There's More than Seafood at Seattle's Amazing Restaurants

While Seattle may not be known internationally as a beacon for world class chefs, it is in fact attracting attention from around the world as it becomes known as one of the United States top dining cities. There are high quality restaurants serving international cuisine of every specialty, drawing upon the area's wealth of organic produce, the fresh fish from the Pacific and Seattle's rivers, and it's location as an import hub for the area.

The regional cuisine is joined with cuisines from Asia, France and Italy. There are areas where you can find expensive gourmet restaurants, like the Hotel Andra where Chef Tom Douglas uses local produce and fish prepared with a Greek influence. Along the waterfront, you can find fast food restaurants, organic delights, and some of the areas best Pit BBQ at Pecos Pit. At the Pink Door, an Italian cabaret blends classics with abundant northwest organic vegetables grown locally. Whatever your budget, cuisine tastes or time of the day, the Seattle Dining experience can provide.

Portage Bay Cafe
Seattle's organic food movements led the nation wide whole foods trend beginning as early as the 70's as the back to earth natural foods movement began along the coast of California. And now Seattle boasts of some of the best organic food growers in the country. At Portage Bay Cafe, you can sample some of their outstanding products.

The tourist or local can begin their day at one of Seattle's best know breakfast and brunch spots, The Portage Bay Café where organic favorites like the local lingonberries are matched with buckwheat pancakes.. Would be diners often wait an hour in line to find a seat in the large, airy and spacious Portage Bay Café. The wait is worth it though as diners peruse a menu carrying over 100 unique breakfast entrees prepared from locally grown organic produce and foods.

You won't find sausage, eggs and gravy with biscuits here but you will find astonishing taste sensations like Black Bean Pancetta Cake Benedict with homemade cornbread, black bean and pancetta cake, topped with a perfect poached egg and smothered with house smoked tomatoes and house saffron sauce. Or perhaps you just have to have your pork sausage. Try the Pork Sausage Omelette with House smoked sausage, caramelized apples and shallots and 5 year aged Gouda Cheese. Served with home cooked potato fries, these egg delights are light, fluffy and perfectly spiced with local herbs and vegetables.

The Bananas Foster French Toast is a popular menu item, but most guests can't wait to try The Organic Buckwheat Pancakes covered with toppings from the topping bar. Favorite toppings on the 12 foot long topping bar, include the usual suspects, blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream, but also lingonberries, gooseberries, and scores of other berries, as well as nuts, real maple syrup and many other fruit syrups.

A look at the menu will make you want to hop on the nearest jet plane for breakfast in Seattle. The prices are reasonable for specialty organic.

Their Eat Like You Give a Damn philosophy is explained thoroughly on their organic providers webpage where the various farms that Portage Bay Café purchases from are highlighted. For those diners who share the green and organic philosophy of eating whole foods, this restaurant would be a sure fire thumbs up selection for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

The Waterfront tourist regions and seafood restaurants

The waterfront of Seattle with it's crystal blue view of Puget Sound is obviously the key tourist attraction for visitors, stretching for miles up and down the sound and in and out of bays along the way. For a family visit, there are wonderful free things to see and do all along the waterfront area. You can visit Ballard Locks where the saltwater of Puget Sound meets the fresh water of Lake Union. Hundreds of boats are raised and lowered as they journey through the channel and when the salmon run is occurring you can watch them run the salmon ladders as well. Close by is Pike Place Market, one of America's first outdoor fresh air farmer's market where you can buy fresh seafood, fresh cut flowers, fresh vegetables and arts and crafts galore from hundreds of suppliers. In this region, tourists abound the Seattle Aquarium. Harbor Cruises take visitors around Elliott Bay and out where you can look back at the magnificent Seattle skyline. All that morning sightseeing will leave the family famished and since you're at the waterfront having lunch at one of the regions famous seafood restaurants is a good thing to do.

Ivar's Seafood Bars and Restaurants

The entire family can afford the delicious variety of Seattle seafood at Ivar's, which opened its door to the public in 1938 and has grown to include 27 fast and casual Ivar's Seafood Bars and three full service upscale seafood waterfront restaurants, Ivar's Acres of Clams, Ivar's Salmon House and Ivar's Mukilteo Landing.. Ivar's claims that they only use wild Alaskan deep sea halibut, salmon and Pacific True cod right off the coast. The owners of Ivar's say they "hand-cut and bread our fish daily and abide by the original recipes that Swede Ivag Haglund established in 1938." In 2008, Ivar's also claims that they served 3,000,000 diners!

Ivar Haglund was quite a promoter and you can see a funny and unique videos of some of his more adventurous commercials here, including some great parodies like Back to the Clam, Chariots of Clam, and Ivar's Caveman. He became a well known figure in Seattle and a beloved one.

Favorites at Ivar's includes the hot and steaming fish or salmon chowder that can be purchased for as low at 2.95 for a cup or 6.95 in a sourdough bread bowl. If it's cool and raining in Seattle, (and it often is) then a warm bowl of fish chowder will shake the chills. If it's sunny outside, you can dine out on the deck where both the seagulls and a busy waterfront view will entertain. The local Pacific Cod fish and chips dinner for 6.99 with Ivar's famous coleslaw and chips on the side offers the tourist or diner a classic fish on the waterfront lunch. If Mom wants a more upscale meal, there are plenty of fresh salads and the Mahi Mahi and wild rice platter with cornbread or the salmon with wild rice and cornbread for under $10. If fish is not the favorite of someone in the family, there is chicken available at Ivar's Seafood Bars also.

Elliot's Oyster House

Another popular waterfront restaurant serving fresh caught fish from Puget Sound and the Pacific is Elliot's Oyster House on Pier 56, the center of the downtown waterfront area. Elliot's has been a favorite of Seattle diners for 30 years serving elegant and more upscale Northwest seafood, like the local Dungeness crab, wild salmon, Alaskan halibut, and of course their namesake oysters. Served from a 21 foot long oyster bar, the diner can find oysters on the half shell, but also in many other wonderful creations by renowned chefs, including Elliot's Dungeness Crab Cakes, which can now be purchased in grocery stores around the country.

Chinook's at Salmon Bay

Chinoonk's is another popular favorite with affordable family dining, including all the local seafood dishes, and some dessert delicacies that have become area favorites, including the Wild Blueberry Cobbler, bread pudding and Bailey's Chocolate Mousse. The staff is known for it's friendly and fun service. The menu is as large and extensive as Chinook's is large and spacious with vast table spaces. You can always find a seat somewhere in the joint. If you're looking for a quiet intimate date restaurant, Chinook's with it's noisy family fun atmosphere isn't probably the place for you. But if affordable seafood done well with great sides and desserts coupled with helpful service is your idea of a great night out then check out Chinook's.

Salty's on Alki Beach

Salty's on Alki Beach in Seattle occupies prime beach front land and a amazing view of the Seattle skyline stretching out across Elliott Bay. But it isn't the view that draws most diners to Salty's, it's the affordable fresh seafood specialties and the fun, lively dining experience. The entire environment is engineered to make the tourist or customer feel they're at a beach party, complete with nautical decorations and live entertainment in the Bar-Café at Salty's. Salty's continues to win every dining award given by restaurant reviewers including Best Sunday Brunch, Best Waterfront Restaurant, Best Wine List, and Most Romantic Restaurant There are plenty of dining areas in Salty's and yes, the family looking for a fun evening can find the right environment, but the couple seeking a romantic night out can find some cozy, intimate tables for two.

Seattle Restaurant Dining Guides

While the fantastic seafood of Seattle can be found at well known local restaurants in Seattle along the waterfront areas, that stretch from Puget Sound, clear up and down Elliot's Bay and in all parts of the wide spread city landscape of Seattle, it isn't the only well known cuisine found in Seattle.

Every main neighborhood in Seattle offers a wide variety of fantastic dining options with prices and cuisines to match every taste. Seattle truly offers world class dining experiences. You can check out the vast variety of options for every region of Seattle at several good dining in Seattle websites. Almost all of the restaurants offered have their own websites that specifically tell about the restaurant, highlights the menus, and shares the history of the restaurant and of Seattle.

Seattle Restaurant Dining Guide is one of the most thoroughly designed review sites with amazing amount of information well organized and presented.

Seattle Dining Guide

Seattle, WA Metro guide

Seattle bloggers love to eat at Seattle restaurant and you can find a wealth of Seattle Food bloggers online. Some of the best are:

Eating Seattle

Tasting Menu, which recommends Daily Dozen Doughnut Company, El Gaucho,Malay Shatay Hut, and Nishino's, which the blog author, says is the best sushi she's ever eaten! Any blog that recommends donuts is okay with this author!

The Accidental Hedonist is this author's favorite of the Seattle Food Blogs she checked out. It's a wonderful mix of politics, humor and all things foodie.

Finding the perfect restaurant while on vacation is always the goal of foodie vacationers and the Seattle restaurant scene is jam packed with some great options.