13 Classic Restaurants That Define Seattle | Eater Seattle

"Seattle is lousy with waterfront seafood restaurants, and a lot of them don’t live up to their tourist-baiting hype. But Ray’s is worth a visit. Originally a bait shop, boat rental, and coffee shop in the 1940s, it was bought by a trio of entrepreneurs in 1973. Since then it’s championed Olympia oysters (the only oyster breed native to the West Coast), was the first Seattle restaurant to buy fish directly from fishermen, and even got people into drinking red wine with fish. Even now the food shines with small details — the calamari breading has a slight bump of pepper-y flavor that makes a routine dish exciting. Note that there are two restaurants in this space, each with a great view: Ray’s Cafe is a first date spot, Ray’s Boathouse is for anniversaries." - Harry Cheadle