Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
freshly plucked, mushrooms dug out of the rich soil, and cornucopias of fruit and ve-
getables. Another distinguishing feature is pan-Asian cooking, often referred to as Pa-
cific Rim cuisine or fusion food. The blending of American or European standards with
ingredients from Asia, it results in some unusual combinations - don't be surprised if
you get wasabi on your French fries.
Things Seattle Does Well
Surrounded by water, Seattle is an obvious powerhouse of fresh seafood. Local favor-
ites include Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut, oysters, spot prawns, and clams. Al-
though it's not one of the US's most cosmopolitan cities, Seattle has a sizable Chinese
population and a strong selection of dim sum restaurants in the International District.
The ID also harbors a good cluster of Vietnamese restaurants in its 'Little Saigon'
quarter. Seattle's Italian restaurants are often highly progressive, many of them special-
izing in regional food such as Roman or Piedmontese. Chef Ethan Stowell has success-
fully married Italian cuisine with Northwest traditions and popularized the use of
homemade pasta.
Other genres in which Seattle excels are bakeries (a by-product of its cafe culture),
Japanese food (the sushi is unwaveringly good) and - perhaps surprisingly - spicy
Ethiopian food; the bulk of the East African restaurants are in the Central District (CD).
Many visitors from the south comment on the dearth of Mexican restaurants (though
there are a handful of good ̀“uns) and, while the Indian fare can't compete with that
found in Vancouver, the appearance of Shanik restaurant (from Canada's Vikram Vij)
has upped the ante somewhat. Seattle also loves a good steak - especially one that's led
a happy, grass-fed life on a farm just outside of town. The city's latest food fashion is
crusty sweet or savory pies, with several new restaurants dedicating themselves exclus-
ively to the genre.
Mold-Breaking Chefs
Tom Douglas
The biggest name on the Seattle food scene, Douglas helped define what
people mean when they talk about Northwest cuisine. He opened his first restaurant,
Dahlia, in 1989 and has since followed it with nine more. Douglas won the prestigious
James Beard Award for Best Restaurateur in 2012 and once battled Masaharu Mor-
imoto in an episode of
Iron Chef America
- and won.
Ethan Stowell
With seven Seattle restaurants, Stowell is considered a rising star. His
specialty is marrying creative Italian cuisine with classic Northwest ingredients, espe-
cially seafood.
