Kai C.
Yelp
Some places are made for the holidays and for sharing and this is one of them. A local institution, this restaurant with it's amazing hilltip view has been part of the life of residents of the surrounding area for decades. Our server told us that their grandparents hold their anniversary there very year and that's why they applied there. For our part, this was the regular go-to of me and my bestie in high school - my bestie had amazing taste even then and this has always been her favorite restaurant (she worked in the restaurant industry for a period of time so she has some idea what she's talking about). I was stunned to find it almost unchanged. This was my first time going back since I returned to the PNW some years ago, and my husband's first time at the restaurant at all. In many ways, the experience was unchanged, and that is in a good way. I don't recall the seats being so squished (and yes, I have grown, but our two husband's have not lol) - however, something good about the layout that I don't know is what secret of the design is that this good-sized restaurant feels totally private. We didn't notice AT ALL when anyone else came in or sat down except for a little bit of foot traffic. Had no idea if anyone was seated behind us. That's awesome!
The food. They make a fine effort at quality and creativity. We ordered the calamari and the brie for appetizers. We had to admit that our taste buds have changed as we've gotten older and been forced to alter our diets for health reasons, so maybe we don't have the fine palette we once did - saying this because the brie just didn't do it for me here and this is one of my all-time favorite things to order. Like if it's available anywhere, I automatically order it. I didn't love the crust nor the marmalade accompaniement. I think I prefer a flaky crust and a berry accompaniment; however, there's no point in doing what everyone else does and I applaud their originality here.
The entrees. First, this is the fastest I've ever seen my husband finish his plate - and one of the first times I have seen him finish his plate at a restaurant, period. He devoured the seafood trio. It was gone. Like we couldn't even keep up with how quickly it was gone. I got the prime rib, something else I always try if I'm in a high-end place and they have it on the menu. I'm wondering now if this exact restaurant is where I first got my taste for prime rib. And I like it with all the fixings - I love to combine the horseradish and the au jus and the meat and the crust all into one bite. YUM. The t-bone also looked amazing. Finally, we had the pumpkin tiramisu for dessert, which our dinner companion described as "pumpkin pie on steroids."
This is long because this place is worth it. Happy Holidays.