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Thanks to inventive chefs, first-rate local produce, adventurous diners, and a bold entrepreneurial spirit, Seattle has become one of the culinary capitals of the nation. Fearless young chefs have stepped in and raised the bar. Fresh and often foraged produce, local seafood, and imaginative techniques make the quality of local cuisine even higher.
Seattle's dining scene has been stoked like a wildfire by culinary rock stars who compete on shows like Iron Chef, Top Chef, and regularly dominate "best of" lists. Seattle chefs have won big in the prestigious James Beard competition, with Renee Erickson of Bateau, Walrus and the Carpenter, and the Whale Wins taking the "Best Chef Northwest" title in 2016 and creative genius Edouardo Jordan named one of Food and Wine Magazine's "Best New Chefs." The city is particularly strong on new American, Japanese, and Vietnamese cuisines. Chefs continuously fine-tune what can best be called Pacific Northwest cuisine, which features fresh, local ingredients, including anything from nettles and mushrooms foraged in nearby forests; colorful berries, apples, and cherries grown by Washington State farmers; and outstanding seafood from the cold northern waters of the Pacific Ocean, like wild salmon, halibut, oysters, Dungeness crab, and geoduck. Seattle boasts quite a few outstanding bakeries, too, whose breads and desserts you'll see touted on many menus.
Seattle is also seeing a resurgence in American comfort food, often with a gourmet twist, as well as gastropub fare, which can mean anything from divine burgers on locally baked ciabatta rolls to grilled foie gras with brioche toast. But innovation still reigns supreme: local salmon cooked sous vide and accompanied with pickled kimchi or fresh-picked peas can be just as common as aspic spiked with sake and reindeer meat. Many menus feature fusion cuisine or pages of small-plate offerings, and even high-end chefs are dabbling in casual ventures like pop-up eateries or gourmet food trucks. Many, if not most, of the top chefs own their businesses as well, and in recent years they’ve spread their talents around, operating two or three complementary ventures (or, in Ethan Stowell’s case, more than a dozen and counting, while Tom Douglas has nearly 20, plus a cooking school and farm). The trend toward informality and simplicity particularly plays out when it comes to dessert; most neighborhoods boast branches of at least one of the city’s popular, independently owned cupcake, doughnut, or ice-cream shops. Regardless of the format or focus, one thing's for sure: chefs are highlighting their inventions with the top-notch ingredients that make Pacific Northwest cooking famous.
Cute as a button, and beloved by the locals who flock here, VPC gives off a general store/farmhouse feeling. Wholesome, decadent pastries, cookies, and breads are piled high at the counter, and the breakfast sandwiches are legendary. The simple lunch menu includes a few types of toast, salads, and soups, perfect for a light meal after wandering the park or a snack before starting out.
Renee Erickson was inspired by the casual oyster bars of Paris to open this bustling shoebox of a restaurant. Seats fill fast at the zinc bar and the scattered tall tables where seafood fans slurp on fresh-shucked Olympias, Blue Pools, and other local oysters. The menu also offers refined small plates like grilled sardines with shallots and walnuts or roasted greengage plums in cream. In true Parisian style, the service can be disappointing, but for those in search of stellar seafood, it's still worth the slog. Arrive soon after the 4 pm opening or you may be in for a long wait, though you can get on the waitlist via their website before you head over. If you do have a long wait, kill time at Erickson's tiny Barnacle bar next door.
Diners here sometimes find their meal interrupted by the soft thumping noise for which the chewy, ropy noodles the restaurant specializes in are named. Biang biang noodles are made by slapping strands of dough against the hard counter, which elongates them without toughening the dough. The wide strands come in a number of dishes, along with other preparations from the eponymous city. Like most restaurants serving the food of China’s Shaanxi province, Xi’an uses a heavy hand with spices such as cumin, Sichuan peppercorn, and, in some dishes, hot peppers. But the flatbreads, salads, and soups at this sparsely decorated, casual spot all come in a variety of flavors, many mild.
Conveniently located in the heart of the Olive Way bar scene, this walk-up window caters to the drinking crowd with its late-night hours but serves its Middle Eastern sandwiches all day. The menu centers on saj, a thin bread that wraps around eggplant, meat, cheese, or falafel like a burrito, or comes with dips like muhummara, baba ghanouj, or hummus. There's no seating in the restaurant, so many customers bring their food next door to Montana Bar or to one of the parklets lining the street.
A colorful local favorite among coffee shops: even Seattleites who don't haunt Pioneer Square will happily hunt for parking to spend a few hours here. In one of Pioneer Square's great brick buildings, with high ceilings and a few artfully exposed ducts and pipes, Zeitgeist has a simple, classy look that's the perfect backdrop for the frequent art shows held in this space.
Sidle up to the antique bar at this hot spot for students and faculty from nearby UW, for a good selection of suds and pizza.
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