Opal: no swanson's pot pie, here!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON BLATHERWATCH, FEB. 17, 2008
Opal
2 Boston St., Seattle;
206-282-0142, www.opalseattle.com

We're too snide, hip and urbane to dine out on Valentine's Day night, a restaurant event akin to Rape of Nanking if a quiet, romantic tête á tête is what you're after.

Cool people like us (me and The World's Tiniest Architect) avoid those nights -- and also New Year's, St. Paddy's, Mother's Day; Easter, and Cinqo de Mayo -- holidays promoted to near frenzy by the restaurant-industrial complex.

(Notice these days are all in the darkest days of the dining business cycle: the first and second quarters when depression is rife, nothing's in season, taxes are due; and everyone's on a diet. January and February are the killing fields of restaurants).

The St. Valentine's exception to the brooding nights of winter is a love-crazed juggerthon of overbooking; cheap champagne splits; lovers straining for restaurants' low inventories of tables for two; and an air of sexual urgency that can overpower the stink of lobster lolly-pops and the stench of Chocolate Martinis (which deserve to be overpowered if not banned outright).

Often, if the The Day is on a weeknight near the weekend as it was this year, many wait until Friday or Saturday, which extends the clogging of restaurants by the once or twice-a-year diners, or "amateurs," as we haughty foodists know them.

Because we're snide, hip and urbane, and we have other things to celebrate that week in February, the Diminutive Designer and I decided to go out the Wednesday night before the Thursday Big Night.

After another run at the mysterious, seemingly impenetrable Eastlake joint, Sitka & Spruce we ended up on the top of Queen Anne Hill at Opal, a newish restaurant (Queen Anne Ave. & Boston) on our to-eat list that we really didn't know much about.

Opal is one of those pricey, neighborhood places (entrees, $18-$29) that doesn't take itself too seriously with its simple post-modern anti-decor with exposed ducts, uncomplicated lines; deep, dark colors like purple and carmine; a tile wall. The tableware is post-modern, and cool in a space-age way little boys would appreciate if one ever chance be dragged into such a place, which is doubtful.

Conferring with the eager, quickstudy waiter, we lined-up a succession of plates: first a salad with crisp apples and threaded fennel with some kind of nuts; a sweet apple vinaigrette, and the radical punch of some good bleu cheese. It was a crisp (not tough) and a winter salad sans lettuce that delivered the raw freshness that one wants out of a salad...

Especially when the next plate is Winter Squash French Toast, a dish which followed the trend of chefs to name their most elegant items after menu standards in diners or in permanent rotation in your mom's homecooking. It's cutely downscale and a little deliberate thing to do, but in joints like these, you'll find all manner of hash, over-easys, short stacks, mac & cheese, tuna noodle casseroles all stuffed with luxury ingredients like truffles, duck, toro, and in this case, foie gras.

Cute never hurt anything, I always say; and the composées themselves were innovative and downright delicious.

Following the upscale industry standard of "elegant little heaps," this so-called French toast was a little slab of winter squash, a two-bite piece of Hudson Valley foie; a heap of sweet onion "marmalade" and some stewed huckleberries. It was everything I was wanting; sweet, sour and savory, and of course, buttery of foie gras, that endangered liver snack from happy, politically incorrect, force-fed ducks.

The Li'l Architect ordered the Wild Boar Tenderloin which was medium rare with a peppercorn sauce (actually a piquant, glistening reduction/glace with huckleberries) stewed and mooshed celeriac and sauteed Brussels sprouts leaves. (Taking them apart and sautéeing the leaves in a pan with a little browned garlic and good olive oil is the best way we know these days to cook brussels sprouts -- they're not tough, they're not strong, they're just good, keep their color, and are really easy to mess with). 

I ordered the "Seasonal Pot Pie' which contained not a soupçon of marijuana; and was no Swanson's pot pie encased in pie dough, either. It was a sautéed, melange of bright winter root vegetables; the lean inner meat (no skin, dang!) of the fresh hock (the pig's ankle) bound loosely with a tasty velouté, the barely-thickened light mothersauce of a blonde chicken stock. (We salute the sauce work at Opal -- so rare these days since the strictures of classical cooking has been universally discarded for knock-out-the-props, pants-seat innovatin'; cookbook readery; and ingredients of which Escoffier could only dream).

Meantime, the service was exuberant and attentive by a scrubbed-up kid who spoke like he was as excited about the food as he hoped we'd be. He'd obviously been allowed to eat the food on the menu, and his spiel was better and more than the memorized litany you so often hear.

Sated, we kicked back with a couple of cigars, and ordered a dessert to split; the so-called Dark Chocolate Satin, a huge, halved slab of candybar-like pecan-orange torte, with a hazel-nut graham crusting; a spoon of huckleberry cream, a spatter of red wine carmel and Guiness ice cream (which didn't taste like stout, at least surrounded by all those other rich, full flavors).

All in all we liked the hell out of Opal. It was started by the Thai owner of the next door Orrapin Thai Cuisine, but the food is "new American" and the chefs are the talented round-eyes, Andy Leonard and Tyler Hefford-Anderson. If I gave stars to restaurants I'd give Opal three. Since I don't, let me say we'd go back anytime we had the underwherewithal and the cash.

Comments

[mango]

Some relief, here Michael from the headache of this election year. I'll have another glass of the cab.

[sue-b]

I'm a first thyme caller, but I doubt you're better than me, I had dinner two weeks ago an t the French Laundry.

[bob]

Good idea, Hood. You should go back to writing about food. You don't seem to hurt as many people that way.

[Katelyn]

foie gras, delicacy of despair. http://www.goveg.com/feat/foie/

[wutitiz]

The 'roast beef medium' line is so true. In fact, if you listen to people like Wilbur & Carlson, they often like to brag about their meat-eating prowess. However, it is as much of a mistake to politicize food as it is to politicize sex.

To help steer people away from that, I have a question for any who care to respond....I worked as a line cook some years back. The job didn't really agree w/ me, and I still have occasional bad dreams about it. Last night I dreamed that someone ordered a steak, raw. What would be the meaning? Anyone out there with dream skills?

[DT]

Can anyone recommend a few really good good Thai restaurants?

[chucks]

I just broiled up a couple of T-bones, roasted some petite red taters served with steamed broccoli. Was feeling real good 'bout myself. Then I logged onto this.
We might just as well have eaten at Burger King. You just leave me lusting for some good grits.
This could be a fun lil' addition to your blog.

[joanie]

Raw steak? I love it. I used to eat raw hamburger, too, until I started worrying about e cole. I stopped.

Shades of Rosemary's baby. When I order steak in a restaurant, however, I like it cooked medium rare. But medium rare has turned into medium in most restaurants so now I ask for rare and am usually satisfied.

foie gras? I won't eat it. Can't tell me forcing food down a throat is the secret to happiness.

I wish I didn't eat meat at all but I do always try to buy the most humanely raised animals. Even turkeys when I buy them.

After hearing your menu, Michael, it's back to raw food for me.

"video of Nina Planck at Town Hall discussing her book Raw Food"

This is a great talk on food and how and what we eat. Watch it online.

Anyone else watch Iron Chef? Absolutely fascinating.

[joanie]

Re Thai . . . I don't care for Thai but my friends rave about a small Thai restaurant on 15th NW a block or two south of NW 85 in the Crown Hill neighborhood.

They used to have a really big benefit dinner every year - August, I think - to fund Children's Hosp. and a Thai charity of some sort. Don't know if they still do it or not.

I just looked it up: Thai Siam This site has reviews of the restaurant. I've been there twice but I always choose my food carefully because Thai food has a sweet flavor I don't care for. Maybe coconut milk? Or a peanut something? Not sure. Just know I do not like it.

[Nevets]

Anyone know where to get a good Italian Beef/Sausage sandwich? Besides Arby's

I was back in Chicago in 2002 and my brother took me a place called Bobs or Bills. Great Italian Beef Sandwiches. $7.00 for the sandwich, fries, and pepsi. What a deal. Wutiziz, any input.

[joanie]

Sorry - it's REAL FOOD and not Raw Food.

[WTA]

for DT:
Thai food - Racha Thai on Queen Anne (very surprised to see they have multiple locations and sister restaurants!) or Buddha Ruksa in West Seattle.

[DT]

WTA, thanks. I've been to Racha. Think the food is pretty good. Wanted to see if there's something out that that's better.

[binks]

Buddha Ruksa kicks ass!

[wutitiz]

Wish I did Nevets, but no. Make mine dipped hehe. As far as I know, you can't even get a good gyros in this town, even at the places owned & run by Greeks.

[PugetSound]

My favorite Pan Asian is Wild Ginger in Seattle.
My asian relatives like it and my strictly carnivore relatives from the midwest enjoy themselves despite initial reservations about going to a place called 'Pan Asian.'
Best story of that place:
A few months ago on a Sat my family and I were early and standing in the waiting room. The wife recognized Gov Gregoire but she only had one security detail with her and no entourage. Just as we all got seated the fire alarm went off and all of us to include Gregoire had to go outside to the street. She was a good sport about it and very gracious to the ten or so of us standing outside.

What I would die for in Seattle is a good solid NY deli. Just an occasional Pastrami Sandwhich on Rye would make my day. You just can't find that stuff here in Seattle.

Best authentic Japanese restaurant. Believe it or not, is in Federal Way and called Koharu. My real deal Japanese friends and relatives love it.
Quick Sushi tip: never go cheap.

[trixie]

sushi = bait

no thank you

I remember getting pepperoni pizza at Paggliaci's and they stacked them up high like blocks. Really good.

[DT]

trixie, some people use cheese to bait rat traps. In other words, cheese = bait. So I take it you don't eat cheese, either.

At the same time we're getting restaurant reviews from BM, perhaps we can be getting Swanson TV dinner reviews from Andrew.

[SeattleJew]

P'ercheno .. near Greenlake, great chef .. David ..chinese guy who is self taught italian chef, speaks fluent italian. Awesome.

[dave]

wutitiz: you know i have been politicizing sex and missing out for that reason, me thinks. regarding the raw steak dream, it reflects the current trend of restaurant customers ordering their food cooked in ways that take away from what the chef intended. i vote more food and restaurant talk and less blather about what is left of talk radio...dave

[sparky]

Back from Portland...I suppose you are only going to review Seattle restaurants, but the next time you are in Portland, go to Hubers..Portland's oldest restaurant. Very european feel, and they stand on a chair to make and pour your Spanish coffee!!

I must agree with Trixie about sushi..I dont like the texture of raw fish, let alone raw beef...the next time you want steak tartare, think of the most recent beef recall....gack!

[joanie]

I like sushi but only the California roll.

Musashi's in Wallingford is a good place to go. Teeny tiny and always a line out the door.

[PugetSound]

Sparky
If you like Thai food, in downtown Vancouver there is a very good Thai restaurant next door to the Riverview Bank Building. It has a great Swimming Rama.

That sushi was for me an acquired taste. It's a very social food so if you have some nice alcohol, good friends, before you know it the sushi is gone.

[sparky]

I am not a huge fan of Thai, unless it is the kind similar to teriyaki...and there isn't enough alcohol in the world to get me to eat raw fish, no matter how charming the company. I am picky about what COOKED fish I eat...it can't smell too fishy or I don't like it. Tuna belongs in a sandwich with a lot of mayo and chopped onion and celery. Salmon is good grilled, and I like lake trout. Grilled or baked fresh snapper, cod and halibut are fine, Shrimp and clams are good, but oysters are just big ocean boogers.

[PugetSound]

I gotcha. I wasn't a raw fish kind of person until i spent 5 years in Japan so I kind of learned to live like the Romans.
Hey, that planked Salmon on the bbq is good stuff. You may not believe this, but really high end tuna sushi -with a taste of wasabi- will taste just like the best rare prime rib with horseradish.
Best part, is you won't eat as much and it actually is better for your health.
I agree with you about Oysters!

[chucks]

Sparky
I could have written your post for you and got it exactly correct. Maybe would have added to lake trout that it must have been caught the same day.

[joanie]

What is high-end tuna, puts?

[g0d]

make sure you guys check out paseo in fremont. it was named the 3rd best sandwich in america by esquire magazine.

[DT]

Favorite sushi: Umi Sake House in Seattle. Favorite cheeseburgers: Wibbley's Gourmet Hamburgers in Bellevue. Favorite Greek: Lola in Seattle. Favorite steak: The Met. Favorite clam chowder: Metropolitan Market.