Day three of our vacation in Seattle began with a lazy morning discussing which restaurants we would attempt to visit during the remainder of our trip. With breakfast excluded, and the remaining family engagements considered, we only have two more days of food adventure. Today we have decided to visit the Crab Pot for lunch and the Melrose Grill for dinner. The Crab Pot is no podunk restaurant, but neither is it your run of the mill franchise. There are five locations, two in Washington and three in southern California. Of course, we made our way to the Seattle waterfront, pier 57.
Not only are they known for their incredibly fresh locally caught seafood, they are also known for their unusual food presentation. Among other options, their specialty consists of four seafood combinations to choose from. We ordered the Westport special –– dungeness crab, snow crab, shrimp in the shell, steamed clams and mussels, andouille sausage, corn on the cob and red potatoes. With wooden mallet in hand and bib across chest, they spread the steamed seafood mixture across the table. Then the race is on, because everyone prefers the crab! But there proved to be enough for everyone to eat to their heart's content. The clams and mussels were also noticeably fresh. I confess that I can usually tolerate mussels, but I rarely enjoy them and never crave them. They are often mealy, chewing, and musky (the crustacean version of "fishy"), and therefore depend upon a good sauce to carry the day. However, the mussels (as well as the clams) were remarkably tender and smooth with a hint of ocean freshness. As with all mussels, they still looked hideous, but delightfully fresh. Shrimp can often suffer from the opposite dilemma of not having enough flavor. One of the ways to solve this problem is to cook the shrimp with their shell (and head) intact. It makes it somewhat more cumbersome for the one eating it, but like a bone-in steak they absorb the natural flavors from their shell. They were wonderful! Last of all, the andouille sausage was a flavorful addition to this seafood medley, with the added bonus for Becca that it too was gluten free. Then off to the
Ye Old Curiosity Shop on pier 54.
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I found these people selling crab
just outside the Crab Pot. |
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| Grandma Jo and Jude at the Crab Pot |
Upon our return, between meals, we made a few stops. Our first stop was in Beacon Hill, a neighborhood on the south side of Seattle. It was our desire to show Jude the house that we lived in before he was born. This was our first home, and as you can see in the picture, a very small home at that. Just about everything on Beacon Hill is built on a hill and so there is usually more to the backside of every house than the curb-view suggests. However, in this case you get what you see –– or at least we did. The upstairs is all that there was. The downstairs, if you could call it that at the time, was unfinished and nearly unusable. For several years, Becca, myself, and an 80 pound dog lived in the 350 square foot upstairs studio. Over time, we were able to finish the basement and add two more bedrooms and a bathroom off the back. I believe that we enjoyed the addition for about two weeks before we sold the house and were off to California for seminary. The new owners seem to be taking good care of it, but they cannot appreciate it for the house that it once was.
After our trip down memory lane we made a stop at a local wine shop (it was more of a warehouse). Their selection was very impressive and their prices were reasonable as well. Normally I would have to take a day trip into Chicago in order to find a selection of this kind. As with any such store, there are always disappointments, wines that you are hoping to find but are unable. However, we didn't leave without some consolation. For the first time in my experience I found a wine from a winery that my wife and I visited in Italy in 2005. It is the La Castellina winery in a small village in the Sienna Chianti region. In fact, the title picture of this blog was taken in the village adjacent to the winery. Not only does it bring back nostalgic memories, but this particular Chianti Classico is rated 91 by Wine Spectator. We are looking forward to drinking it with some authentic Italian cuisine (perhaps gnudi) in the near future.
Before we knew it, it was time for our dinner reservations at Melrose Grill in Renton, a suburb south of Seattle. Melrose Grill was founded in 1901 as a hotel, cafe and saloon. Today, unassuming, classy, and comfortable, it is one of Seattle-Renton's premier steakhouses. As a starter, we shared the almond pesto pan-seared scallops. Fresh and popping with flavor they were hands-down the best scallops we have had to-date. The nuttiness of the almond, freshness of the basil, and the caramelized sear on the scallops was a perfect marriage. For our entrees, delicious meat was on the menu. Particularly noteworthy was the rosemary spice encrusted rack of lamb and the stuffed pork chop. The lamb was cooked to a tender medium rare and accompanied by an Oregon "A to Z" pinot noir, medium bodied with hints of black cherry and cranberry. The lamb was truly as delicious as it looks. The pork chop was also tender and juicy, topped with apple cranberry relish and parmesan encrusted potatoes. It perhaps would have been the perfect pork chop if it hadn't also been filled with a candied pecan stuffing. It added too many competing and strong flavors that detracted from its otherwise simplicity. Notwithstanding, all of the food, and the entire evening, was delightful.
Upon our return, between meals, we made a few stops. Our first stop was in Beacon Hill, a neighborhood on the south side of Seattle. It was our desire to show Jude the house that we lived in before he was born. This was our first home, and as you can see in the picture, a very small home at that. Just about everything on Beacon Hill is built on a hill and so there is usually more to the backside of every house than the curb-view suggests. However, in this case you get what you see –– or at least we did. The upstairs is all that there was. The downstairs, if you could call it that at the time, was unfinished and nearly unusable. For several years, Becca, myself, and an 80 pound dog lived in the 350 square foot upstairs studio. Over time, we were able to finish the basement and add two more bedrooms and a bathroom off the back. I believe that we enjoyed the addition for about two weeks before we sold the house and were off to California for seminary. The new owners seem to be taking good care of it, but they cannot appreciate it for the house that it once was. 
After our trip down memory lane we made a stop at a local wine shop (it was more of a warehouse). Their selection was very impressive and their prices were reasonable as well. Normally I would have to take a day trip into Chicago in order to find a selection of this kind. As with any such store, there are always disappointments, wines that you are hoping to find but are unable. However, we didn't leave without some consolation. For the first time in my experience I found a wine from a winery that my wife and I visited in Italy in 2005. It is the La Castellina winery in a small village in the Sienna Chianti region. In fact, the title picture of this blog was taken in the village adjacent to the winery. Not only does it bring back nostalgic memories, but this particular Chianti Classico is rated 91 by Wine Spectator. We are looking forward to drinking it with some authentic Italian cuisine (perhaps gnudi) in the near future.
Before we knew it, it was time for our dinner reservations at Melrose Grill in Renton, a suburb south of Seattle. Melrose Grill was founded in 1901 as a hotel, cafe and saloon. Today, unassuming, classy, and comfortable, it is one of Seattle-Renton's premier steakhouses. As a starter, we shared the almond pesto pan-seared scallops. Fresh and popping with flavor they were hands-down the best scallops we have had to-date. The nuttiness of the almond, freshness of the basil, and the caramelized sear on the scallops was a perfect marriage. For our entrees, delicious meat was on the menu. Particularly noteworthy was the rosemary spice encrusted rack of lamb and the stuffed pork chop. The lamb was cooked to a tender medium rare and accompanied by an Oregon "A to Z" pinot noir, medium bodied with hints of black cherry and cranberry. The lamb was truly as delicious as it looks. The pork chop was also tender and juicy, topped with apple cranberry relish and parmesan encrusted potatoes. It perhaps would have been the perfect pork chop if it hadn't also been filled with a candied pecan stuffing. It added too many competing and strong flavors that detracted from its otherwise simplicity. Notwithstanding, all of the food, and the entire evening, was delightful.
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