The Sea-Lion & The Sunset

I admit it.  The Waterfront Seafood Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle.  So when I get free reign to throw a classy dinner, I’m there.  Especially if it’s in the summer months – although this year I am not quite sure we had a summer, or, if we did, which the summer months were – however, the evening we were there the weather could not have been more beautiful.  It was picture-book gorgeous.  Warm breeze, blue sky, fantastic sunset.  Perfect.  We ate appetizers & drank wine (the drinkers amongst us anyway) out on the deck, watching the enormous sea-lion swim up & down just a few feet from the rails, the yachts sail gently past & the sun move slowly towards the horizon.  Seriously, it was a perfect evening to be eating at the Waterfront.

I also admit that I was having such a marvellously lovely time that I was rather absent from my shutter.  We consumed way more food than is pictured here.  I just didn’t capture it.  No sea-lions shots, no sunset shots…in fact, almost no food shots.  Sorry about that.

Seared Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna

The rumors were spreading rapidly around the table…from the menu you could just tell it was going to be a truly tasty night.  And it was.  Several went for the Seared Sashimi Tuna.  I lost track of what everyone had, so busy was I with my own plate.  The Wild Prawns opposite me looked incredible & apparently had a taste to match.

Time & time again my dinner buddies commented on what a wonderful place & what a wonderful evening.  How perfect it was.  We did have a private room – The South Bay Room – which is glass down one side & overlooks Elliot Bay & the Olympics.  With the sun setting behind the mountains, the view was incredible.  The weather did help with the whole ambiance, but even without the weather assisting, the food was just fantastic.

Stuffed Wild Baja Prawns

My plate came with one of the most delicious salads I have ever eaten:  arugula, mint, fennel, grapefruit & blood orange butter.  Who knew 5 things could taste so darn good?  I could have eaten an entire plate of that stuff.  If it had come without the halibut I would have been perfectly content with just an enormous mound of that salad.  I almost don’t remember how good the halibut was because I was so smitten with that salad.  YUM.

Halibut & an amazingly yummy salad

Can we talk sides now?  Can we?  Please?  Please!  I am DYING to talk about the sides, the shareable sides, the utterly scrumptious shareable sides.  I cannot believe that I didn’t take any shots of the sides.  I guess I was too busy devouring them.  Lobster mashed potatoes, sweet roasted yellow corn, macaroni & cheese and not your mother’s macaroni & cheese either.  Sigh.

 And then; then, it was time for desserts.  So moved am I by the Waterfront desserts I felt it necessary to pen a note to those lovely people at the Waterfront.  (Robbie, please don’t hate me)

Dear Waterfront:  your appetizers (small plates) are divine.  Your entrees (large plates) are glorious.  Your shareable sides are ridiculously good.  I’d come over just to eat sides, in fact.  But your desserts, well, how to put this nicely?  Your desserts…they suck.  There, I said it.  I’m sorry, but I vowed that my little foodie ramblings would be honest.  Your desserts don’t even get on the same ladder as the rest of your food.  What is up with that??

The Lemon Tart sounded so good.  When it came it looked so good.  But then I ate some & it tasted like a mix from a packet.  It just had no flavor.  Lemon?  I swear it had never seen a lemon in it’s life.  I know I shouldn’t have been disappointed because I’ve had the Lemon Tart before & I’ve had other desserts here before but I am always so wowed by the rest of the food that I just forget that the desserts are blah.  The exception to this is The Emerald City Volcano.  That thing is awesome.  And very fun.

Lemon Tart: looks good, shame about the flavor

If you’re new to my ramblings & wondering how on earth I get off on slamming one of the finest eateries in Seattle, read this.  So please, Waterfront, bring your desserts up to the same extraordinary standard as your plates.  I even have a few signature desserts I would share with you…and that would have your diners taste-buds begging for mercy :-)

I love the Waterfront.  I will come here again & again & again.  And again.  I will bring all my out-of-town guests here.  I just wish my taste-buds could stay excited through the dessert.