And so begins the great fish ‘n chips review(s). We’ll go
with a 5 star system, with 5 being outstanding.
Perhaps a bit of background is in order. I recently began a new position in Seattle, a
mere block from Pier 66 and the rest of the waterfront. After 8+ years of being spoiled by the
ambiance of Downtown Bellevue, this is a big change to say the least.
Its summer right now (Seattle’s version, which means it’s still cold
to this girl), and my view of the water is pretty great when the sun is
out. So what else is there to do when
you have a lunch hour, a waterfront and some sun? Walk and eat of course! 2 blocks to my south is Pike Place Market –
with their great $5 and $10 flower bouquets.
As I mentioned, 1 block to my west (?...I’m a bit directionally
challenged) is the waterfront – and I confess to loving me some fish 'n chips. So I set the bar high (…insert
laughter here) and decided to try, review and blog about the great Seattle fish
n' chips adventure. I’m shooting for 1
spot per week, and so far have 2 to review.
Week One: Cutter’s http://www.cuttersbayhouse.com/
Now granted, this was a gratis lunch courtesy of my new team mates – which was a good thing as Cutter’s is NOT a cheap spot! Try to get a table by the window – when the sun is out, the view is spectacular. Service was very good. Table bread, and a fairly extensive seafood menu. The fish ‘n chips were “meh” to be honest. The beer batter fry was overly crisped at the ends, making it very dry, and w/out fish. (Aside: fish n’ chips aficionados know what I’m talking about. A well coated and evenly fried piece of fish does not have a great deal of excess dry fry w/no fish inside.) The fries were just…fries. I would have to unfortunately give Cutter’s a 2 for their fish n’ chips. They would rate a 4 for ambiance and service however. 3pc fish ‘n chips $16.95.
Now granted, this was a gratis lunch courtesy of my new team mates – which was a good thing as Cutter’s is NOT a cheap spot! Try to get a table by the window – when the sun is out, the view is spectacular. Service was very good. Table bread, and a fairly extensive seafood menu. The fish ‘n chips were “meh” to be honest. The beer batter fry was overly crisped at the ends, making it very dry, and w/out fish. (Aside: fish n’ chips aficionados know what I’m talking about. A well coated and evenly fried piece of fish does not have a great deal of excess dry fry w/no fish inside.) The fries were just…fries. I would have to unfortunately give Cutter’s a 2 for their fish n’ chips. They would rate a 4 for ambiance and service however. 3pc fish ‘n chips $16.95.
Week Two: The Edgewater Inn http://www.edgewaterhotel.com/seattle-six-seven-restaurant.aspx
We (my sister and I) opted to eat in the bar, as there was
no wait for a table, and we could sit by the window with yet another spectacular
view of the water. Service, even in the
bar at lunchtime, was excellent. For you
Beatles fans, this is apparently where the Fab Four stayed during a stop in
Seattle. I *guess* that’s a claim to
fame..but it gets a *shrug* from me.
No table bread here.
But the fish n’ chips was a step up from Cutter’s. It was served sort of bento box style, and came
w/your choice of soup. I love soup and chose the chicken noodle. Before you decry that as an overly pedestrian
choice, let me say it was some of the best of that basic I’ve had. The noodles were more like long skinny
dumplings, largish chunks of chicken, not too salty, and they didn’t try to pad
it out w/vegetables to make up for skimping on noodles or chicken (which they
didn’t….skimp that is). The fish itself
seemed a bit heavy on the beer batter for me, but at least it wasn't over-fried and
dry at the ends like Cutter’s. The
fries, again, were just fries. You’d
have to be seriously incompetent to screw up the basic french fry – but I’m
sure I’ll encounter someone who does sooner or later. Since I’m raving more about the soup than
the fish, I can really only give it a 3.
I’m trying to stay pretty tough w/my ratings – they need to truly make
me say “ahhhh” to earn the coveted (!!) ponychick 5 star rating J
4 stars for ambiance and service. 3 pc fish n’ chips (comes w/soup and small green salad) $15
4 stars for ambiance and service. 3 pc fish n’ chips (comes w/soup and small green salad) $15
Finally – what blog regarding my Seattle adventures would be
complete w/out a walk to/from the bus scorecard? I’ve only been riding for 2.5 days now, so
with limited data, here goes:
Bums and or panhandlers screaming at me for various reasons:
3Bible versifier shouting at me and everyone else: 1
Man following me up the street talking/muttering at/to me: 1
Man calling me a b***h after I didn't give him money: 1
Possible contact high walking to bus: 2
Number of times ANY of the above happened to me on the Eastside: 0
This is the visual in my head when I encounter these Seattle
wackos…I’d like to go all karate on their a** (and look fierce doing it).
