edited August 5, 2005 by girl chow (log)

[loki]

Thanks much for the fresh seafood info, I'll bring a large pot along! As well as an Oyster Knife!

I will put in a report on what I find. I have found a couple places - Alec's By the Sea is recommended. Waves was also recommended for Happy Hour - both sound sort of tourist trapish though.

I don't mind sort of dive places if the food is authentic and real. One of my favorite places was a place south of Beaumont Texas - near the coast - sort of a roadhouse - that had the best BBQ crabs (really more of a spiced and sort of fried dish)! Wow! And a bar with large outdoor section near Texas City, TX had great BBQ oysters (These were roasted over wood) that was like a friends backyard who happened to be really into Jimmy Buffet. I can't remember the name of either but boy were they great!

[M.G. Apicius]

If you go north of Ocean Shores to just before the city of Moclips there is the Ocean Crest Resort. Of the places to eat in that area it is probably the best given where you are and the options at other hotels/motels. It has a nice dinner with a great view down the gulch to the ocean. You can go for breakfast and watch the hummingbirds go after the feeders near the picture windows, or go for dinner and enjoy the view and the ambience. Call ahead and make dinner reservations if you are going on a weekend, since the restaurant is busy then.

[chuck]

Thirty or so miles north of Ocean Shores is the village of Taholah, the heart of the Quinault, a people who definitely take advantage (in a good way) of what the sea has to offer. If you head into town and find the processing plant on the banks of the river you will be able to buy whatever it is they have fished that day. I picked up a beautiful steelhead at one point, but it depends on what is in season. Here is a guide to what you might expect this time of the year. I found a selection of frozen razor clams in their shop, among other things. The drive is pretty cool too. Not many people venture north from Ocean Shores on this dead-end road, but if you happen to make the journey you will see plenty of tall trees and open surf, and not a few on-the-cheap dream retirement houses on the beach.

[DRColby]

Have a drink at Ocean Crest, great setting, Then walk down the beach to the Moonraker motel, ask them to show you a room and have a good laugh. If's probably one of the coolest places on the West Coast.

Lastly, foreget aput the oysters unless you like huge, soft,milky and very risky Pacifics. We love oysters and were hell-bent on eating August oysters at Moclips. We spent a day looking for someone selling oysters. Out of two dozen we finally gound I think I tried one and Cathy none; our poorest showing ever the bi-valves.

dave