Restaurants in Seattle or Vancouver

Does anyone have any good recommendations for restaurants in Seattle or Vancouver? I'm looking for restaurants that specialize in using regional ingredients. Also, has anyone tried Rovers in Seattle?

Writer

[Risa]

I don't have any personal suggestions because I tend to eat Asian whenever I'm in Vancouver; however, here's a site that may be helpful.

Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards - Best Use of Regional Ingredients

C Restaurant got the gold, but I have heard both good and bad things about the food there. There are days when the chef gets too inventive.

[ziggy]

My husband and I have been to Rovers often. We have always enjoyed our meals there. I still dream about a seafood nage with truffles that accompanied scallops the last time we were there. Spendy but always a good experience.

So many good restaurants in Seattle...if you are looking for something "regional" and don't mind venturing out of downtown, see if you can get reservations at the Herbfarm. Usually books up months in advance but last minute reservations aren't unheard of. I believe they are now open in their new location in Woodinville.

[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: ziggy ]

[Kimmie]

If you like Indian food, this is the place to go:

Vij's Restaurant
1480 West 11th Avenue
(604) 736-6664

This small restaurant serves fabulous Bombay cuisine. The owner, Vikram Vij, paid his dues in the best dining rooms of Vancouver and it shows, both in the quality of the food and the friendly but professional service. The curries are fragrant with spices and the basmati rice is cooked to perfection. The menu may be limited but everything on it that we have tried has been remarkable.

Vancouver dining directory

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James Barber
Vancouver Sun

Vij's Restaurant

Small East Indian restaurants don't very often make it to the glossy magazines of the international high flyers, unless they're a backdrop to super-pix of super models. Vikram Vij is certainly not Naomi Campbell, but there he is, plastered all over the pages of Art Culinaire, plump as a pouter pigeon, relaxed and unassuming, touted in his own right as one of North America's top chefs: innovative, imaginative and well worth getting the butler to fire up the Learjet for a visit. Although somehow I don't think Donald Trump would be terribly enthusiastic.

Despite all this acclaim, the little restaurant still doesn't take reservations, and still doesn't open for lunch or on Sundays. The rich and famous stand outside, cheek by jowl with the tie-dyed and nose-pierced, sipping on Vij's famous ginger-lemon drink, waiting not only for a table, but also for the surprises that come with the constantly changing menu, which is by no means the standard thesaurus of variations on curry. The food is bright and colourful and sophisticated, with even the simplest of dishes having a multi-layered rainbow of tastes and textures. The room, like the food, has no pretenses, a precise and immaculate but very quietly comfortable space, magic enough for Harry Potter but no problem for the most minimalist of ascetics.

What to eat? If there ever was a restaurant in which you could place your complete confidence in the staff, this is it. The ingredients are local, mostly organic and very fresh; the inspiration is obviously (and originally) based on the culture of East India (no waitresses on elephants but undeniably exotic), the execution is immaculate. Onion Seed chicken, grilled prawns with shiso, home-made paneer, pork in ginger and rice vinegar, lemon garlic marinated salmon, lamb chops with sweet potato and lentils, saffron quail -- all in my notes from the last three months. But Vij's is not a restaurant to go to with your mind made up.

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For the best Italian in town:Bacchus Restaurant
845 Hornby St., in the Wedgewood Hotel
tel.: 604/608-5319

Downtown & Yaletown
Mediterranean
Price Category: Expensive


Bacchus is the centerpiece of Eleni Skalbania's Wedgewood Hotel. With cherry-wood paneling, a carved limestone fireplace, white linens, and comfortable chairs, the decor is wonderfully romantic. The chef has created an eclectic Northern Italian menu that includes such diverse dishes as grilled Alaskan halibut with lemon risotto and Genovese basil dressing. The tournedos
of free-range chicken with spinach, crisp pancetta, and polenta with tomato-and-fennel vinaigrette were delectable. For dessert, the Bellini peach soufflé and chocolate torte are luscious. The open kitchen with dining counter offers rare front-row seats to the action.

Breakfast main courses C$6-C$16;
Lunch main courses C$13-C$16;
Dinner main courses C$18-C$30.

Open: Daily 6:30am-10:30pm; Lounge menu until 11pm; Saturday lounge menu until midnight.

Tea daily 2-4pm.

Reservations required for dinner.

Credit Cards: AE, DC, MC, V.

[SeattleDeb]

Seattle Recommendations:

Wild Ginger

Dahlia Lounge

Restaurant Zoe

Palace Kitchen

Etta's

Vancouver:
No one at our table thought C Restaurant in Vancouver was anyplace we'd like to return again.

Ate at a fantastic Italian place (in a Victorian home)...I'll try to remember the name.

[ July 27, 2001: Message edited by: SeattleDeb ]

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions for dining in Seattle and Vancouver. It's a good thing dinner is almost ready, because you all made me really hungry.

If anyone has suggestions on a good chef to interview about cooking with regional ingredients in those areas, I'd really appreciate it. I'm writing an article about cruising and cooking in those areas. I'm also looking for a yacht chef to interview.
Thanks.

Writer

[SeattleDeb]

Tom Douglas for regional cuisine...

His restaurants/cookbook:
http://tomdouglas.com/about.html

[ziggy]

Along with the ones Seattle Deb listed, Cassis is one of our favorites. Small french Bistro in the Eastlake district.

A second choice for a chef would be Jerry Traunfeld. He was the executive chef at the Herbfarm when it was in Fall city. It's now in Woodinville in a hotel (the original site was lost to a fire a few years ago). Don't know if he moved with the restaurant. The Herbfarm uses regional items in season combined with herbs and produce from their own gardens. Couldn't get the Herbfarm site to open but he's written some cookbooks so there are bios on Amazon.

[SeattleDeb]

Excellent suggestion Ziggy..do you have his cookbook?

[ziggy]

No, I'm thinking about ordering it now that we're not up there anymore. It would be nice to have. We did have dinner there once at the Fall City location....ummmmmmmmmmmm.

In Seatle I would recommend Arcadia for modern, regional cuisine. The chef/owner is simply amazing.
Kevin

In Vancouver, we ate at Lumiere when we were working with the chef/owner, Rob Feeney. One of the best meals we have every experienced.

[Linda Smith]

Hi Writer: If you are looking for good honest food, I can recommend Hanada House on Denman in Vancouver. It is a favorite with the locals. I have family in Vancouver and it is their all time favorite place to eat. I have been and can attest to quality food in a humble setting at very reasonable prices. Fresh seafood/sushi. It is on Denman 3 stores and a deserted bank up from Robson.

Tell us, are you going to try all of these places out? Lucky you if you are.


Cheers

[Soozie10]

We had dinner @ Buschart Gardens, in their main dining room and it was marvelous. It probably was one of the best meals that I have had. The service was wonderful and we really enjoyed ourselves. We were in Victoria on a lovely trip. We are from St. Louis, MO and we do have some great restaurants here but this place was lovely.