Restaurant Review: The Triple Door in Seattle WA

My husband and I attended the Zappa plays Zappa concert at The Triple Door on Sunday. Though I'll tell you more about the concert in a separate article, the dinner is worth its own review. Starting with a cheese plate as an appetizer and ending with a crème Brule, dinner at The Triple Door was an all around delight.

Due to the venue, the restaurant was crowded. We had advance reservations, arrived early and still stood in a line in the lobby to get into the seating area. This was chilly as the outer door was kept open. Once we were checked in, we were led to our seat.

Seating at The Triple Door is close. We were lucky to get our own table right near the aisle on the second tier. The seating consists of booths for four, crescent shaped tables for two along a half wall or small tables for two scattered between. No matter where you sit, the aisle space between tables is almost non-existent. Prepare for some intimate dining.

Our waiter, Jarrod, was witty, friendly and helpful. Giving us time to look over the menu, he took our drink orders, suggesting an alternative for my Alaskan Amber, which they did not have, and suggested the three cheese plate as our appetizer. These arrived promptly and the choice was superb. A mixture of brie, cheddar and blue cheese was surrounded by sugared and spiced pecans, pear sauce, thin apple slices, thin toasted slices of brioche and sesame flatbreads. The cheeses were strong and provided a perfect balance with the pear, apple and pecans.

My husband ordered the Angkor wok chicken and I opted for the Seven Flavor Beef. Both of us took the mixed white and brown rice, plus we ordered a side of snow peas. While we were waiting for this, we enjoyed recordings of Jeff Beck among others coming over the speakers.

Our dinner arrived shortly after we finished the cheese tray. I had ordered a pot of Jasmine tea to go with my meal and it arrived quickly, Jasmine blossoms floating in the pot. The fact that we were provided no knife is a testament to The Triple Door's cooking perfection. The meat was tender enough to cut with a fork and the vegetables were perfect. My seven flavor beef sat on a bed of bean sprouts. The seven flavors consisted of lemongrass, peanuts, chilies, hoisin, basil, garlic and ginger. Very yummy. My husband's wok chicken was fantastic, as murmurings of accolades to the chefs came from his corner.

I had eyed the dessert menu prior to ordering and portioned half my meal to take home so I'd have room to enjoy the Egg Nog crème Brule, brandy and egg nog custard topped with the crisp sugared crust and served with two chocolate nutmeg logs. That, my To-Go box next to me and the cup of coffee I ordered with it, put me in heaven.

Though I did not wander the restaurant area, from my seat it appeared they had a completely packed house. Jerrod and the rest of the staff did a super job at keeping us well fed and happy. The Triple Door is pricey but worth every penny. Kudos to the entire restaurant staff for a wonderful time at their establishment.