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PALISADE

Aloha, Again

Sweeping up the steps of Magnolia’s Palisade you know you are in for a special evening. Then you enter into the Seattle landmark for fine dining and your notions are confirmed.

Saltwater ponds teaming with aquatic life, a soaring waterfront view of the cityscape, a warm island-style welcome and the faint piano music in harmony with the babbling of waterfalls are packaged together to make Palisade a memorable restaurant before your first bite.

While the sights and sounds of Palisade have not changed much over the years that the restaurant has served as the crown jewel in locally-owned Restaurants Unlimited crown, what is new is the Executive Chef. Following John Howie’s departure to Bellevue, to open his own Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, the company searched for a new kitchen head. Wanting to nudge the menu back to its original Polynesian style, Mike Bryan was tapped last year following a stint in Hawaii. Everyone knew the match was made in heaven; Bryan had once served at Restaurants Unlimited.

The result was a reworking of the menu, which debuted February 2003. Bryan collaborated with his sous chef from Hawaii to present a menu with definite Polynesian flair. "We wanted to get the menu back in line with the look of the restaurant and its décor," he explains. "The menu had to be infused with the Polynesian feel."

To build this new feel, Bryan searched for ingredients that were special. He brings sea salt in from Hawaii and blends it with spices to accompany steaks and Palisade’s simply grilled seafood selections. Okinawa sweet potatoes are coconut infused and mashed to accompany Palisade Dungeness crab cakes ($25.95), and the Macadamia nut chicken ($17.95).

Even the cocktail menu has been Polynesianed. The guava-rita is one festive cocktail not to miss.

In addition to ingredients, Bryan is using island-style cooking techniques to refocus the menu. He obtained a special smoker to utilize guava woodchips, not only to impart the tropical smokiness on the Palisade smoked duck breast with Peking duck confit ($22.95), but also to smoke seasonings. The guava wood brings a fruity, heavier smoke flavor than other woods.

Another new direction made was to introduce menu items not readily available in other Seattle eateries. The guava wood-smoked American Kobe style steak ($25.95), prepared using a flat iron cut from Snake River Farms, is certainly a distinctive twist. On the shared plates "pupu" menu the Kobe style beef finds its way into bite size burgers ($11.95). Another distinction on the pupu menu brings five-spice Peking duck, with steamed buns ($10.95), to the table.

"It’s the same menu as before, except with a few new options," says Bryan. Cedar planked roasted salmon ($26.95) remains as a popular option as well as the simply grilled wild King salmon ($27.95) - now featuring the signature sea salt seasoning. The recent additions include duck dishes; pork loin ($17.95) prepared with a char sui (hoisin and honey) marinade, guava wood rotisserie smoked and apple wood grilled; and ravioli.

The novel menu takes quite a few of the tried and true Palisade dishes, giving them a shot of the islands. Nightly fish specials carry on the tradition, adding surprising twists. The wood-fired scallops ($23.95) are now served on the half shell, the scallops sit amongst Dungeness crab, mushrooms and spinach.

The shifts haven’t tilted the restaurant to a ketchy Polynesian spot with bowls of poi on the table. Rather the tastes are ribboned through the dishes, infusing them with a style of Polynesian flavor.

Palisade’s Sunday Cityview Brunch remains a classic. Diners can now select from a wider variety of benedicts, along with other entrée dishes. I prefer to opt out for the serve yourself griddlecake and tropical fruit bar. The all-you-care-to-eat macadamia nut and banana sourdough pancakes along with the fruits and pastries satiates me completely.

To experience Bryan’s new twists on a budget, drop into Maggie Bluff’s - located directly below Palisades. This spot brings the same view with a more casual experience. Open for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, lunch and dinner every day. I recently entertained a family from the Midwest there. The children’s menu and crayons were meal savers. Not having to worry about the carpet on the outdoor patio was a plus.

Mina Williams/Summer 03

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