Seattle - Washington State - page 85

come cheap. All the classics are here, too, including Caesar salad tossed table-
side, and chateaubriand carved before your eyes. Not a steak eater? How about
venison chops, an ostrich filet, or Australian lobster tail? There's also a classy bar
off to one side, a separate cigar lounge and, for after-dinner dancing, the affili-
ated Pampas Room nightclub.
2505 First Ave. & 206/728-1337. www.elgaucho.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $16-$90
(steaks $32-$42). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 5pm-1am; Sun 5-11pm.
EXPENSIVE
Campagne COUNTRY FRENCH With large windows that look out
over the top of Pike Place Market to Elliott Bay, Campagne is an unpretentious,
yet elegant, French restaurant. With such a prime location, it shouldn't be sur-
prising that Campagne relies heavily on the wide variety of fresh ingredients that
the market provides. Consequently, the menu changes with the seasons. How-
ever, such classic dishes as foie gras terrine, beef tartare, and sautéed sweetbreads
usually make appearances. Simple sauces and exotic ingredients are the rule here.
Roasted baby beets might be drizzled with pistachio oil, while pan-roasted hal-
ibut may come atop a pea-and-tarragon puree. There are always several interest-
ing salads as well.
Inn at the Market, 86 Pine St. & 206/728-2800. www.campagnerestaurant.com. Reservations recom-
mended. Main courses $23-$37; 3-course fixed-price dinner $45. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 5-10pm.
Chez Shea NORTHWEST Quiet, dark, and intimate, Chez Shea is
one of the finest restaurants in Seattle, and with only a dozen candlelit tables and
views across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains, it's an ideal setting for
romance. The menu changes with the season, and ingredients come primarily
from the market below. On a recent spring evening, dinner started with arugula
and red-grapefruit salad. This was then followed by a roasted asparagus soup.
Among the five or so nightly entrees were pork tenderloin with pan-roasted
asparagus; beef tenderloin with frizzled leeks and potato cakes and a cognac
demi-glace; and salmon with sesame-rice noodles, lemon grass, and coconut
milk broth. Though dessert is a la carte, you'll find it impossible to let it pass
you by. The city may have equally fine restaurants, but none has quite the
romantic atmosphere as Chez Shea.
Pike Place Market, Corner Market Building, 94 Pike St., Suitee 34. & 206/467-9990. www.chezshea.com.
Reservations highly recommended. 4-course fixed-price dinner $43. AE, MC, V. Tues-Sun 5-10pm.
MODERATE
Café Campagne FRENCH This cozy little cafe is an offshoot of
the popular Campagne, a much more formal French restaurant, and though it's
in the heart of the Pike Place Market neighborhood, it's a world away from the
market madness. We like to duck in here for lunch and escape the shuffling
crowds. What a relief—so civilized, so very French. The dark and cozy place has
a hidden feel to it, and most people leave feeling like they've discovered some
secret hideaway. The menu changes with the seasons, but a daily rotisserie spe-
cial such as stuffed quail or leg of lamb marinated with garlic and anchovy is
always offered Tuesday through Saturday—highly recommended. The cafe dou-
bles as a wine bar and has a good selection of reasonably priced wines by the glass
or by the bottle.
1600 Post Alley. & 206/728-2233. Reservations accepted for dinner only. Main courses $15-$19; 3-course
fixed-price menu $25. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri 11am-5pm and 5:30-11pm; Sat 8am-4pm
and 5:30-11pm; Sun 8am-4pm and 5-10pm.

Finds