Seattle Restaurant Week is Better When We Give a Meal
Mark Van Streefkerk
April 22, 2024
The table is set at hanoon. Photo by Reva Keller.
Eat Local First during Seattle Restaurant Week
Seattle Restaurant Week is here, and we’re inviting all Seattle foodies to eat local first as they explore our city’s diverse and inventive culinary communities. From April 14 – 27, over 200 participating restaurants will offer special curated menus — at varying price points of $20, $35, $50, and $65 — that highlight their best or most exemplary dishes. For a full listing of all participating restaurants, head to srweek.org.
There’s many aspects of Pacific Northwest cuisine that set apart our award-winning restaurant scenes, but one gem among them all is our farm-to-table fare. After all, this bustling metropolis is surrounded by abundant seas, farmland, and ranches, all stewarded by people who care deeply about nourishing their communities. Restaurants that source local ingredients not only have the freshest dishes but support our local food economies and have a much smaller carbon footprint than transporting food from other parts of the country.
How can we make the most of locally grown ingredients and our love of restaurants?
That’s where the Washington Food and Farm Finder comes in!
This tool, created by the Eat Local First Collaborative, is Washington’s trusted source for finding local farms and identifying the restaurants, markets, and food businesses that purchase from local food producers. You can check out the interactive map on the official WA Food and Farm Finder — in addition to looking up restaurants that source locally, you can find farmstands, farmers markets, sign up for CSA boxes, and more!
If you’re ready to start your Seattle Restaurant Week journey by eating local, read on for a listing of participating restaurants also listed on the WA Food and Farm Finder.
Easily a gold standard for seafood restaurants, Chinook’s at Salmon Bay is a casual, family owned restaurant in Fisherman’s Terminal that has worked with the same farmers and fishermen for over 40 years. The menu changes frequently as each season brings new bounty, and SRW happens right when fresh halibut is in season and rhubarb makes its entrance. For SRW, Chinook’s is offering a two-course Magnolia Bluff Dinner for $35 and a Fisherman’s Dinner for $50. The two-course option includes creamy Boston clam chowder and blackened salmon caesar. The Fisherman’s Dinner adds wild Alaskan halibut with seasonal vegetables and dessert. Magnolia. Dinner is $35 and $50. Eat local here.
A haven of tranquility in downtown Renton, Blossom Vegetarian has been a destination for cruelty-free, ethical cuisine since 2011. Run by Ngoc Tran and her son Van Nguyen, Blossom sources ingredients from local food producers like Carpinito Brothers, and supports community organizations like Valley Medical Center and Renton High School. Their SRW menu highlights best sellers like fresh rolls, sesame beef, ginger fried fish, beef noodle soup (all meats are imitation), mango sticky rice, and more, along with a variety of loose-leaf teas and cocktails to choose from. Renton. Lunch is $35. Dinner is $50. Eat local here.
For incredible flavors and spices of Ethiopian cuisine, check out Delish in Hillman City. This family-owned restaurant opened right before the first wave of pandemic lockdown, and with the support of devoted customers and rave reviews, Delish quickly became a favorite. Chef Amy incorporates the recipes she learned from her mother and cooks from the heart. For SRW, Delish offers both a veggie or meat combo for $35, featuring items like miser wot (spicy red lentils), shiro wot (split peas), kitfo (beef in chili spices), gomen besiga (marbled beef cooked with onions, greens, and garlic). Hillman City. Dinner is $35. Eat local here.
Seven years ago Chef Tina Fahnbulleh started offering Liberian and Ghanaian food as a pop-up side hustle. It was so successful that last fall she opened up a brick and mortar restaurant on Capitol Hill. In a city that doesn’t have much West African culinary representation, Gold Coast Ghal is a wonderful gateway for more people to savor dishes like fufu, waakye (a beans and rice dish that comes with beef stew and fried plantains), or kelewele (spicy fried plantains). For SRW, Gold Coast Ghal is offering a three course dinner menu for $50. That includes options of appetizers like kelewele and peanut with cilantro sauce, beef or veggie hand pie, or kosua ne meko (egg and pepper sauce); entree selections like fufu and goat peanut soup, or waakye (vegan on request); for dessert try the coconut dengue brûlée with millet pearls, fruit, and toasted coconut. First Hill. Dinner is $50. Eat local here.
Kirkland’s elegant modern Lebanese kitchen and bar — the most recent addition to the mama restaurant group — is known for their commitment to authentic recipes incorporating local ingredients. There’s falafel sandwiches, chicken shawarma, and other persian and syrian dishes, made with Pacific Northwest seasonal bounty at the peak of freshness. “As new items come into season, our culinary team works very hard to incorporate these flavors into our Levantine-inspired cuisine. Supporting the local farming community is very important to, not only our restaurant, but our community as a whole,” they say. For SRW, try their three-course lunch and dinner menus featuring mezzes like hummus or muhammara, mains like falafel or kefta meatballs, and dessert like pistachio and walnut baklawa. Kirkland. Lunch is $20. Dinner is $35.
Wallingford’s mkt. focuses on innovative Italian food, using Pacific Northwest ingredients to reimagine traditional recipes. For SRW mkt. is offering a four-course tasting menu of their very best dishes. Try appetizers like trout ciuppin soup, or a kale and baby greens salad with goat cheese fondue; burrata or polenta fritters for the second course; main options like seared scallops, Muscovy duck confit, or campanelle; and desserts like tiramisu or vanilla panna cotta. Wallingford. Dinner is $65. Eat local here.
The Lakehouse is a Northwest farmhouse concept that specializes in New American cuisine while honoring the very best of our seasonal bounties. Prioritizing grower and farmer relationships, expect a meticulous attention to details and imagination from the chefs here. The Lakehouse’s SRW menu highlights some of the most popular items from their spring menu, including some chef’s favorites. For SRW, check out their three-course lunch and four-course dinner menus. Start with a beet salad or Washington asparagus; and move to duck birra tacos or fish and chips for lunch, or tuna crudo or chopped salad for dinner. Entree choices on the dinner menu include raviolo or Thomas Cattle filet mignon. Finish it with tiramisu or strawberry sorbet. Bellevue. Lunch is $35. Dinner is $65. Eat local here.
Established as the first Edomae Sushi restaurant in Seattle over 30 years ago, the chefs at Shiro’s Sushi continue the legacy of artisan sushi craftsmanship and the freshest ingredients. The secret: looking first to the riches of our local waters. Salmon, geoduck, squid, oysters, clams and tuna are in abundance, as well as King Crab from Alaska. Make it a memorable SRW experience by heading to Shiro’s, and order the special Chef’s Choice hand selected 19 pieces of nigiri, served over five courses. Belltown. Dinner is $65. Eat local here.
Just around the corner from the steak restaurant that bears the same name, Whiskey by John Howie is an intimate, classy spot for cocktails and an extensive whiskey list. They also have upscale takes on comfort foods like their wagyu nachos, parmesan truffle fries, Korean BBQ skewers, and Nashville chicken bites. For SRW, try their $50 special that includes two small plates and two drinks, like a manhattan or the Love Letter, made with vodka, cava, pomegranate, honey, and lime. Bellevue. Dinner is $50. Eat local here.
A combo at Delish Ethiopian Cuisine. Photo courtesy of Delish Ethiopian Cuisine.
Additional Reading & Resources
Explore even more:
- View all participating restaurants on the Home page.
- Learn more about Give a Meal and see who’s participating
- Learn more about the new Columbia Crest Founder Series and get an exclusive taste at participating restaurants
We hope you enjoy Seattle Restaurant Week!
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