The few times we have eaten at Ettas, usually for a late breakfast or early lunch on Saturday or Sunday, we have found the food to be excellent. I particularly like their fried oysters, or their seafood omelett.
Seattle, WA
Etta's Seafood? Curious of opinions
Went there a few months back. Had probably the best salmon I've ever had. Wonderful dinner. W >Jim F. wrote: >> >> Etta's seafood near Pike Place? My gf and I ate here Saturday for >> lunch. We thought the food was *awful*, just wondering what other >> people think of this place. >> >> Jim > >I had app's at Etta's last night and had mixed reactions. The fish cakes >extremely lacking of flavor will not be ordered by myself again. The >Calamari was pretty good and I would order it again. The Tamales are >quite good and I would go back there to order them again IMHO R.
Wayland wrote: >Subject: Re: Etta's Seafood? Curious of opinions >From: [email removed] (Wayland) >Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 18:26:35 GMT > > >Went there a few months back. Had probably the best salmon I've ever >had. Wonderful dinner. > >W >>Jim F. wrote: >>> >>> Etta's seafood near Pike Place? My gf and I ate here Saturday for >>> lunch. We thought the food was *awful*, just wondering what other >>> people think of this place. >>> >>> Jim >> Jim, Go there quite often. Enjoy it very much. alan
Sasha Y. wrote: >Make that 2 No votes. My partner and I ate there a month or so >ago and won't be going back. Considering the reputation this >place has, I expected much more. I think that this place has to deal, in part, with the a wide variety of reputations that precede it given Tom Douglas' not so subtle grandstanding and showmanship within the larger food community. I've been to Etta's a a fair amount (15+) over the last few years, including their practice runs before they opened. Most often, when I or someone in the party has been disappointed, it's been the result of a misalignment between expectations and outcomes, as opposed to bad food....kind of what you get at below. >As someone pointed out, the >(ancho I believe) tamale was tasty as was the salmon topped >with a shiitake mushroom relish. That was my dish. I chose >asparagus to accompany the salmon and there was no flavor to >it other than being lightly steamed with a little olive oil >perhaps. My partner ordered the crab cakes, decent enough >but the *mountain* of french fries were a huge turnoff The Salmon your referring to -- Bainbridge Island (?) Salmon, smoked, lightly dusted with herbs, grilled over alder, served over bread pudding, and topped with shiitake relish -- remains the best Salmon I've ever had in any restaurant in this city. Ray's has never come close. Flying Fish doesn't cut it. Campagne and Lamprea - IMO - venture too far into the land of particularity. Interestingly, this was also one of the few pieces of salmon I've ever encountered in this city that was properly cooked. You're right on about the crab cakes, the fries are clearly over the top...see below. >as were the plates, emblazoned with the "ettas" logo. Reminded >me of being at a coffee shop and I was immediately turned >off by the lack of ambience. We ordered dessert, more out >of curiosity than desire for more, and what we received >(again on "Etta's" plates) was semi-sweet chocolate fondue >with fruit and cookies. The coffee came in Etta's mugs >as well.. You're comments here, again, are right on the mark. I think some people lose sight of the fact that Tom D. had originally meant this place to be nothing too fancy, merely a "seafood joint", and a way to reclaim the old Cafe Sport space at the same time. The "Etta's" logo's seem like an attempt -- albeit self-indulgent -- to foster this "up-scale joint" like atmosphere. I too question whether or not this really works in the end. >However, the service was quite good... This place >isn't terrible by any means but I don't believe that the >food supports the reputation this place has... I later >tried "Palace Kitchen", another of Tom Douglas' restaurants >and wasn't impressed either. What are others' comments on >"Palace Kitchen"? Again, the Palace Kitchen still seems to be struggling with it's identity. I went shortly after it opened and found it to be a pleasing, cafe-like approach to his Dhalia formula. They were talking about building a wine cellar there and adding a cheese program (custom aged cheeses) all as part of Tom D's larger vision of the Palace as a "show-kitchen". I think they were also talking about baking a lot of the TD-empire breads there too. Food was okay, but rather affordable. I went back last month and things had changed quite a bit. Limos pulled up on a regular basis, the wait was 2-2.5 hours on a Friday night, the bar was packed with those there merely to "be seen", etc. The original prices had risen and the food didn't seem to taste any better. For that matter, the preps and ingredients seemed, if anything, a little less focused. I was rather unimpressed. Then again, it could still be the product of me expecting something a little different than what was being delivered. For what it's worth, Dhalia remains one of the most unique culinary destinations in the city. Sure it's not the best, the fanciest, or most romantic, but where else can two people dressed in cut-off shorts feel perfectly comfortable building a tasting-dinner from such an eclectic, and largely well-executed, menu for under $60/couple ? -Jarrett
Someone wrote: > > >Anyone who is a regular there want to speculate as to why the divergence > > >of such strong opinions? > > > > Actually, there doesn't seem to be a "divergence of such strong opinions". > > > > All I've seen is the single negative comment above followed by 5 or 6 > > equally short yes votes. Kind of a dull thread in you really think about > > it. > > Make that 2 No votes. My partner and I ate there a month or so > ago and won't be going back. Considering the reputation this > place has, I expected much more. As someone pointed out, the > (ancho I believe) tamale was tasty as was the salmon topped > with a shiitake mushroom relish. That was my dish. I chose > asparagus to accompany the salmon and there was no flavor to > it other than being lightly steamed with a little olive oil > perhaps. My partner ordered the crab cakes, decent enough > but the *mountain* of french fries were a huge turnoff as > were the plates, emblazoned with the "ettas" logo. Reminded > me of being at a coffee shop and I was immediately turned > off by the lack of ambience. We ordered dessert, more out > of curiosity than desire for more, and what we received > (again on "Etta's" plates) was semi-sweet chocolate fondue > with fruit and cookies. The coffee came in Etta's mugs > as well.. However, the service was quite good... This place > isn't terrible by any means but I don't believe that the > food supports the reputation this place has... I later > tried "Palace Kitchen", another of Tom Douglas' restaurants > and wasn't impressed either. What are others' comments on > "Palace Kitchen"? > > sasha I've been to the Palace Kitchen twice for dinner and have not been impressed. Its not that the food is inferior to that of other restaurants its just not remarkable. I last ate there a month ago and couldn't tell you what I had to eat. Nothing I had made me sit up and moan with pleasure that can only happen when something wonderful has passed over your tastebuds. I will probably try it one more time but not on a weekend. It can get really loud. Also the booths have hard wooden seats which are not comfortable.