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3 Squares
By Unknown Writer #5
The view from Anthony's Homeport's dining room. |
Opening Day of boating season has arrived. I for one can hang out at the Ballard Locks for hours, watching boats go in and out. And while boats certainly take to the waters of the Pacific Northwest all year long, this ceremonial annual opening is sort our special goodbye to the rainy season. (Remember rain?) Soon the Copper River salmon will arrive, and we will fire up the barby, toss on some wet alder chips, and be thankful we live in one of the most wonderful places on earth.
In the meantime, we need a good place to relax, eat, and watch the boats go by. Anthony's Homeport on Shilshole is just the spot. Anthony's has a dining room with the most wonderful view of Shilshole Bay and the Ship Canal entrance. You can sit, relax, and watch the boats for hours. The service is low-key, friendly and excellent, never rushing the diner (that's why they call it "reserving a table").
A group of us farm and labor types decided to check out Anthony's Sunday Brunch on April Fool's Day. We were welcomed with smiles as we walked into one of Seattle's more celebrated restaurants in our work clothes. They sat us at a table with a great view. (Okay, all the tables have great views.) While we looked over our menus, out came a bowl of fresh fruit, bread, and spreads to nibble on while we pondered our orders.
We sampled three different dishes this day. The Hangtown Fry is sort of an old standard in these parts, though far too few places make it anymore. The centerpiece of this Northwest egg concoction is the oyster, to which Anthony's does justice. The San Juan Scramble is a lively vegetarian dish of eggs with fresh vegetables, all laid atop a bed of avocado--perfect for the egg-eating variety of veg-head. And the Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict just plain rocked! I learned to eat crab cakes the Chesapeake Bay way. It has taken me time to accept the Dungeness version, but Anthony's are terrific, and this Benedict divine.
You pay a little more here than at some places, but not a lot more. And us working stiffs felt like we got our money's worth. We sat at that table yappin' and eatin' for hours, watching the boats come and go, and enjoying a memorable experience.
Anthony's Homeport (Shilshole location), 6135 Seaview Ave. NW, 783-0780.
Sunday brunch served 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., dinner Monday - Thursday 4:30 - 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30 - 10 p.m., and Sunday 3:30 - 9:30 p.m. Reservations recommended.
Lunch or Dinner in Northlake
After a long day watching boats, sailing boats, or simply playing frisbee, there is nothing like getting a good beer and a plate of fish 'n chips at a place like Pacific Inn. Seattle is full of neighborhood pubs, but few are quite like this. For years they have been serving up some of the best Northwest style fish 'n chips around. The kind with a hearty, herb-infused breading surrounding spectacular Northwest fish. And the chips are just right - crunchy and salty - begging for a pint of something brewed along Leary Way to wash 'em down. Add a nice cup of slaw, and you are set.
Pacific Inn does oysters 'n chips, too, and for those burger-oriented folks, theirs are great. Indeed, this is one pub that does pub grub so well it doesn't deserve to be called pub grub. My editor raves about the Caesar salad! Of course, they have taps aplenty, a pool table, a few TVs with nonstop sports, a deck for sunny day relaxation, and a jukebox which rarely plays anything recorded after 1988. I'd call Pacific Inn the quintessential Seattle neighborhood pub, and just a block from the Burke-Gilman Trail. Only one drawback--you have to be 21.
Pacific Inn, 3501 Stone Way N, 547-2967.
Open Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon - 2 a.m.
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