The lunch lady convention hit Seattle in mid-January and I was lucky enough to go to dinner with four of them. OK, in reality these are not the typical hairnet lunch ladies you remember as a kid. These women actually are the nutrition directors from school districts all over America attending the School Nutrition Association (SNA) annual meeting. They were in Seattle to learn and educate others in the art of school nutrition. With that said Alicia, Diane, Jody, and Julie were a blast to have dinner with.
Eating at the Blueacre Restaurant in Downtown Seattle proved to be a culinary treat that I won’t soon forget as it is one of Seattle’s Best Seafood Restaurants. Gazing at the menu offerings I knew that making a selection would be hard. There were dozens of unique seafood and interesting traditional dishes. Alaskan scallops, Idaho stream raised trout, Alaskan ling cod – all fresh I might add – were just a few of the items that peaked my interest. And in the middle of the menu, fried chicken!
As a table we decided to try the chef’s choice oysters for our appetizer. There were 13 choices of oysters on the menu, most indigenous to the local waters. Letting the chef choose was a good idea as you got a sampling of 4 to 5 varieties of oysters on the half shell. We ravaged the first 12 and decided that was not enough so we went for a second round. All were very good but the appetizer was truly unique because of the sauces. There was the traditional cocktail with horseradish sauce, but the Champagne sauce with real champagne, vinegar, and red onion was unbelievable! Four of us were oyster eaters and none of us had ever had this type of sauce with oysters. It was a light, refreshing sauce that truly accents the oyster and doesn’t hide the flavor. We all agreed it was our new favorite condiment for oysters. On a side note, Alicia had never eaten oysters before but was willing to try. The look on her face was priceless as she pondered her oyster. I convinced her to go traditional and eat one on a cracker to temper the slimy treat. She conquered the bivalve and came back for more. It was a culinary experience she won’t soon forget.
Then on to the main course. I had the Black Cod, which had been marinated in kasu, which is sake lees. It was beautifully served with baby bok Choy, kabocha squash and roasted mushrooms. It was an eye pleasing presentation that was delicious and melted in the mouth. Two “Angry in Shell” Dungeness crabs showed up at the table and were devoured amidst lively discussion of how it is prepared. The crab had a crunchy batter on the shell, and the flavor was just spicy enough to be ‘angry’ but not overwhelming. Basil, Serrano chili, roasted garlic and orange zest were the ingredients listed and the combination made us happy not angry! It was a Dungeness Crab Recipe that would be hard to copy but very easy to eat. I doubt very seriously that there are any Seattle Seafood Restaurants that cook Dungeness Crab that well.
Dessert was a delight also. We shared three at the table – warm pear tart with rum raisin ice cream, a brownie sundae in a huge bowl, and angel food cake with cracked pralines and spiced porter syrup. It was hard to decide which one was our favorite, even after devouring them all, but I think the angel food cake had a slight edge.
Since our visit we have noted many reviews of Blueacre. It is obviously a hot spot in Seattle and we found out why. This group of chefs and management has put together a wonderful seasonal menu featuring local ingredients in a sleek inviting interior with impeccable service. Visit Blueacre soon and often! It is with out a doubt one of Seattle’s Best Seafood Restaurants.
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