Well, my companion and I are back from Seattle, and we thank
everyone who emailed us suggestions about dining in the area. We tried
several of the places in question and were very happy with them on the
whole - thanks once again!
There was one standout: _Le Gourmand_, in Ballard, north of the
city center. Several people said that it was somewhat costly but that the
food would be extraordinary, which was the sort of challenge we found that
we simply couldn't pass up.
In short, it is indeed extraordinary, albeit expensive (our tab
ran ~$75 for two people, this without wine). But the quality of the food
itself, and the whole dining experience, was beyond compare. As we were
finishing dessert, I sat back and said to my girlfriend, "My entire body
is happy," which was a pretty accurate summation. I'm actually glad that
we didn't drink any wine, for fear that it would have dulled our palates,
and that would have been criminal.
The chef, Bruce, comes out to talk with each table of diners as
they finish up, or at least he was doing so on this particular night. He's
extremely nice and very accomplished, but he roared with laughter when I
told him that we had found out about the place through the Internet...
It was apparently the place's first electronic reference. We were told
to tell him that Irving Wolfe claims that he (Bruce) is the best cook
in Seattle, an opinion in which we concurred. Bruce recognized the name
and says hello, if Irving reads this.
If you are going to be in the area or are already, and don't
mind the expense, we recommend it wholeheartedly. Do call ahead (they
are in the Seattle phone book). We went on Saturday and found out then
that they're closed Sunday and Monday, which would have wiped out our
chances to go there if we'd missed on Saturday. We slid right in with no
reservation but I don't know if this is typical or not. Bon appetit!Seattle, WA