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REVIEWS"There's the obvious reason to go to Salty's: the panoramic Seattle Skyline view you're proud to show off to visiting relatives. And, of course, there's Sunday brunch: $23.95, all you can eat. Then there are the other reasons." On Monday and Wednesday nights, local jazz luminaries hold court in the comfortable cafe. Here, under whimsical, oversized fish lures, you may order any number of specialty drinks (alcoholic and non), snack on cheesy crab dip and crunch your way through a serviceable Caesar salad. Entertaining a large group? Six guests or 60, Salty's has you covered. Wine lists scare you? In addition to suggestions for matching specific foods with specific wines (steamed clams with Eyrie pinot gris, plank-roasted salmon with Erath pinot noir), this broad list is arranged by grape type, each starting with the least expensive bottle, ending with the most. See the sea As its name and decor suggests, Salty's holds great appeal for those who'd rather smell the salt air than dine in the expansive, multi-tiered indoor space. The wraparound waterfront patio and deck are much beloved by the Vuarnet and margarita set. Salty's has a lot going for it. And if the food lacks the "Aha! Factor," they so proudly tout, that's all right. It is consistently good enough -- which is more than I can say for a lot of places with fewer of Salty's fine qualities. My heartiest endorsement is for the friendliness. Hostesses respond warmly on the phone ("Is this a special occasion?") and chat you up as they show you to your table. Servers all seem to genuinely like their jobs, and go out of their way to offer balloons to grouchy tikes, an arm to a cane-bearing grandmother, and quick service to business-lunchers. On Sundays, you'll find the kitchen crew cheerfully maneuvering through the brunch bunch -- who fill their plates again and again in the cafe-turned-buffet before heading back to the dining room. The white coats quickly replenish galvanized tubfuls of chilled, cracked Dungeness crab and tender peel-and-eat shrimp (alone worth the price of admission); delicious, hot, pesto- or dill-kissed salmon; a mountain of fresh oysters, wood oven-backed pizza; eggs Benedict and mini-bagels with lox (the Benedicts' English muffin and the bagels needed toasting); and a seemingly unended display of fresh fruits, grilled marinated vegetables, salads, sweets, baked goods and (greasy) breakfast meats. Need a game plan? Go for the best (the fresh seafood, made-while-you-watch pastas, crepes and omelets), skip the rest: You'll leave bloated--and happy. Salty's lunch and dinner menu is seafood-centric, heavy on the shellfish, creative with the finfish--and expensive. As ever, if you want a view, you pay for it. And, if it's a steak your after, you'll pay dearly (34.95 for a U.S.D.A. Prime 12 ounce New York strip--ouch!). Why go ashore? I say brunch, lunch or dinner, stick with the seafood. I liked the bracing Discovery Bay oysters on the half-shell; a Japanese-style starter of nori-wrapped, tempura-fried, rare yellowfin tuna; gently pan-roasted salt- and pepper-flecked mussels cooked and served on a cast-iron skillet; and satisfying creamy seafood chowder. Alaskan king crab legs proved sweet, not soggy, and there was plenty, but at $34.95, there ought to be. Fresh grilled Alaska halibut, moist-centered and crowned with a habanero-stoked mango salsa ($19.95 dinner/ 15.25 lunch), was first-rate. As was the applewood-smoked salmon, whose smoky flavors played well against a gingery peach sauce. Beer-battered-dipped ling cod made for a fine plate of fish and chips, but the seafood pasta featuring California sausage-impresario Bruce Aidell's andouille sausage (spongy city!) needed serious re-tooling (think local:CasCioppo's, Isernio's). Salty's has a waterfront outpost in Des Moines and another in Portland. But they don't have Joyce Entus -- the "proprietor emeritus" who cut a deal with Gerry Kingen when he bought the Beach Broiler from her in 1985 and turned it into Salty's on Alki: He promised to allow her to continue schmoozing at the door on weekends. Like the rest of the staff, she's there to make sure you have fun and Salty's. Worked for me. Nancy Leson, Restaurant Critic, Seattle Times [ back to reviews ] |
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