Its my birthday... where should I eat in Seattle?

November 11, 2008 11:29 AM

It's my birthday... where should I eat in Seattle?

I'm looking for insight into some of Seattle's nicest restaurants which I may not have yet eaten at. Chain restaurants are ok... though my wife and I usually prefer Seattle's unique restaurants.

Money is no big deal, though I'd prefer to have options which didn't break the bank.

Any suggestions?

posted by bamassippi to food & drink (17 comments total)

When I lived in Seattle, Wild Ginger was a favorite special event dinner. A bit pricey, but fantastic.
posted by piratebowling at 11:37 AM on November 11, 2008

I whole-heartedly recommend Restaurant Zoë, which conveniently right now has a prix fixe $30 menu.
posted by saeculorum at 11:39 AM on November 11, 2008

I was a big fan of Brasa for a special meal when I lived there. It's been a while, though. I ate at Union once, and found it pretty phenomenal.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:43 AM on November 11, 2008

My favorite b-day spot is Bleu.
posted by arcanecrowbar at 11:45 AM on November 11, 2008

The Kingfish Cafe is awesome and definitely priced right!
posted by tristeza at 11:46 AM on November 11, 2008

Ooh, went to the Kingfish this weekend for a friend's birthday - first time I'd ever been. It ROCKED. Totally delicious.
posted by vito90 at 11:50 AM on November 11, 2008

Trying to do this quickly before I have to get back to work.

Lark does terrific small plates. The pork rillettes and the malt ice cream are particularly good.

Harvest Vine does tapas really, really well, and has some killer desserts, too.

Nishino would be my recommendation for Asian food in an upscale environment. You can do sushi or sort of "Japanese tapas" and both are really, really good.
posted by creepygirl at 12:07 PM on November 11, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Don't listen to Creepy, she obviously doesn't have enough to do during the day, and I'd have beaten her to posting this were I not so cautious.

As for food, seconding Lark, Harvest Vine, Zoe and Brasa.

Take a look at Crow.

And Matt's in the Market

Monsoon is a nice upscale Vietnamese place.

My favorite for celebrations is Mashiko. Make sure to do the Omakase dinner (~$40/person not including alcohol and tip) at the bar. If you want to see some examples:

Omakase #1

Omakase #2
posted by Gorgik at 12:25 PM on November 11, 2008

I day dream about Palace Kitchen. We stumbled upon it while visiting a few years ago and we still look back upon it fondly. The food is wonderful and the space is nice and cozy.

http://tomdouglas.com/palace/index.html
posted by advicepig at 12:32 PM on November 11, 2008

Seconding Kingfish--beautiful, beautiful neighborhood, lovely service amazing bar service, roll-your-eyes-into-the-back-of-your-head good soul food and new soul food interpretations. Nothing like it in Seattle--gorgeous and without pretension. Perfect birthday restaurant for the lush atmosphere and amazing desserts alone.
posted by rumposinc at 12:33 PM on November 11, 2008

2nding Bleu Bistro - that place is an unforgettable experience from decor to menu to drinks. The ambiance is peerless.

Kabul, offering terrific Afghan food, in Wallingford, turned out to be unexpectedly romantic and the people there are awesome.

Chapel in Cap Hill used to a mortuary and the bar was the slab. The environment is very compelling and they specialise in well-made drinks. That said, you'll be dealing with hipsters (not as many during early week as on weekend, though) and the food doesn't quite live up to the hype.
posted by batmonkey at 12:42 PM on November 11, 2008

There are obviously a lot of options, but Dahlia Lounge has been our go-to for a special meal for a while now. I get very particular when I'm shelling out that kind of cash on a meal, and I've found very little about the entire experience to fault on any of my visits (to Dahlia, or any of his other restaurants).

Chiso in Freemont is great for sushi and other Japanese food.
posted by Good Brain at 12:43 PM on November 11, 2008

Ikon Grill

nthing Palace Kitchen

nthing Dahlia Lounge

Go old school and head for Canlis. Or the Edgewater.

Mashiko is awesome and if you sit at the sushi bar your friends can watch you online at sushiwhore.com.

didnt' Brasa just close?
posted by micawber at 12:59 PM on November 11, 2008

Oh hay, another November baby! I went to Harvest Vine last night for birthday dinner and it was fabulous. If you go you must get the homemade duck ham.

I'm going to be really unhip and recommend Il Fornaio. Yes it's in a mall and yes it's a chain, but I've had really fabulous Italian food here.
posted by calistasm at 2:55 PM on November 11, 2008

I recommend Zoe's if you have an adventurous, omnivorous appetite.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:30 PM on November 11, 2008

(I am soaking in the nostalgia that is this thread..)

Crush on Madison, along with the previously mentioned Zoe, are two of my faves in Seattle proper.

Both of those have been around for awhile though -- for something newer and a little more distinctive, try for a reservation at the Corson Building.
posted by kanuck at 6:41 PM on November 11, 2008

Seconding Crush, here's the Yelps. It's very very good and the room is small and intimate--a perfect place for a special meal. If you want to splurge, the tasting menu is superb.

A couple of newer places that are a bit more casual that you might want to consider:
* Quinn's in Capitol Hill (gastropub, owned by the folks who brought you Zoe).
* Txori in Belltown (tapas, owned by the same folks who own Harvest Vine and pronounced "chor-ee").

If you want to eat at the place that is the current foodie buzz--I've not eaten there but it sounds both yummy and fun--check out the Corson Building (from the owner of Sitka and Spruce).
posted by donovan at 8:25 PM on November 11, 2008