Tom Douglas restaurants in Seattle

[CoughEQueen]

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is eat at local restaurants. So I've already started looking for places to eat when we'll be in Seattle post cruise next May.

 

I'm also a Food Network junkie and love a new show they have called 'Best Thing I've Ever Ate'. They have aired very few shows and Tom Douglas has been mentioned on three different episodes....crab cakes from Dahlia, made to order donuts from Lola and pizza from Serious Pie. Are his restaurants really that good?

 

There seems to be so many restaurants to choose from, I don't want to miss a good one or waste my time and $$ on a bad one.

 

Seattle restaurant opinions...or ones not to miss?

[Joy2theWorld]

We ate at Etta's which is one of his and really enjoyed it. It was for brunch and was right by Pike Place Market. I've looked at the menu for Lola's and there are a few things I'd like, but not many. The doughnuts do sound delicious though.

[SeattleCruiselover]

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is eat at local restaurants. So I've already started looking for places to eat when we'll be in Seattle post cruise next May.

 

I'm also a Food Network junkie and love a new show they have called 'Best Thing I've Ever Ate'. They have aired very few shows and Tom Douglas has been mentioned on three different episodes....crab cakes from Dahlia, made to order donuts from Lola and pizza from Serious Pie. Are his restaurants really that good?

 

There seems to be so many restaurants to choose from, I don't want to miss a good one or waste my time and $$ on a bad one.

 

Seattle restaurant opinions...or ones not to miss?

 

Dahlia = Coconut Cream Pie to KILL for.

 

Lola = Greek, and I'm not that big a fan except for their breakfasts.

 

Serious Pie smells really good and my daughters enjoyed it, but I've never been in there.

 

Palace Kitchen is said to be the best of the bunch.

 

Now if you really want Northwest Fusion/comfort food that you'll rave about....try the fried mac and cheese at the Icon Grill across the street from the Westin (and the rest of their menu is nothing to sneeze at either).

[Bruins]

Karen, I've got a 10 year old and a 7 year old, and we'll be in Seattle in a couple weeks. Any idea if the Tom Douglas restaurants or Icon Grill are 1. kid friendly and 2. have specific kids menus? Thanks.

[CoughEQueen]

here's a link to both for their menus

 

http://www.icongrill.com/index.htm

 

 

http://www.tomdouglas.com/

[SeattleCruiselover]

Karen, I've got a 10 year old and a 7 year old, and we'll be in Seattle in a couple weeks. Any idea if the Tom Douglas restaurants or Icon Grill are 1. kid friendly and 2. have specific kids menus? Thanks.

 

Kid friendly, yes. I've seen plenty of kids there when I've been there. I no longer have (other than my grandson, that is, and have never taken him to either place, unfortunately) junior menu aged offspring, so I'm not certain about that part. Check the online menus listed above. Sorry about that....

[NWWanderer]

As someone else mentioned I would definitely add the coconut cream pie (which you can get at any of his restaurants, even if it's not on the menu, just ask) to the list of must eats.

 

I had lunch at Lola last week...an excellent cold honeydew melon soup, my favorite salmon kebabs and of course the famous Lola donuts for dessert...it was great. But Dahlia Lounge is where I would go if I had to choose just one TD restaurant.

[CoughEQueen]

I saw the pic of the coconut cream pie on the Dahlia bakery web site...it looks awesome.

 

We're staying in Seattle 4 days post cruise, so we will hopefully not have to choose just one of his restaurants....maybe, one a day! :rolleyes:

 

btw, thanks for all the input!

[Gardyloo]

We're staying in Seattle 4 days post cruise, so we will hopefully not have to choose just one of his restaurants....maybe, one a day!

Enjoy his places (me, not so much) but don't forget there are a lot of really excellent restaurants in Seattle that aren't his.

[mom23guys]

We ate at the Icon grill last week. The mac and cheese is to die for. Halibut was delicious. There were a few children seated at various tables around us and they were treated very well by the wait staff. It was early for dinner 6:30 but we were still on East Coast time.

[DrKoob]

My absolute favorite restaurant in the world (and I have spent a TON of money on restaurant food) is Lola. I have eaten more great food there than any other restaurant. But I have interesting tastes and I like different. Here's what to do if you are interested in Lola. I promise you a great meal.

 

Start with a sauserac. It's bourbon, bitters, ouzo and a little club soda. Add the meze and pita variety plate. Then try the octopus salad (I have to state that octopus is my favorite food on earth) and try whatever tagine of goat they are serving. If you get really lucky, the seasonal goat will have dates in it. OMG, what a great bunch of flavors. Split an order of smashed potatoes. Have a half carafe of the house red. It is a varietal from Walla Walla and really good. Then if you have room, finish up with almost any dessert. Seasonal will be best.

 

Even better than dinner is breakfast. Have Tom's Big Breakfast. Always has octopus and pork belly. Delicious.

 

We have eaten at all of Tom's other restaurants. Palace is really good food but a very trendy crowd and a little loud for us. Serious Pie is outstanding pizza but don't expect regular pizza. See the menu.

 

Etta's is where the crab cakes are but way too touristy for us. Great place for lunch at the market but more spendy than we like to do lunch when we are there.

 

Dahlia is a great date place. If Lola is "country-club casual" then Dahlia is semi-formal. You will see people in jeans but it is a little more formal. Food is incredible but I don't find it as interesting as Lola. Everyone is right, the coconut cream pie is at all the restaurants and wonderful. Tom also has his own bakery right next door to Dahlia.

 

I should mention that all these restaurants are within about six blocks of each other. (Tom doesn't like to walk very far to work :D)

 

Other restaurants we love are Wild Ginger, Restaurant Zoe, Purple and the aforementioned Icon Grille. Have a bunch of great food while you are here.

 

Jim

[CoughEQueen]

Enjoy his places (me, not so much) but don't forget there are a lot of really excellent restaurants in Seattle that aren't his.

 

 

...tell me about 'em...

 

 

Thanks DrK....great info! I can't wait!

[Gardyloo]

...tell me about 'em...

Ah, geez...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=14027089

http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/4

http://www.yelp.com/c/seattle/restaurants

http://seattle.citysearch.com/find/section/seattle/restaurants.html

http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/1/Seattle-restaurants.html

http://www.seattleweekly.com/restaurants/

 

Point being, some research might help travelers find the spot that works best for them in their circumstances.

 

I have nothing against Douglas' places; the food can be very good and he is something of a local celebrity. Not quite in the league of Emeril maybe, but getting there. One note is that a local chef, Holly Smith from the (very wonderful) Cafe Juanita will be vying for a new "Iron Chef" slot this coming season.

 

My take - and full disclosure, I haven't been to either Lola or Serious Pie, is that I find Etta's somewhat overpriced and over-rated, Dahlia generally good, and Palace Kitchen (usually) way too noisy (same as Etta's.) But that's just me (and my family/colleagues) - your experience may vary widely.

 

Plus - and this is totally a personal thing - if I were a tourist visiting Seattle I'd probably look for something that has more to do with the region than yummy mac and cheese, coconut pie, or pizza. If memory serves one can get mac and cheese pretty much everywhere. Dungeness crab, on the other hand, or fresh oysters, or Rainier cherries, or salmon cooked on cedar planks.... well, less likely.

 

By the same token, Seattle is very much a Pacific Rim city, with an enormous Asian population. Maybe it's just too far out of some people's comfort zones that they don't look for some incredible sushi or Vietnamese or Chinese food when so many of the ingredients can be sourced locally and prepared by people who really know what they're doing.

 

Anyway, end of rant.

 

A few personal suggestions...

 

* Elliott's Oyster House on the central waterfront. Not just oysters, but many good things.

 

* Bell Street Diner, right next to the Pier 66 cruise terminal. Has a kid-friendly menu with plenty of things for non-fish eaters.

 

* 94 Stewart, corner of First and Stewart in the Pike Market neighborhood. Very classy, intimate place. Astonishing local cheeses.

 

* Campagne and Cafe Campagne in the Pike Market. French at its best (Cafe has breakfasts.)

 

* Chez Shea and Matt's in the Market, both great small places within the Market precincts.

 

* Sea Garden (Chinese) in the International District. Fabulous fish and shellfish dishes; really eye-opening (and the spicy dishes are really sinus-opening ;) )

 

* Uwajimaya food court, in the marvelous Uwajimaya superstore in the International District. Lunch only, but a great intro to our Pacific neighbors.

 

* Tamarind Tree, on Jackson in the International District. Drop-dead fabulous Vietnamese food in a gorgeous (but hard-to-find) location.

 

* Ray's Boat House and Ray's Cafe at Shilshole Bay (Ballard). Oldie but still a goodie.

 

* Chinook's at Fishermen's Terminal (also near Ballard.) Great bar, great breakfasts, great fish 'n chips, good family place, with a view of the largest commercial fishing homeport on the Pacific coast.

 

and on and on...

[CoughEQueen]

Wow! a ton of great info!

 

This will keep me busy the rest of the night...thanks again!