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Waterfront Seafood Grill

Where To Take The Out-of-Towners

Nothing says seafood like Seattle and nothing says Seattle like Waterfront Seafood Grill.

Sweeping vistas of water and mountains, plus a menu focused on Northwest favorites along with some surprises, make Waterfront Seafood Grill the spot to pick when favoring fish and shellfish … and did I say beef. A real crowd-pleaser, this waterside location and sunny service style hits the mark.

When out-of-town relatives and visitors ask for restaurant recommendations in Seattle, I

often have to ponder about the person’s style, what their preconceived notions might be and the location of their lodging. Not so when considering a recommendation to Waterfront Seafood

Grill. Seafood enthusiasts and aficionados, along with those craving a more landed fare - each

find selections to savor at Waterfront Seafood Grill. This menu, along with the central location and valet parking, make Waterfront Seafood Grill an easy recommendation to make.

Perched on Elliott Bay at the tip of Pier 70, the restaurant ambiance is rooted in warm elegance. Taking advantage of its waterfront location, Waterfront Seafood Grill sports floor to ceiling windows which frame the restaurant’s 270-degree panorama. Table views take in Elliott Bay, Magnolia Bluff, West Seattle, and the Space Needle. The Olympic Mountains are also visible when they want to be.

True Northwest style exudes throughout the dining room. Pinecone-themed chandeliers lend a graceful nuance to the ceiling. Structural support beams, decorated in comforting copper tones, are showcased as an architectural element rather than hindering the aesthetics of the main dining room.

A new menu premiered in the fall of 2002 under the direction of Executive Chef Ken Sharp, who took the helm last summer following Vicky McCaffree’s departure, returning to Yarrow Bay Grill in Kirkland. The focus is on food that is fresh. Chef specialties include a combination of composed plates, crustaceans and beef selections. Fish, simply grilled ($19.95 - $25.95), serves as the backbone of the menu with daily selections taking advantage of what is currently available "a beautiful piece of fish simply grilled," says the menu.

Being perched on a pier gives Waterfront Seafood Grill guests the feeling of being out on

the water, cityscape behind, Elliott Bay and its vistas ahead. Two private dining rooms wow out-of-towners and Seattleites alike with stunning views. The dine-fest continues outdoors on the 4,000-square-foot deck.

Backing up all this beauty is exquisitely fresh fish, oysters, crab, lobster and steaks. It is obvious that loads of attention is paid to the details of selecting these gems from the sea and farm.

The tone of the Waterfront Seafood Grill experience is set at the entrance doors. To the right, the Shellfish Bar tempts diners with an array of shrimp, oysters, clams, crab and lobster artfully placed on ice. It is not surprising the restaurant hosts a Family Seafood Fest every Sunday. On the left is the heart of the open kitchen - the charcoal broiler. An actual working kitchen, this element allows guests to feel the thrill of the grill at a safe distance. Center stage, a piano player fills the dining room with soothing background dinner music aimed at quelling the most jangled of nerves.

As our party was seated, our Eastern visitors commented on how much space was allowed between tables. "It is possible to have a private dinner without ‘neighbors’ eavesdropping," one exclaimed. During that weeknight visit, several large groups were in the dining room, yet the table spacing allowed for our quiet celebration to proceed undisturbed.

Neither the combination of the room’s ambiance, the fresh food, nor the spectacular view could make the evening perfect without Waterfront Seafood Grill’s doting staff. From captain, Michael Gibbons, to the servers and the busboys, guests do not go wishing for a thing. This service is punctuated with several menu items prepared tableside. This is a hallmark of the restaurant group Waterfront Seafood Grill belongs to, which includes the El Gaucho restaurants in Seattle and Tacoma. Made-to-order Caesar salad and an Emerald City Volcano, Waterfront Seafood Grill’s signature version of the traditional baked Alaska, are just two of the expressly-prepared selections adding theater to the service.

Service also shines at the Shellfish Bar. A full complement of fresh local oysters are available ($1-$1.95), ranging from the flavorful Penn Cove Selects to the tantalizing Westcott Bay Petites. Chef Creek, Snow Creek, Dabob Bay, Westcott Bay Flats and the popular Judd Cove were also available the weekday evening we visited. Expertly shucked, leaving the meat untouched to float on the oyster nectar cloud, the classic presentation spoke volumes about the restaurant’s staff and their attention to the details that can make or break such rituals as starting the meal with oysters.

The chef’s specialties on the new menu pose a challenge for guests. Each is described so well it is hard to choose. While the Northwest favorites of sesame seared Alaskan halibut ($24.95) and steamed Dungeness crab ($27.95) seemed the obvious choice, I could not pass up the meaty pan seared tuna piccata ($23.95) prepared with capers, baby artichokes, lemon and butter. The Thai seafood stew ($20.95) served in a heady lemongrass coconut broth also made its way onto our table.

Another visit found our guest perplexed as whether to have the Dungeness crab cocktail ($14.95) or the jumbo prawn cocktail ($13.95). Our able server recommended the combination Prawn & Crab Cocktail so he could "enjoy both special flavors." The same perplexed guest also favored the simply grilled duo Copper River Salmon Sampler ($25.95) combining Sockeye and King specie on one plated presentation.

It is perhaps the simply grilled fish offerings ($19.95-$25.95) that showcase the powerhouse Chef Sharp has assembled in the kitchen. The fish are simply grilled and served with a choice of sun dried tomato beurre blanc, orange fig relish, or for the fans of spicy hot, Jamaican pineapple chutney. Classic herbed butters are also available on request to crown the 12-ounce portions. This finishing method allows the singular flavor of the fish to be the main attraction on the plate.

If some like the sea, some prefer the land. Waterfront Seafood Grill’s sister restaurants, El Gaucho, offers three signature selections ($21.95 - $35.95) to please the beef barons at your waterside table. A tender filet and lobster tail ($79.95) might also tempt land lovers wishing to venture out into the surf.

To be sure to get that ‘dangle your feet in the water’ feeling window table, reservations are recommended. Otherwise the bar is a comfortable spot to enjoy the scenery, the music and your favorite beverage while waiting for your table.

Mina Williams/Summer 03

Fast Facts:

(icons: live entertainment, bar, outdoor dining, smoking available)

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