Cascadia Restaurant

Well, Cascadia, the good news is you have good service. Our waitress was quick to take away our plates of mostly untouched food. That’s a good thing isn’t it?
The other day Gamz and I found ourselves enjoying one of the last days of sunny Seattle weather while eating outdoors at Cascadia. The breezy «summer» air and the people watching was top notch.
On such an occasion food should be the cream on top of a good day. In this instance the cream had gone bad days before… Heirloom tomatoes salad? Lacking flavor and boooooring… The fish that followed was… dare I say it… fishy. Not good.
There are plenty of other spots in Belltown to dine, I’ll be back soon… to go to one of them.

I really wanted to love Cascadia. I did. I read some glowing reviews (off Unilocal) and loved the fresh Northwest cuisine concept. To be fair, I’ll start off on a positive. They have very cute little bistro tables set out in front of the restaurant in a nice little patio area where, on a perfect summer evening like last night, we were able to sit comfortably, sip a great Pometini and watach an orange crescent moon float behind delicate clouds over West Seattle. We could not have asked for a much better setting.
Where Cascadia falls down is in the food department… as many other Unilocalers have noted.
My wife and I went last night for a light bite, ordering a mini salmon burger with a side of house-​made mayo (was it really necessary to charge $ 0.75 for a tiny dollop of mayo?), the hearts of romaine salad, and the lobster ginger spring rolls. All of these sounded pretty darned good, but the at the end of the day, they were all just «eh».
The burger was not terribly dry, but it also wasn’t terribly flavorful. The $ 0.75 mayo was mayo. The «spring» rolls were fried but would have been much better served had they been more like a Vietnamese spring roll with a fresh, neutral, and less-​fatty non-​fried rice noodle wrap. The fried crust detracted from the delicate flavor that lobster has to offer. The salad was truly uninspired and was chopped a little too fine, making it difficult to eat with a fork — chopsticks would have been more effective.
We loved their Pomegranate Martini… one of the best we’ve ever tasted… and the lemon meringue dessert with lemon curd was very tasty, if a tad on the dense side (the meringue should have left it much lighter and fluffier).
Our waitress was very attentive and responsive and since our 14-​week-​old baby broke into huge grins every time he saw her, we’d just have to give her 5 stars even if we can’t do the same for her employer…
Situated on

Happy Hour on a Friday, the bar had a waiting list and the restaurant side was empty — and pretty much stayed that way for the next couple of hours. Light and airy, spacious but not cavernous — I was impressed.
We made it to the bar in a very short amount of time and went for the renowned Alpine Martinis. Beautiful drink — worthy of a photograph, and equally delicious. If there were a drink that epitomizes a happy hour cocktail, this would be it.
The sliders are very good, go with the blue cheese steak offering and ignore the condiments they bring, who needs pickles and tomato for a mini?
Overall a good impression and above all, a nice server who knew we were on foot so he added a little extra kick in martini #2.

So, believe it or not… Cascadia Restaurant was our motivation and inspiration to take a mini trip to Seattle…
It all started one lazy Sunday afternoon, my BF and I were watching FoodNetwork and Giada De Laurentiis was on, stuffing her face with truffle fries and mini sliders at this fabulous eatery while glorifying its happy hr… … … and I conclude they were just as good as she claimed…
The generous, juicy piece of beef hanger steak was sandwiched between confetti lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and 2 fluffy white buns. (All the toppings came on a mini tiered tray, too) Ohh, and the cone of french fries with minced garlic (& ginger?) came with 3 dipping sauces and were perfectly seasoned… we had 3 orders.
Our bartender was very VERY knowledgeable about alot of random stuff… we heard his conversations with the other guests at the bar and he’d bust out with some random, interesting facts… and was so on his game! He made sure everyone was well taken care of.
The Alpine martini is the signature happy hr drink… and for that reason, I had to get it. I don’t like gin… and it’s pretty much all gin.. . but the bartender warned me before i ordered it, so my bad. Actually, it comes with a scoop of this unique sorbet that tastes like a sugary piece of tree: P…I needed 3 scoops to finish the drink… the moral of this portion of the review is… don’t drink gin… oh, and don’t feel obligated to get something for the above reason only… otherwise u’ll be chuggin…
I highly recommend happy hr and their fries/​mini burgers! Just don’t get too crazy with the drinks like we did… our bill was a bit hefty for that reason… unless u make bank and can afford it

From an East-sider’s point of view this is worth the «hassle» of driving to Seattle, dealing with traffic, and paying for parking.
I first saw Cascadia on the Food Network when Giada reviewed it in a little «Weekend in Seattle» segment. My wife and I have been attempting to find the time in our schedules to get there ever since.
We finally made a point of it this evening. We ordered 3 «hanger steak» mini-​burgers and my wife also ordered a salmon mini-​burger. (I don’t do fish) We added cheese to the steak burgers and had the mustard, grilled onions, and mushrooms to add to the top of the little 3 to 4 bites of meat and bun. We also got an order of fries to go with the burgers as well. She ordered their «famous» cocktail the Alpine and I had a coke and we ordered the «Global Warming» dessert to finish it off.
First off, the little burgers were REALLY good. At 2.50 during Happy Hour I would say they were priced just right. (Especially as they charge your separately for the «Extras» you add to the burger (cheese, onions, etc)) The little bun is slightly toasted and doesn’t really «stand out» in any way other than as a good handle for the meat. (Which is good, as when I am eating a hamburger I don’t want to be thinking, «Wow, this bread is GREAT… the meat isn’t so good though…»)
The fries were pretty good as well. I didn’t see any listing anywhere that the fries were «Garlic Fries» but ours, to our enjoyment, had minced garlic on them. The fry order was kind of small, especially if you are used to eating lots of fries, but it was fine for the two of us to share.
Lisa said the Alpine tasted a lot like a pine tree, and her first couple of sips she wasn’t sure if she liked it. The more she sipped on it however the more she liked it.
I had a coke. Normally I wouldn’t mention this but several things 1. It was a really good coke. A good mix of carbonated water and the Coke syrup. I was a little displeased to see that the coke was 4 dollars. A fountain drink that costs almost as much as my wife’s cocktail, and probably actually costs less than 25 cents?
For dessert we had the «Global Warming», which was a lava cake that had a coconut cake part and chocolate «lava». It was topped off with a little scoop of vanilla and a star shaped coconut cookie on top. Very, very tasty. Honestly, do to it’s size I would waffle about paying 10 dollars for it. It was good, yes, but I don’t know if the size and/​or relative goodness of it justified 10 dollars.
Overall, we really enjoyed Cascadia. Our server was excellent. Helpful, nice, and didn’t «hang around» the table, but was there when we needed her. I would suggest Cascadia for special occasions, but some of the prices on their items seem like they are trying to offset the prices of other items. (Mini-​burgers are fairly well priced for what they are, but the dessert probably would have been better priced at 7.50)
Well worth trying for yourself though!

Ugh. Will not go back for food. My friend and I went here for the 3 for 30 thing they had in May.
It was. «meh» for the dinners at best. We didn’t finish any of our food, none of it was good. On the menu it SOUNDED wonderful, it looked. decent it tasted. well it didn’t really taste like much but salt. Maybe the intern was cooking that night…
The desserts were okay. but its hard to go wrong on sweets…
The décor and nice bathroom get the 2 points.
After here my friend and I were so disappointed we actually went to a second restaurant for dinner R2(desserts)…

Chocolate and bacon bits. Yep. 3 for $ 30 lets you try things that you might otherwise want to turn away from, like a double chocolate pâté and candied bacon bits. I say that it works. Hubby wasn’t buying it. The tropical fruit purée and vanilla cream cuts the salt of the bacon bits. Give it a shot. It’s only a sprinkling of bacon and this isn’t just the alpine martini talkin’.
Another unusual 3 for $ 30 item (but also on the regular menu) is the wild nettle bisque with a meyer lemon meringue and whitefish caviar. The wild nettle is blended with a potato purée. Swirl the meringue around the soup and you’ll get some lemon action to cut the richness of the bisque. Amazing.
For the entrée, you get the choice of the halibut steak or a leg of lamb. You can’t go wrong with either. The lamb comes with sauteed pea vines and English peas and a foam of malt vinegar mint sauce. Perfect for spring. The halibut has a side of quinoa risotto and a rich wasabi duck egg hollandaise– a little heavy for my taste but who am I to turn away a perfectly good quinoa dish?
Go before March ends if you want to take advantage of the 3 for $ 30.

Had dinner here last night with my friend for the 3 for $ 30 march special… however, it was NOWHERE close to special. We each had the asparagus appetizer and it was pretty flavorless… I couldn’t even taste the charbroil of the asparagus! Then, I had the roast lamb which was well prepared but the seasoning was too light so that it was pretty bland. My friend had one of the smelliest Halibut dishes I’ve ever seen — I mean, we both felt ill from the smell. And the quinoa risotto that came with it was practically crunchy!
For dessert, I had the rhubarb strawberry pie which came out ‘deconstructed’ or as I’d like to call it «random bits of dessert on a plate». I didn’t like it at all. My friend got the chocolate mousse but it just was hard and seemed old… overall, a very unsatisfactory meal and I left thoroughly disappointed after everyone I spoke to highly recommended it… I definitely won’t be going back!!!

I review this as a Happy Hour venue. I should really eat here, but I just can’t get by the mini-​burgers. All gastro’ed up with there truffle butter or fashionable cheese. And then to slosh it down with a couple of Alpine Fur Martini’s? Oh yes, that is Pine Tree Ice Cream (Douglass Fur if I recall correctly) floating in your vodka.
It’s class and different and always a happy hour go to guy.

I realize, that when your expectations rise, it’s more difficult to get an A+.
If my expectations were where they were before I went to Cascadia, I’d give 5 stars, since it’d been a while since I dined so fine, but after my stupor wore off, there are some things they could improve on, hence the 4 star rating.
Let me say that all the hype about the Alpine-​tini is accurate– I ordered one, based on all this Unilocaling about it, and it was delightful, it changed as the snowball melted, it was delish. If I make it at home I might try it with different vodkas for the base– they use Citron, I might try grey goose or another flavor, dunno. Anyhoo, it’s delicious, go get one. And it’s also $ 11. ouch.
We headed out with our group of snooty foodies, with intent to stick to the ’30 under 30′ prix fixe menu. I had a tarragon gravlax– tender, tasty– and the pheasant leg cassoulet– which, while not a true cassoulet (cooked together in a dutch oven for hours and hours), was incredibly delicious.
the desserts, the wine, the company, the ambience, A+ with gold stars. The service gets an A (some of our stuff came out slllloooowwwwllly, even for a slow-​food experience), our server was completely charming and wonderful. I think we were sitting under the thermostat, so the room temperature went hot/​cold/​hot/​cold a lot, but really– whatever! It was a grand experience, through and through.

I have yet to go to Cascadia for the happy hour, but I have read on Unilocal that is great although crowded. I did just go to Cascadia last night though and I came away neither impressed nor disappointed.
A lot of things went right. When we arrived, we were promptly seated. Our waiter was very attentive, but not intrusive. The wine list although daunting, provided us with a very nice wine. The food though was good, but not great.
Now, I often suffer from high expectations, but I don’t think I suffered from too high of expectations since a friend of mine said that it was good albeit pricey and I didn’t pick up the tab this time so I’m not sure what went wrong.

Just went for dinner last night, for the first time. Since I had scored on parking, I was 15 minutes early (reservation was for 6:00pm) and just sat and waited near the desk. The hostess was very nice and low-​key, which pleased me since I had a preconceived notion that this restaurant was going to be another «you will eat whatever the chef felt like making — enjoy your sauteed octopus suction cups with a raspberry reduction sauce» kind of place. The rest of the party finally arrived and we were seated immediately.
Our very cool, somewhat intellectualish waiter happily recommended dishes and answered questions. His pacing was excellent, allowing us enough time to chit chat and mull over the selections. We chose the Grilled Blue Prawns and a Tomato-​Mozzarella salad for appetizers. A delicious selection of breads and crackers, as well as a teepee of pita crackers sitting on hummus were also brought out.
Two people ordered the simply grilled lamb chops, one ordered grilled wild king salmon on lobster mashed potatoes, and I ordered the weird-​sounding squash strudel on seaweed. Everybody loved their entrees, and nothing but bones was left on the plates.
Dessert was the chocolate catch of the day and lemon sugar beignets. The dark chocolate moussy tart was served with an angling fisherman and fish cookies propped in the middle. I enjoyed it, but I think Alton Brown’s chocolate tofu pie is better. The beignets were tiny, airy torpedoes which were so fleeting in the mouth I could not detect any lemon flavor.
My companions ordered wine by the glass, but two of us don’t drink, so I can’t comment on the wine selections.
The food was wonderful and the service outstanding. I have no idea what the bill was, but if I’d paid it, I probably would’ve given four stars for value. Ignorance is bliss and worth five stars.

I’ve never eaten dinner here. Read on if you care.
I briefly loved the happy hour schtick they had going. But because of it, there is now this line around the block at 4:45 on some days just to get in for the happy hour. $ 2 mini-​burgers are good. The $ 6 martinis are adequate. But have some humility, folks.
I haven’t waited in line at a bar since college. This is billed (by themselves) as a 5 star Seattle restaurant. But they’re working this happy hour like they’re Azteca. It’s embarrassing.
If you’re a full pay dinner diner, be prepared to wade through the rabble. Because they seem to be catering to us.

Their lush hamburgers for $ 1.00, red Champagne (yes, it was real Champagne and not red sparkling wine), my sweet sweetie, and an alpine martini. Perfect flowers. Not overdone interior.
I will love this place forever.

I love the Alpine Martinis. Period. They contain a little ball of magic, also known as a Douglas-​fir infused snowball. I do not know how they make the snowball, but it adds such a distinct flavor that I keep coming back for more. I also come back for the food. I have tried the mini-​burgers of course, and they are decent (make sure you add a sauce or a topping to make them really good!), but I loved the calamari. It had this vibrant and lively chipotle cream dip that had such a strong chipotle flavor.
And to top it off, the service isn’t snooty. I came in wearing only jeans and a polo (casual dress is typical of the happy hour clientele) but was served like I was wearing a suit, with «Yes sir» and «right away sir.» Okay, maybe that is a bit much, but it certainly is better than «Yes?» or «OK» which is typical of Belltown establishments, I’ve found.
Oh, and I find the happy hour prices to be great! I can get out of there with food, and 2 martinis for under $ 15! I might even try going here alone one day…

Happy Hour Review:
Yesterday was a perfect summery day for outdoor seating at Cascadia. Oh, happy hour mini-​burgers have gone up a dollar. They are now $ 2. Still, they are yummy and the perfect bit sized morsels presented on a cute two-​tiered silver platter. They were the perfect snacks to go with our various cocktails. We also grabbed handfuls of veggie chips and frites and stuffed those in our mouths as got happier and drunkier. The calamari was just a tad too greasy and kinda fell apart.

Hosted a dinner for 18 in the private dining room, so my experience wont apply to most, but I thought it would be worthwhile to share.
The private dining room on the second floor is beautifully appointed with fireplace and views thru the main dining room to the water. The catering manager is very pleasant, attentive, and flexible with special requests.
The dinner went off with very few hitches. The sommelier made 2 nice wine recommendations in the range I asked. (Check out the Château Musar Cab blend 2001). Despite paying extra for 2 dedicated wait staff for the group, the service was slower and less attentive than I would have expected; but both were personable and responsive when asked. I was not as «wowed» by the food as I would have hoped. The mushroom tart hors d’oeuvres were bone cold when served, but the calamari impressed my boss, which was the true test. Because of the group size, we were limited to 3 entrée choices. The ahi tuna was way overdone, and the beef tenderloin was routinely less done than requested. The gnocchi was delightful, but obviously the asparagas in the dish was plated much earlier, as it was much colder than the reminder of the dish.
We all shared and sampled the whole dessert menu; the pucker power lemon cake and chocolate tapioca pudding were the stars.
Overall, a positive experience and I think my guests were pleased. But at $ 3000 for 18 guests, I would have expected a more impressive dinner event.

The gnocchi. oh, sweet Sister Christian, the gnocchi!
I was invited out to dinner tonight– where to? We weren’t sure. My friend decided we better kick it up a notch and dine in style, due to the fact that EVERYWHERE else in this god damn city is insanely busy on a friday night.
We ended up at Cascadia, which is great b/​c we’d been really wanting to check them out for their Alpinetinis (a martini w/​a pine infused sorbet and real pine sprig in the friggin’ glass) and their «mini build a burgers».
We decided to have dinner and come back another day for the minis– you get 3 to an order and you can add lots to it– carmelized onions, pancetta, blue cheese, oysters, even lobster! Yowza!
We had the Alpinetinis, which were delightful (good thing too– they were $ 9), and I had the sashimi app. It was pretty good. My friend however decided to go the gnocchi, seared in hazelnut oil/​marscarpone route. Wow. I swear– they’re as good as «you know what». I’m just sayin’.
Entrees: Me– the halibut and yes, more gnocchi. Him– the chicken and green tea soba. Both were very good. Wine list is super pricey, but decent. We finished off with some crazy ass chocolate concoction that made my head spin. It wasn’t too sweet– just right.
Pricey– yes, but a tasty creative menu and the presentation was stellar. Our waitress was great– really personable, and their bathrooms are nice too.
I give it two mini burgers (topped with gorgonzola and oysters) up!

Mini-​burgers, a nice outdoor seating area, and martini’s that taste like trees?
That’s what I like about Cascadia. I’m not so sure about it’s «normal» form of fancy-​pants restaurant, but for happy hour on a sunny day this place is really hard to beat.
Be sure to add things to your mini-​burgers, otherwise they are kind of boring, and vegetarians take note that the homemade veggie patties they serve are on the ultra-​mushy side.
Their signature alpine martini has douglas fir sorbet in it which makes it taste like a tree — which is surprisingly refreshing, but not terribly tasty. I’ll just have to try more cocktails until I find the perfect pairing to my mini salmon burger and non-​rainy day — hey, someones gotta do it!

This is a review of Cascadia’s Happy Hour only.
Last evening my wifey and I decided to try the much-​lauded happy hour at Cascadia. It was our umpteenth anniversary and we’ve learned that the secret to a long and happy marriage is to indulge semi-​regularly on beef and gin. (It used to be oysters and gin until my wife cracked a tooth on a pearl. The pearl wasn’t in the oyster, it was part of an anniversary necklace I had just given her which caught on the Kumamoto shell as she brought it to her mouth. We quit doing oysters that night and probably should have quit gin as well.)
Anyway, legends abound in the Northwest regarding Cascadia’s Hangar Steak Mini Burgers so we were eager to sample them. While they were good — and I tried several of them in various configurations — I can’t say I would make them a destination food. The buns are a little too Wonder Bready for my liking. However, the beef is perfectly cooked and drips nicely as you bite in. Adding the available range of condiments can drive up the bargain price making it quickly rival what you’d pay for a quarter pounder or one of its many cousins.
We also tried the Calamari Cone. I’ve heard raves about it too but I would have to call it pretty average. A little heavy on the batter and a little light on the taste of the dipping sauce. If you want great calamari Ponti Seafood Grill is the place to go. But I digress…
Sitting at the bar, we found Cascadia’s bartenders to be quite friendly and talky. And the atmosphere is pretty much Belltown hip. I would say it’s definitely worth a try to form your own opinion on the happy hour goodies.
One note of caution: I had a dream later in the night that I was eating my cat. In the dream she seemed perfectly okay and unconcerned that I was working on her thigh with a knife and fork. Don’t know if the dream was a result of the gin, the beef, or the fact that I awoke to find the cat sleeping about four inches from my nose. But be ready for anything.