At Eater Seattle, we have to eat out a lot — it’s right there in the website name, next to “Seattle.” Sometimes, this research shows up in the articles and maps we publish, but sometimes, we eat something so good that we have to tell everyone about it. This running monthly column is a place for us to share especially good dishes with you.
Pike Place Market is full of same-y menus — a lot of the restaurants serve tourists, and tourists want seafood, ergo seafood flourishes. So it can take a lot to stand out from the crowd, but Matt’s in the Market accomplishes that. If you have a craving for a bowl of bivalves, check out Matt’s, which is really more “above” the market than “in” it. The broth is loaded with lemongrass and cilantro, which gives it an earthy, herbal flavor, and you get a lot of different textures from the chorizo, the crunchy croutons, and huge, creamy corona beans. Combine that with the waterfront views and you have yourself a luxurious lunch.
I went to this upscale Scottish pub in Ballard — one of the city’s few Scottish eateries — to try the fish and chips, but once I saw haggis on the menu I had to order it. If you don’t know, haggis is a “savory pudding” made from offal and oats. It has an earthy, dark, slightly gamey flavor, and these croquettes are a great way to package that haggis-y goodness. The whiskey-mustard cream sauce didn’t add a lot, in my opinion, but these little guys didn’t need any sauce.
It’s “little fried balls” month here at Eater Seattle! There are a couple things to know about this new takeout spot on Aurora near Green Lake: One is that it’s serving big portions of Southern food for under $20. And two is that one of your sides should definitely be the corn fritters, hot, slightly sweet balls of comfort that come loaded with whole corn kernels that are like buried treasures. Maybe two of your sides should be corn fritters.
Mean Sandwich opened nine years ago, which makes it not quite old enough to be a revered local institution but also not quite new enough to qualify as “hot” anymore. It’s not newsworthy, it just makes incredible sandwiches. This po’ boy is a shining example of the form: pickly remoulade, crunchy fried oysters that are hot and meaty inside, and some spice from something — maybe the lemon pepper mayo? We should all be talking a lot more about Mean Sandwich, is what I’m saying.
