On our recent jaunt to the Yakima Valley and Lake Chelan, we had a lovely stop for lunch driving from Seattle at Suncadia Resort. We were lucky enough to be at Suncadia’s grand opening last fall and had a delightful experience, albeit neither the construction nor the landscaping were quite finished at that point.

Glad to report that the property is now complete, and the restaurant in The Lodge, Portals, is going full steam ahead. Service was smooth, the dining room on a Thursday around noon had several two-tops, a big party of eight, and a couple of four-tops, and it was a cool, sunny, windy day.

Here’s the main dish that both Spencer and I enjoyed: Swift River Trout. The rosy pink trout was flappin’ fresh and perfectly cooked; a brown-almond butter and sautéed haricots verts kept things (fairly) light and simple.

Even something as seemingly simple as a Green Salad was special at Portals with nary a wilted or blemished leaf (one of my all-time pet peeves in so many “upscale” restaurants these days–can’t the chef even sort through a bag of greens?!?!) and lagniappe of razor-thin radish and English cucumber slices. 

One of our favorite places for Saturday lunch is at Shuckers in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. It’s clubby in a dark-wood and leather-armchair sort of way, with fresh oysters on the half shell embedded in crunchy ice just waiting to be opened and a glittery traditional back bar. Here’s the yummy Shuckers Seafood Chowder and half a dozen assorted oysters, which more than qualify as a Dish of the Day!

While enjoying dinner at Seastar Seattle (see the post of March 10 for a complete review), I ordered the Northwest Oyster Sampler. It was a lovely presentation on a wavy white plate and included (left to right) Shigoku oysters with wasabi tobiko, Kumamotos with crème fraîche and caviar, and Virginicas with pomegranate-citrus relish.

I “relished” them all, but was particularly taken with the Shigokus, a new variety of oyster recently introduced to Northwest waters and being marketed by the good folks at Taylor Shellfish. They’re Pacifics, but their small and deeply cupped shells really set them apart from the often much larger variety. Our buddy and fellow Seattle Times writer, Nancy Leson, blogged about her first experiences with the beauties. 

You know from a previous post that we’ve lately been reintroduced to and reinvigorated by the food, service, and ambience at the long-running Pike Place Market French bistro, Maximilien-in-the-Market. During a recent Sunday brunch/lunch, I enjoyed a big kettle of Penn Cove mussels in a light white-wine broth redolent of chopped garlic and fresh parsley. This classic dish more than deserves Dish of the Day designation.

During the cold, cruel days of winter in the Northwest, we sometimes (often) turn to comfort food to soothe our ragged souls. A recent salad at Tulio Ristorante in the Vintage Park Hotel in downtown Seattle did just that.

Here’s a photo of the shimmery Three Beet Salad with Burrata, Plums, Frisée, and Beet Vinaigrette. Burrata is that fabu Italian cheese that’s buffalo mozzarella on the outside and whole-milk ricotta on the inside. YUM! I could eat this all day. . .especially when paired with a glass of Bunnell Family Cellars VIF, a bold red blend from the Columbia Valley. 

You know we’ve raved about Spur Gastropub in past posts, and a recent meal there only increased our zeal. Here’s the amazing Tagliatelle with Oyster Mushrooms and Parmesan (both foamed and shaved!), draped with a Duck Egg cooked sous-vide (slowly simmered in a plastic pouch so it keeps its egg essence!). This dish more than deserves to be the Dish of the Day, and is reasonably priced at $14.

One Saturday evening we left the refuge of downtown Seattle and motored our way up (and down) hilly Madison Avenue for dinner at Nishino. It was time for my every-coupla-months sushi fix, and Nishino is one of my favorite places in all of Seattle to satisfy that urge. In addition to the sushi selection, the venerable restaurant features a daily sheet that’s always enticing. The night we were there, interesting items included Maitake Mushroom Tempura, Shiso Shrimp Dumpling with Spicy Yuzu Sauce, and Ginger Dungeness Crab Cake. 

Just as we were seated, it began to snow, so in addition to sushi, I craved something hot. Luckily, also on the fresh sheet was a Sautéed Mushroom and Asparagus Salad with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was divine. . .silken chanterelles gently cooked with asparagus spears and served over a bed of fresh greens lightly kissed with sesame dressing. It proved that, in the right hands, something as simple as a warm mushroom and asparagus salad can be sublime.

And, of course, here’s the sushi.

An Olive-Oil-Poached Tuna-Salad Sandwich, Rosemary Fries in a crushed ceramic cup, Coleslaw, and Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce are the components in the TV Dinner lunch special at ART Restaurant and Lounge in the Four Seasons Seattle Hotel and Residences that opened to the public in November.  

An appetizer-sized portion of icon Grill’s Wild Salmon Cakes made a perfect “light” meal when paired with the eclectic eatery’s Grilled Pear Salad. 

Pastry chef Ryan Witcher is doing great things in his new post at ART Restaurant and Lounge in the Four Seasons Seattle Hotel and Residences. We’ve enjoyed his Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate–chocolate mousse cake, white chocolate espresso foam, and coffee butterscotch sauce; Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta with Sauternes Ice and White Chocolate Crisp; and his ART Cheesecake with Citrus Sauce and Mascarpone Cream.

But for sheer naughtiness and comfort food, his Donuts in a Box win the prize. Here’s a shot of the ‘nuts in all their glory.